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M.F.K.: Book One
A fantastic adventure following the story of Abbie, a deaf girl with a mysterious power, who is traveling across a vast desert to scatter her mother's ashes.
In a world of sleeping gods, a broken government, and a fragile peace held in the hands of the corrupt, one youth must find the strength to stand up against evil and save humanity.
This story is not about that youth.
It’s about Abbie, who just wants to get to the mountain range called the Potter’s Spine and scatter her mother’s ashes. But the way is filled with sandstorms, wild beasts, and rogues that wield inhuman powers and prey on poor desert dwellers. When one of these rogues threatens the town where Abbie takes refuge, she must choose between running, or unleashing her own hidden power to meet danger head-on.
Journeys are hard on the social recluses of the world.
In a world of sleeping gods, a broken government, and a fragile peace held in the hands of the corrupt, one youth must find the strength to stand up against evil and save humanity.
This story is not about that youth.
It’s about Abbie, who just wants to get to the mountain range called the Potter’s Spine and scatter her mother’s ashes. But the way is filled with sandstorms, wild beasts, and rogues that wield inhuman powers and prey on poor desert dwellers. When one of these rogues threatens the town where Abbie takes refuge, she must choose between running, or unleashing her own hidden power to meet danger head-on.
Journeys are hard on the social recluses of the world.
129 pages, Hardcover
First published September 26, 2017
About the author
Nilah Magruder
43 books118 followersNilah Magruder is the author of M.F.K., a middle-grade graphic novel and winner of the Dwayne McDuffie Award for Diversity, and How to Find a Fox, a picture book. She has published short stories in Fireside Magazine and the anthology All Out: The No-Longer-Secret Stories of Queer Teens throughout the Ages. Nilah has also written for Marvel Comics, illustrated children’s books for Disney-Hyperion, Scholastic, and Penguin, and worked as a writer and storyboard artist in television animation. She is currently illustrating Creaky Acres, a middle-grade graphic novel about horseback riding. When she is not working, Nilah is watching movies, growing herbs, and fighting her cat for control of her desk chair.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 210 reviews
November 30, 2017
M.F.K. is an enigmatic, fantasy graphic novel about a girl from the desert, a boy from a beleaguered town and a journey to deliver an urn filled with ashes.
The Goodreads description of this book gave far more plot line than the book itself managed to deliver.
But, I feel this read was elevated by the beautiful, full-page, colorful artwork and the promise of a better storyline to come.
Jaime's parents left him with relatives when he was only a child. But don't pity him: "Sometimes I dream about seeing them again... and punching them in their faces."
The desert town, where Jaime and his remaining family stay, is occasionally threatened by beings from the deeper desert. Their abilities seem to be a gift from desert gods.
"The devas gave us this strength to create and destroy to lead and conquer."
In some ways, this book is like a fantasy western. You've got the obvious good guys, the obvious bad guys and the unlikely hero or heroine who saves the day.
I'm intrigued.
Recommended for readers who enjoy pretty graphic novels. Also recommended for young adults or reluctant readers.
This book has an interesting story and the women are drawn like people, not pin ups. I'm looking forward to the next installation.
The Goodreads description of this book gave far more plot line than the book itself managed to deliver.
But, I feel this read was elevated by the beautiful, full-page, colorful artwork and the promise of a better storyline to come.
Jaime's parents left him with relatives when he was only a child. But don't pity him: "Sometimes I dream about seeing them again... and punching them in their faces."
The desert town, where Jaime and his remaining family stay, is occasionally threatened by beings from the deeper desert. Their abilities seem to be a gift from desert gods.
"The devas gave us this strength to create and destroy to lead and conquer."
In some ways, this book is like a fantasy western. You've got the obvious good guys, the obvious bad guys and the unlikely hero or heroine who saves the day.
I'm intrigued.
Recommended for readers who enjoy pretty graphic novels. Also recommended for young adults or reluctant readers.
This book has an interesting story and the women are drawn like people, not pin ups. I'm looking forward to the next installation.
