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Black Widow: Novels #2
Black Widow: Red Vengeance
The Avengers’ iconic master spy is back, and she’s seeing red.
Emotions are dangerous, which is why the graduates of Moscow’s famed spy school the Red Room are taught to keep their enemies close and their loved ones at a distance. Black Widow and Red Widow, also known as Natasha Romanoff and Ava Orlova, forgot that lesson once, and they won’t forget it again.
But the Widows have inherited something else from their shared Moscow past: a relentless need for vengeance—Ivan Somodorov is dead, but his network of terror remains.
While the Widows search South America in order to extinguish a smuggling operation with ties to their old nemesis, their own Red Room not only attempts to assassinate them both but also hacks their secure S.H.I.E.L.D. network. As a result, Ava and Natasha find themselves thrust into a trying mission of international intrigue that takes them throughout the world and back to New York City, where their friends Dante and Sana become unlikely targets as well.
Once again, nothing is as it seems, no one can be trusted, and no one is safe—not unless the Widows can stop a conspiracy involving stolen nuclear warheads, mind-altering chemical weapons, and ultimately, betrayal by old friends and enemies alike.
Emotions are dangerous, which is why the graduates of Moscow’s famed spy school the Red Room are taught to keep their enemies close and their loved ones at a distance. Black Widow and Red Widow, also known as Natasha Romanoff and Ava Orlova, forgot that lesson once, and they won’t forget it again.
But the Widows have inherited something else from their shared Moscow past: a relentless need for vengeance—Ivan Somodorov is dead, but his network of terror remains.
While the Widows search South America in order to extinguish a smuggling operation with ties to their old nemesis, their own Red Room not only attempts to assassinate them both but also hacks their secure S.H.I.E.L.D. network. As a result, Ava and Natasha find themselves thrust into a trying mission of international intrigue that takes them throughout the world and back to New York City, where their friends Dante and Sana become unlikely targets as well.
Once again, nothing is as it seems, no one can be trusted, and no one is safe—not unless the Widows can stop a conspiracy involving stolen nuclear warheads, mind-altering chemical weapons, and ultimately, betrayal by old friends and enemies alike.
463 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 11, 2016
179 people are currently reading
4766 people want to read
About the author
Margaret Stohl
117 books6,032 followersMargaret Stohl is the #1 New York Times, PW, USA Today, LA Times and Internationally bestselling co-author or author of twelve books, including the BEAUTIFUL CREATURES NOVELS, the DANGEROUS CREATURES NOVELS, the ICONS NOVELS, MARVEL'S BLACK WIDOW NOVELS, ROYCE ROLLS & CATS VS ROBOTS THIS IS WAR (forthcoming!) She writes the MIGHTY CAPTAIN MARVEL comic for Marvel Comics (ongoing) and has contributed to countless videogames; currently, she is a Narrative Director at Bungie.
From the author:
Goodreads Peeps! Please note I no longer review the books on my shelf, "stars"-wise. I do list books I read, and they're all automatically marked as 5 stars. That's because a) I don't list books that I didn't like enough to finish and b) I didn't want to delete the ratings I had already given. If I particularly love a book and feel inclined to comment, you'll still see the comments here. Sadly, I have to ask: please don't reproduce these comments on book jackets, websites, or in any other medium for the marketing of books. They're only meant for fellow goodreaders. Thanks so much!
ABOUT ME:
Writing has gotten me in and out of trouble since I was 15 (back then, mostly just in trouble.) For 10 years, I designed &/or wrote for lots of video games, one of which was nominated for “Most Innovative Game Design,” but I lost to a rapping onion. If you know games you get why my two bad beagles are named Zelda and Kirby.
From the author:
Goodreads Peeps! Please note I no longer review the books on my shelf, "stars"-wise. I do list books I read, and they're all automatically marked as 5 stars. That's because a) I don't list books that I didn't like enough to finish and b) I didn't want to delete the ratings I had already given. If I particularly love a book and feel inclined to comment, you'll still see the comments here. Sadly, I have to ask: please don't reproduce these comments on book jackets, websites, or in any other medium for the marketing of books. They're only meant for fellow goodreaders. Thanks so much!
ABOUT ME:
Writing has gotten me in and out of trouble since I was 15 (back then, mostly just in trouble.) For 10 years, I designed &/or wrote for lots of video games, one of which was nominated for “Most Innovative Game Design,” but I lost to a rapping onion. If you know games you get why my two bad beagles are named Zelda and Kirby.
School: I spent more years in it than a person ever should, because let’s face it, reading books is so much better than having a job. I fell in love with American literature at Amherst and Yale, earned an MA in English from Stanford, and studied creative writing under the late great poet George MacBeth at the University of East Anglia, Norwich. I taught Intro to Film as a TA at Yale and Romantic Poetry as a TA at Stanford. Don’t tell the people at Yale but sometimes I taught the section before I’d seen the movie it was about...
I live in Santa Monica, CA, with my family, most of whom were enslaved into working with me in one form or another on my first YA book for Little, Brown. I’m not kidding; when my daughters wanted to go to school I said “Why are you so selfish? Get back in there and edit,” and by said I mean yelled and maybe threw things, it’s all a haze. Now the Beautiful series has wrapped, but you can see the movie on February 13, 2013 or read my new book ICONS on May 7th. Nothing gold can stay, Ponyboy.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 304 reviews
June 7, 2017
I know a lot of people don't like this series, but I enjoy it. In comparison to the first book, this one was much better.
The plot was relatively simple which I liked. We got a lot more Natasha which is always nice. Plus we also got Captain Marvel!
Overall, I enjoyed it and thought it was a lot of fun. I hope the series continues because the end sets up a sequel.
The plot was relatively simple which I liked. We got a lot more Natasha which is always nice. Plus we also got Captain Marvel!
Overall, I enjoyed it and thought it was a lot of fun. I hope the series continues because the end sets up a sequel.
October 30, 2016
Natasha Romanoff is the sovereign of my heart. She is my wife and the only character that truly matters to me.
So, as someone who knows her and loves her I can’t give my approval to this book.
Last year Forever Red was awesome: cool plot, badass Nat and yes, it was YA but it was fun. The way Ava and her friends were introduced to Nat’s world felt natural.
Natasha’s characterisation had been spot on too, I remember a specific moment when I thought ‘damn you can tell Stohl did her job!’
Red Vengeance is a total mess compared to the first book. I’ll break it down for you.
The good:
-Nat’s characterisation when speaking of her past or remembering her training.
-YELENA BELOVA!!! Thank you for remembering there’s more than one widow!
-Waaay more action that the previous book.
The bad:
-Natasha calling Ava her ‘sister’ and considering her family (more on this later because this made me lose my shit)
-What world is this?? Not MCU, not 616… I mean, the Sokovia Accords are mentioned but the Avengers know that Coulson lives, there’s Captain Marvel, She-Hulk, etc.
