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Marvel Titan Books #11
Captain Marvel: Liberation Run
Carol Danvers--Captain Marvel--narrowly stops a spacecraft from crashing. Its pilot Rhi is a young Inhuman woman from a group who left for a life among the stars. Instead they were imprisoned on a planet where an enslaved Inhuman brings her owner great power and influence. Horrified by the account, Carol gathers a team--including Ant-Man, Mantis, and Amadeus Cho--and they set out to free Rhi's people.
When a mysterious spacecraft comes hurtling toward Earth, Carol Danvers--the hero known as Captain Marvel--narrowly prevents it from crashing and killing its mysterious pilot. The young woman, Rhi, is an Inhuman, part of a group who rejected that society's caste system and left for the stars in search of a new life. What they found, however, was imprisonment on a planet ruled by a cruel patriarchy. There, Inhumans are treated like currency, and possession of an Inhuman girl brings the master great power and influence. To refuse means death, and Rhi has risked everything to seek help. Horrified by the picture the young woman paints, Carol pledges to accompany her back to the planet and pulls together a team of heroes to help. Joined by Ant-Man, Mantis, and Amadeus Cho (Brawn), Carol and Rhi set out to free her family, her people, and an entire planet.
When a mysterious spacecraft comes hurtling toward Earth, Carol Danvers--the hero known as Captain Marvel--narrowly prevents it from crashing and killing its mysterious pilot. The young woman, Rhi, is an Inhuman, part of a group who rejected that society's caste system and left for the stars in search of a new life. What they found, however, was imprisonment on a planet ruled by a cruel patriarchy. There, Inhumans are treated like currency, and possession of an Inhuman girl brings the master great power and influence. To refuse means death, and Rhi has risked everything to seek help. Horrified by the picture the young woman paints, Carol pledges to accompany her back to the planet and pulls together a team of heroes to help. Joined by Ant-Man, Mantis, and Amadeus Cho (Brawn), Carol and Rhi set out to free her family, her people, and an entire planet.
11 pages, Audiobook
First published February 26, 2019
41 people are currently reading
688 people want to read
About the author
Tess Sharpe
18 books2,175 followersI do not read my goodreads mail, but if you'd like to contact me the best way to reach me is tess(at)tess-sharpe.com
Born in a mountain cabin to a punk rocker mother, Tess Sharpe grew up in rural California. She lives deep in the backwoods with a pack of dogs and a growing cabal of slightly feral cats.
Born in a mountain cabin to a punk rocker mother, Tess Sharpe grew up in rural California. She lives deep in the backwoods with a pack of dogs and a growing cabal of slightly feral cats.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews
June 23, 2019
Read the full review and more at Blame Chocolate.
🦸♀️ A big thank you to Titan Books for the review copy. This has not influenced my opinion in any way. 🦸♀️
This book should be read by everyone: women, men – everyone. It doesn’t offer an overly original point of view, or a groundbreaking storyline; in fact, it does the exact opposite – it brings back an old, tirying, inconvenient truth that has been attempting to make itself stick for decades and yet continues to find resistance in every possible angle in order to be accepted. And this is the book that just might make a dent in it.
It is inspiring, unapologetic, powerful, engaging, monumental, daring, important. I feel like anyone will be able to enjoy it, even if they are not familiar with Captain Marvel or any of the other characters. Because her tale is so relatable, her words cut so deep, her struggle is so real, her world is so contemporary. Yet it doesn’t feel like a lecture; it is thoroughly entertaining.
As soon as I started this book I wanted to go find out where this incredible woman came from, her story, and who her friends were. I ended up binge-reading a bunch of comics I had never had any interest in. And man, were they cool.
But do you know what’s cooler? Carol Danvers. And secondly, this book.
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April 15, 2019
I fell in love with Carol Danvers during Kelly Sue DeConnick’s redefining run. I liked her new costume, her new outlook and her unabashed joy of flying. Marvel had finally delivered a superheroine as powerful (if not more so) than Wonder Woman, who was also full of hope and love. This is one of the first YA novels to come from Marvel’s new deal with Titan Books. Even though it is timed to coincide with Captain Marvel’s film debut, this book is adapted from the comic universe. Carol is the main character, but we also meet many characters from the comics: the Inhuman Queen Medusa, Cassie Lang and Ant-Man, Mantis, the totally awesome Hulk, Amadeus Cho, and a new-to-me character, Hepzibah.
Rhi, a young Inhuman woman, crashes on Earth looking for help. Her people have been enslaved on the world of Damaria. These Inhuman settlers left Earth to find a new home, but instead found a prison where woman are property and their powers carefully controlled or suppressed. If this sounds a lot like The Handmaid’s Tale, Scott Lang agrees with you – as he specifically says so when Carol recruits him for the mission! Carol seems surprised he knew the book, and he explains that he read it to keep up with and understand his teen daughter Cassie. That candid revelation helps ground these extraordinary heroes in “our” world. There’s a certain segment of readers who will probably be turned off by this unabashedly feminist story, but many more will embrace a more fully developed heroine. Carol is confident and powerful, but that doesn’t mean life has been/is always easy. She had to fight for a place in a male-dominated field. She has experienced sexual harassment and knows other women still do. So when she gets to Damaria, her rage at the oppression there is understandable, and readers will be happy to see her unleashed.
In addition to a great story, with lots of inventive action sequences, I love the team Carol put together: Scott, who has a daughter facing a world that still struggles with inequality; Mantis (not at all like the film version), whose incredible empathic power nearly cripples her when the pain of an entire planet of oppressed women hits her; Amadeus, a young genius bursting to prove himself and help a new friend; and Hepzibah, a warrior who refuses to be humble when her skills are so obviously superior. And finally, there is Rhi, who risked everything to escape the horror and is brave enough to go back for her sisters. The interactions among this group are riveting, and I was surprised at how much character development the author squeezed into the book for all of them. Naturally, the team encounters many obstacles on their mission, including a power dampener that blocks Carol’s flight ability, so they have to use their minds as much as their powers to overcome.
