Review: Monstress Vol. 1- Awakening

Quick Summary

Pros: The main storyline is full of action and suspense. The background storyline is just as interesting and has tons of potential. Meaningful themes are abundant. Worldbuilding is extensive and well done. The entire collection looks beautiful in a way that enhances every part of the book.

Cons: Some readers may not like how confusing the book is in places.

Overall: In this tremendous fantasy epic, readers will witness the beginning of a war, uncover a hidden mystery, and learn about an incredibly detailed and elaborate new world. Every aspect of this book is interesting, from the intense action sequences to simply uncovering the story’s mystery, and will constantly have readers on the edge of their seats. Along the way, deep and meaningful themes are explored and allow readers to use this fictional world to reflect upon the real one. This is a great book for readers who enjoy fantasy or anyone who likes books with plenty of worldbuilding.

Story

Monstress Vol. 1: Awakening, by Marjorie Liu, uses a unique fantasy setting to tell the epic story of a magically inspired war. In it, readers are instantly thrust into a world of strange creatures, unique magic, and an unexplained conspiracy which gets more and more interesting with every page. Liu does a fantastic job in crafting a world with a lore so dense that it feels like we have only just scratched the surface of everything there is to learn. This is a compelling book pushed forward by strong, yet beautifully flawed characters making their way through this world and uncovering aspects of it which we are only just beginning to understand. The end result is a book that doesn’t just appeal to fantasy lovers, it also appeals to anyone interesting in epic stories set in detailed and elaborate worlds.

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Before even getting into the actual story behind this book, the sheer scope of the worldbuilding present here must be addressed. Liu has created a society with a rich history of war and development, that has a number of strict rules for the storyline to follow. There are multiple distinct races; magical elements, who’s properties remain surprisingly consistent; and a full history behind every character, location, and artifact. Discovering all of this becomes one of the reader’s biggest objectives and gives them something to look forward to with every page they read.

The actual story is equally impressive. It mostly follows Maika, a young girl on a path of self discovery, who becomes somewhat inadvertently wrapped up in a war between the book’s primary races. Through Maika’s journey, readers get to see the beginnings to this war and also learn how it affects people of both noble and common birth. This is also where the majority of the book’s action comes from, as elaborate fight sequences between beings of mystical nature are scattered throughout. This allows the collection to maintain a high level of intensity and thrill at every moment and makes for a more exciting read overall.

While this war is certainly a large part of the book, it is only the proving ground for an even larger and more elaborate story. Maika is at the center of a conspiracy to bring back a race of Lovecraftian style “old gods” to be used for an unknown purpose. These gods are terrifying in description and might, with potentially world ending powers. While their purpose and involvement in this story have yet to be fully explained, the overwhelming mystery and gravitas they bring to the book increases my interest in the series exponentially.

Though both of these storylines involve plenty of fighting and have their fair share of epic moments, the deep and meaningful themes found within them should not be overlooked. Maika’s journey explores themes of racism, war, and the ultimate struggle between good and evil that can be found in everyone. Every character in this book is flawed, even the “good” ones, but it is in those flaws where we can see a reflection of our own humanity, allowing these themes to develop. Despite the grandiose environment, this is still a book about people. People who struggle to maintain things like power or friendship in the face of a world working against them. This is by no means a simple fantasy book, so those looking for more will easily find it.

The only aspect of this collection which may not delight everyone is how confusing it can be, at times. Right from the start, characters and narration use a plethora of terms which readers do not yet understand. In fact, readers do not fully understand most of the terms on the book’s first few pages until they finish the entire book. For some, this could be frustrating, however I thoroughly enjoyed it. Being tossed into this enigmatic society with zero bearings allowed for a journey of discovery which only added to my sense of wonder while reading. I also feel as if it allowed Liu to write in a way where no part of the story is boring, as she did not waste time on simple introductions. By doing this, the entire novel is interesting and rereads are even more rewarding.

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Art

One of the most instantly recognizable aspect of the Monstress series is the mindblowing visual style. Stunning characters and robust landscapes pack the book, as artist Sana Takeda creates the world of Monstress. Precise detail can be found on each and every page, enough that readers can spend hours just soaking up how nice the backgrounds look. Not to mention, Takeda’s colors match the rest of her work perfectly in developing a thematic style for the book which brings out the magic in this mysterious new world. It is safe to say that this is a visually stunning book that will leave everyone impressed.

This artwork isn’t just pretty though, it also is incredibly imaginative and descriptive when it comes to showing exactly what is going on in this brand new world. Steampunk cities and weaponry blend with a medieval setting to create the basis for a world that is foreign, yet familiar, right from the start. It makes the book feel like something readers have never seen before, while also feeling like something that has been around for ages; as if it were a new take on a childhood fairy tale. Throw in a host of breathtaking cities, strange animals, and horrifying monsters, and you have the setting for a world any reader would be interested in learning more about. This positively enhances the reading experience by as much, if not more, than the story does and makes this already impressive book even more so.

Continuity

Monstress Vol. 1: Awakening is published by Image Comics, a creator owned publishing company who’s titles do not often crossover with each other. Thus, this title, like many other Image Comics, maintains its own continuity. This means you will receive everything you need to understand the story in this book.

The story here continues in Monstress Vol. 2: The Blood (Review).