What If… Wanda Maximoff and Peter Parker Were Siblings?: A Scarlet Witch & Spider-Man Story

Marvel's What If...? #2

by Seanan McGuire

Wanda and Peter Parker embrace great responsibility in the next adventure of an epic multiversal series that reimages iconic Marvel origin stories.

So many worlds, so little time. Infinite possibilities, creating infinite realities. Long have I watched death court the Scarlet Witch. But … what if Wanda didn’t have to suffer her grief alone?

All Wanda has ever known is her friendly little neighborhood in Queens. As an infant, after her parents died, she was adopted into a family where her doting Aunt May and Uncle Ben will always be at the breakfast table. One that includes her idiot brother, Peter Parker, who thinks hiding a spider bite, joining a secret fight club, and becoming a super hero are somehow good ideas.

When Wanda’s own powers emerge, blood, chaos, and suspicion follow in their wake. But as she harnesses her power under the guidance of Doctor Strange, Peter is standing beside her in the Sanctum Sanctorum. And as they try to protect New York City, the Parker siblings learn that with great powers, there must also come great responsibilities—and greater loss.

Reeling from tragedy, Wanda finds herself truly alone for the first time in her life. Peter is lost to his own grief, and so she must strike out on her own. But on her first solo outing, she runs into a mysterious speedster — a man named Pietro. And everything she has ever known shatters like glass.

Faced with unbelievable truths, Wanda is forced to choose between the life she knows and the life she could have.

Genres: Marvel, Fantasy, Superheroes, Science Fiction, Fiction, Comics, Retellings

305 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 27, 2024

About the author

Hi! I'm Seanan McGuire, author of the Toby Daye series (Rosemary and Rue, A Local Habitation, An Artificial Night, Late Eclipses), as well as a lot of other things. I'm also Mira Grant (www.miragrant.com), author of Feed and Deadline.

Born and raised in Northern California, I fear weather and am remarkably laid-back about rattlesnakes. I watch too many horror movies, read too many comic books, and share my house with two monsters in feline form, Lilly and Alice (Siamese and Maine Coon).

I do not check this inbox. Please don't send me messages through Goodreads; they won't be answered. I don't want to have to delete this account. :(

Reviews

[Jerry · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book about two of my favorite super heroes? You’d think I’d love it, but sadly it was a mess of unfinished stories, too many Marvel character cameos, and unearned/rushed story arcs (especially Spider-Man’s redemption arc). The book starts at a situation in the future that you think will be the main plot of the book, but it’s barely relevant and is quickly wrapped up in the final twenty pages. At its heart, the book wanted to be a story about chosen vs biological vs adoptive family, but somewhere along the way (and probably too much corporate meddling) it got lost. I’ll admit the first hundred pages were an amazing interweaving of Peter and Wanda’s origins and their grief, which even had me crying at parts. But the book went downhill from there and just sort of just ends, leaving you with questions on how their story both started and ended. I also don’t understand the author’s obsession with Dr. Strange being called Wanda’s master, the spiciness of food (and every character’s ability to handle the spice) to ensure you knew Wanda was adopted, and the superhero patrols (which felt at first like it would be a commentary on superheroes being glorified police officers and ethical questions in that regards, but that got lost along with everything else in this book). Maybe with a higher page count this story would be better, but I wouldn’t really recommend this book unless you’re a huge Scarlet Witch or Spider-Man fan.

[m]

someone cooked here

[Brok3n · Rating 4 out of 5]

A functional family

Isaac Asimov once wrote

I am not a compulsive writer. It's just that, when I'm not writing, I want to be.

This statement leapt to mind when I first became familiar with Seanan McGuire. The problem with authors like this is that they tend to lack filters. (Asimov certainly did.) I count myself a hard-core McGuire fan -- I have read almost every work of fiction she has published. (This is a big job, and complicated -- digging up her many and diverse publications is not a simple job.) Her best, in my opinion, is As Good As It Gets in urban fantasy. (Her best, in my opinion, is the October Daye series. I mention that because I know many fantasy readers have a lower opinion than I do. If you are one of those, apply the appropriate discount to my evaluation.) Her worst (Parasitology, in my opinion), alas, can be pretty bad.