March 17, 2019
Wow, this was intriguing. It was compelling while revealing very little. I simply want to know more and to know more about this world. I feel like this was simply the opening 5 minutes or pages of the story and we just set out on adventure when the book ended. It's like, what - I want more.
We are in some desert community in some world. There are certain people with powers and these villagers do not have that. A boy and grandfather find a girl traveling in the desert alone and bring her home to heal. She fainted and barely alive. His aunt is a healer.
The artwork is lovely here an this feels like it could be another Amulet and have a sweeping magnificent story to tell. I hope there is another volume. This was a lot of fun to read.
We are in some desert community in some world. There are certain people with powers and these villagers do not have that. A boy and grandfather find a girl traveling in the desert alone and bring her home to heal. She fainted and barely alive. His aunt is a healer.
The artwork is lovely here an this feels like it could be another Amulet and have a sweeping magnificent story to tell. I hope there is another volume. This was a lot of fun to read.
July 13, 2018
Holy crap please please please finish this story, Nilah Magruder.
I loved the themes and concept and want to know more about this world.
Thank you for addressing systemic oppression and broken systems and changing the world.
I loved the protagonist/cast, particularly that a hearing aid features in the plot.
The production on the book is fantastic - fully 8.5x11 pages, beautiful full color, hardcover.
The illustration style does shift periodically, I suspect because it was a webcomic (see pages 60/61) - there are some extremely cinematic, airbrushed-feeling pages, and some clearly manga-inspired pages where the pencil marks feel very close to the surface of the page.
More. More. More. More. MORE.
I loved the themes and concept and want to know more about this world.
Thank you for addressing systemic oppression and broken systems and changing the world.
I loved the protagonist/cast, particularly that a hearing aid features in the plot.
The production on the book is fantastic - fully 8.5x11 pages, beautiful full color, hardcover.
The illustration style does shift periodically, I suspect because it was a webcomic (see pages 60/61) - there are some extremely cinematic, airbrushed-feeling pages, and some clearly manga-inspired pages where the pencil marks feel very close to the surface of the page.
More. More. More. More. MORE.
June 23, 2018
That synopsis has got to be one of the most misleading I've ever read. It's not a fantastic adventure. I don't think I'd even call it an adventure. It was a confused mishmash that I couldn't wait to finish.
First, the art. Let's start with the cover. It's also misleading. That's a scene that must take place long before the story begins, because when we meet Abbie, her moa (the birdlike creature) is almost dead. We don't know what happened. Abbie's wounded, and it's never explained how. From there, the artwork really messed with my head. We'd jump from beautiful illustrations to sketches that looked almost like they were done by an untalented child. I almost wonder if they were placeholders and just got forgotten about during the editing process. If the whole book had been illustrated in a consistent style, I might've had a more favourable reaction to it.
The characters ranged from annoying to disgusting. Abbie herself is a bit of a mystery. She's deaf, but it plays zero role in the story. She has a hearing aid that basically erases any sort of disability, so I'm not sure why her deafness was included, other than for diversity points. Jaime, a boy who helps rescue Abbie from a sandstorm, is an irksome little twit. He also comes from a family of abusers. I don't think the author intended for it to come across like that, but they were awful. His parents abandoned him, and it's excused by saying they had to chase their own path (or some such nonsense). His grandfather and aunt are both physically abusive. It's written/drawn for laughs, but I didn't find it funny. The aunt is downright scary; I thought she was going to turn into some supernatural demon a few times. The mayor is a wimpy coward for the sake of moving the plot forward; someone that spineless wouldn't retain power for long in real life. The villains are ridiculous, and it doesn't help when they have boring names like Derek and are drawn as comical stereotypes. The main villain can't even get his own origin story straight; he mentions getting his supernatural powers from devas, and then goes on a spiel about how he's the way he is because of science. (I thought maybe the people in this story regarded the devas as part of science, but then Jaime's aunt equates them to religion... so that was confusing.)
There was very little plot to speak of. I guess there's another installment after this one, but I definitely won't be bothering. There was little enough here, other than a whole bunch of action panels with onomatopoeia and inconsistent drawings. We don't know much more about the world than we did before we started. (Is it supposed to be Earth after some calamity? If not, why does Abbie wear a pair of familiar red sneakers? Why does everyone have recognizable, rather than made-up, names?) There are some tantalizing hints about certain things, but not enough to make me want to slog through another installment of annoying characters and lagging plot.
