Black Widow: Forever Red

Black Widow: Forever Red
by Margaret Stohl

From the publisher:
"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…

Black Widow: Forever Red features all the heart-pounding adventure readers expect from Marvel, written by #1 New York Times best-selling author Margaret Stohl. Uncover a new side of the Marvel Universe that will thrill loyal fans and newcomers alike, as Stohl reveals the untold story of Black Widow for the very first time. "

I've never read a comic book before, but I do enjoy the Avenger movies, so I thought this would be a fun thing to read. I was right. And did I picture Scarlett Johansson the entire time I was reading? Yes, I did. It made it even that more fun. The story was gripping, the characters were awesome, but I was NOT prepared for the ending. Still, it was a very fun ride. I will definitely be getting the next book for our library. 

Areas of concern:
*I only noticed 2 uses of the "a" word and no other language.
*There is an evil antagonist who abuses children horribly. None of the abuse is described very graphically, but it is central to the plot.
*Tense and sometimes violent action scenes similar to the Avenger movies.

Suggested Ages:

Kirkus Reviews - Ages 11+

School Library Journal - Grades 8+

Midnight Thief

Midnight Thief
by Livia Blackburne

From the publisher:
"Growing up on Forge’s streets has taught Kyra how to stretch a coin. And when that’s not enough, her uncanny ability to scale walls and bypass guards helps her take what she needs.

But when the leader of the Assassins Guild offers Kyra a lucrative job, she hesitates. She knows how to get by on her own, and she’s not sure she wants to play by his rules. But he’s persistent—and darkly attractive—and Kyra can’t quite resist his pull.

Tristam of Brancel is a young Palace knight on a mission. After his best friend is brutally murdered by Demon Riders, a clan of vicious warriors who ride bloodthirsty wildcats, Tristam vows to take them down. But as his investigation deepens, he finds his efforts thwarted by a talented thief, one who sneaks past Palace defenses with uncanny ease.

When a fateful raid throws Kyra and Tristam together, the two enemies realize that their best chance at survival—and vengeance—might be to join forces. And as their loyalties are tested to the breaking point, they learn a startling secret about Kyra’s past that threatens to reshape both their lives.

In her arresting debut novel, Livia Blackburne creates a captivating world where intrigue prowls around every corner—and danger is a way of life."

Midnight Thief is exciting and original. I liked the characters - I was able to feel their pain, understand their motives, and hope for the best for them. I thought the world building was good, with the caveat that more gets explained in the next book (and possibly the prequel), because I did have some questions about things like the Council and the Far Lands. How do the Far Lands differ from where Tristam is from? Why is serving Forge so important to him when he's not even from there? How do the different cities work? Are they all under different leadership or combined together somehow? I don't get too excited about these kinds of things in first books because I assume the author will clear those questions up in succeeding books. In fact, I appreciate not getting too bogged down by the minutiae in the first book. I hate fact-dumping, just give me the story and explain as things go on. 

Back to the characters - I really liked the main character, Kyra. Even though she was an orphan who grew up on the streets, she still had a moral filter (well, thievery didn't factor into that, but the filter was still there) and a kind of innocence. I loved her make-shift family and how protective she was of them, and just the fact that she had someone who cared about her and for her. I'm interested to find out who her parents are and why she grew up the way she did. 
At the beginning of the book I had a hard time deciding which male character was going to be the love interest. I like to know who to root for, so that was a little jarring for me. And then I thought that there were going to be 3 different love interests and that made me mad. However, I appreciate that the love interest turned out to be obvious and that a best friend can just be a best friend and a villain can be interesting and intriguing but still remain the villain. And no insta-love! Thank you, Livia Blackburne, for not making us read the same YA tropes that we're so used to. I hope that continues into the next book. 

This is a book that the more I think about it the more I like it. If it makes that kind of impression on you, it is definitely worth the read. 

Areas of concern:
*I don't think there was any cussing. That's pretty impressive because there are a lot of intense situations.
*Very mild romance towards the end of the book. 
*Violence abounds. Assassins are at work and strange beasts are ripping apart animals and people.

Suggested Ages:

Kirkus Reviews - Ages 12-18

School Library Journal - Grades 7-10