What If... Wanda Maximoff and Peter Parker Were Siblings? is neither her best, nor her worst, but it is much closer to the former than the latter. (For those still trying to work that out -- I'm saying it's good!) The premise is that Peter Parker's parents stumble across an abandoned baby Wanda in her native land of Latveria (a fictional Marvel Ruritania) and adopt her. Wanda and Peter grow up in Brooklyn, brought up together as brother and sister by Aunt May and Uncle Ben.

The real strength of WIWMaPPWS? is its depiction of the interior working of a realistically complicated but functional family. Of course, bad things happen. It's mostly the canonical Spiderman story. I won't spoil, but if you're a Marvel fan, much of the story will be familiar, with a new twist... Wanda's relationship with Peter seemed mostly believable to me. For instance, we have this bit of dialog when Spiderman and Wanda are seen patrolling together

“Spider-Man!” he gasps. “And…Spider-Man’s date?”
“Ew,” says Wanda reflexively.

That made me laugh, but also felt exactly right.

Do you need to be up on the Marvel Universe? I don't think so. I personally have seen most of the MCU movies, but very few of the comic books. In fact, WIWMaPPWS? inspired me to look up anthologies of the comic books. I discovered, to my delight, that there exists a Penguin Classics series of Marvel Comics collections.

Blog review.

[Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is surely the most awkward title of any Seanan McGuire book, but it does summarize the subject accurately... except maybe Wanda is a Parker and there's no mention of Maximoff. (In a perfect What if...? world some publisher would give Sean McGuire a wheelbarrow full of cash and tell her to write an X-Men novel, and you'd have a true masterpiece.) It's a good story, and some of the rough edges and weird spots can be explained by saying it is, after all, an alternate universe/what if...? story. There are a lot of Marvel character cameos, and most of them fit pretty well. (Potential spoilers warning..!!) Pietro is a little too unsympathetic, but I guess if you were raised by Doc Doom you'd be, too. Peter seems a little less self-assured and mature, but maybe that's from not being a single child. Aunt May is portrayed well, a little less fragile than the original comics and a little less cool and competent than the MCU films. Gwen dies and stays dead, and Mary Jane isn't mentioned. Doc Strange is a little too distant and smug. The only piece that really did not work for me was the use of America Chavez as a Watcher. A few rough edges and weird spots, but a terrific story overall due to Wanda taking over with grand tragic flair even though you know right from the start that she's destined to fail no matter how hard she tries. Make Mine Marvel, True Believers and members of the Merry Marvel Marching Society, Excelsior, and so on and etc.

[Jackie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to like this a lot but I hated how the story didn’t get Peter or his story right in this context. If he had a sister this changes a lot for how his story would work and for the most part it follows the OG story and only slightly alters It to fit in Wanda. Peter at times doesn’t act like how he would act (specially Gwen’s death i can’t see him putting the blame on Wanda at all)

[TJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this! I’m not a big fan of AU stories, but this one being about Scarlet Witch and Spider-Man swayed me to try it. I was also pleasantly surprised America Chavez was in this too, but her involvement left me with more questions than answers; is that because there was a Loki AU book before this that also tied into this one? I’m unsure! But this did feel like a middle book, because America seems to have had a story happening before and after this book, as does it feel like Wanda’s story is only just beginning. I wouldn’t be shocked if there is a second half to this story that comes out in a year or two. But overall, this was a really enjoyable read and I liked it more than I thought I would. 4/5 stars.

[Robert]

DNF at 75%

If there is one thread connecting the Scarlet Witch and Spider-man it would be that I mostly feel sorry for both of them pretty much all of the time so a "What If...?" team-up was always unlikely to be the feel-good listen of the Summer.

I may limp back one day to read the final quarter and reveal the mysteries behind the first scene's shocking events, but it's not a priority.

[Justin Clemons · Rating 3 out of 5]

What If Peter Parker and Wanda Maximoff Were Siblings

The book starts with some intriguing foreshadowing that had me wondering how Wanda would handle a tough, pivotal moment. This setup drew me in, and soon we’re taken back into the past to see what it would have been like if Peter Parker and Wanda Maximoff were siblings. Those early chapters where we see Peter and Wanda’s bond grow and deepen are really touching and well-executed, making it easy to believe in their connection.