I'm not impressed.
First, the art. Let's start with the cover. It's also misleading. That's a scene that must take place long before the story begins, because when we meet Abbie, her moa (the birdlike creature) is almost dead. We don't know what happened. Abbie's wounded, and it's never explained how. From there, the artwork really messed with my head. We'd jump from beautiful illustrations to sketches that looked almost like they were done by an untalented child. I almost wonder if they were placeholders and just got forgotten about during the editing process. If the whole book had been illustrated in a consistent style, I might've had a more favourable reaction to it.
The characters ranged from annoying to disgusting. Abbie herself is a bit of a mystery. She's deaf, but it plays zero role in the story. She has a hearing aid that basically erases any sort of disability, so I'm not sure why her deafness was included, other than for diversity points. Jaime, a boy who helps rescue Abbie from a sandstorm, is an irksome little twit. He also comes from a family of abusers. I don't think the author intended for it to come across like that, but they were awful. His parents abandoned him, and it's excused by saying they had to chase their own path (or some such nonsense). His grandfather and aunt are both physically abusive. It's written/drawn for laughs, but I didn't find it funny. The aunt is downright scary; I thought she was going to turn into some supernatural demon a few times. The mayor is a wimpy coward for the sake of moving the plot forward; someone that spineless wouldn't retain power for long in real life. The villains are ridiculous, and it doesn't help when they have boring names like Derek and are drawn as comical stereotypes. The main villain can't even get his own origin story straight; he mentions getting his supernatural powers from devas, and then goes on a spiel about how he's the way he is because of science. (I thought maybe the people in this story regarded the devas as part of science, but then Jaime's aunt equates them to religion... so that was confusing.)
There was very little plot to speak of. I guess there's another installment after this one, but I definitely won't be bothering. There was little enough here, other than a whole bunch of action panels with onomatopoeia and inconsistent drawings. We don't know much more about the world than we did before we started. (Is it supposed to be Earth after some calamity? If not, why does Abbie wear a pair of familiar red sneakers? Why does everyone have recognizable, rather than made-up, names?) There are some tantalizing hints about certain things, but not enough to make me want to slog through another installment of annoying characters and lagging plot.
I'm not impressed.
Read
October 6, 2017I read this originally as a webcomic and praised it highly - I was very pleased to see it published in book format.
Diverse secondary world fantasy? I cannot have enough diverse secondary world fantasy, and this story hits upon many of my other interests too.
M.F.K. is about two young people, one of them a mysterious traveler who stumbles upon a desert village, and the other living in said village. I lik that it does not turn into the very obvious Generic Romance Arc and instead it offers a friendship - getting to know each other arc.
I think the strength of the book - besides the wonderful, dynamic, strikingly colored art - is *the focus on magic as a source of social power*. The conflicts related to that are very sensible and thought through, even though we haven't seen a lot of the broader universe of M.F.K. at this point. The story also doesn't get didactic or preachy at any point, there is action and gutwrenching emotions and sadness and anger and joy.
M.F.K. also has a main character who uses a hearing aid, and is a magical person, but magic is totally unconnected to disability. The character just incidentally uses a hearing aid. That was very refreshing to see.
The webcomic origin means that some bits are a bit inconsistent due to the original per-page updates format, but it is nothing particularly distracting. (Panel borders change thickness partway through.) It is still a very cohesive work, though very much a Part 1 and I WANT MORE YES PLEASE.
I really hope there will be a part 2 - there is another chapter online -, but I'm a bit apprehensive that the book itself doesn't say "Volume 1" anywhere. I'm also disappointed that the book has no author biography. This is a major release by an award-winning Black woman artist (who is also asexual!) and there is absolutely no mention of her as a person or her other work. (I really liked her kids' book How to Catch a Fox, too.) So please look her up and read her work and promote her.
