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Monstress #6

Monstress, Volume 6: The Vow

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War has engulfed the Known World, and Maika Halfwolf is at its epicenter. As she and her friends grapple with the consequences of their actions, long-buried secrets and long-awaited reunions threaten to change everything. Join MARJORIE LIU and SANA TAKEDA in the newest volume of this Eisner, Hugo, Harvey, and British Fantasy Award-winning series.

Plus, learn about the happier childhood days of Kippa and Maika in MONSTRESS: TALK-STORIES 1 and 2!

Collects MONSTRESS: TALK-STORIES #1-2 and MONSTRESS #31-35

176 pages, Paperback

First published September 14, 2021

55 people are currently reading
2670 people want to read

About the author

Marjorie M. Liu

322 books4,298 followers
New York Times bestselling and award-winning writer Marjorie Liu is best known for her fiction and comic books. She teaches comic book writing at MIT, and she leads a class on Popular Fiction at the Voices of Our Nation (VONA) workshop.

Ms. Liu is a highly celebrated comic book writer. Her extensive work with Marvel includes the bestselling Dark Wolverine series, NYX: No Way Home, X-23, and Black Widow: The Name of the Rose. She received national media attention for Astonishing X-Men, which featured the gay wedding of X-Man Northstar and was subsequently nominated for a GLAAD Media Award for outstanding media images of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. Ms. Liu also wrote the story for the animated film, Avengers Confidential: Black Widow and Punisher, which was produced by Marvel, Sony Pictures Entertainment (Japan) Inc., and Madhouse Inc.

Her newest work is MONSTRESS, an original, creator-owned comic book series with Japanese artist (and X-23 collaborator) Sana Takeda. Published by Image in Fall 2015, MONSTRESS is set in an alternate, matriarchal 1920’s Asia and follows a girl’s struggle to survive the trauma of war. With a cast of girls and monsters and set against a richly imagined aesthetic of art deco-inflected steam punk, MONSTRESS #1 debuted to critical praise. The Hollywood Reporter remarked that the longer than typical first issue was “world-building on a scale rare in mainstream comics.”

Ms. Liu is also the author of more than 19 novels, most notably the urban fantasy series, Hunter Kiss, and the paranormal romance series, Dirk & Steele. Her novels have also been bestsellers on USA Today, which described Liu “as imaginative as she is prolific.” Her critically praised fiction has twice received the Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award, for THE MORTAL BONE (Hunter Kiss #6), and TIGER EYE (Dirk & Steele #1). TIGER EYE was the basis for a bestselling paranormal romance video game called Tiger Eye: Curse of the Riddle Box.

Liu has appeared on MSNBC, CNN, MTV, and been profiled in the Wall Street Journal.com, Hollywood Reporter, and USA Today. She is a frequent lecturer and guest speaker, appearing on panels at San Diego Comic Con, the Tokyo Literary Festival, the New York Times Public Lecture series, Geeks Out; and the Asian American Writers Workshop. Her work has been published internationally, including Germany, France, Japan, Poland, and the United Kingdom.

Ms. Liu was born in Philadelphia, and has lived in numerous cities in the Midwest and Beijing. Prior to writing full-time, she was a lawyer. She currently resides in Boston.

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5 stars
2,319 (52%)
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1,664 (37%)
3 stars
421 (9%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 543 reviews
Profile Image for Samantha.
455 reviews16.4k followers
November 10, 2023
TW: body horror; war

This series continues to be one of my favorites and this volume had a lot of moments that we’ve been working towards since the beginning so it was very satisfying!
Profile Image for Dave Schaafsma.
Author 6 books32.1k followers
November 2, 2021
The sixth volume of the Eisner-award fantasy series written by Matjorie Liu and illustrated by Sana Takeda. We're in the middle of a war here, so why not take the somewhat disorienting mellow turn of two "talk-stories" helping us understand the relationship between Maika Half-Wolf and Kippa--all these cute little manga fox children, drawn in manga fashion, in contrast to the intricate, dark swirling historical fantasy illustration work, in keeping with the horrors of war.