This being a YA superhero novel, readers get an ending that The Handmaid’s Tale couldn’t provide. This story has a lot of action, a lot of heart and a great young protagonist; it was so good I read it straight through in one day. Highly recommended!
Rhi, a young Inhuman woman, crashes on Earth looking for help. Her people have been enslaved on the world of Damaria. These Inhuman settlers left Earth to find a new home, but instead found a prison where woman are property and their powers carefully controlled or suppressed. If this sounds a lot like The Handmaid’s Tale, Scott Lang agrees with you – as he specifically says so when Carol recruits him for the mission! Carol seems surprised he knew the book, and he explains that he read it to keep up with and understand his teen daughter Cassie. That candid revelation helps ground these extraordinary heroes in “our” world. There’s a certain segment of readers who will probably be turned off by this unabashedly feminist story, but many more will embrace a more fully developed heroine. Carol is confident and powerful, but that doesn’t mean life has been/is always easy. She had to fight for a place in a male-dominated field. She has experienced sexual harassment and knows other women still do. So when she gets to Damaria, her rage at the oppression there is understandable, and readers will be happy to see her unleashed.
In addition to a great story, with lots of inventive action sequences, I love the team Carol put together: Scott, who has a daughter facing a world that still struggles with inequality; Mantis (not at all like the film version), whose incredible empathic power nearly cripples her when the pain of an entire planet of oppressed women hits her; Amadeus, a young genius bursting to prove himself and help a new friend; and Hepzibah, a warrior who refuses to be humble when her skills are so obviously superior. And finally, there is Rhi, who risked everything to escape the horror and is brave enough to go back for her sisters. The interactions among this group are riveting, and I was surprised at how much character development the author squeezed into the book for all of them. Naturally, the team encounters many obstacles on their mission, including a power dampener that blocks Carol’s flight ability, so they have to use their minds as much as their powers to overcome.
This being a YA superhero novel, readers get an ending that The Handmaid’s Tale couldn’t provide. This story has a lot of action, a lot of heart and a great young protagonist; it was so good I read it straight through in one day. Highly recommended!
March 19, 2019
Brilliant. Loved it. After watching Captain Marvel last weekend my daughter was at the local library and sent me a text asking if I was interested in reading this. I was like, heck yea! lol. This book was really entertaining. The underlying bad guy/society/misogyny was pretty bleak and smacked of 'The Handmaid's Tale' or at least from what I know of the show. The feminist in me doesn't want to watch it, lol. But that brings me to Captain Marvel in general. It's marvelously feminist overall, the movie and this book and I absolutely loved it. A side note to my GR friends, there is a lesfic side arc as well. Which completely took me by surprise considering this is a mainstream book. Not for Carol (Captain Marvel) per se, but in the main cast of characters. That was pretty cool TBH. Anyway, for anyone who geeks out on superhero's like I do, this is def a rec.
March 25, 2019
I LOVED THIS SO MUCH. It's such a smart use of Carol's character and such a timely callout of rape culture while also being an awesome space rebellion story (with a queer alien love story at its heart). AND PLUS ALSO Scott Lang reads Roxane Gay and Sweet Valley High soooo one million stars.
November 23, 2024
This is a book based in the Marvel universe. In this one an Inhuman woman crashes on Earth and Carol is the first on the scene. This woman comes from a planet where women are oppressed by men. Carol assembles a team to help.
I am probably being harsh on my review and there are several reasons. The first is that this novel is not intended for me at all. This is where I have a big complaint against it. Shouldn't books based in this universe encompass everyone? I don't disagree with the message at all. The problem was this book was used as a vessel for the author's agenda without being subtle about it all. She screamed in the reader's face her beliefs. Once again I side with her but I do not need it constantly shouted while I am reading a book especially in this universe. The best books are an allegory for actual society. I wish this book tried to do that. As for the actual story it had holes that I could drive a truck through. Once again I think this just went the author was concerned about her beliefs. Even the characters were misused. I am not the most versed in this universe but when did Mantis become some vindictive? And let us bring in Brawn but only use him for a sentence because he is a man and we had to make him useless in this book.
As you can see I did not like one aspect from this book. It became a chore to even pick it up (losing my glasses did not help). I will accept part of the blame. This is not what I signed up for though. When I pick up a book from this universe I want an adventure that borders on the silly and quirky and has over the top battles. This lacked those aspects. That being said I really do think this book depends who the reader is and whether they will enjoy it or not. For me it is clearly nor for me.
I am probably being harsh on my review and there are several reasons. The first is that this novel is not intended for me at all. This is where I have a big complaint against it. Shouldn't books based in this universe encompass everyone? I don't disagree with the message at all. The problem was this book was used as a vessel for the author's agenda without being subtle about it all. She screamed in the reader's face her beliefs. Once again I side with her but I do not need it constantly shouted while I am reading a book especially in this universe. The best books are an allegory for actual society. I wish this book tried to do that. As for the actual story it had holes that I could drive a truck through. Once again I think this just went the author was concerned about her beliefs. Even the characters were misused. I am not the most versed in this universe but when did Mantis become some vindictive? And let us bring in Brawn but only use him for a sentence because he is a man and we had to make him useless in this book.
As you can see I did not like one aspect from this book. It became a chore to even pick it up (losing my glasses did not help). I will accept part of the blame. This is not what I signed up for though. When I pick up a book from this universe I want an adventure that borders on the silly and quirky and has over the top battles. This lacked those aspects. That being said I really do think this book depends who the reader is and whether they will enjoy it or not. For me it is clearly nor for me.
February 16, 2022
Rather than critique this book for it's deliberate lack of subtlety I will go the other route: perhaps we should acknowledge that decade upon decade of artful subtlety in social commentary-inspired genre fiction hasn't exactly rid the world of injustice and books that, like this one, are about as discreet as a jackhammer on peanut brittle are due a chance.
