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 :)

Book Review: Black Widow: Forever Red by Margaret Stohl

Book #1 of the Black Widow series
Genre: YA Marvel Universe
Publication: October 2015 by Marvel Press
Acquisition: received as a gift

Synopsis:

Enter the world of the Avengers’ iconic master spy…

Natasha Romanoff is one of the world’s most lethal assassins. Trained from a young age in the arts of death and deception, Natasha was given the title of Black Widow by Ivan Somodorov, her brutal teacher at the Red Room, Moscow’s infamous academy for operatives.

Ava Orlova is just trying to fit in as an average Brooklyn teenager, but her life has been anything but average.The daughter of a missing Russian quantum physicist, Ava was once subjected to a series of ruthless military experiments—until she was rescued by Black Widow and placed under S.H.I.E.L.D. protection. Ava has always longed to reconnect with her mysterious savior, but Black Widow isn’t really the big sister type.

Until now.

When children all over Eastern Europe begin to go missing, and rumors of smuggled Red Room tech light up the dark net, Natasha suspects her old teacher has returned—and that Ava Orlova might be the only one who can stop him. To defeat the madman who threatens their future, Natasha and Ava must unravel their pasts. Only then will they discover the truth about the dark-eyed boy with an hourglass tattoo who haunts Ava’s dreams…

(from Goodreads)

5 / 5 Stars

So, I went into this one with pretty high expectations. I love Marvel and I love love love S.H.I.E.L.D. -- Agent Coulson for life!

And...

I wasn't disappointed at all. In fact, it was better then I was expecting.

Black Widow, aka Agent Romanoff, aka Natasha Romanova was a bit of a unknown for me. All I really knew about her came from the Avengers movies and she didn't get a lot of screen time. However, she is one of those characters you just knew had to come with a pretty hefty back story. In Forever Red the backstory is the story - front and center in all it's horrific glory.

And I ate. It. Up.

Black Widow for life! (j/k Phil)

Lots of details, lots of awesome little bits and pieces of S.H.I.E.L.D. and some well known (to me) characters and some new ones and action and adventure and mystery and really really good storytelling.

So yeah, I loved it.

I wasn't actually too sure of Ava at first. I thought maybe she was a throw away type of character - because this series is being written for young adults and the Black Widow isn't a kid, an actual teenager was needed to make the story work for the YA audience.

That isn't what this is at all though. Ava and Natasha are connected in ways I didn't see coming AT ALL and it made for a hell of a story.

Highly recommend for fans of Marvel, Black Widow, and kick ass female characters :)

Short Story Review: Dream Dark by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

E-novella / Short Story

Caster Chronicles #2.5

August 2011 from Little Brown Books

Goodreads / Kindle / Nook

Synopsis:

When Link joined his best friend, Ethan Wate, on a quest through a mysterious network of underground passageways endlessly crisscrossing the South, he knew the journey would be dangerous. But returning home to Gatlin, South Carolina was just the beginning...

Wounded during a climactic battle, Link discovers that tending his injuries won't be as simple as visiting a doctor and that healing his arm should be the least of his worries. For being bitten by a Supernatural does more than break the skin -- it changes a person, inside and out, turning Link into someone more and more like the dark creature who injured him. (from Goodreads)

My Thoughts: An glimpse into the life of Link after the events of Beautiful Darkness. A very worthwhile read for fans of the Caster Chronicles. I really have to say though, it's a bit of a spoiler for book 3. We learn something that doesn't come to light until well into Beautiful Choas and while reading book 3 I kept forgetting this fact hadn't been found out yet.

Still, I really enjoyed the story and I think it's a must read for fans of the series.

Extras? Yes - contains the first 5 chapters to book 3, Beautiful Chaos

Will I continue the series? Defiantly!

Worth the price? I paid $1.99, which is the current price and I would have to say, yes, if you're a fan of this series, this short story is very much worth the price.

Contest! Win Beautiful Chaos by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Beautiful Chaos, book 3 in the Caster Chronicles by Kami Garcia and Margaret Sthol

About the Books: Sometimes there isn't just one answer or one choice. Sometimes there's no going back. And this time there won't be a happy ending. 
Ethan and Lena’s mesmerizing romance continues in the highly anticipated new Beautiful Creatures novel, on shelves now!

Check out the Beautiful Creatures website and if you haven't heard it already, you NEED TO listen to Sixteen Moons - I absolutely love this song :)

Giveaway Details:
*Two winners, 13 years and older, from the US will win a copy of Beautiful Chaos
*Contest ends November 7, 2011 at 11:59am EST
*Fill out the form below to enter

Cover Love: Beautiful Chaos by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Kami and Margaret, via Hollywood Crush, just released the cover of Beautiful Chaos (Caster Chronicles #3)

Isn't it amazing!

Also announced was it's release date of 

October 18, 2011

I'm very much in love with this series and can not wait to get my hands on a copy!

Anyone else as excited as I am?