Monstress Vols 1-4 by Marjorie Liu

Illustrated by Sana Takeda
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I had a lot of people tell me I would really like this story, and I honestly don't know why I waited so long to get into it.  During ComicCon this year, I went on a comics-buying rampage, and this was one of them. Boy am I hooked! I am now eagerly awaiting the release of the fifth trade paperback, counting down the days!

Monstress follows the exploits of Maika Halfwolf through a beautifully drawn  matriarchal, steampunk world.  Humans fight against Archanics, a hybrid race of humans and Ancients.  Archanics often have animalistic features, are prone to magical abilities, and their bodies contain Lilium, a substance that, when ingested by humans, can give them great power.  Maika travels across the known world piecing together the history of her family, her ancestry, and her mysterious powers, all while being pursued by human witches as other Archanics.  Maika is not your typical heroine. She's rude, unfeeling, and singularly focused, which is rare for a female lead.  Her constant tag-along companion, Kippa, cares enough for both of them with her childlike innocence and belief in the good in the world.

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The rich storyline is accompanied by some of the most intricate and gorgeous drawing I have ever seen.  I recently had to talk myself out of buying another copy of Volume 3 with different cover art because it was so beautiful.

There are some cautions to this amazing story.  The characters are not shy of f-bombing everything.  There is also nudity and some adult content, but none of that is graphic or overly sexualized.  

Sara's Rating: 10/10
​Suitability level: Grades 10-12
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​Tags: Rating: 10/10, Suitability: High School, Comicbooks, Fantasy, Magic, LGBTQ+, 

Here are some of the awards that have been bestowed on this amazing series:

• 2019 Hugo Awards: Best Graphic Story
• 2018 Eisner Awards: Best Writer, Best Painter/Multimedia Artist, Best Continuing Series, Best Publication for Teens
• 2018 Harvey Awards: Book of the Year
• 2018 Hugo Awards: Best Graphic Story, Best Professional Artist
• 2018 British Fantasy Awards: Best Comic/Graphic Novel
• 2018 Entertainment Weekly: Best Comic Book of the Year
• 2018 Newsweek: Best Comic Book of the Year
• 2018 Washington Post: 10 Best Graphic Novels of the Year
• 2018 Barnes & Noble: Best Books of the Year
• 2018 YALSA: Great Graphic Novels for Teens
• 2017 Hugo Awards: Best Graphic Story
• 2017 British Fantasy Awards: Best Comic/Graphic Novel
• 2016 Entertainment Weekly: Best Comic Book of the Year
• 2015 Entertainment Weekly: Best Comic Book of the Year