And yet much of what happens here happens in a series of dialogues between Maika and members of her family, and this at base is really what the series is about after all the shouting and horror: Family, as Maika tries to figure out who she is and where she stands. She meets her (wolf) grandmother, she is reunited with Tuya and it is complex and troubling, and it is complex in a different way with Zinn.

As always, I came for the artwork, I never fully understand all of the web of interrelationships and factions, but now as I have read this far, I have come to care about Maika and her story, both grandly operatic and deeply personal and touching.
Profile Image for Mara.
1,948 reviews4,322 followers
October 28, 2022
WHEW some juicy reveals and a big old cliff hanger to cap it off! I'm low key glad I pushed off reading this so that I can pick right back up with Vol 7 without having to wait
Profile Image for Trish.
2,390 reviews3,745 followers
July 5, 2022
Finally!
It took me far too long to finally continue this excellent comicbook series!

The war keeps raging whether all people call it a war or not. A lot of people are dying, some being used by a chemical weapon first, there are hosts of refugees and the similarities to the squalor Kippa had to endure when her family was still alive are eerie.
Another thing that is finally happening is that the main players are finally (re-)meeting in person. Yep, after meeting Maika's dad in the previous volume, Maika now meets her aunt, reconnects with Tuya, and dear old grandma is crashing the party, too.
But that's not all. Maika and Zinn are finally making progress in their relationship and it's rather ... beautiful.
In between, we get more glimpses of the terrible tactics the Cumaea and other parties involved are using with some answers being as good as given.

Betrayal is at the heart of this volume, more than usual, and the cruelty of people towards weaker ones. Very timely, the comments on power, corruption and hardship caused by war.

As we've come to expect from this series, the artwork has once again be outstanding.




Though I have to admit that it was very toned down regarding colours. It was never too colourful but there were more splashes of it here and there - not in this one. And yet, that didn't marr the beauty of the art one bit.

I very much enjoyed the humour in this, as weird as that may sound. There just were some gloriously deadpan deliveries that had me burst out laughing.

Not long until the finale now, which means we're having so many puzzle pieces that that, combined with the new clues from certain betrayals, has me on the edge of my seat!
Profile Image for Bradley.
Author 9 books4,865 followers
July 6, 2022
Monstress is still as strong as ever. Going from refugees to entering a truly courageous stance is setting this comic apart from most. I love the character progression. The evolution from self-hate to self-possession and confidence is absolutely glorious.

And of course, if you’ve been reading these comics at all, you’ll know that the art is to die for. Subject matter, all the demons, ancients, the half-races, and the worldbuilding are all brilliant to behold. The politics and long-games are some of my favorite aspects, but my absolute favorite part is the relationship Half-Wolf has with Zinn, an old god that lives within her.

Their particular evolution made me whoop for joy when it happened in this volume. :)
Profile Image for Lαυɾҽɳ.
184 reviews5 followers
November 1, 2021
TFW you waited 296 days from the time you finished vol 4 of Monstress to get ahold of vol 5, only to wait 188 days plus until vol 6.

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Profile Image for Kevin.
1,990 reviews34 followers
July 4, 2021
4.5 stars, the best epic fantasy I've read since LOTR. HBO should be making a series out of this instead of all those GOT spinoffs. Maybe Amazon or Apple will see its potential. For me this story has gotten better and better with each volume, Ms. Liu continues to surprise me with each passing volume and I just love Sana's artwork it surely enhances the story and is beautiful enough to stand by itself if the storytelling wasn't as strong as it is.
Profile Image for Sherry.
1,025 reviews107 followers
February 3, 2024
Reread feb 3/2024 so enjoying my reread of the Monstress series as I prep for book 8. Reading them in quick succession allows the story to have cohesiveness and a definite progression in terms of plot as the war becomes more centre stage and in terms of character growth. Maika has embraced Zinn and as one they are a formidable dynamic partnership. Maika has become more centred and effective and this is also reflected in Zinn’s character. The Baroness now looks more womanly rather than the childlike appearance she had in early instalments. Perhaps the sexuality of her character made that a necessary change but it’s not really addressed in the books so it definitely stands out when reading the books close together. She continues to be an enigma and a real bitch. I’m finding that I don’t quite remember how things are resolved. These books are fairly complex and there’s a lot going on and I read them 2 years ago so I’ve forgotten quite a bit. It’s why I’m rereading them but it’s such a pleasure to have the feeling of rediscovering something that’s already been read.

