Made in Abyss 1

Made in Abyss 1 by Akihito Tsukushi, 166 pages

Riko is a young orphan living in Orth, a city at the edge of a bottomless pit referred to as The Abyss. She and the other kids at the orphanage earn their keep as Cave Raiders, following in the footsteps of many of their late parents, who either died in or never returned from their own raiding expeditions. On one of their trips into The Abyss, Riko meets a strange robot-boy, whose mere existence convinces her to search for her long-lost mother, a legendary Cave Raider who made many discoveries before traveling down past the point of no return.

I initially picked this book up to fulfill a task on a reading challenge (read a book of manga), and wow, am I glad that Amber suggested this one to me! This is a fascinating story that touches on legacy, identity, adventure, and more. Sadly, we only own this first volume — this must be rectified!