However, after this strong start, the story’s momentum slows. Much of the book revolves around family drama and Wanda’s journey with Dr. Strange as a mentor figure. But rather than real mentorship in terms of her powers, Dr. Strange mainly serves as a fatherly, approving presence, with little actual guidance or development in her abilities. This lack of forward movement leaves you waiting for the story to shift into something more thrilling or significant, but that moment never fully arrives.

The ending, which was hinted at from the beginning, feels glossed over. There’s a high-stakes moment, but it’s resolved quickly, with an “Oh, we know you wouldn’t” sentiment that takes away from the intensity. The final battle also wraps up swiftly, without delivering a real sense of closure.

In the end, I enjoyed the book enough to finish it, and the initial premise was compelling. However, I probably wouldn’t recommend it as a must-read—it has its moments, but if you’re looking for action or a strong storyline, you may find it falls short.

[Augusto Román · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story line was pretty good. Alas, I found that the same was good until like the first 100’s pages. The story kept going around on some points that weren’t that captivating. Also, too many characters. I’d have focused on Wanda and Human Torch, and Wanda and Dr. Strange as for in this story, he was the “Master”. Good thing about it, it’s how good they explain the magic of Wanda but there are lags. In addition, Pietro arrives to the story, and they have never met. I think for first impressions saying to her “I’m your twin brother.” And “come back to Lativia” is too much for first impressions and Wanda accepting quickly she is her sister is like really? Also the end super rushed. And a death that made no sense.

But some people liked it, I love Seanan McGuire. I love her books and I’m a fan of the Wayward Children. But this was an ok for me.

[Neil · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun book, a relatively fast read, and I enjoyed it. It is a "fun" take on the stories of Wanda Maximoff and Peter Parker, asking what might it have been like if they were family. I thought the character development was solid. The story had a good pace. It held my interest from start to finish. I think I preferred "the cameos" in this book over the first book in the series (What If Loki Was Worthy?) as they felt more natural in this book. The cover is a sweet design (love the red/crimson and black, as well as how Wanda's mask on the spine is intermixed with Spider-Man's costume).

I am not saying the book is not without any weaknesses (or problems). The book starts out with Wanda discovering the death of Captain America in Avengers Mansion before being accused of murder by Jewel (Jessica Jones). She uses her training to escape, which one might think would set the ball in motion after she arrives at the Sanctum Santorum and Dr. Strange agrees with Peter that Wanda is innocent. Then the story jumps back in time to when Richard and Mary Parker are on assignment in Latveria (apparently with the country's permission) and discover Wanda as an orphaned baby. They adopt the child and suddenly Peter has a sister. The rest of the the book is pretty much Peter and Wanda's relationship growing up into adulthood and their respective superhero careers. Captain America's death was a bit of a shock at the start of the book, and then it is promptly ignored until the end, where the mystery of the murderer's identity is quickly solved. The ending felt rushed and incomplete. And not very satisfying.

I am not sure how I felt about Peter claiming that Spider-Man killed Gwen Stacy at her funeral. I know he was hurting, but that moment did not "feel right" to me. It was an off moment in the story.

I almost felt the story would have been better without Pietro in it. Honestly, I thought he had died as an infant when the High Evolutionary dropped him on his head. So I was surprised that he was still alive and had come to America to face (kidnap) his sister at the end. I am sure future readers will pick the book apart better than me, so to speak, and better articulate any weaknesses the book might have.

What did I like? I found it interesting that Dr. Doom had apparently "hired" the High Evolutionary to create enhanced humans for Doom's benefit: Wanda and Pietro. Wanda was the desired child; Pietro was not. That had to be hard for Pietro while growing up - knowing he had a sister who was more desirable than he was, that his adoptive father never truly wanted Pietro as his adopted son.

I also liked how Wanda helped balance Peter out, how they made a team as siblings and super heroes. I also liked how Wanda's being adopted meant Peter was never alone and helped ground him as a person, how he became more reliant and self-confident than he otherwise would have if his Aunt May had doted on him exclusively he she does in the comics. It was cool to see this different, better version of Peter who was more confident and able to stand on his own, who while still accepting "with great power comes great responsibility" was not completely overcome with guilt ALL of the time like he seems to be in the comics. He seems to have a more level head, a more even keel about him in this story. I like that.