This book is very clearly inspired by The Handmaid's Tale, which it name checks at least once, and injects some of our familiar Marvel characters into a mission to literally liberate enslaved Inhuman girls on an alien world, challenging that world's viciously entrenched patriarchy in the process.
I wasn't too swept away by the story, truth be told, but as a middle-aged cisgendered hetero dude I don't exactly feel it was intended for me...though as I am the proud papa of a couple of small girls it did give me food for thought about some of the challenges they may well face in the future, which I appreciate even as it gave me some anxiety.
This book is very clearly inspired by The Handmaid's Tale, which it name checks at least once, and injects some of our familiar Marvel characters into a mission to literally liberate enslaved Inhuman girls on an alien world, challenging that world's viciously entrenched patriarchy in the process.
I wasn't too swept away by the story, truth be told, but as a middle-aged cisgendered hetero dude I don't exactly feel it was intended for me...though as I am the proud papa of a couple of small girls it did give me food for thought about some of the challenges they may well face in the future, which I appreciate even as it gave me some anxiety.
February 21, 2019
(Gifted) Blog Post: https://museofnyxmares.wordpress.com/...
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*I was sent a copy by the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion.
I truly didn’t know what to expect going into this book, as I’ve never read a Marvel novelisation before and I’m not as familiar with Captain Marvel as I am with the other Avengers. That being said, I was really pleasantly surprised by just how much I enjoyed this. This book has turned me into a big Captain Marvel fan and now I honestly can’t wait for her film to be released. As well as being introduced to Captain Marvel, I also got to meet Hepzibah, one of Captain Marvel’s former colleagues and all-around smart talking bad-ass, who I just loved. It also made me an even bigger fan of some of my old favourites such as Mantis and Ant-Man. I just really adore this book and want to get into why, throughout the rest of this review, as I literally don’t have a bad thing to say about it! From the very start of the book there is a clear focus on how women are treated, as Carol has to intercept on a woman’s behalf, when a man just won’t except that no means no, “She met the blonde’s eyes steadily. I’ve got you. There was a flash of confusion in the girl’s face, then realization followed by profound relief”. This is an on going theme throughout the story as sexism is at the heart of what has caused the Inhuman girl, Rhi, to flee her planet. When Rhi crashes on Earth, the first things that she says to Carol are, “Are you her?”, “Did I find you?”, Rhi was simply searching for someone who could help her and her powers led her to Captain Marvel, and naturally, being who she is, Carol wants to help, even more so when she learns about the stringent Patriarchal society that Rhi lives in.
Carol and the others are appalled when Rhi tells her story, of how her and her family landed on Damaria and the nightmare that her life has been ever since, ‘She didn’t know what to say. What could she say? That she was sorry? That it was wrong; that it was evil? It was all those things and more’. Her parents were killed when they refused to hand her over and she’s been separated from her brother. She was placed in what is basically a prison, called Maiden House, where she’s kept with the other Inhuman girls she arrived with. The girls are treated so poorly, used for their powers by men they call keepers. But this poor treatment isn’t just reserved for The Inhumans, these creatures treat their own women and children in the exact same way and Rhi is quick to pick up on these unspoken rules that all women are supposed to abide by, ‘Lesson One: women speak only when spoken to. Lesson Two: Women do not meet their betters’ eyes. Lesson Three: You rebel, you die’. At first Carol thought that it was just Rhi’s friends and brother that she needed to rescue, but as she learns more and more about this planet, she starts to feel like she has a responsibility to save all of the women and the sympathetic men. Saving a few people is hard, but saving a whole planet from itself is something else altogether. But she is Carol Danvers, she is Captain Marvel and she’d be damned if she didn’t at least try.
We then tag along on this rescue mission to Rhi’s infamous planet and I enjoyed every second of it. There wasn’t a single moment when I wasn’t fully engaged in the story. I just think that everything about this was perfect – from the mix of characters, the plot and the writing in general. This had the perfect balance of being grittier, but also funny, I was not expecting it to be as humorous or as dark as it was, but I lapped it all up. And this story really did get dark, these Inhuman girls were treated as slaves, with not even their powers truly belonging to them, for they each have a chip in them that allows the keeper to use their powers. They can’t use their powers freely or their chip will be used to kill them, or simply shock them, the girls are also beaten and mentally abused, “every night for ten years, they told the story to her and to the girls who would become her sisters in suffering. They thought it was the right kind of threat. Keep the girls scared, keep them hurting, keep them thinking they’re weak and you’ll keep the women they’ll grow up to be in the palm of your hand-right? wrong.” The writing was just so good, that I felt as passionate about going to rescue these girls as Captain Marvel and Rhi. I also thought that it was brilliant that the author mentioned so many current issues in society in the book, stating that although things may not be as extreme on this planet, we still have our problems here. So I think that the message goes beyond Carol trying to save these girls, and rather just women in general and I marveled (No pun intended) at how much female power was at the heart of this superhero story, “You’re strong and you’re smart!”…”Don’t you forget it!”.
The characters in this are by far some of the best, in terms of both how fleshed out they were and with how well they bounced off of each other. If you’re familiar with the most recent film versions of these characters, you’ll be pleased to know that I think that these characters fit really well with their on-screen portrayals. Mantis was just as other worldly and good, but I felt like she had a bit more bite to her in this, she was seen as being a lot more intelligent and assertive, and had a bit more about her in general, “It’s because it’s a romance novel,” Mantis explained… “People think they’re not as smart as other books, because they’re read mostly by women and they’re about love. We may not be Damaria, but we still have some major problems with how we treat women here too. And one of those problems involves putting down the things women like”. Scott/Ant-Man seemed the most like his on-screen portrayal, and so it felt like greeting a beloved character again, I honestly got so happy when he made his appearance because I find him so amusing. I mean, this man’s sense of humour is second to none and he added some much needed relief, when things were looking particularly bleak and his relationship with his daughter was the cutest thing ever. Next we have Amadeus Cho, aka Brawn, despite what he can transform into, he’s the sweetest soul ever, who reads romance novels (lmao). He was such a delightful character and I’m glad that he got to be a part of this story. Carol wouldn’t of just let any guys near this mission as it was tainted by so much misogyny already, so it truly speaks to both of their characters that she chose Scott and Amadeus, and I’m more than happy that she did.
