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A review by rarewren
Monstress, Vol. 1: Awakening by Marjorie Liu
3.0
My first time through this first volume was something of a disjointed slog, only because I was overwhelmed by the sheer magnificence of the world-building. The visual richness slowed me down (in the best way!) The narrative expanse did too (as I struggled to track who's who among the characters and political factions). And I had to pace myself with the horror and the violence. I was also annoyed at the poor form of the trade paperback, which allowed the gutter to gobble up images and text. Yet I am totally hooked: by the grand entrance of Ren the sardonic, foul-mouthed, adorable enigma of a talking cat, the ghosts of dead gods towering over the forest like Miyazaki's nightwalker, the unapologetically matriarchal peacockery of it all. I can't wait to reread it, perhaps after reviewing Professor Tam Tam's lectures.
Merged review:
My first time through this first volume was something of a disjointed slog, only because I was overwhelmed by the sheer magnificence of the world-building. The visual richness slowed me down (in the best way!) The narrative expanse did too (as I struggled to track who's who among the characters and political factions). And I had to pace myself with the horror and the violence. I was also annoyed at the poor form of the trade paperback, which allowed the gutter to gobble up images and text. Yet I am totally hooked: by the grand entrance of Ren the sardonic, foul-mouthed, adorable enigma of a talking cat, the ghosts of dead gods towering over the forest like Miyazaki's nightwalker, the unapologetically matriarchal peacockery of it all. I can't wait to reread it, perhaps after reviewing Professor Tam Tam's lectures.
Merged review:
My first time through this first volume was something of a disjointed slog, only because I was overwhelmed by the sheer magnificence of the world-building. The visual richness slowed me down (in the best way!) The narrative expanse did too (as I struggled to track who's who among the characters and political factions). And I had to pace myself with the horror and the violence. I was also annoyed at the poor form of the trade paperback, which allowed the gutter to gobble up images and text. Yet I am totally hooked: by the grand entrance of Ren the sardonic, foul-mouthed, adorable enigma of a talking cat, the ghosts of dead gods towering over the forest like Miyazaki's nightwalker, the unapologetically matriarchal peacockery of it all. I can't wait to reread it, perhaps after reviewing Professor Tam Tam's lectures.