I also liked how Peter provided a better balance for Wanda than Pietro did. She was also able to grow into her own being, into her own person, without Pietro's dominance and overbearing personality. She blossomed and came into her own under Dr. Strange's tutelage, and it was pretty cool to see this take place.

I enjoyed the cameos with the Fantastic Four and some of the X-Men. I thought there might be a few more cameos, but the author did a solid job of balancing the cameos while telling this story of these two siblings. Hank McCoy was fun to "see", and it was amusing to read Logan's response (and what other people thought of him as a "teacher"). I guess it was only three members of the Fantastic Four - I don't remember Ben Grimm being in the book.

I also liked that Aunt May knew that Peter was Spider-Man and Wanda was the Scarlet Witch. In some ways, it reminded me of the reader discovering she knew Peter was Spider-Man in the comics and the issue where Peter takes her around the city via web-slinging. The way it is presented in the book is quite believable, in my opinion, and I thought the author did a solid job of May relaying her knowledge to Wanda, first, and then to Peter. It was a good moment in the book, in my opinion.

I also liked seeing how Ben interacted with both Peter and Wanda, how he handled having two teenagers under his roof. It was good to see Uncle Ben in that light and learn a little more about him in the process.

Finally, I liked Peter taking Wanda out "on training wheels" and trying to find murkily gray areas for her to get a better understanding of what it is like to be on the streets patrolling. Like, how the heroes have to wait for a crime to happen before they can act, lest they become the criminals by attacking a person for thinking of committing a crime but not having committed one yet. I thought it was an interesting "discussion" and perspective on what it is like to be a hero "on patrol", especially for Spider-Man because of his "spider sense" alerting him to possible danger as well as actual danger.

Overall, I thought the author did a solid job if describing this interesting and unique blended family. Peter as an orphan because his parents died so young followed by Uncle Ben. Wanda being adopted by the Parkers after her parents died in Latveria followed by Ben and May taking on both children for a time. I felt like the author did a pretty good job of exploring what it means to be "a family", to be a family unit. Are family members "blood related" only? How about when somebody is adopted? Is blood always thicker than anything and everything else? The author did a solid job of navigating these difficult family dynamics in a fairly believable way (they are heroes with powers, after all). Even Dr. Strange becomes a member of Wanda's "extended family" (and it was amusing to read about him potentially hitting on Aunt May considering how old she is compared to him; unless this Aunt May is more "Morisa Tomei" than somebody in their sixties or seventies. Pietro might have been blood-related to Wanda, and she was generous to call him "family", but Peter was definitely "more family" to Wanda than Pietro.

I think the author did a good job navigating the potential "ick-factor" between Wanda and Peter that always seemed present between Wanda and Pietro (not that it would have been an issue for Wanda and Peter so much because they were not related by blood even though they were siblings by adoption). The Ultimates version of Wanda and Pietro took things way too far with that. Xavier's rebuke to Peter about Wanda was pretty funny but important regarding their hidden identities and familial relationship, and then Peter's webbing the sign saying, "She's my sister, you doofus!" was pretty choice, too.

The dynamics between Pietro and Wanda were rough, however. On the one hand, I realize this can be explained as two siblings meeting for the first time after one of them (Wanda) believed the other (Pietro) to be dead. So there is the whole shifting paradigm for Wanda when she discovers a real, living, flesh-and-blood relative has come into her life. On the other hand, it still felt rougher than the rest of the book; their conversations felt "less natural" even for two strangers trying to get to know each other. And, again, it could just be that they don't know each other, and Pietro does not have the same agenda that Wanda has - his is darker and more subversive in nature.

On a side note: I found myself wondering who made up the Avengers in this universe. I know there was Jewell, Captain America, Hawkeye, and Black Knight, but we never find out who else was on the team (or, if they were mentioned, I missed it).

I did feel bad for Pietro, briefly, when we get the image of von Doom telling Pietro he was the unwanted one, that the wrong baby was grabbed by Doom's "aide" (don't remember what he was called).