I’m ashamed to admit that I wasn’t too bothered about Captain Marvels film, unlike with the other Marvel films, but this novel really made me do a complete 180. Carol was just so real, hilarious, caring and strong that I couldn’t help but like her. She was such a fantastic protagonist and I truly felt like I got the core essence of her character. Rhi was also such an amazing protagonist and I felt so much for her throughout, rooting for her every step of the way, I was so proud of everything that she achieved. I know, I’m well and truly gushing about this book, but it was fantastic. I couldn’t find one thing that I would change, everything was solid – world building, plot, characters and writing. I didn’t expect this to pull such strong emotions out of me but it did, ultimately it’s a story about hope, equality, friendship, believing in yourself and embracing each other’s differences. Immediately after finishing this I just thought to myself, I miss these characters already. If it wasn’t obvious, I couldn’t recommend this enough.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/museofnyxma...
*I was sent a copy by the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion.
I truly didn’t know what to expect going into this book, as I’ve never read a Marvel novelisation before and I’m not as familiar with Captain Marvel as I am with the other Avengers. That being said, I was really pleasantly surprised by just how much I enjoyed this. This book has turned me into a big Captain Marvel fan and now I honestly can’t wait for her film to be released. As well as being introduced to Captain Marvel, I also got to meet Hepzibah, one of Captain Marvel’s former colleagues and all-around smart talking bad-ass, who I just loved. It also made me an even bigger fan of some of my old favourites such as Mantis and Ant-Man. I just really adore this book and want to get into why, throughout the rest of this review, as I literally don’t have a bad thing to say about it! From the very start of the book there is a clear focus on how women are treated, as Carol has to intercept on a woman’s behalf, when a man just won’t except that no means no, “She met the blonde’s eyes steadily. I’ve got you. There was a flash of confusion in the girl’s face, then realization followed by profound relief”. This is an on going theme throughout the story as sexism is at the heart of what has caused the Inhuman girl, Rhi, to flee her planet. When Rhi crashes on Earth, the first things that she says to Carol are, “Are you her?”, “Did I find you?”, Rhi was simply searching for someone who could help her and her powers led her to Captain Marvel, and naturally, being who she is, Carol wants to help, even more so when she learns about the stringent Patriarchal society that Rhi lives in.
Carol and the others are appalled when Rhi tells her story, of how her and her family landed on Damaria and the nightmare that her life has been ever since, ‘She didn’t know what to say. What could she say? That she was sorry? That it was wrong; that it was evil? It was all those things and more’. Her parents were killed when they refused to hand her over and she’s been separated from her brother. She was placed in what is basically a prison, called Maiden House, where she’s kept with the other Inhuman girls she arrived with. The girls are treated so poorly, used for their powers by men they call keepers. But this poor treatment isn’t just reserved for The Inhumans, these creatures treat their own women and children in the exact same way and Rhi is quick to pick up on these unspoken rules that all women are supposed to abide by, ‘Lesson One: women speak only when spoken to. Lesson Two: Women do not meet their betters’ eyes. Lesson Three: You rebel, you die’. At first Carol thought that it was just Rhi’s friends and brother that she needed to rescue, but as she learns more and more about this planet, she starts to feel like she has a responsibility to save all of the women and the sympathetic men. Saving a few people is hard, but saving a whole planet from itself is something else altogether. But she is Carol Danvers, she is Captain Marvel and she’d be damned if she didn’t at least try.
We then tag along on this rescue mission to Rhi’s infamous planet and I enjoyed every second of it. There wasn’t a single moment when I wasn’t fully engaged in the story. I just think that everything about this was perfect – from the mix of characters, the plot and the writing in general. This had the perfect balance of being grittier, but also funny, I was not expecting it to be as humorous or as dark as it was, but I lapped it all up. And this story really did get dark, these Inhuman girls were treated as slaves, with not even their powers truly belonging to them, for they each have a chip in them that allows the keeper to use their powers. They can’t use their powers freely or their chip will be used to kill them, or simply shock them, the girls are also beaten and mentally abused, “every night for ten years, they told the story to her and to the girls who would become her sisters in suffering. They thought it was the right kind of threat. Keep the girls scared, keep them hurting, keep them thinking they’re weak and you’ll keep the women they’ll grow up to be in the palm of your hand-right? wrong.” The writing was just so good, that I felt as passionate about going to rescue these girls as Captain Marvel and Rhi. I also thought that it was brilliant that the author mentioned so many current issues in society in the book, stating that although things may not be as extreme on this planet, we still have our problems here. So I think that the message goes beyond Carol trying to save these girls, and rather just women in general and I marveled (No pun intended) at how much female power was at the heart of this superhero story, “You’re strong and you’re smart!”…”Don’t you forget it!”.
The characters in this are by far some of the best, in terms of both how fleshed out they were and with how well they bounced off of each other. If you’re familiar with the most recent film versions of these characters, you’ll be pleased to know that I think that these characters fit really well with their on-screen portrayals. Mantis was just as other worldly and good, but I felt like she had a bit more bite to her in this, she was seen as being a lot more intelligent and assertive, and had a bit more about her in general, “It’s because it’s a romance novel,” Mantis explained… “People think they’re not as smart as other books, because they’re read mostly by women and they’re about love. We may not be Damaria, but we still have some major problems with how we treat women here too. And one of those problems involves putting down the things women like”. Scott/Ant-Man seemed the most like his on-screen portrayal, and so it felt like greeting a beloved character again, I honestly got so happy when he made his appearance because I find him so amusing. I mean, this man’s sense of humour is second to none and he added some much needed relief, when things were looking particularly bleak and his relationship with his daughter was the cutest thing ever. Next we have Amadeus Cho, aka Brawn, despite what he can transform into, he’s the sweetest soul ever, who reads romance novels (lmao). He was such a delightful character and I’m glad that he got to be a part of this story. Carol wouldn’t of just let any guys near this mission as it was tainted by so much misogyny already, so it truly speaks to both of their characters that she chose Scott and Amadeus, and I’m more than happy that she did.