Source of the book: Birthday gift for Spouseperson by J. José Jimenez and Lisa M. Bradley. Thank you!!!
A note that the book includes discussions about the death of a parent.
Diverse secondary world fantasy? I cannot have enough diverse secondary world fantasy, and this story hits upon many of my other interests too.
M.F.K. is about two young people, one of them a mysterious traveler who stumbles upon a desert village, and the other living in said village. I lik that it does not turn into the very obvious Generic Romance Arc and instead it offers a friendship - getting to know each other arc.
I think the strength of the book - besides the wonderful, dynamic, strikingly colored art - is *the focus on magic as a source of social power*. The conflicts related to that are very sensible and thought through, even though we haven't seen a lot of the broader universe of M.F.K. at this point. The story also doesn't get didactic or preachy at any point, there is action and gutwrenching emotions and sadness and anger and joy.
M.F.K. also has a main character who uses a hearing aid, and is a magical person, but magic is totally unconnected to disability. The character just incidentally uses a hearing aid. That was very refreshing to see.
The webcomic origin means that some bits are a bit inconsistent due to the original per-page updates format, but it is nothing particularly distracting. (Panel borders change thickness partway through.) It is still a very cohesive work, though very much a Part 1 and I WANT MORE YES PLEASE.
I really hope there will be a part 2 - there is another chapter online -, but I'm a bit apprehensive that the book itself doesn't say "Volume 1" anywhere. I'm also disappointed that the book has no author biography. This is a major release by an award-winning Black woman artist (who is also asexual!) and there is absolutely no mention of her as a person or her other work. (I really liked her kids' book How to Catch a Fox, too.) So please look her up and read her work and promote her.
Source of the book: Birthday gift for Spouseperson by J. José Jimenez and Lisa M. Bradley. Thank you!!!
A note that the book includes discussions about the death of a parent.
October 8, 2017
I bought this after seeing an online review, and it was...okay. This is only the very beginning of a larger story so it's hard for me to judge it at that point. As noted by others, it has strong anime/manga and Avatar: The Last Airbender influences.
The problem is that it is structured like manga, where huge stretches may be visual-only action panels, and it was a really quick read. However, it is published in the format of an expensive oversized western hardcover. If it were in a more affordable format at paperback prices I could see continuing to follow it, but not at $25 a pop for glossy hardcover volumes that only progress the story a tiny bit. Just to give an example of something that would work better, I'm currently following Monstress, another manga-inspired western comic (albeit very very very different in content), and it is being collected in 4-issue-arc trade paperbacks that cost considerably less than this or, for that matter, the original comic issues that I'd started with.
I liked the general art style but again, the oversized format didn't really work-it feels like it was blown up from a smaller format. It was overly big, coarse, and lacking in detail for the size of the pages. Conversely, the speech bubbles were a readable size but felt really tiny in comparison to the artwork. Again, scaling everything to a normal western comic-sized trade paperback would have worked better.
So, charming story idea and art style, bad choice of formats.
The problem is that it is structured like manga, where huge stretches may be visual-only action panels, and it was a really quick read. However, it is published in the format of an expensive oversized western hardcover. If it were in a more affordable format at paperback prices I could see continuing to follow it, but not at $25 a pop for glossy hardcover volumes that only progress the story a tiny bit. Just to give an example of something that would work better, I'm currently following Monstress, another manga-inspired western comic (albeit very very very different in content), and it is being collected in 4-issue-arc trade paperbacks that cost considerably less than this or, for that matter, the original comic issues that I'd started with.
I liked the general art style but again, the oversized format didn't really work-it feels like it was blown up from a smaller format. It was overly big, coarse, and lacking in detail for the size of the pages. Conversely, the speech bubbles were a readable size but felt really tiny in comparison to the artwork. Again, scaling everything to a normal western comic-sized trade paperback would have worked better.
So, charming story idea and art style, bad choice of formats.
April 25, 2018
The richly colored art steals the show here. The story is simple enough, but has hints of an intriguing world to be explored and an epic tale to be told.
