Trish's Reviews > Monstress, Volume 1: Awakening

Dear Heaven! Words fail me. I was impressed by many books over the years, but never as completely as I am with this. I'm flabberghasted, I'm in love, I still can't believe this exists.

The only reason I knew about this, was Neil Gaiman. Once again, one of my favourite authors pointed me towards a book I wouldn't want to miss under any circumstances.

The story is set in a fantasy world where there aren't only humans but also Ancients, Arcadians (half human and half Ancient), Old Gods and other creatures. Maika Halfwolf survived a terrible war in which one single strike killed hundreds of thousands - with neither side knowing what really happened. She has severe memory problems and tries to figue out how she survived, what happened to her mother and what that voice inside of her is. While struggling with all that, she is hunted by both the humans (including some witch-nuns belonging to the Federation of Humans) and the Arcadians. And then, of course, there is some power much more troublesome than all of them.
However, fortunately, Maika is not alone (although she often wished she was).
The story is intriguing, thrilling, intelligent, moving, sometimes funny even and deserving of all the compliments I could possibly give.

Moreover, the exceptional story would be incomplete without the stunning art. Although I am in no way an expert in comicbook or graphic novel art, I recognize brilliance when I see it and this is hands down the best art I have ever seen. Nothing even comes close! Just look:




(The quality of these images is not as the quality in the book itself I need to add.)
I cannot emphasize enough what a treasure this is. If you read one more book this year, make it this one! If I could, I would give it so many more than 5 stars.