I thought it was interesting how Doom did not care about Wanda until she started manifesting powers, and that it was not until after she started manifesting powers that he developed an interest in her. Too, I half-expected Pietro to "come to his senses" upon discovering that Doom had either lied to him or misrepresented the facts about his status and Wanda's status. I could completely see Doom behaving this way - not caring about an individual until that person can be of use to him, can be manipulated by him. The author nailed that characterization of Doom to a T.

I've never been a big fan of magic or Dr. Strange, so I appreciated the "restraint" (for lack of a better word) by the author in having Dr. Strange be her "Master" because the author really could have introduced more elements to the story than I would have cared for and would have ruined the story for me. There was a funny moment, where Strange "seeks justice" on Wanda's behalf after she is splattered with food and other detritus outside of a movie theater because people think she is a mutant. While she refused to lash out at the people who assaulted her by throwing food and garbage at her, Strange felt no compunctions about lashing out. It was mildly funny, but not necessarily in a completely good way. Maybe a murky, gray funny.

If I think of anything else to say, I'll update my review. Again, it was a fun book to read and I could see reading it again in the future.

[Kai · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was fantastic!! I have a new and improved appreciation for the Wanda Maximoff and Peter Parker!! I have always loved Spiderman. I have many comic books regarding him. I loved them being brother & sister in this retelling! I really enjoyed and appreciated the bond they have with each other even though they aren't blood relatives. They share their lives and love each other! That's family! Being adopted myself, I was able to relate strongly to that. What happens to Uncle Ben, no matter how it unfolds, always makes me so sad. He's fictional, of course, but even still, he's just so loving and a great guy! And a wonderful father figure. The tragedy upon tragedy that Wanda, Peter, and Aunt May experience and how they still stay loving and bonded just touched my heart so much! This series has been a lot of fun so far!! I definitely recommend it! I'm looking forward to the next one!

[Jena · Rating 2 out of 5]

I could not begin to explain the pacing and unnecessary explanation/repetition in this book. Creative concept, bad execution. This read more like youthful YA than adult. A shame.

[Tyler Philion · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Multiverse has many possibilities and surprises and seeing this book in store was a surprise. The connection of Wanda Maximoff and Peter Parker definity spark an interest with their dynamic duo. The idea of them being siblings was a fresh idea. Our story begins with the mysteries of who killed Captain America and Wanda being blamed for a crime hadn't committed. I was interested that the story was going to be who framed roger rabbit, however that was not the case. I did enjoy a background telling of how Wanda and Peter came to be. It was fresh and original, however i felt it dragged throughout and started to divert from the plot until the end when everything was coming to an end. There was too much history and less room for the plot to breath. Personally I think the author should've stayed solving the mystery of who killed captain america and i also felt there was room for more creativity such as the Avengers are being killed off and who is responsible. All in all the book wasn't bad but it wasn't the greatest.

[Raoul · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️

What If Wanda Maximoff and Peter Parker Were Siblings? offers an interesting twist by making Wanda Peter’s adoptive sister, adding emotional depth as they cope with grief together before a major event pulls them apart. Dr. Strange acts more as a father figure than a mentor, focusing on family drama rather than helping Wanda develop her powers. While the story starts strong with a compelling event, it’s quickly sidelined and wrapped up near the end, which was disappointing. Overall, the book has some good moments and is worth a read if you’re familiar with other What If… novels.

5 out of 10

[Green Megs &Ham · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first half was better than the second half. I wish there was more action. Wanda is just destined to have the saddest storylines

[Owen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was surprisingly well-written. I was fully expecting it to be a case of "oh, by the way, this is an alternate universe where Wanda and Peter are siblings," and calling it a day, but the author actually handled the premise in a way that made logical sense.
The character work was also well done. Wanda was a decent main character, and Pietro was a solid, if predictable, villain. Doctor Strange was a surprising standout for me, and his compelling portrayal might have convinced me to watch his movies now.
However, I wasn't enthralled with Peter. I understand that it's an alternate universe so there will be deviations to his character, but he was written to be an absolute menace. While this was often funny and entertaining, as a die-hard Spider-Man fan, I hate to see my boy done like that.
Furthermore, the sibling relationship was a bit... weird. There were times where it was written to be intimate and some of their actions were downright uncomfortable. They even acknowledged the weirdness of this in the book, yet did nothing about it apart from the occasional "ew." I get that you're not related by blood—a standard anime trope—but come on.
Ultimately, while the book delivered a clever premise and some strong character portrayals, the uncomfortable central relationship and my personal disappointment with Peter's characterization kept me from truly loving it.

