Marjorie M Liu

"Zuli is extraordinary; she just doesn't realize it yet. Raised by mystical bird spirits in the branches of the Great Tree, she's never ventured beyond this safe haven. She's never had to. Until now. When a sinister force threatens the life-giving magic of the tree, Zuli, along with her guardian owl, Frowly, must get to the root of it. So begins an adventure bigger than anything Zuli could've ever imagined; one that will bring her, along with some...

"Set in an alternate world of art deco beauty and steampunk horror, Monstress tells the epic story of Maika Halfwolf, a teenage survivor of a cataclysmic war between humans and their hated enemies, the Arcanics. In the face of oppression and terrible danger, Maika is both hunter and hunted, searching for answers about her mysterious past as those who seek to use her remain just one step behind... and all the while, the monster within begins to awaken..."--Page...

"Maika and Corvin make their way through a warped and lethal land in search of Kippa, who is faced with her own terrible monsters. But when Maika comes face-to-face with a stranger from her deep past, startling truths are uncovered, and at the center of it all lurks a dangerous conspiracy that threatens the Known World. Maika is finally close to getting all the answers she ever wanted, but at what price? With war on the horizon-a war no one wants...

Briar, bodyguard for a body-stealing sorceress, discovers her love for Rose, whose true soul emerges only once a week. An apprentice witch seeks her freedom through betrayal, the bones of the innocent, and a meticulously-plotted spell. In a world powered by crystal skulls, a warrior returns to save China from invasion by her jealous ex. A princess runs away from an arranged marriage, finding family in a strange troupe of traveling actors at the border...

The Black Widow, now a part of the Avengers, tries to hide her past from her teammates and lover, Captain America, and goes to great lengths to keep a deeply buried secret from being revealed.

"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!"...

"Humans and Arcanics are at war once again, but battles of the heart and soul are the most dangerous of all. Caught in the calculating grip of the Dusk Court, Maika and Zinn uncover painful secrets of the past while Tuya fights to preserve her future—and young Kippa might be the Known World’s only hope for the present. " -- Publisher's website.

"The truth about the death of Maika's mother has been revealed, and Maika has come undone. As her allies scramble to save her soul, they find themselves in the unlikeliest of places--the beautiful and brutal prison planet where the Monstra have long been locked away. This visit to the site of Zinn's worst nightmares might just hold the key to Maika's survival--and to the long-buried origins of the Known World"--Back cover.

Four stories combine urban fantasy with paranormal romance, in a collection that centers around magical tattoos and includes Karen Chance's "Skin Deep," in which a mage finds a magical ward in a dragon that appears on her skin.