It seems this is just a prologue or introduction to a longer work being produced as a webcomic, and I wish the publisher had set expectations by labeling this as a first book or volume in a series. I feel tricked when a book just ends with lots of stuff dangling, and I have to investigate to find that I don't have the full story yet.
It seems this is just a prologue or introduction to a longer work being produced as a webcomic, and I wish the publisher had set expectations by labeling this as a first book or volume in a series. I feel tricked when a book just ends with lots of stuff dangling, and I have to investigate to find that I don't have the full story yet.
Want to Read
March 21, 2017From the AV Club's list of 10 female cartoonists to know:
The artistic powerhouse you probably haven’t heard of, Nilah Magruder works in animation for Disney, is a highly successful children’s book author, and a great cartoonist. Winner of the 2015 Dwayne McDuffie Award for her (soon to be in-print) fantasy-adventure comic, MFK, last year Magruder also became the first black woman to write for Marvel with A Year Of Marvels: September Infinite Comic.
The artistic powerhouse you probably haven’t heard of, Nilah Magruder works in animation for Disney, is a highly successful children’s book author, and a great cartoonist. Winner of the 2015 Dwayne McDuffie Award for her (soon to be in-print) fantasy-adventure comic, MFK, last year Magruder also became the first black woman to write for Marvel with A Year Of Marvels: September Infinite Comic.
December 5, 2017
Ah! It's over and we were just getting started! Can't wait to read book two!
February 7, 2018
I enjoyed this so much more than I thought I would! Definitely looking forward to book two :3
June 6, 2019
IT is about a girl who is like an amazon woman. In the book, there are a lot of swearing words but it is really interesting to read
March 8, 2019
OML I loved the artwork and the characters were so lovable :DDD
June 14, 2020
Cute and interesting beginning to what could be a super complex world. The art is well-done, story flows well, and characters are interesting. Curious to see where the story will go.
February 21, 2019
Despite the gorgeous illustrations, I had trouble engaging with this story. It irritated me in several ways, but I didn't hate it.
It's a bit too cutesy for my taste; the humor, the anime-style reactions, and the dialogue is either too juvenile or too much like what I would expect to see in a Disney animated movie. Something was off.
Nevertheless, the plot was interesting and our oldest really liked it, so I'm sure we'll press on with the next volume, borrowing it from our local library if it is available.
It's a bit too cutesy for my taste; the humor, the anime-style reactions, and the dialogue is either too juvenile or too much like what I would expect to see in a Disney animated movie. Something was off.
Nevertheless, the plot was interesting and our oldest really liked it, so I'm sure we'll press on with the next volume, borrowing it from our local library if it is available.
July 20, 2024
I enjoyed it. But it seems likely to be the start of a story that will never be finished. And that bird on the cover doesn't last beyond the first few pages.
February 1, 2019
Cute low-fantasy story about outcasts and social constructs.
Clan and pleasing art style with a standard story.
If you are looking for a quick read with a decent plot: read this book.
Clan and pleasing art style with a standard story.
If you are looking for a quick read with a decent plot: read this book.
October 17, 2017
A bit rushed -- the story had a lot to say, so some of the arcs came a bit too fast, when I would have loved to spend more time with the characters and little town of Marigold.
But OooooOOoh man... this story had A LOT to say!
Themes? Beautiful.
Art? Beautiful.
Mysterious plot? Beautiful.
Friendship arc that doesn't end in love or sex? Beautiful.
And BEST of all, a graphic novel with a deaf, non-white, female main character! I only wish I'd discovered Macgruder's creations sooner!
I'm definitely intrigued, and I will happily drop another 25 bucks to find the next installment!
But OooooOOoh man... this story had A LOT to say!
Themes? Beautiful.
Art? Beautiful.
Mysterious plot? Beautiful.
Friendship arc that doesn't end in love or sex? Beautiful.
And BEST of all, a graphic novel with a deaf, non-white, female main character! I only wish I'd discovered Macgruder's creations sooner!
I'm definitely intrigued, and I will happily drop another 25 bucks to find the next installment!
November 28, 2018
Interesting start to a YA graphic novel I wasn't originally aware would be a series. Pros: hearing-impaired protagonist, POC protagonist, interesting fantasy elements.