[Carlos · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.4

I was skeptical with how this story would go but it was awesome.

Book started quick with Captain America dying making it look like Wanda did it

Its crazy to think how so much would change if this story was real

Uncle Ben dying because of Wanda

Gwen dying in a similar way but her neck gets snapped because of the web Peter tried to catch her with

I love how Peter calls Wanda Wandy

Really interesting twist that Pietro got adopted by Dr. Doom

Pietro being the one to kill Cap was predictable but still good

Great story really fun read

[Clare Moseley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book. I was so invested in the relationship between Wanda and Peter. Despite all of the differences their lives took they still felt so authentically them, but the sibling chemistry between them was just perfect. I want to read ten more stories about these versions.

[hannah rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 — it wrapped up smoother than I thought it would! It was enjoyable, but several things felt rushed/not fleshed out which happens in standalone books sometimes.

[Evan Bond · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fun Marvel What If?... read. I did feel like the ending wrapped up a little too quickly and suddenly, but otherwise a solid story that I enjoyed.

[V. Arrow · Rating 5 out of 5]

10 stars. 50 stars. 150 stars. This was exactly what I hoped against hope it would be. I cried so many times and was enchanted and delighted and creeped out and aghast and enthralled. So many of the choices were brilliant. The best kind of Canon Adjacent AU.

[Graff Fuller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Marvel: What if...? series 02 What If . . . Wanda Maximoff and Peter Parker Were Siblings? by Seanan McGuire

challenging emotional mysterious reflective sad tense

Medium-paced

Plot or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters are a main focus? Yes

3.75 Stars

This is book two of the Marvel: What if...? series.

This story wasn't my favourite (sadly). I love the two main protagonists (Peter Parker/Spider Man and Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch).

I used to read Spider Man comic when I was a kid (over forty years ago). Unfortunately, I didn't keep up with comics/graphic novels as I grew up. 

My interest in the Marvel characters within this book is SOLELY through the MCU in the movies and in the TV series.

I have loved all the representations of Spider Man that have been done, but can say that Tom Holland is my favourite incarnation of this character. He was born to play this part, and truly embodies what it is to be Peter AND Spider Man.

Also, didn't know much (or anything) about Scarlet Witch (except through the movies), but have been very interested in her character since the TV series, WandaVision. Loved that show, and feel it may still be the BEST Marvel TV series that Disney has produced.

There were a lot of other characters within this story that I had to look up, not knowing them JUST by name, but once I read their synopsis...I had a least heard of them, and in some cases...seen them represented in some form or another in movie or TV production.

I had a hard time getting INTO this story, and was having trouble with the way this book was structured (narratively). I can understand the non-linear use...because of Wanda/Scarlet Witch unkowning use of her abilities, but it is jarring (and confusing...which I think was done on purpose). You have to get used to it...and it took a bit to "get used to it".

One thing that happened around mid-point of the story...if I had read it when it was published...would have been what it was intended by the author:

There is a moment in Chapter 12, when Gwen first meets Wanda, and she knows it's going to be/is awkward...that she tries to/succeeds to lessen the tension...and says, “You got your hands on the new Gaiman novel yet?” ...and from this moment on, both of them knew that they'd be friends.
--
This hits differently. now. Speaking from early 2025, after the abuse allegations against Neil Gaiman from eight women (possibly more)...especially since he was supposed to have been an ally of women, but instead was a monster.

I'd venture, that in subsequent iterations of this book...the following:

The response that IF this was said NOW (2025 onward) from Gwen to Wanda...would NOT have endeared them together, and possibly would've been a non-starter. It might be a good idea to replace him with another author, but who?

Maybe Terry Pratchett? Just a thought.

The first novel in this series walked the knife's edge of keeping the characters themselves, but making slight changes in the world they live in...to produce a different result. Honestly, from the start, it just worked for me. 