I’m ashamed to admit that I wasn’t too bothered about Captain Marvels film, unlike with the other Marvel films, but this novel really made me do a complete 180. Carol was just so real, hilarious, caring and strong that I couldn’t help but like her. She was such a fantastic protagonist and I truly felt like I got the core essence of her character. Rhi was also such an amazing protagonist and I felt so much for her throughout, rooting for her every step of the way, I was so proud of everything that she achieved. I know, I’m well and truly gushing about this book, but it was fantastic. I couldn’t find one thing that I would change, everything was solid – world building, plot, characters and writing. I didn’t expect this to pull such strong emotions out of me but it did, ultimately it’s a story about hope, equality, friendship, believing in yourself and embracing each other’s differences. Immediately after finishing this I just thought to myself, I miss these characters already. If it wasn’t obvious, I couldn’t recommend this enough.
February 28, 2019
Really impressed by this watching Captain Marvel punch the patriarchy
Full review https://www.runalongtheshelves.net/bl...
Full review https://www.runalongtheshelves.net/bl...
June 8, 2019
It was such a breath of fresh air to read this super inclusive, action-packed, banter-filled superhero novel. I loved it. It's full of characters MCU fans will recognize (Ant-Man, Mantis, Medusa), and with a few others from the Marvel canon whom I had never heard of. The story is great, the message is excellent. My 10yo snatched it from me the second I turned the last page. I know she'll love it too.
June 4, 2019
Please read Sophie (Blame Chocolate) review.
I add that I really enjoyed this, loved diving in a new part of the universe and discovering new and old characters. A strong message that still needs to be heard.
I add that I really enjoyed this, loved diving in a new part of the universe and discovering new and old characters. A strong message that still needs to be heard.
January 20, 2021
Let me first say this: I am a huge Captain Marvel fan. Carol Danvers is my second favorite heroine in the Marvel Universe. I also knew what I was getting into when I picked up this book.
When your epitaph for your novel includes "and a misogynist's worse nightmare" you know that you are in for senseless political agenda pushing. A real shame really, as Ms. Sharpe shows that she does have a talent for intriguing characters and isn't that bad of a writer. Let me first state that I'm not done with the book yet. I'm a little over two-thirds of the way through, and I wanted to wait until finishing the book but I just can't keep mum about how certain elements in the book just grind my gears. First, I shall start off with the pros.
pros
- Rhi. I found Rhi to be a rather interesting character, if a little predictable and 2D at times. I don't blame Ms. Sharpe for this, but rather the box that Marvel put her in to write the novel. I feel that if Ms. Sharpe had amble room to fully develop Rhi, I would like her a whole lot more. Regardless, Rhi carries the novel and is the heart and soul of it.
- Carol. I have to say Ms. Sharpe really does understand character. As there are moments when Carol is not just the typical phallic female. Ms. Sharpe does offer a feminine side to Carol, one with emotional depth that hasn't been seen in her character since Brian Reed's run on Ms. Marvel back in the mid 2000s. It's a bit of a breath of fresh air.
- Carol and Rhi's bonding. I think Carol sees a lot of herself within Rhi. Carol's father was emotionally abusive (read Stohl's The Life of Captain Marvel to understand why), and Carol grew up in a time when women weren't expected to do anything that marry well and have children. And it's not like Carol doesn't want those things, she even admits that she wants to get married and have kids — but she has shit to do first. I think Rhi's situation, reminds Carol a lot of her own past and there is a strong sisterly bond between them. One of my favorite moments is when Carol tells Rhi about her older brother Stevie, and how a flood washed away his dog tags. Rhi "finds" the dog tags and returns them to Carol. It's a very touching moment and really shows Ms. Sharpe's ability to craft engaging characters.
cons
Oh boy where do I begin. There is so much in this book that just vexed me because it's all a bunch of feminist hogwash. Luckily, I wrote a list down of things that irked me as I read.
- Caricatures of men. Besides Scott Lang and Amadeaus Cho (and probably the other heroes), men are treated as grotesque caricatures of Zeus (to put it nicely). The bar scene in the beginning was a key moment. I've been to a bar. I got drunk at a bar. There were a lot of men at the bar. And yes, I was with friends (one man and one woman) and nobody came up to be lewd or anything. In fact, the bartender even gave me water after I had three drinks (cause I was clearly tipsy). The fact that the guy at the bar wasn't getting the girl's hints AND that the bar tender did nothing to stop it is inane. This is why bars have bouncers. So if a bartender sees a man coming on to a girl, despite her saying fuck off, he can single to the bouncer to make said creep leave. Men don't act like sexed crazed fiends. I was in the Navy, I was around Marines fresh from basic training. Yes, I got hit on a few times — I even lied and said I was married and the Marine replied the ring comes off when you're away — and it ended at that. 1. I didn't reply. 2. I walked away. 3. His friends lead him away. Are there predatory men? Absolutely, but to broadbrush all men as these chauvinistic pigs is unjustice.
- Aslen is a clear allagory for Trump. Not surprising considering this book was published in February 2019. While, I haven't gotten to his final showdown within the novel, and there isn't a clear discription of him. I would not be surprised if Aslen was an allagory for Trump. It's frankly idioitc. Aslen is a cookie cutter bad guy. He's doing bad because the plot I guess. There is no rhyme nor reason for his motives other than Hahahaha I Am the Big Bad and I Am Evil. It's contrite. I honestly, do not care if the heroes win because I know they are going to. Aslen doesn't pose any challenge or sense of dread. Even his Inhuman breeding program doesn't have the emotional impact the plot wants it to have, because Aslen isn't scary.