-Ava. She’s not a Mary Sue but she was created solely to make these books YA. I swear that if you removed her from this book the story goes on.
-The plot focused a lot on Natasha and Ava relying on the other Avengers (especially Tony Stark) than on spy stuff. Natasha was trained to be spy, why not make her the new James Bond that kicks ass on her own?
-The Red Room, where she was trained…. I thought it was a super secret??? But apparently everyone in SHIELD knows about it???
-Captain Marvel and the Avengers…. Okay so Stohl is writing CM’s comic next year and she is clearly a fan. She made Nat be friends with Carol Danvers just because she likes ‘girl power’. Look, me too. I’m up all night for feminism but don’t make random characters show up just to promote other comics ESPECIALLY if these characters haven’t been introduced into the MCU which is clearly where Marvel thinks fans are coming from.
-It’s YA and Natasha is still not the main character. Pretty sure that one day Marvel said: sighhh okay they want the black widow movie lol but maybe if we give them a book? Young adult because you know kids don’t read comics! They just watch the movies and like ScarJo! Yep a YA novel sound cool!
Fuck you Marvel.
Give me my Black Widow movie.
My main issue is that Natasha Romanoff aka Black Widow aka Natalia Alianovna Romanova would never NEVER never go to the battlefield with a child.
She works alone. She’s been trained to do so. That’s what spies do. Taking Ava as her protégée? Also nope, she’s kind but not caring. Nat would make sure Ava is okay but never claim her as family or take her to missions with her.
I thought that Stohl had understood this, because the being alone thing is a huge part of Natasha’s personality but apparently Stohl did the whole ‘you were never happy because nobody loved you! Now you have someone and your whole personality changes!’
Heck no. My wife deserves better.
(And here’s a really reaaally long explanation on why Natasha never teams up (especially with children) because I need to get this out of my system.)
November 21, 2016
I don't know why I made myself read this. I hated the first one, but I love Black Widow so much, I feel like I have to support anything with her as the lead. However, I regret reading this book.
It was awful. It was predictable, boring, and extremely slow moving. The plot was a mess with random references and cameos by other characters thrown in without any real payoff or reason. Apparently Natasha is only actual friends with Tony Stark and Carol Danvers. The universe seems to be a weird mesh of the MCU and various comic runs so that anyone who is familiar with either is just confused with what is the canon of this particular book series.
The original characters are all annoying and I don't care about them. I am tired of a new superhero basically bring a clone of another one with them throwing in a crazy power to be able to say that they are different. Ava is okay, but I don't really understand why she was needed to write a thrilling new story about Natasha. I get that this is YA, but don't dumb a book down/put in ridiculous character arcs just because of that.
I love Natasha so much, but she doesn't act like any iteration of her I have ever read/seen. She is so boring in this. For someone who is constantly telling herself that she works better alone (seriously. This is constantly mentioned in this) she apparently cannot do anything without the help of Stark, Danvers, Coulson, or Hill. A big no from me all around.
It was awful. It was predictable, boring, and extremely slow moving. The plot was a mess with random references and cameos by other characters thrown in without any real payoff or reason. Apparently Natasha is only actual friends with Tony Stark and Carol Danvers. The universe seems to be a weird mesh of the MCU and various comic runs so that anyone who is familiar with either is just confused with what is the canon of this particular book series.
The original characters are all annoying and I don't care about them. I am tired of a new superhero basically bring a clone of another one with them throwing in a crazy power to be able to say that they are different. Ava is okay, but I don't really understand why she was needed to write a thrilling new story about Natasha. I get that this is YA, but don't dumb a book down/put in ridiculous character arcs just because of that.
I love Natasha so much, but she doesn't act like any iteration of her I have ever read/seen. She is so boring in this. For someone who is constantly telling herself that she works better alone (seriously. This is constantly mentioned in this) she apparently cannot do anything without the help of Stark, Danvers, Coulson, or Hill. A big no from me all around.
February 6, 2017
I wish I had more to say, considering this was a Netgalley copy. But it was predictable, ignored/forgot MCU canon at times, and just didn't have interesting action. I was not compelled to continue this book at all. If you've read the first one, you've read the second one imho.
February 20, 2020
3.5⭐️
I enjoyed the first one much more.
But this damn ending—-
You can’t tell me there wasn’t a third book planned 🤧
I enjoyed the first one much more.
But this damn ending—-
You can’t tell me there wasn’t a third book planned 🤧
November 17, 2019
Well I suppose it’s better than book one... but still not at that 4-star level.
What’s it about?
Just know that it involves the characters from book one having to find out some shit with a terrorist plot that could fuck with the whole world and stop it from getting too crazy... like more crazy than it already is. That’s all I can really say without spoiling book one but if you’ve read book one you know about a lot of the characters and most of the shit involving them so yeah.
Pros:
The story is pretty good. I like how well Stohl managed to mix espionage thriller kinda stuff and fun superhero adventure kinda stuff!
The characters are better and more well written now. The teen characters aren’t as bland as they were in the first book. The adult characters are like how they are in the Marvel comics (Captain Marvel is added in this book in fact) and didn’t seem like annoying YA versions of adults in this book so I definitely like that.
There is a lot more action here! Lots of exciting spy action, superhero action and sci-fi action. Very good stuff there.
There’s a few well done humorous moments for sure.
There’s a bit of a supernatural element in this book that was an unexpected but welcome surprise.
Cons:
This book is very predictable.
There’s a bit of social commentary here and while I appreciate that it isn’t forced or anything, it is not executed well.
The dialogue is kinda iffy throughout.
The main villain is lame which is probably the main reason I’m giving this 3-stars instead of 4. She’s just not interesting, she’s a very typical villain, her motives are stupid, she spends way too much time monologuing and her plan is super unoriginal (as in it’s the same exact thing that which even wouldn’t be QUITE as bad except I’d at least hope most superhero fans or at least superhero writers would have watched that film that’s beloved by so many superhero nerds).
This is very minor and stupid but there’s a coffee shop in this book called “Rude Brews” or something like that but it involves rude baristas that act like dicks to the customers and while I think it’s meant to be humorous I couldn’t help but think it’s kinda dumb if you think about it for more than 30 seconds. I mean yeah, it’s slightly funny but makes no sense unless you’re in the getting-shitty-Yelp-reviews business which doesn’t seem profitable. Like I said, it’s minor but annoyed me for some reason.
Mixed thoughts:
The narrator of the audio edition I listened to. Sometimes she’s good but sometimes not, it’s weird and I can’t quite place my finger on what’s up there.
Overall:
So it’s better than the first book in this series but it’s still nothing particularly good. I think if the villain was better than I’d like this book more but that was definitely the thing that made this a 3/5 instead of a 4/5. It’s not bad and if a third book happens I’ll add it to my reading list I suppose but this series isn’t anything to get hyped over if you ask me.