In this story, the resulted changes within this What if...? word seem SO large and in your face (and remind me of the "What if...?" animation series that I didn't enjoy that much), and to me, especially was off-putting from the get go...and I had to fight to not put the book down, to read something else. I'm glad I worked through it,  it didn't totally recover, but I got to a point that I understood the premise, and was "okay" with the execution.

The dispute between Spider Man/Peter Parker and Scarlet Witch/Wanda after a certain character's death...and how Peter spoke to her...seem (to me), TOO much. I haven't read much afterwards (as of typing this), so I don't know how this will play out...but it seems to much. I don't know. Maybe others won't have a problem with it. I stand with the response that Doctor Strange said. 

The impossible choice. Yikes. I feel for both. Ugh.

The relationship between Dr. Strange and Wanda as Master/apprentice also hits differently (since the allegations against Neil Gaiman), though the lore of these Marvel characters shouldn't be effected, though it just sounds different, now...through this new lense.

At around 64%, I am starting to see the story CLEARER and feel that Seanan McGuire was the perfect author for this tale. The tension and the differences that these characters are going through WOULD make these drastic shifts in their personalities. I am just struggling with the "good boy" view of Spider Man, my guilty love of Wanda/Scarlet Witch's character...represented in WandaVision TV series and the movies after that aired. She's a truly complicated character, and I'm trying to rectify her responses in the story (being a younger character), with what she becomes later. The "What if...?" of it all. It is messing with my brain.

The ending was satisfying and did a good bit of heavy lifting, by bringing a lot of other Marvel characters into the mix...that I wasn't expecting. It made it cool to see this in the grander scheme.

A solid story.

Now, onto the book that I wanted to read, when I first picked up this first book, and this one. On to:

Marvel 03 What If . . . Marc Spector Was Host to Venom by Mike Chen.

Mike Chen is an automatic buy author. I believe that after reading this new Marvel book, I will have read ALL his books, and loved all of them. Yes sirry.

[Andrew Hepditch · Rating 5 out of 5]

five stars and i don’t care. this was easily the most fun i’ve had reading a book in a long fucking time. almost as if seanan mcguire got inside my head and brought my dream marvel fanfiction to life. i am not calm about this!!!!!

[☮ morgan ☮]

DNF @ 39%

I really tried to like this, but it's just not for me. Spiderman and the Scarlett Witch are my favorites, but I don't feel like forcing myself to finish this, just to give it a low rating.

[jasmine 👒 · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Let everyone else there is think she's a villain, she'll still have her brother by her side.”

This one was definitely more my speed. Selfishly I wish I had more Fantastic Four and X-Men but that’s just me. I found myself getting frustrated by the time skips but that was because I was gluttonous for every detail about Wanda’s life. I think this concept flows more naturally than the Loki one though that might be because I’m more familiar with the characters in this one.

The fact that they actually acknowledged and explored Wanda’s Roma identity was amazing. It’s always a litmus test for a Scarlet Witch adaptation, especially since the movies have totally whitewashed her. It being delved so deep, with her having a connection to her culture, was such a step up from anything else I’ve seen for her. The fact that this isn’t the standard for Wanda is very disappointing. I did keep getting confused whenever they talked about her parentage since I’m used to adaptations where Magneto is her father. I knew they weren’t gonna go down that route but part of me was hoping that he’d turn up…

If I dislike anything about the book, it’s the ending. It does my least favourite thing that books can do - it just ends. It doesn’t feel like there was a real resolution to the conflict. I understand that it ended that way to shift the story’s focus to America as the Watcher but it was still frustrating. I would’ve liked for Wanda and Peter to get a conclusion similar to the one they gave Loki. However, this isn’t really an issue in terms of the rating. This book was always destined for five starts. Its exploration of complex relationships and engaging writing style are just a bonus. No, the real reason this book gets five stars is simple.

I love Doctor Strange. He is my most favourite of favourites. More than the Fantastic Four, more than Magneto. The fact that this book has an excellent portrayal of Strange makes it a five star shoe-in. He was captured perfectly and I could spend all day talking about the intricacies of his character. All I will say is this. Please give me more Stephen Strange. I am a simple woman, I just need more of him doing things. That is all.