- Aslen not being scary leads me to my next point: over exaggeration of misogyny. I feel that the word misogyny has lost it's meaning. No longer was it a grave insult against a man, but now a term thrown around by prissy crybabies when you voice an opinion that is critical of ANY female lead. The book presents Earth — especially the United States — as being riddled with misogyny and that women skitter from street corner to street corner because *gasp* a half-drunk constructionworker catcalled her. O, the humanity. O, the tragedy. Goodnight. It's utter bullshit really. I've walked down city streets at night, with another woman, during a post night victory of some stupid football game. A bunch of people were drunk and we didn't even get glanced at. I've even walked down the streets of my own hometown at night after concerts and nothing uncooth happened to me. Hell, nothing uncooth happened to me in broad daylight either! Are there misogynists? Yes. But they are very, very rare these days.
- The world building is rather poor. The Damarians culture is built around Fire and the usage of fire. Which is kinda cool. Reminds me of the Fire Nation. But unlike the excellent worldbuilding in Avatar The Last Airbender, Ms. Sharpe fails to deliver anything interesting about the planet or its culture. I mean, their leader is called "president" (again, why I believe Aslen is an allagory for Trump). Why not call him "All Burning" or "All Fire". The leader of the Fire Nation was called the "Fire Lord" after and they even had snacks called "fire flakes" and according Aang they even had silly slang like "flamey-o". Where is that for Damara? Not there. It's a lifeless world. There is no culture. And the only culture present is this silly woman-hating schtick. I honestly can't think of any real world culture that treats women ... wait, yes I can. Islam. How Islam is practiced within certain countries of the Middle East (Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Sudan, Somalia), treat women with the same disregard as Damara. So, there, a real world culture.
- Carol apparently has a reluctance to work with men. And not just on this mission. I can get why she wouldn't want to bring someone like Tony Stark (who just treats everyone like shit, not just women). But Ms. Sharpe implies Carol hates working with men. Period. Which is totally idiotic as if anyone has read the comics they'll see that Carol has many team ups with men: Mar-Vell, Captain America, Spider-Man, Wonder Man, Iron Man. Carol never had a problem with men before or working with them. So this implication is frankly stupid and unnecessary.
- I can't remember where exactly, I came across this in the book, but they belittled female hobbies and that vexed me, because it implies that girls should only like "boy stuff". Which is stupid because girls can like girl stuff too. And by saying girls should only like boy stuff it... it's just wrong.
- Ah yes. You can't bring up misogyny without it's kissing-cousin homophobia. Which if you break down the word it means an irrational fear of homosexuals. And that my friends, is hilarious. Of course Damarians hate women and gays. Of course they want to "correct" the gays and make them not gay anymore — I'm surprised Ms. Sharpe hasn't mentioned conversation therapy or something similar happening on Damara. While yes, the LGBT community has had it rough, they are also much more accepted these days. For Mantis to say that the "present" isn't all that different from the past is complete and utter folly. The world has changed in the past 50 years, for the better. This victimhood mentality is so toxic and is crippling future generations. There is also no need to list "women and men and non-binary people". There are only two sexes: male and female. Now, there can be masculine women and feminine men, but there is no in-between. Intersex is an extremely rare condition (I think it's something like .1% of all live births are intersex). That line is just blatant pandering to the Twitter Mob (who don't even read the book or the comics and just want things to be done their way). That line alone dragged me right out of the story. Shall we list "lions and tigers and bears" (oh my) too?
In conclusion, while I haven't finished Liberation Run, it's shaping up to be a predictable read. With a weak plot and more political agenda pushing that you should honestly be forced to stomach. While there are some good character moments and when she doesn't let her politics (or the company's politics) get in the way, Ms. Sharpe can really deliver on emotional pay offs (see my note about Carol getting her brother's dog tags back). Alas, Ms. Sharpe spends too much time shouting about how every man is a misogynist and all straight men are gay-haters. Alas, I'm a masochist when it comes to characters I like, so I've been suffering through this novel since December.
Having finished it, I must say that the ending was tragically anticlimactic. There was no epic battle. No Carol zipping around Ansel and blasting him with her photon blasts. No sweet revenge. It felt hollow and unearned honestly. Tess Sharpe should've watched Stargate SG-1 S1E4. They did this entire plot better.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend or a fellow Carol fan. I should honestly give this book one star but two because the parts that do shine really do sparkle.
When your epitaph for your novel includes "and a misogynist's worse nightmare" you know that you are in for senseless political agenda pushing. A real shame really, as Ms. Sharpe shows that she does have a talent for intriguing characters and isn't that bad of a writer. Let me first state that I'm not done with the book yet. I'm a little over two-thirds of the way through, and I wanted to wait until finishing the book but I just can't keep mum about how certain elements in the book just grind my gears. First, I shall start off with the pros.
pros
- Rhi. I found Rhi to be a rather interesting character, if a little predictable and 2D at times. I don't blame Ms. Sharpe for this, but rather the box that Marvel put her in to write the novel. I feel that if Ms. Sharpe had amble room to fully develop Rhi, I would like her a whole lot more. Regardless, Rhi carries the novel and is the heart and soul of it.
- Carol. I have to say Ms. Sharpe really does understand character. As there are moments when Carol is not just the typical phallic female. Ms. Sharpe does offer a feminine side to Carol, one with emotional depth that hasn't been seen in her character since Brian Reed's run on Ms. Marvel back in the mid 2000s. It's a bit of a breath of fresh air.
- Carol and Rhi's bonding. I think Carol sees a lot of herself within Rhi. Carol's father was emotionally abusive (read Stohl's The Life of Captain Marvel to understand why), and Carol grew up in a time when women weren't expected to do anything that marry well and have children. And it's not like Carol doesn't want those things, she even admits that she wants to get married and have kids — but she has shit to do first. I think Rhi's situation, reminds Carol a lot of her own past and there is a strong sisterly bond between them. One of my favorite moments is when Carol tells Rhi about her older brother Stevie, and how a flood washed away his dog tags. Rhi "finds" the dog tags and returns them to Carol. It's a very touching moment and really shows Ms. Sharpe's ability to craft engaging characters.
cons
Oh boy where do I begin. There is so much in this book that just vexed me because it's all a bunch of feminist hogwash. Luckily, I wrote a list down of things that irked me as I read.