3/5
What’s it about?
Just know that it involves the characters from book one having to find out some shit with a terrorist plot that could fuck with the whole world and stop it from getting too crazy... like more crazy than it already is. That’s all I can really say without spoiling book one but if you’ve read book one you know about a lot of the characters and most of the shit involving them so yeah.
Pros:
The story is pretty good. I like how well Stohl managed to mix espionage thriller kinda stuff and fun superhero adventure kinda stuff!
The characters are better and more well written now. The teen characters aren’t as bland as they were in the first book. The adult characters are like how they are in the Marvel comics (Captain Marvel is added in this book in fact) and didn’t seem like annoying YA versions of adults in this book so I definitely like that.
There is a lot more action here! Lots of exciting spy action, superhero action and sci-fi action. Very good stuff there.
There’s a few well done humorous moments for sure.
There’s a bit of a supernatural element in this book that was an unexpected but welcome surprise.
Cons:
This book is very predictable.
There’s a bit of social commentary here and while I appreciate that it isn’t forced or anything, it is not executed well.
The dialogue is kinda iffy throughout.
The main villain is lame which is probably the main reason I’m giving this 3-stars instead of 4. She’s just not interesting, she’s a very typical villain, her motives are stupid, she spends way too much time monologuing and her plan is super unoriginal (as in it’s the same exact thing that which even wouldn’t be QUITE as bad except I’d at least hope most superhero fans or at least superhero writers would have watched that film that’s beloved by so many superhero nerds).
This is very minor and stupid but there’s a coffee shop in this book called “Rude Brews” or something like that but it involves rude baristas that act like dicks to the customers and while I think it’s meant to be humorous I couldn’t help but think it’s kinda dumb if you think about it for more than 30 seconds. I mean yeah, it’s slightly funny but makes no sense unless you’re in the getting-shitty-Yelp-reviews business which doesn’t seem profitable. Like I said, it’s minor but annoyed me for some reason.
Mixed thoughts:
The narrator of the audio edition I listened to. Sometimes she’s good but sometimes not, it’s weird and I can’t quite place my finger on what’s up there.
Overall:
So it’s better than the first book in this series but it’s still nothing particularly good. I think if the villain was better than I’d like this book more but that was definitely the thing that made this a 3/5 instead of a 4/5. It’s not bad and if a third book happens I’ll add it to my reading list I suppose but this series isn’t anything to get hyped over if you ask me.
3/5
September 17, 2023
Read my review of book 1 (Black Widow: Forever Red) here!
*shifts awkwardly* so....yeah. This was bad.
I miss the old days of Marvel so much. The days when the craziest thing to happen was Bucky being the Winter Soldier or when Civil War was the ultimate crossover of the century. I miss the action, the banter, the scenery, the characters. Natasha Romanoff is one of my favorite Avengers. She's actually the only reason I watched The Avengers with my older brother back when I was nine, and ever since she's been an awesome kick-butt heroine-slash-role-model for me. Hence, when I heard about this duology, I hopped on it.
My expectations were high. This book didn't even meet the halfway point.
But let's break this down.
Black Widow: Red Vengeance is the second book in the Black Widow duology, and takes place a year after the events of book 1. Ava Orlova is now enrolled at S.H.I.E.L.D Academy, and Natasha Romanoff is busying herself with various missions left unsolved. Both are plagued with guilt and grief, and both have a burning desire for vengeance after the events in Istanbul took the life of one close to them both. When Natasha and Ava take a reconnaissance mission in Rio, they are attacked by a peculiar suspect and are thrown on a wild goose chase of events to uncover the secrets of the Red Room, a place with an irrepressible legacy and reach of power.
The first third of this book was actually somewhat enjoyable. It started off with some good action, great setting, and adequate pacing. But as I kept reading, I sensed my rating declining more and more.
One of my biggest stipulations with book 1 was how Margaret Stohl wrote Natasha. She was nothing like the beloved character we know in the films- instead, she acted more like an arrogant teenager whose sole personality was being insulting. I will say that this improved ever so slightly in Red Vengeance, if only because she was being drowned out by the sound of Ava being stupid.
I want to throw Ava in a Dumpster. The entire book she acted like she was entitled to do whatever she wanted because of what she went through in Istanbul and because she's now the "ReD WiDoW." The amount of times she almost got her and Natasha killed could be a book in itself. Literally every time she spoke, it was to argue with someone.
I saw someone on Tumblr complaining how we keep signing up for things that promise Natasha Romanoff content and instead give us an angsty annoying teenager, and I couldn't agree more. This duology could have been written about anyone in the MCU and we probably wouldn't be able to tell the difference in development.
Now that I think about it, there wasn't one character in this book that I actually liked. In book 1, Coulson and Tony were the only redeeming aspects that kept me reading. Stohl was able to accurately capture their voices and humor and I was excited whenever they entered the page. Yet this coin was flipped on its head in Red Vengeance. Coulson was nothing like himself- instead, he became a generic S.H.I.E.L.D agent whose only purpose was to tell Natasha not to do things that she was already going to do. Tony became a watered-down comedic relief and had no distinction that made his humor uniquely Stark.
I couldn't care less about Dante Cruz or Oksana, the two most one-dimensional "best friend" characters in literary history. They kept butting their way into the story and did absolutely nothing to move it along. If anything, they hindered the pacing and kept this book from being even the least bit enjoyable.
I realize at this point that I am not a fan of Stohl's writing. If it wasn't evident already, her character development is nonexistent. Reading her books feels like I'm sanding down cardboard with my face. (Don't ask.) She seems to struggle with sentence variation and making her writing feel authentic. This book reads more like a high school book report than a flowing story.
Even though Ivan Somodorov was a major "tell, not show" villain in book 1, at least we had a villain. There was no villain in this book until the last five minutes. This random person showed up and acted like a villain, but her connections to the plot were so shallowly crafted that I had to wonder if she was even supposed to be the villain. It was like Stohl was rushing to make an antagonist after building up the whole Faith thing for 400 pages, but failed in making the villain, oh I don't know, actually scary.
Another random thing: Yelena Belova and her connection to Natasha Romanoff were mentioned so frequently and never explained once. Yelena is one of my favorite Marvel characters (thanks to the Black Widow movie) but every time she was mentioned I was getting increasingly angry because I knew she wasn't going to make a cameo. If you're going to foreshadow another character's appearance, I suggest that you actually make them appear. And please make them have something to do with the plot.
I can't explain that last chapter either. At this point I don't care. All I'm going to say is that there wasn't an ending. This series feels like one big fanfiction, though saying that feels wrong because I've read fanfiction that was better than this.
If you consider yourself a Marvel fan at all, I urge you to ignore that these books exist.
*shifts awkwardly* so....yeah. This was bad.