Damn it!!! That cliffhanger!!🤯🤯🤯 This was soooo good. Epic in every way but damn…how long until the next book?!!
Profile Image for Ashley.
851 reviews634 followers
October 13, 2021
Star Rating: —> 5 [ beautiful, brilliant, brutal ] Stars


Well Holy mother of the Old Gods! I did NOT see THAT coming... ATALL! This installment is BRUTAL! I don't want to spoil anything, so I won't say who i'm absolutely enraged by... but oh my GODDDDD so ready; let me at 'em! Lol. Just overall one of the absolute BEST installments of the series. It truly feels completely atmospheric in the same way reading a well written high fantasy NOVEL does. It is not lacking in absolutely any way... the author & artist have created a BRILLIANT world through exceptional world building & character development, complex plots, many intertwining intriguing sub plots, etc; it really has it all.

The main storyline is so beautifully monstrous & at this point in the story, through this installment, I am truly amazed. The depth and complexity of this story seem unreal for a graphic novel. I may be repeating myself but this series just deserves the praise!

I cannot recommend this enough to those of you who enjoy complex dark fantasy & graphic novels!
Profile Image for may ➹.
524 reviews2,509 followers
February 7, 2022
anyway I teared up over the stupid fox sisters 😒 if Kippa is not alive/happy at the end of this I WILL have an issue with Marjorie Liu
Profile Image for Craig.
6,333 reviews182 followers
November 7, 2021
Well, that was a surprise, wasn't it? I can't think of anything to say about this sixth volume without being spoilery.
Monstress is a richly designed, excellently drawn, wonderfully written epic fantasy story that happens to be presented in the graphic novel form. The characters grow and change and develop, and we continually learn more about their world, politics, and societies, along with their personal growth and background. The series must be read in order to understand, I believe. It continues to be the best new comics series I've encountered for years.
Profile Image for Marta.
1,033 reviews123 followers
February 26, 2022
Absolutely gorgeous and complicated, as usual. How can a series sustain quality for so long without any weak issues?

Maika and Zinn finally make peace with who they are and decide to trust each other, with spectacular results. We finally see the wolf queen in her true power. We have many revelations, reunions, and some very painful betrayals. Did I mention the blood, gore, suffering, madness, and gorgeous extremely tough women? If you gave gotten to volume 6, you already know that.

The story is rather impossible to follow, but who cares? It is a smart story. It is an intellectual challenge - and a feast for the eyes, too.

But that cliffhanger! And now a year wait! 😫
Profile Image for CS.
1,213 reviews
January 9, 2022
Bullet Review:

I enjoy this series so much - sure it’s convoluted and complex, but that’s one of the reasons I enjoy it so much. I love seeing the fantastical world and these amazingly diverse characters. I don’t rate a lot 5-stars but this one makes me happy.
Profile Image for Chris Lemmerman.
Author 7 books123 followers
September 10, 2021
The next volume of Monstress brings the action to a slow, even while the world around Maika and friends continues to rage with war.

From the Talk-Stories mini-series that starts us off to the usual five issues of the main book, this volume is all about characters working out where they stand with one another, while new revelations rock old relationships to their core.

It's a little hard to keep everything straight at times, mostly because the world is so dense and I usually read the series in single issue form monthly, but there's no doubt that Liu's world has been well-crafted and populated with complex and intricate characters. You need a spider-diagram to keep all the betrayals and familial relationships in order at times.

I did think that Talk-Stories might have been a way to give Sana Takeda a bit more lead time on the main book, but she draws those two issues as well as the main series, so I've got no idea - but more Takeda art is always a good thing, so I'm not complaining.