- Caricatures of men. Besides Scott Lang and Amadeaus Cho (and probably the other heroes), men are treated as grotesque caricatures of Zeus (to put it nicely). The bar scene in the beginning was a key moment. I've been to a bar. I got drunk at a bar. There were a lot of men at the bar. And yes, I was with friends (one man and one woman) and nobody came up to be lewd or anything. In fact, the bartender even gave me water after I had three drinks (cause I was clearly tipsy). The fact that the guy at the bar wasn't getting the girl's hints AND that the bar tender did nothing to stop it is inane. This is why bars have bouncers. So if a bartender sees a man coming on to a girl, despite her saying fuck off, he can single to the bouncer to make said creep leave. Men don't act like sexed crazed fiends. I was in the Navy, I was around Marines fresh from basic training. Yes, I got hit on a few times — I even lied and said I was married and the Marine replied the ring comes off when you're away — and it ended at that. 1. I didn't reply. 2. I walked away. 3. His friends lead him away. Are there predatory men? Absolutely, but to broadbrush all men as these chauvinistic pigs is unjustice.
- Aslen is a clear allagory for Trump. Not surprising considering this book was published in February 2019. While, I haven't gotten to his final showdown within the novel, and there isn't a clear discription of him. I would not be surprised if Aslen was an allagory for Trump. It's frankly idioitc. Aslen is a cookie cutter bad guy. He's doing bad because the plot I guess. There is no rhyme nor reason for his motives other than Hahahaha I Am the Big Bad and I Am Evil. It's contrite. I honestly, do not care if the heroes win because I know they are going to. Aslen doesn't pose any challenge or sense of dread. Even his Inhuman breeding program doesn't have the emotional impact the plot wants it to have, because Aslen isn't scary.
- Aslen not being scary leads me to my next point: over exaggeration of misogyny. I feel that the word misogyny has lost it's meaning. No longer was it a grave insult against a man, but now a term thrown around by prissy crybabies when you voice an opinion that is critical of ANY female lead. The book presents Earth — especially the United States — as being riddled with misogyny and that women skitter from street corner to street corner because *gasp* a half-drunk constructionworker catcalled her. O, the humanity. O, the tragedy. Goodnight. It's utter bullshit really. I've walked down city streets at night, with another woman, during a post night victory of some stupid football game. A bunch of people were drunk and we didn't even get glanced at. I've even walked down the streets of my own hometown at night after concerts and nothing uncooth happened to me. Hell, nothing uncooth happened to me in broad daylight either! Are there misogynists? Yes. But they are very, very rare these days.
- The world building is rather poor. The Damarians culture is built around Fire and the usage of fire. Which is kinda cool. Reminds me of the Fire Nation. But unlike the excellent worldbuilding in Avatar The Last Airbender, Ms. Sharpe fails to deliver anything interesting about the planet or its culture. I mean, their leader is called "president" (again, why I believe Aslen is an allagory for Trump). Why not call him "All Burning" or "All Fire". The leader of the Fire Nation was called the "Fire Lord" after and they even had snacks called "fire flakes" and according Aang they even had silly slang like "flamey-o". Where is that for Damara? Not there. It's a lifeless world. There is no culture. And the only culture present is this silly woman-hating schtick. I honestly can't think of any real world culture that treats women ... wait, yes I can. Islam. How Islam is practiced within certain countries of the Middle East (Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Sudan, Somalia), treat women with the same disregard as Damara. So, there, a real world culture.
- Carol apparently has a reluctance to work with men. And not just on this mission. I can get why she wouldn't want to bring someone like Tony Stark (who just treats everyone like shit, not just women). But Ms. Sharpe implies Carol hates working with men. Period. Which is totally idiotic as if anyone has read the comics they'll see that Carol has many team ups with men: Mar-Vell, Captain America, Spider-Man, Wonder Man, Iron Man. Carol never had a problem with men before or working with them. So this implication is frankly stupid and unnecessary.
- I can't remember where exactly, I came across this in the book, but they belittled female hobbies and that vexed me, because it implies that girls should only like "boy stuff". Which is stupid because girls can like girl stuff too. And by saying girls should only like boy stuff it... it's just wrong.
- Ah yes. You can't bring up misogyny without it's kissing-cousin homophobia. Which if you break down the word it means an irrational fear of homosexuals. And that my friends, is hilarious. Of course Damarians hate women and gays. Of course they want to "correct" the gays and make them not gay anymore — I'm surprised Ms. Sharpe hasn't mentioned conversation therapy or something similar happening on Damara. While yes, the LGBT community has had it rough, they are also much more accepted these days. For Mantis to say that the "present" isn't all that different from the past is complete and utter folly. The world has changed in the past 50 years, for the better. This victimhood mentality is so toxic and is crippling future generations. There is also no need to list "women and men and non-binary people". There are only two sexes: male and female. Now, there can be masculine women and feminine men, but there is no in-between. Intersex is an extremely rare condition (I think it's something like .1% of all live births are intersex). That line is just blatant pandering to the Twitter Mob (who don't even read the book or the comics and just want things to be done their way). That line alone dragged me right out of the story. Shall we list "lions and tigers and bears" (oh my) too?
In conclusion, while I haven't finished Liberation Run, it's shaping up to be a predictable read. With a weak plot and more political agenda pushing that you should honestly be forced to stomach. While there are some good character moments and when she doesn't let her politics (or the company's politics) get in the way, Ms. Sharpe can really deliver on emotional pay offs (see my note about Carol getting her brother's dog tags back). Alas, Ms. Sharpe spends too much time shouting about how every man is a misogynist and all straight men are gay-haters. Alas, I'm a masochist when it comes to characters I like, so I've been suffering through this novel since December.