Cons: stereotypical good guy vs bad guy tropes, no sign of a book two in the near future as the webcomic has been stalled since July 2017...
Cons: stereotypical good guy vs bad guy tropes, no sign of a book two in the near future as the webcomic has been stalled since July 2017...
March 18, 2019
This is such a great, short graphic novel!
February 25, 2023
I enjoyed M.F.K. It is a good book. I like the MC, Abbie, a lot. She has gone through a lot, including the loss of her family and facing a lot of prejudice during her stay in Little Marigold. She also struggles with opening up. But, she has a great arc and has much strength within.
I like her friendship with Jaime. In many ways, he is a polar opposite of her. Whereas she is more reserved, he is more outgoing. However, he is caring and kind. They balance each other well. I particularly like their interactions towards the end of the book. He is a good friend.
The story itself was a bit slow at times and pacing varied. Nonetheless, it provided solid foundation for future stories and is a good first book for the series. The worldbuilding is great and the conflict is well-written. I was hooked throughout. The art is good too.
I hope there will be more books in the future (I haven't seen any other ones on Goodreads). I definitely want to read more.
Overall, I enjoyed M.F.K. a lot. Abbie and Jaime are awesome and I want to read more of their adventures.
I like her friendship with Jaime. In many ways, he is a polar opposite of her. Whereas she is more reserved, he is more outgoing. However, he is caring and kind. They balance each other well. I particularly like their interactions towards the end of the book. He is a good friend.
The story itself was a bit slow at times and pacing varied. Nonetheless, it provided solid foundation for future stories and is a good first book for the series. The worldbuilding is great and the conflict is well-written. I was hooked throughout. The art is good too.
I hope there will be more books in the future (I haven't seen any other ones on Goodreads). I definitely want to read more.
Overall, I enjoyed M.F.K. a lot. Abbie and Jaime are awesome and I want to read more of their adventures.
May 27, 2023
I am thoroughly upset that this is the only volume out, and that it came out so long ago. I truly hope we get more in the future.
I gave it three stars because the beginning was a little confusing; I didn't feel like the art really clearly portrayed what was happening. However, I loved the characters, I loved the setting, I am super intrigued by what might happen in future installments. The first volume is basically a prologue, though, so it's also suffering a bit standing on it's own. If more came out and the story progressed well that could easily change the star rating of the first installment. There just isn't enough here to say it wowed me, unfortunately.
I gave it three stars because the beginning was a little confusing; I didn't feel like the art really clearly portrayed what was happening. However, I loved the characters, I loved the setting, I am super intrigued by what might happen in future installments. The first volume is basically a prologue, though, so it's also suffering a bit standing on it's own. If more came out and the story progressed well that could easily change the star rating of the first installment. There just isn't enough here to say it wowed me, unfortunately.
July 21, 2017
I am intrigued
Read
October 8, 2017I'm not rating this one bc I read it while recovering from a concussion, so my opinion is suspect. I love Nilah Magruder's work. This was a first volume, and I have various issues with it, but at the same time I very much enjoyed it and am looking forward to the next.
October 19, 2017
I wasn't totally wowed by this first volume, but I'd be interested to see where it goes... Seems like it ended right as it started to get interesting.
Read
February 20, 2019This book is about a girl who tries to save the country, but at once she wants to find her hometown.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 16, 2023
3 1/2 stars
My review of this book can be found on my YouTube Vlog at:
https://youtu.be/XADGcvUd4Rk
Enjoy!
My review of this book can be found on my YouTube Vlog at:
https://youtu.be/XADGcvUd4Rk
Enjoy!
May 1, 2023
Read Harder 2023 - Task #18 ALT
May 14, 2024
I really hope there is another book in this series eventually!
December 28, 2017
I've been following this as a webcomic for years and I'm so glad it got the print run it deserves. Of course I love it and the characters, and the artwork is always endearing and appealing. I can't wait to see how the story turns out! Hopefully over several volumes. :D
December 20, 2019
Feels like a Wild West type setting, without most of the typical trappings (guns, horses, carriages.) An interesting world!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 210 reviews