I miss the old days of Marvel so much. The days when the craziest thing to happen was Bucky being the Winter Soldier or when Civil War was the ultimate crossover of the century. I miss the action, the banter, the scenery, the characters. Natasha Romanoff is one of my favorite Avengers. She's actually the only reason I watched The Avengers with my older brother back when I was nine, and ever since she's been an awesome kick-butt heroine-slash-role-model for me. Hence, when I heard about this duology, I hopped on it.
My expectations were high. This book didn't even meet the halfway point.
But let's break this down.
Black Widow: Red Vengeance is the second book in the Black Widow duology, and takes place a year after the events of book 1. Ava Orlova is now enrolled at S.H.I.E.L.D Academy, and Natasha Romanoff is busying herself with various missions left unsolved. Both are plagued with guilt and grief, and both have a burning desire for vengeance after the events in Istanbul took the life of one close to them both. When Natasha and Ava take a reconnaissance mission in Rio, they are attacked by a peculiar suspect and are thrown on a wild goose chase of events to uncover the secrets of the Red Room, a place with an irrepressible legacy and reach of power.
The first third of this book was actually somewhat enjoyable. It started off with some good action, great setting, and adequate pacing. But as I kept reading, I sensed my rating declining more and more.
One of my biggest stipulations with book 1 was how Margaret Stohl wrote Natasha. She was nothing like the beloved character we know in the films- instead, she acted more like an arrogant teenager whose sole personality was being insulting. I will say that this improved ever so slightly in Red Vengeance, if only because she was being drowned out by the sound of Ava being stupid.
I want to throw Ava in a Dumpster. The entire book she acted like she was entitled to do whatever she wanted because of what she went through in Istanbul and because she's now the "ReD WiDoW." The amount of times she almost got her and Natasha killed could be a book in itself. Literally every time she spoke, it was to argue with someone.
I saw someone on Tumblr complaining how we keep signing up for things that promise Natasha Romanoff content and instead give us an angsty annoying teenager, and I couldn't agree more. This duology could have been written about anyone in the MCU and we probably wouldn't be able to tell the difference in development.
Now that I think about it, there wasn't one character in this book that I actually liked. In book 1, Coulson and Tony were the only redeeming aspects that kept me reading. Stohl was able to accurately capture their voices and humor and I was excited whenever they entered the page. Yet this coin was flipped on its head in Red Vengeance. Coulson was nothing like himself- instead, he became a generic S.H.I.E.L.D agent whose only purpose was to tell Natasha not to do things that she was already going to do. Tony became a watered-down comedic relief and had no distinction that made his humor uniquely Stark.
I couldn't care less about Dante Cruz or Oksana, the two most one-dimensional "best friend" characters in literary history. They kept butting their way into the story and did absolutely nothing to move it along. If anything, they hindered the pacing and kept this book from being even the least bit enjoyable.
I realize at this point that I am not a fan of Stohl's writing. If it wasn't evident already, her character development is nonexistent. Reading her books feels like I'm sanding down cardboard with my face. (Don't ask.) She seems to struggle with sentence variation and making her writing feel authentic. This book reads more like a high school book report than a flowing story.
Even though Ivan Somodorov was a major "tell, not show" villain in book 1, at least we had a villain. There was no villain in this book until the last five minutes. This random person showed up and acted like a villain, but her connections to the plot were so shallowly crafted that I had to wonder if she was even supposed to be the villain. It was like Stohl was rushing to make an antagonist after building up the whole Faith thing for 400 pages, but failed in making the villain, oh I don't know, actually scary.
Another random thing: Yelena Belova and her connection to Natasha Romanoff were mentioned so frequently and never explained once. Yelena is one of my favorite Marvel characters (thanks to the Black Widow movie) but every time she was mentioned I was getting increasingly angry because I knew she wasn't going to make a cameo. If you're going to foreshadow another character's appearance, I suggest that you actually make them appear. And please make them have something to do with the plot.
I can't explain that last chapter either. At this point I don't care. All I'm going to say is that there wasn't an ending. This series feels like one big fanfiction, though saying that feels wrong because I've read fanfiction that was better than this.
If you consider yourself a Marvel fan at all, I urge you to ignore that these books exist.
September 5, 2017
Everything about this book was quite flawless to me. As a long time marvel fan the comics have been vastly disappointing, so it was refreshing to see someone take Black Widow and gives us a damned good rich story (when so many people claimed you couldn't with widow).
Stohl manages to seamlessly weave marvel 616, MCU, and the television universe to all make a very cohesive story. We find out that the avengers do know Coulson is alive (which the MCU has failed to mention in any movie), and we might have a new hero in Ava, who is forging her own path without Natasha.
I loved the evolutions of these characters and getting inside the head of Natasha. You see how she's able to control her emotions, and do what needs to be done in desperate situations.
Love this book, and can't wait for another.
Stohl manages to seamlessly weave marvel 616, MCU, and the television universe to all make a very cohesive story. We find out that the avengers do know Coulson is alive (which the MCU has failed to mention in any movie), and we might have a new hero in Ava, who is forging her own path without Natasha.
I loved the evolutions of these characters and getting inside the head of Natasha. You see how she's able to control her emotions, and do what needs to be done in desperate situations.
Love this book, and can't wait for another.
did-not-finish
July 7, 2017I had enjoyed the novel's predecessor, and imagined I would feel the same about its sequel. Unfortunately the storytelling fell flat, and I couldn't invest myself in the plot.
April 18, 2018
1.5 stars | It breaks my fangirl heart to do this, but I cannot finish this. The first one was bad, this is worse. You are telling me this is a BLACK WIDOW novel?
Natasha is my absolute favourite characterever, and the characterization in this novel is TERRIBLE. It's like the author doesn't even KNOW who Natasha is. There's no way Nat would take Ava (a freaking kid!) on a super dangerous OP.
I'll stick to reading fanfic, thank you very much.
Natasha is my absolute favourite character
I'll stick to reading fanfic, thank you very much.
dnf
March 24, 2017I won't rate this, but I can't stand the fact that fucking Alex is a ghost and he's still here.
Can you just pls not hallucinate your instalove love interest? Kthxbye.
Can you just pls not hallucinate your instalove love interest? Kthxbye.
December 7, 2020
There are a few things in the Marvel multiverse that I'm forever salty about. Like the fact that Andrew Garfield isn't playing Spider-Man anymore, but he'll always be Spidey for me, and always my number-one storytelling inspiration. Or the fact that we were introduced to Alexei in Forever Red, only to see him get killed off after only one book. (Yeah, Margaret Stohl, I'm still never forgiving you for that.)
Or the fact that Stohl's Black Widow series is still the closest we've gotten to a Black Widow movie, and that's not even officially happening yet.
Especially after this book, that's the biggest cardinal Marvel sin of all.