[ImSwimmingToGuam · Rating 2 out of 5]

It’s like a composition of one shots that are held together by a storyline that’s shaky at best.

Praise:
The characters are not ooc like at all I believe the dialogue whole heartedly and the amount of diversity between Peter and Wanda’s upbringing in this and in canon allow for a decent amount of leeway on how they act but it’s never too extreme.

Criticism:
The scene at the beginning of the book lowkey ruins the overarching plot. The starting scene is LITERALLY what happens 20 pgs before the book ends that’s insane why tf are spoiling the whole ending?? The twist could have been really cool if it wasn’t spoiled on pg 1. And not to be like “i’m so smart i saw this coming” but the end twist can be predicted FROM THE OPENING SCENE AS WELL. It takes two seconds of thought to figure it out and if you couldn’t tell then it’s obvious by the end of chapter 1.

The end of the book is not a satisfying conclusion in the slightest it’s legit the climax of the book and then it end the next page istg.

The entire concept of “The Watcher” is just annoying and unnecessary. You’re detouring from the story in like every chapter for the first half of the book just to say that America is watching Wanda. MF WE KNOW. You can just say that at the beginning of the book maybe mention it once of twice in the middle and have her do her stuff at the end. It’s crazy how much this girl is brought up when she has genuinely nothing to do with the story.

[j · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Wanda & Peter both, so this should have been right up my alley.

Obviously a story like this is inherently fanfiction so you do need to have some pre-existing knowledge of quite a few Marvel characters and the overarching Marvel world to make sense of what is happening at times. There are plenty of cameos far outside the typical Scarlet Witch and Spider-Man characters.

The writing was just okay. It was often repetitive and the dialogue felt juvenile even when Wanda and Peter got older throughout the book. I wasn't a huge fan of how Peter was characterized, but I think that's partially because this is a Wanda (and Peter's also there sometimes) story, as opposed to featuring both of them even close to equally. In fact, I would say Doctor Strange, who functions as a mentor for Wanda in this story, had more page time than Peter did - by far.

Having Wanda's Roma heritage be talked about so frequently and with such love was refreshing, since that was something the Marvel movies had taken away.

[Cameron (Mr. Sage) Kwong · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easily the best Marvel novel and superhero novel I’ve ever read thus far! And in a What If novel of all places! It’s a lot, as most What If stories are, but Seanan McGuire’s writing not only makes this initially strange scenario palpable, but a fun and emotional ride! You can tell how well she knows all these historic and iconic characters and their mannerisms in and out of canon, and also gives us a few wonderful new characters as well! Would highly recommend for fans of Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch and Peter Parker/Spider-Man, as well as fans of sibling stories, or for anyone looking for adoptee and Romani representation! If you’re a fan of Pietro Maximoff/Quicksilver however, you may not like this interpretation of the character, as he comes off as harsh, inconsiderate, disrespectful, and lots of other words I won’t say here. If I could give this book a 6/5, I would. My favorite read of the year so far, and now I’m itching to read Seanan McGuire’s other works like the Middlegame series!

[Poppy✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the book that caught my attention and drew me in. I was NOT disappointed. It was everything to me and more. I loved and savoured every single cameo, the writing was so beautiful and fitting. I couldn’t fault it really. Any book that makes me cry is doing something right. I thoroughly enjoyed following Wanda through her early days on patrol, her discovering her powers and Dr Strange! I will say, the ending is not as strong as Loki’s book which set up for future books but honestly? I really just loved it for the fresh interesting take on Peter and Wanda. Peter having a sibling like Wanda feels right and Wanda always deserves a better chance. Completely satiated my Marvel Rivals rotted brain.

[Brooke · Rating 3 out of 5]

So many worlds, so little time. Infinite possibilities, creating infinite realities. “Long have I watched death court the Scarlet Witch. But … what if Wanda didn’t have to suffer her grief alone?”

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️.5

I must admit that reading this is peak nerd behavior on my behalf…

This book was solid, but you need to be very familiar with the Marvel heroes of NYC to fully appreciate all of the cameos and references going on here (because there’s A LOT going on). The ending felt very “stuff is happening,” but hey, what else do you expect when there is chaos magic involved?

* I also took a half star away because I did not care for how The Watcher was voiced in this one.