Book Review: Black Widow Red Vengeance by Margaret Stohl

Book #2 of the Black Widow series
Genre: YA Marvel Universe
Publication: October 2016 by Marvel Press
Acquisition: received an ARC at ALA 2016

Synopsis:

BLACK WIDOW: RED VENGEANCE is the action-packed sequel tothe instant New York Times best-seller, BLACK WIDOW: FOREVER RED, penned by #1New York Times best-selling author Margaret Stohl. This time, Stohl takesreaders inside the minds of Marvel's most cunning and dangerous spies-BlackWidow and Red Widow-delving deeper into their powers and will reveal more thanever before about the infamous assassin and her fledgling hero-in-training.

(from Goodreads)

5 / 5 Stars

Loved.

Honestly, I didn't think I would enjoy this series as much as I am. I mean, I love the Marvel Universe and I loved the Avengers movies but there is only so much, witty banter, explosions and total mass destruction I can take before I get a little glassy eyed.

Or so I thought.

Ok, so the books have a little less explosions (thank you!) and the banter is mostly all Tony Stark's but wow this story is intense - and the details that went into Natasha's back story? Fantastic.

As with my love for book 1, my book 2 loves stems from a place of fandom love. I grew up with Superman and Batman but I never connected to the DC world the way I've connected to Marvel. S.H.I.E.L.D. is one of my all time favorite shows and Agent Coulson? Clark Gregg for life! Natasha aka The Black Widow has always been a bit of a mystery to me, having never read her comics. I can't help but picture Scarlett Johansson as I read Red Vengeance (and Robert Downey Jr, and Clark Gregg) and I really think my reading experience was enhanced because I had these visuals helping to paint the story in my mind.

Ok, fandom fangirling aside, Black Widow Red Vengeance was an excellent book. I loved the writing, I loved the story and I loved that so much of a universe I already love was incorporated so well into Natasha's new stories. Ava still got to me a bit but I'm warming up to her.

I really thought this was a duology but the way this one ended - I can't imagine the story not continuing. Not so much a cliff hanger as a shear drop - like, boom! Yeah, it was intense (also loved that part ;)

If Marvel is your thing, if S.H.I.E.L.D. is your bae then this series is for you. And, if mystery, intrigue, superheros and kick ass female characters is your thing, this series is also for you :)