Stohl outdoes herself stylishly in Red Vengeance, delivering another globetrotting Black Widow and Red Widow adventure that takes the fledgling world of Marvel YA to new, incredible heights. From Brazil to New York to Sicily and more, we're treated to some seriously insane spycraft hijinks, involving the usual elements of the genre, and also some not-so-usual ones, like Alexei's ghost appearing to Ava - which I liked because A) Alexei was my favorite character in Forever Red, and B) because his ghost is written quite similarly to the way I wrote that of Gwen Stacy in one of my many Amazing Spider-Man fanfics, which I appreciated considerably. Also, we get more of Dante's involvement in the story (to further make up for Alexei's death - seriously, I can't let that go, can I?), a nice Spider-Man reference ("with great power comes great responsibility") to reflect the character's inclusion in the MCU now, some seriously cool lightsaber-type weapons (maybe Stohl would be the first to write an official story where SHIELD discovers a portal to the world of Star Wars - that would make for the biggest mass geekgasm since The Avengers hit theaters!), a nice look at Captain Marvel before she even makes her MCU film debut, and what the prologue promises to be an ass-kicking Christmas like Marvel has never done before, not even in Iron Man 3.
Oh, and a cliffhanger that guarantees we're not done with Stohl's singularly amazing Black Widow series yet, not by a long shot.
Instead of shopping, this and a cup of coffee (to enhance my speed-reading superpower) made for a perfect Black Friday morning for me. Thanks again, Margaret Stohl, for being an author I can always count on to entertain like few others.
Or the fact that Stohl's Black Widow series is still the closest we've gotten to a Black Widow movie, and that's not even officially happening yet.
Especially after this book, that's the biggest cardinal Marvel sin of all.
Stohl outdoes herself stylishly in Red Vengeance, delivering another globetrotting Black Widow and Red Widow adventure that takes the fledgling world of Marvel YA to new, incredible heights. From Brazil to New York to Sicily and more, we're treated to some seriously insane spycraft hijinks, involving the usual elements of the genre, and also some not-so-usual ones, like Alexei's ghost appearing to Ava - which I liked because A) Alexei was my favorite character in Forever Red, and B) because his ghost is written quite similarly to the way I wrote that of Gwen Stacy in one of my many Amazing Spider-Man fanfics, which I appreciated considerably. Also, we get more of Dante's involvement in the story (to further make up for Alexei's death - seriously, I can't let that go, can I?), a nice Spider-Man reference ("with great power comes great responsibility") to reflect the character's inclusion in the MCU now, some seriously cool lightsaber-type weapons (maybe Stohl would be the first to write an official story where SHIELD discovers a portal to the world of Star Wars - that would make for the biggest mass geekgasm since The Avengers hit theaters!), a nice look at Captain Marvel before she even makes her MCU film debut, and what the prologue promises to be an ass-kicking Christmas like Marvel has never done before, not even in Iron Man 3.
Oh, and a cliffhanger that guarantees we're not done with Stohl's singularly amazing Black Widow series yet, not by a long shot.
Instead of shopping, this and a cup of coffee (to enhance my speed-reading superpower) made for a perfect Black Friday morning for me. Thanks again, Margaret Stohl, for being an author I can always count on to entertain like few others.
January 2, 2017
Black Widow has a new partner in crime, Red Widow. The Widows are dealing with loosing Alexei, someone who was close to them both. And each grieving in their own ways. While trying to stay on top of their game while getting vengeance, it makes things a little bit messy.
Stohl has done it again. She has taken you on a journey with one of your favorite Avengers'. And if Black Widow isn't your favorite avenger these books will make you love her. Getting inside her brain and seeing how Natasha reacts to things is what makes her a great character. And Stohl brings to life her snark and cynicism in such a way that you only see her as a completely sarcastic and loveable character. And her relationship with Ava, her Red Widow, only makes you love her and Ava more than you knew you would.
The story picks up a little after the first one ended, but you get the sense that the character's mindset is set exactly how it was when we left them. And you almost feel as if it is your job to put their pieces back together. Stohl makes you feel their heartbreak and need for vengeance in a way that makes you feel as if she has made you a part of her book. She has allowed readers to become one of her characters within the story.
http://www.onceuponatwilight.com/2016...
Stohl has done it again. She has taken you on a journey with one of your favorite Avengers'. And if Black Widow isn't your favorite avenger these books will make you love her. Getting inside her brain and seeing how Natasha reacts to things is what makes her a great character. And Stohl brings to life her snark and cynicism in such a way that you only see her as a completely sarcastic and loveable character. And her relationship with Ava, her Red Widow, only makes you love her and Ava more than you knew you would.
The story picks up a little after the first one ended, but you get the sense that the character's mindset is set exactly how it was when we left them. And you almost feel as if it is your job to put their pieces back together. Stohl makes you feel their heartbreak and need for vengeance in a way that makes you feel as if she has made you a part of her book. She has allowed readers to become one of her characters within the story.
http://www.onceuponatwilight.com/2016...
February 3, 2017
*Source* Library
*Genre* Comics-Superheroes
*Rating* 4.0
*My Thoughts*
Red Vengeance is the second installment in author Margaret Stohl's Black Widow series. The last we saw of Natasha Romanoff aka Black Widow, and her new partner Ava Orlova aka Red Widow, they had both lost someone, Alexei, that they each loved. Now they seek vengeance on those responsible for his death, and if in the process they take down anyone else who had anything to do with his death, more's the pity. But, who could stand toe to toe with the mighty Black Widow and not blink?
*Full Review @ Gizmos Reviews*
http://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/201...
*Genre* Comics-Superheroes
*Rating* 4.0
*My Thoughts*
Red Vengeance is the second installment in author Margaret Stohl's Black Widow series. The last we saw of Natasha Romanoff aka Black Widow, and her new partner Ava Orlova aka Red Widow, they had both lost someone, Alexei, that they each loved. Now they seek vengeance on those responsible for his death, and if in the process they take down anyone else who had anything to do with his death, more's the pity. But, who could stand toe to toe with the mighty Black Widow and not blink?
*Full Review @ Gizmos Reviews*
http://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/201...
July 16, 2017
3.5
Why were two normal-ish teens sitting on in an meeting about nukes? Also, all these mind alternating substances and even mention of Aliens just really brings a kind of ridiculousness to the whole novel, I'm in it for the high tech spying not some other world shit.
I just feel the book was kind of a big step down from the first, I really enjoyed it despite confusion over some of the lingo at the start but I felt a disconnect to it, also the vengeance part kinda lacked emotion and the characters didnt feel as bad ass as they did before. The first book was amazing, this one was just a fun read.
Why were two normal-ish teens sitting on in an meeting about nukes? Also, all these mind alternating substances and even mention of Aliens just really brings a kind of ridiculousness to the whole novel, I'm in it for the high tech spying not some other world shit.
