samidhak's review against another edition
4.0
No matter how confused I am while reading this, I still love the story and the main cast of characters. I am in awe of the art work! Although; I do wish it would start giving some back story to most of the events.
saramarie08's review against another edition
5.0
Read more graphic novel reviews at www.graphiclibrary.org.
Maika’s bleeding heart gets her involved in a major battle between the Federation and the Arcanics at the city of Ravenna. It turns out, she is exactly the warrior that the city needs to quell the chaos and start organizing who can fight. Kippa is tasked with helping out with the city’s children, and her miscalculation leads to a terrible tragedy. The Cumaean witches reveal they have created six abominations, powerful magic users that they crafted into unquestioning warriors. The six wreck havoc on Ravenna. But, their presence is not all welcome. The leader of the Federation forces, someone Maika knows from her past, is not at all happy with how the witches created these warriors. Elsewhere, The Dawn Court's Warlord and her wife, the Baroness of the Dusk Court, make their own contributions to the battles of the Arcanics, and they vie for control from each other over the vast Dawn Court airship fleet.
I've been waiting over a year for this volume, and the wait was worth it. This volume pays off on some crucial storylines, and we learn a lot about Maika's past and what made her into the person she is today. Many of the various characters who have been searching for Maika are closing in, and the tension is palpable. Within the next volume, there is a high probability that these different warring factions will finally catch up with Maika, and I'm ready for those reveals. There is also a growing new mystery with Maika's father, providing more tension as other storylines meld together. Throughout the series, there have been plenty of LGBTQ+ relationships, and in this volume, we get a small hint that same-sex couples can conceive a child together, deepening the normalization of these relationships to the world Liu has built.
Takeda's award-winning illustrations are still a highlight of this series. I found myself often lost in the details on many pages of this volume, wondering just how much time it took to draw in the intricate backgrounds, fabrics, and objects.
Image rates this title as Mature, and if it was a movie, it would be Rated-R for the language alone. There are plenty of F-bombs throughout, and lots of other choice words. There is also a lot of violence and some pretty creepy corpses from having their life drained away by the witches. However, the stack of awards, rich storyline, and beautiful drawings makes this one a serious consideration for collection development.
Sara's Rating: 10/10
Suitability Level: Grades 11-12
Maika’s bleeding heart gets her involved in a major battle between the Federation and the Arcanics at the city of Ravenna. It turns out, she is exactly the warrior that the city needs to quell the chaos and start organizing who can fight. Kippa is tasked with helping out with the city’s children, and her miscalculation leads to a terrible tragedy. The Cumaean witches reveal they have created six abominations, powerful magic users that they crafted into unquestioning warriors. The six wreck havoc on Ravenna. But, their presence is not all welcome. The leader of the Federation forces, someone Maika knows from her past, is not at all happy with how the witches created these warriors. Elsewhere, The Dawn Court's Warlord and her wife, the Baroness of the Dusk Court, make their own contributions to the battles of the Arcanics, and they vie for control from each other over the vast Dawn Court airship fleet.
I've been waiting over a year for this volume, and the wait was worth it. This volume pays off on some crucial storylines, and we learn a lot about Maika's past and what made her into the person she is today. Many of the various characters who have been searching for Maika are closing in, and the tension is palpable. Within the next volume, there is a high probability that these different warring factions will finally catch up with Maika, and I'm ready for those reveals. There is also a growing new mystery with Maika's father, providing more tension as other storylines meld together. Throughout the series, there have been plenty of LGBTQ+ relationships, and in this volume, we get a small hint that same-sex couples can conceive a child together, deepening the normalization of these relationships to the world Liu has built.
Takeda's award-winning illustrations are still a highlight of this series. I found myself often lost in the details on many pages of this volume, wondering just how much time it took to draw in the intricate backgrounds, fabrics, and objects.
Image rates this title as Mature, and if it was a movie, it would be Rated-R for the language alone. There are plenty of F-bombs throughout, and lots of other choice words. There is also a lot of violence and some pretty creepy corpses from having their life drained away by the witches. However, the stack of awards, rich storyline, and beautiful drawings makes this one a serious consideration for collection development.
Sara's Rating: 10/10
Suitability Level: Grades 11-12
kiikarodrigues's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
chirson's review against another edition
5.0
Intensely graphic, and the subject matter is horrifying, but the plot was so engrossing here, and the characters so intense and fascinating. Maika's journey takes a dark detour, as she compromises for her own survival while simultaneously making a stand for the lives of others. Kippa breaks my heart. I may be too much of a wuss for this series, but I'll stick with it because I want more.... but I guess a volume once every few months is about right.
Now I need a candy-flavoured romcom to make me feel better.
Now I need a candy-flavoured romcom to make me feel better.
untitledlullaby's review against another edition
5.0
I think this was my favourite one. It was so exciting and sad. More world building that was interesting. Not enough cats though
ktxx22's review against another edition
4.0
A little step back in this Narrative for me but honestly just a small one. This installment is action packed and blood thirsty, but it’s also feeling like pushing off a reveal/meeting as opposed to building suspense it’s just aggravating me because I want to see the conflict be more substantial Vs the superficial. Still enjoying this graphic novel series.
theuerma's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5