A bit slower, a bit more talky, but with the promise of explosive confrontations on the horizon.
Profile Image for Sahitya.
1,177 reviews248 followers
September 30, 2021
Another interesting volume which I can still never find proper words to describe. The art is always intricate and detailed, but this time it was a bit more on the darker side, because most of the story was dealing with war. I also felt it was more character focused than the previous ones, especially regarding Maika’s relationships with everyone around her. So, just when I felt like the story was going one way, the author just had to give that absolutely unexpected and terrifying cliffhanger. The wait for the next volume is gonna be really long.
Profile Image for Bastonikov.
36 reviews9 followers
July 4, 2021
incredible, amazing, show stopping, spectacular, never the same, totally unique, completely not ever been done before
Always worth the wait!

Profile Image for Kalena ୨୧.
895 reviews529 followers
February 20, 2025
⋆.˚✮ 4.5 stars ✮˚.⋆

what do you mean to be continued like that...what do you mean?? i have to wait for the other library holds to come in on THAT cliffhanger?? this series is so high-intensity it makes waiting feel so impossible because I just want to know everything going on immediately. there was lots of action happening in this book but also some lulls that allowed the reader to see deeper into some character growth that has been happening gradually such as with the main character. she's evolved a lot and I was astonished by what happened in this book about her backstory.

as always, my immense soft spot for Kippa is going strong, she is so lovely and a bright light in this world that truly is so hateful. it was also super fun to see Corvin (once again as always) and see a few moments of him alone, for the reader to really get a bit of insight into his motivations. he's still so interesting and I just need more!! that's how I feel after finishing all these volumes, I just want to consume the story in one sitting.

trigger warnings: blood and gore, war themes, death of loved ones, cannibalism, medical experimentation, child abuse mentioned, gun violence, dead bodies.
Profile Image for Emma Deplores Goodreads Censorship.
1,419 reviews2,011 followers
November 23, 2021
Overall a fun series with gorgeous art and lots of cool female characters, but this was not one of the better volumes for me. Was it the plot: the lack of a driving plot arc for this volume as a whole, or just the fact it’s gotten so huge, with so many players and factions, that it’s starting to feel like a bit of a jumbled mess? Or it might have been me: when I started this series the first five volumes were all available, but I had to wait most of a year for this one. I was pleased to still recognize all the characters, and mostly felt I understood what was going on (which is not always easy in this series), but keeping track of everyone’s goals and motivations is starting to feel like more effort than it’s worth, especially with so many secretive people all working at cross-purposes.

It’s also fair to say that as lovely as this artwork is, I’m not what you would call a graphic novels person, so it might be for that reason that the characters are starting to feel a little simple to me. And there’s definitely a cheese factor with fantasy in any visual medium that I don’t really notice in writing, but which stuck out to me here more so than in prior volumes. That said, there’s perhaps a bit less gore in this installment, and I do still want to know where this story goes. But not so badly that the cliffhanger will eat at me in the meanwhile.
Profile Image for Ashkin Ayub.
464 reviews228 followers
June 13, 2021



monstress quickly becoming my favorite graphic novel. besides the art, which i adore because it reminds me of art nouveau, i really love the story. the characters are great, the world-building is amazing and the story is so complex and full of twists. with much action, magic, and heartbreaking revelations.
Profile Image for Jerrie.
1,033 reviews162 followers
March 23, 2022
Visually stunning as always. I liked the first two short backstories at the beginning and this ended on a great cliffhanger. Now, if they could just make the storyline a little easier to follow, this would be 5⭐️.
Profile Image for Nicole.
985 reviews114 followers
August 30, 2021
Issue #31: Read 03/03/21 5 stars
Issue #32: Read 03/03/21 5 stars
Issue #33: Read 05/16/21 5 stars
Issue #34: Read 06/29/21 4 stars
Issue #35: Read 08/29/21 5 stars
Profile Image for Diana.
48 reviews13 followers
November 6, 2021
Betrayal!!!
When you love/hate someone that much to kill them, WTF was that ?!!!

Moral of the story” don’t ever trust your ex”! best example is Tuya 🤷‍♀️
Now waiting for next volume 🥺
4.5🌟
Profile Image for Jan Agaton.
1,391 reviews1,578 followers
August 1, 2022
Art style is fantastic as always, and that cliffhanger has me craving volume 7 ASAP 👀
Displaying 1 - 30 of 543 reviews

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