I just feel the book was kind of a big step down from the first, I really enjoyed it despite confusion over some of the lingo at the start but I felt a disconnect to it, also the vengeance part kinda lacked emotion and the characters didnt feel as bad ass as they did before. The first book was amazing, this one was just a fun read.
February 3, 2017
5 stars
Nice to see Natasha and Ava again. The mission was good. Glad to get more of a look inside their brains. Also glad Ava was able to see Oksana again. Wonder if we will be seeing Yelena Bolova.
Can't wait to see if there will be another Black Widow book!!! Excited for Avengers: Infinity War!!!!
Nice to see Natasha and Ava again. The mission was good. Glad to get more of a look inside their brains. Also glad Ava was able to see Oksana again. Wonder if we will be seeing Yelena Bolova.
Can't wait to see if there will be another Black Widow book!!! Excited for Avengers: Infinity War!!!!
November 22, 2016
Rating: 3.25/5
Review coming soon!
Review coming soon!
May 1, 2017
Plenty of Spy Action
Not bad for a YA thriller. A Black and a Red Widow! Hope there is a 3rd book in this series.
Not bad for a YA thriller. A Black and a Red Widow! Hope there is a 3rd book in this series.
July 24, 2019
If you have watched any of the recent Marvel films, you will know that the stories are fast-paced and filled with action. Reading Red Vengeance reminded me of those characteristics as I turned the pages quickly in this novel. As I was reading the story, I could not help but picture the Black Widow as portrayed in the Avengers stories.
Even though this story is a sequel, at no time did I feel lost in the story. Stohl effectively fills in any blanks that may have occurred due to not having read the first book. It helped, too, that I know a little about the main character having watched all the Marvel movies.
The telling of the story in the past tense is interspersed with the recorded conversation in the present tense between Agent Natasha Romanoff (the Black Widow) and Phillip Coulson (the agent in command). As the novel begins with a scene near the end of the story, Stohl’s technique slowly brings the reader to an understanding of how the events evolved. The gradual release of information to the reader helps with the tension in the story as well as the readers’ understanding of events.
This read is perfect for those who enjoy superhero stories. It is a well-written novel that is fast-paced and immerses one in the Marvel universe. I would love to see this story as a film.
Even though this story is a sequel, at no time did I feel lost in the story. Stohl effectively fills in any blanks that may have occurred due to not having read the first book. It helped, too, that I know a little about the main character having watched all the Marvel movies.
The telling of the story in the past tense is interspersed with the recorded conversation in the present tense between Agent Natasha Romanoff (the Black Widow) and Phillip Coulson (the agent in command). As the novel begins with a scene near the end of the story, Stohl’s technique slowly brings the reader to an understanding of how the events evolved. The gradual release of information to the reader helps with the tension in the story as well as the readers’ understanding of events.
This read is perfect for those who enjoy superhero stories. It is a well-written novel that is fast-paced and immerses one in the Marvel universe. I would love to see this story as a film.
August 3, 2021
I loved Black Widow: Forever Red and could not wait to check out the sequel. I have to say however I was not quite as into this one as it’s predecessor. I loved the prologue and the beginning was captivating, to say the least. The middle followed just as well, but, for whatever reason, I wasn’t as hooked until the ending. Maybe it was the lack of romance and a certain character, but it took me a little longer to get past that. Otherwise I loved it! I loved the twists and turns, and how all the clues were presented to the reader, instead of information being held. The ending seemed like it could lead into a third book, but after 5 years, there’s still only two. Overall, I loved Red Vengeance, and will be revisiting it again!
March 26, 2018
i didn't like this. The only reason I got this read as fast as I did was because my only other choices were watching my classmates play Just Dance or do stuff in PE.
Full review: https://purplepancakeblog.wordpress.c...
Full review: https://purplepancakeblog.wordpress.c...
September 19, 2020
Para ser franca el primer libro me sorprendió y me gusto bastante, así que creo que tenia muy altas expectativas de este. Y aunque no es malo supongo que no tuvo lo que haya tenido el otro para atraparme en la esta historia. Aun así la ultima parte fue bastante buena por lo que termine por ponerle tres estrellas. Es una lastima que ya no se sacaron mas libros, la verdad si los hubiera comprado.
January 27, 2018
I read the first book in this series Black Widow: Forever Red 2 years ago and I enjoyed it, this sequel however was a big disappointment.
I have a lot of thoughts so I'm going to try organize this as best as possible with no spoilers.
Plot:
-I feel like nothing happened in this book, the plot felt repetitive and I struggled to stay engaged in the story.
-The "shocking" moments never seemed shocking, I predicted a lot.
-I have no idea what universe this is set in, it didn't match up with MCU or 616 so I have no clue.
- I enjoyed the first 100 pages and then I started loosing interest, It took me nearly 3 weeks to finish it.
Characters:
- At times Natasha felt really out of character but most of the time she was badass and great, easily my favourite part of the book.
- I just don't care about Ava? I never connected to her in the first book and I didn't connect in this one either. I find her boring and kind of whiny, I wouldn't miss her if she was gone.
- The POV switches between Natasha and Ava but towards the end other characters get chapters from their POV and it felt unnecessary.
- I love Tony Stark and I really enjoyed him in this, his banter with Natasha was great.
Maybe I just wasn't in the mood for this when I read it and that's why it didn't click, Unfortunately this book just wasn't for me.
I have a lot of thoughts so I'm going to try organize this as best as possible with no spoilers.
Plot:
-I feel like nothing happened in this book, the plot felt repetitive and I struggled to stay engaged in the story.
-The "shocking" moments never seemed shocking, I predicted a lot.
-I have no idea what universe this is set in, it didn't match up with MCU or 616 so I have no clue.
- I enjoyed the first 100 pages and then I started loosing interest, It took me nearly 3 weeks to finish it.
Characters:
- At times Natasha felt really out of character but most of the time she was badass and great, easily my favourite part of the book.
- I just don't care about Ava? I never connected to her in the first book and I didn't connect in this one either. I find her boring and kind of whiny, I wouldn't miss her if she was gone.
- The POV switches between Natasha and Ava but towards the end other characters get chapters from their POV and it felt unnecessary.
- I love Tony Stark and I really enjoyed him in this, his banter with Natasha was great.
Maybe I just wasn't in the mood for this when I read it and that's why it didn't click, Unfortunately this book just wasn't for me.
January 9, 2018
If you liked the first one you'll probably like this one too. If, like me, you suffered through the first one then give this one a pass. Save yourself.
Free at last. No longer can this book haunt my self like a vengeful ghost. Be gone foul demon, torment me no longer. I had at least some hope this one would be better that the first, but unsurprisingly I was disappointed again. Ava's still an angsty idiot, there's still no real character development to speak of, the villain's still completely forgettable, and the the plot's still just sort of bland. Anyway, here's some out of context thoughts I had while reading.
