Monstress, Vol. 4: The Chosen

PREVIOUS: [b:Monstress, Vol. 3: Haven 37491890 Monstress, Vol. 3 Haven Marjorie M. Liu https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1531356957l/37491890.SY75.jpg 59101846]STORY: The Chosen returns to the more Maika-family-backstory centric style of Volume 2, this time with the introduction of her father as the bloodlines granting her the monster within start to make more sense. His subsequent formation of the tactically superior Blood Court to challenge the Baroness's union of the Dusk/ Dawn Courts, and the Cumea witches using Ancients through mask fragments pushes the human-arcanic conflict to the brink. Kippa and nekomancer Ren have their own sub-plots, with a twisting conclusion that sets up a conflict-heavy series ending in Volumes 5 and 6.ART & WRITING: Again, the artwork in this series is amazing. The writing was much easier to understand with the main players having been established, and the groups and their relationships to each other becoming more clear. The Blood Doctor himself is a classic seemingly-benevolent villain and there is great, if cliched, dialogue between himself and Maika. NEXT: [b:Monstress, Vol. 5: Warchild 52637764 Monstress, Vol. 5 Warchild Marjorie M. Liu https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1600742631l/52637764.SY75.jpg 78402003]