•Get out of here Lin Manuel Miranda you're too good of a man for this book
•Oh good there's a Paul Blart reference. A surer sign of quality there never was
•HOW DID YOU NOT NOTICE YOU'RE ON FIRE
•I imagine this version of Tony Stark would get out of awkward conversations by yelling "Anyway thanks for coming to my TED talk" and throwing himself out a window
•Really hope this book ends with everyone realizing Natasha is the worst person to be in charge of Ava or anyone really
•Carol Danvers you deserve better than this
•The smartest thing anyone has said in 225 pages is "Maybe Natasha and Ava shouldn't be on this case". Good man Coulson. You're not actually going to do anything, but the point stands
•Congrats on being inducting into the drug cult
Free at last. No longer can this book haunt my self like a vengeful ghost. Be gone foul demon, torment me no longer. I had at least some hope this one would be better that the first, but unsurprisingly I was disappointed again. Ava's still an angsty idiot, there's still no real character development to speak of, the villain's still completely forgettable, and the the plot's still just sort of bland. Anyway, here's some out of context thoughts I had while reading.
•Get out of here Lin Manuel Miranda you're too good of a man for this book
•Oh good there's a Paul Blart reference. A surer sign of quality there never was
•HOW DID YOU NOT NOTICE YOU'RE ON FIRE
•I imagine this version of Tony Stark would get out of awkward conversations by yelling "Anyway thanks for coming to my TED talk" and throwing himself out a window
•Really hope this book ends with everyone realizing Natasha is the worst person to be in charge of Ava or anyone really
•Carol Danvers you deserve better than this
•The smartest thing anyone has said in 225 pages is "Maybe Natasha and Ava shouldn't be on this case". Good man Coulson. You're not actually going to do anything, but the point stands
•Congrats on being inducting into the drug cult
September 8, 2017
This picks up months after book 1, with Ava a trainee at Shield, and both she and Natasha still grieving for Alexei. Natasha gets a lead on more Red Room stuff, and pulls Ava out of class to help Natasha in the field.
Had some really good Natasha moments, some quite funny Natasha-Tony moments, and how great is it that Natasha, Maria Hill and Carol Danvers hang out every month?
Oh yeah, and there's Ava, all contrary teen, but super powered and suffering from PTSD, which no one at SHIELD seems to want to talk about or deal with, because that makes no sense! SHIELD seems to have antiquated ideas about mental health, as if not dealing or talking about Ava's mental state will somehow miraculously fix things.
I continue to find Ava's continued belief that she can handle everything and her general attitude kind of tiresome. I also found that Natasha displayed some serious lack of judgement, which, huh? She's a super spy who is sent into really dangerous situations to resolve them successfully, and she makes mistake after mistake after mistake here, not to mention, she and Ava together are like fire and alcohol, and the less time they spend together, the better. In fact, there was still not as much Natasha as I wanted in this book.
Had some really good Natasha moments, some quite funny Natasha-Tony moments, and how great is it that Natasha, Maria Hill and Carol Danvers hang out every month?
Oh yeah, and there's Ava, all contrary teen, but super powered and suffering from PTSD, which no one at SHIELD seems to want to talk about or deal with, because that makes no sense! SHIELD seems to have antiquated ideas about mental health, as if not dealing or talking about Ava's mental state will somehow miraculously fix things.
I continue to find Ava's continued belief that she can handle everything and her general attitude kind of tiresome. I also found that Natasha displayed some serious lack of judgement, which, huh? She's a super spy who is sent into really dangerous situations to resolve them successfully, and she makes mistake after mistake after mistake here, not to mention, she and Ava together are like fire and alcohol, and the less time they spend together, the better. In fact, there was still not as much Natasha as I wanted in this book.
August 2, 2020
I honestly liked this book better than the first one.
One, because it focused a lot more on Black Widow herself, which is what I wanted and expected from the first book and didn't get.
Two, because it was wayyy less predictable, and the plot was better.
The reason why I'm not giving this 5 stars is because I didn't find the ending to be that satisfying. I found myself wondering whether the upcoming movie was going to continue from it. There were just lots of loose ends that didn't really get fulfilled.
All in all though, this book was pretty great!
One, because it focused a lot more on Black Widow herself, which is what I wanted and expected from the first book and didn't get.
Two, because it was wayyy less predictable, and the plot was better.
The reason why I'm not giving this 5 stars is because I didn't find the ending to be that satisfying. I found myself wondering whether the upcoming movie was going to continue from it. There were just lots of loose ends that didn't really get fulfilled.
All in all though, this book was pretty great!
January 3, 2017
This book wasn't as tightly written as the first one, my other problem is that Black Widow feels like a side kick to the younger characters in the novel, where in the first one she was more in the driver's seat. I think these books do show a Black Widow movie is possible. I hope in the next book Black Widow takes more of the center stage than she got in this book. The new characters do feel shoehorned into the story at times.
December 30, 2019
I liked Forever Red well enough but Red Vengeance was definitely unnecessary. I hate how after everything they'd been through Ava turned on Black Widow at the end,and betrayed her.
b l a n d
b l a n d
August 10, 2017
4.25 ⭐️
This is a second hit on the Black Widow series by Margaret Stohl! Action packed, this spy adventure continues to follow Natasha and Ava's lives, now that the youngest has been officially recruited by S.H.I.E.L.D. - and has a mental connection with her dead boyfriend (and Natasha's brother) Alexei.
The delivery was just as good as the first novel. Stohl has a way with words. She can follow a deeply emotional moment by an action scene without it feeling forced in any way. This was definitely a page-turner.
I quite liked the inclusion of Artie's emails in the "S.H.I.E.L.D. EYES ONLY" chapter separator. His humour tended to relax me a little between or after action-packed chapters. I also loved how Stohl developed the relationship between Natasha and Ava. They were far from perfect chemistry, but their relationship had grown from Forever Red and they already understood each other better (even without the quantum entanglement). Including Dante and Sana from the first book tied up things nicely. The end scene at the academy was especially good for a possible third novel (I do hope we get a third novel). One last thing I loved about it was the way they wrapped it up with the Inhumans storyline. could totally join the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. team eventually and I would have no problem with it.
As much as I loved it, though, there are a few things that kept me from giving it a perfect score. The first novel was integrated enough in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This one fit a little less, in my opinion.
My first problem was the Triskellion. If you follow the MCU, you know it was quite spectacularly destroyed in Winter Soldier. Having mentions of a New York Triskellion in this novel - even as an underwater facility - gave me vibes of the AoS Framework. They could have used a different name, since the Triskellion doesn't appear in the MCU after Winter Soldier (that I remember of, correct me if I'm wrong).
Second problem: Carol Danvers. I love Captain Marvel, and haven't read near enough of her comics. But... SHE HASN'T APPEARED IN THE MCU YET! Anyone who doesn't read the comics and is only familiar with the MCU will be lost to who she is. She is a secondary character in the novel, but her description is basic - assuming that people who read the book already know who she is. As much as I liked seeing her in the novel, she was not introduced properly. Her movie is not set to release until 2019. This makes for a complicated recommendation, since the MCU moves so fast certain movies or books or TV episodes become more or less relevant as the universe grows.
The last major problem for me is really just a small thing that makes me angry because of whom I ship together. Natasha and Clint are my OTP in the MCU (tied up in first place with FitzSimmons and closely followed by Steve and Peggy). That whole Black Widow/Hulk thing (and Clint having a family - WTF!!!!) gave me disgust chills in Age of Ultron. Which is why seeing Natasha referring to Iron Man, Captain America and the Hulk by their first name throughout the novel, but conveniently referring to her spy best friend by his superhero name made me 🙄 . Only once - ONCE - in the 438 pages-long novel does Natasha refer to Hawkeye as Clint. ONCE! The guy is supposed to be her most trusted (as much as Natasha could trust a person back in the days) spy associate and she can't refer to him - even in her own thoughts - by his first name?!?! I know it's minor, but it set me on edge.
I won't hold those things against Margaret Stohl because, once again, it was a really good novel. I do want a third one (and a fourth and a fifth and a sixth... you get the idea). But, if she does keep writing this series, I want it better tied up with the MCU. I know it's moving quickly and writing a book takes as long as making a movie, yet what is the point of including MCU characters (the superheroes) and plots ("Phil's Inhumans project", terragenesis) if you don't follow the actual storyline?
EDIT: one last thing I wish had been explained, that I completely forgot to mention in my earlier review; Alexei. I want to know what exactly he is. Is he a mental projection that both Widows share (and in that case, why did Ava see him much more than Nat, when the second was his SISTER)? Is he a result of the quantum entanglement? Is he a ghost? With AoS' last season, we couldn't put it past the MCU to include ghosts. Since Ghost Rider made a pact with the devil, it is plausible that ghosts exist too. That question is something I do want to be explained in a possible further novel.
This is a second hit on the Black Widow series by Margaret Stohl! Action packed, this spy adventure continues to follow Natasha and Ava's lives, now that the youngest has been officially recruited by S.H.I.E.L.D. - and has a mental connection with her dead boyfriend (and Natasha's brother) Alexei.
The delivery was just as good as the first novel. Stohl has a way with words. She can follow a deeply emotional moment by an action scene without it feeling forced in any way. This was definitely a page-turner.
I quite liked the inclusion of Artie's emails in the "S.H.I.E.L.D. EYES ONLY" chapter separator. His humour tended to relax me a little between or after action-packed chapters. I also loved how Stohl developed the relationship between Natasha and Ava. They were far from perfect chemistry, but their relationship had grown from Forever Red and they already understood each other better (even without the quantum entanglement). Including Dante and Sana from the first book tied up things nicely. The end scene at the academy was especially good for a possible third novel (I do hope we get a third novel). One last thing I loved about it was the way they wrapped it up with the Inhumans storyline. could totally join the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. team eventually and I would have no problem with it.
As much as I loved it, though, there are a few things that kept me from giving it a perfect score. The first novel was integrated enough in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This one fit a little less, in my opinion.
My first problem was the Triskellion. If you follow the MCU, you know it was quite spectacularly destroyed in Winter Soldier. Having mentions of a New York Triskellion in this novel - even as an underwater facility - gave me vibes of the AoS Framework. They could have used a different name, since the Triskellion doesn't appear in the MCU after Winter Soldier (that I remember of, correct me if I'm wrong).
Second problem: Carol Danvers. I love Captain Marvel, and haven't read near enough of her comics. But... SHE HASN'T APPEARED IN THE MCU YET! Anyone who doesn't read the comics and is only familiar with the MCU will be lost to who she is. She is a secondary character in the novel, but her description is basic - assuming that people who read the book already know who she is. As much as I liked seeing her in the novel, she was not introduced properly. Her movie is not set to release until 2019. This makes for a complicated recommendation, since the MCU moves so fast certain movies or books or TV episodes become more or less relevant as the universe grows.
The last major problem for me is really just a small thing that makes me angry because of whom I ship together. Natasha and Clint are my OTP in the MCU (tied up in first place with FitzSimmons and closely followed by Steve and Peggy). That whole Black Widow/Hulk thing (and Clint having a family - WTF!!!!) gave me disgust chills in Age of Ultron. Which is why seeing Natasha referring to Iron Man, Captain America and the Hulk by their first name throughout the novel, but conveniently referring to her spy best friend by his superhero name made me 🙄 . Only once - ONCE - in the 438 pages-long novel does Natasha refer to Hawkeye as Clint. ONCE! The guy is supposed to be her most trusted (as much as Natasha could trust a person back in the days) spy associate and she can't refer to him - even in her own thoughts - by his first name?!?! I know it's minor, but it set me on edge.
I won't hold those things against Margaret Stohl because, once again, it was a really good novel. I do want a third one (and a fourth and a fifth and a sixth... you get the idea). But, if she does keep writing this series, I want it better tied up with the MCU. I know it's moving quickly and writing a book takes as long as making a movie, yet what is the point of including MCU characters (the superheroes) and plots ("Phil's Inhumans project", terragenesis) if you don't follow the actual storyline?
EDIT: one last thing I wish had been explained, that I completely forgot to mention in my earlier review; Alexei. I want to know what exactly he is. Is he a mental projection that both Widows share (and in that case, why did Ava see him much more than Nat, when the second was his SISTER)? Is he a result of the quantum entanglement? Is he a ghost? With AoS' last season, we couldn't put it past the MCU to include ghosts. Since Ghost Rider made a pact with the devil, it is plausible that ghosts exist too. That question is something I do want to be explained in a possible further novel.
April 6, 2018
Still considering what to think about this one. Its predecessor was pretty good, but I still had some fun with this one. It was great to have guest appearances by characters like Maria Hill and Carol Danvers (still kinda wish Tony Stark felt like RDJ), but the story felt a little uneven at times. Things would be going on and there would be references to something or someone that didn't sound important at the time, but then would become hugely important at the last minute. I'm okay with that happening a couple times, but three? No thanks. While the action was pretty solid and there was a lot more insight into Natasha's POV, I still had trouble figuring out what the end game of the villain(s) was. That, and there were some kind of useless POV's for me, and I felt the ending was a little slap-dash. That said, it's not a bad book by any means, but I'm just not sure it's meant for me and don't think it lived up to the Black Widow's reputation. If that name hadn't been attached, I feel like it would have been a little stronger. Maybe I'm biased because I truly enjoy Natasha Romanoff and her stories. Still, it's not a bad read if you're a big Marvel/Black Widow fan and are looking for something to tide you over until Infinity War!
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