Having finished it, I must say that the ending was tragically anticlimactic. There was no epic battle. No Carol zipping around Ansel and blasting him with her photon blasts. No sweet revenge. It felt hollow and unearned honestly. Tess Sharpe should've watched Stargate SG-1 S1E4. They did this entire plot better.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend or a fellow Carol fan. I should honestly give this book one star but two because the parts that do shine really do sparkle.
May 26, 2019
Great fun and fast read. Though the subject matter could have been covered with a too heavy hand, but the author keeps the story humming and the characters are well done.
May 8, 2019
This book is awesome! It is both feminist and queer positive. I enjoyed every minute of the novel, as it is so satisfying to read about women rising above misogyny. There are characters I knew and already loved from the movies, comic characters who haven’t made their film debut yet, and original characters that made up a love-able main group. One of my favorite books I’ve read in a long time!
April 23, 2019
I loved this book and not just because it was Marvel or Captain Marvel. I loved it for the pure Sci-Fi that it was with characters I know and love. Even better is hearing Ant-Man comparing this world to the one in Handmaid’s Tale.
Liberation Run is about one strong young woman, asking an older, slightly more experienced woman for help. It is about learning your own strength and leadership when you didn’t think you had it in you. It is about doing what’s right for your community and sacrificing for that same community.
This book is all about empowering young women and using a key character from the known Marvel Universe as a tool for spreading that message. It is well written and fits very nicely into a Universe we have all grown to love.
Liberation Run is about one strong young woman, asking an older, slightly more experienced woman for help. It is about learning your own strength and leadership when you didn’t think you had it in you. It is about doing what’s right for your community and sacrificing for that same community.
This book is all about empowering young women and using a key character from the known Marvel Universe as a tool for spreading that message. It is well written and fits very nicely into a Universe we have all grown to love.
March 30, 2019
Ogólnie dobra książka. Zaczęłam czytać przed obejrzeniem filmu - polecam raczej najpierw obejrzeć, potem czytać. Akcja powieści dzieje się już po wydarzeniach z filmu, pojawiają się też inne postaci z uniwersum, jak np. Ant-man czy Mantis. ♥
Czytało się dobrze - nie można się nie zgodzić z większością recenzji pt. "best 'punch the patriarchy' plot". Ale wiąże się to też z dosyć oczywistym momentami przebiegiem akcji. Nie wciągnęłam się aż tak dobrze jak się spodziewałam. Więcej emocji wywołał u mnie film niż książka (fyi: to nie ta sama historia, żeby nie było). Czegoś mi ciągle brakowało, jakiejś iskierki. Niemniej, bawiłam się dobrze, polecam.
Czytało się dobrze - nie można się nie zgodzić z większością recenzji pt. "best 'punch the patriarchy' plot". Ale wiąże się to też z dosyć oczywistym momentami przebiegiem akcji. Nie wciągnęłam się aż tak dobrze jak się spodziewałam. Więcej emocji wywołał u mnie film niż książka (fyi: to nie ta sama historia, żeby nie było). Czegoś mi ciągle brakowało, jakiejś iskierki. Niemniej, bawiłam się dobrze, polecam.
March 27, 2019
OMFG I LOVED THIS.
This was amazing.
This was the feminist book I needed that I didn't know I need.
It even freaking talked about The Handmaid's Tale!
The cast performance was amazingly done. I was so entertained and engaged.
This was my first Captain Marvel story (I haven't even seen the movie yet) and I was genuinely blown away by it.
I loved also that it had Ant-Man and Mantis.
This was awesome. I will definitely check out more graphic audios.
This was amazing.
This was the feminist book I needed that I didn't know I need.
It even freaking talked about The Handmaid's Tale!
The cast performance was amazingly done. I was so entertained and engaged.
This was my first Captain Marvel story (I haven't even seen the movie yet) and I was genuinely blown away by it.
I loved also that it had Ant-Man and Mantis.
This was awesome. I will definitely check out more graphic audios.
June 19, 2019
Such a great way to hang out with some favorite super heroes. At first I was a little nervous if these characters would be able to translate from comics to prose like this. It worked very well. The story had some solid action sequences and the characters were great to follow. At times, Captain Marvel herself seemed to take more of a back seat than I would've liked for a main character, but it was a solid read overall.
March 23, 2019
The excitement level was not very high on this book. I enjoyed the banter between the heros but was not too invested in the story. It was a quick read and was entertaining.
April 8, 2023
Hard one to rate as I am aware that I've outgrown stories with shallow representation of female empowerment. This was not only a story with very little representation of people of color, but it was a little too after school special-y regarding issues of misogyny. Add to that, this novel gave me a similar feeling to when I stumble across y/n self insert fanfic. This was overall a story that was not for me in any way shape or form. However, a teenage white queer girl might like it.
This story centers an alien refugee, Rhi, who crash lands on earth fleeing a stereotypical patriarchal hellhole. Complete with a literal comparison to the Handmaid's Tale, this representation of a society where women are seen, not heard, and set to be used as broodmares, it's hard reading this as a black queer woman living in TX. I'm reminded of the sudden realization BookTok had that a lot of these dystopian, misogynistic portrayals in stories are just privileged people writing things that actually still happen to women of color today. So, forgive me if this wasn't as moving a story as it may have been for others.
Anyway, the cast of characters consists of Carol, Scott Lang, Mantis (the best character in the story), Amadeus Cho, and a character I'd never heard of, Hepzibah. They team up to go to Rhi's home planet and rescue the other girls in captivity.
Barring me having outgrown white feminist books ages ago, purely judging this book on whether I thought it accomplished its goal: I think it made a pretty good attempt. It's clearly meant for a younger teenage audience, it's got a queer character in a prominent role, and there's enough moments of misogynists getting their just desserts for teen girls to find this satisfying, I think.
There were some moments that made me tilt my head. It takes 95 pages for Carol to even mention her own privilege - and it was 1 line. The scene where she's reunited with a set of dog tags was baffling as, unless I understood Rhi's ability incorrectly, that shouldn't have been possible. There's a moment where Mantis, in the bare bones mention of past discrimination against women of color, says it took a long time before "We" gave women the vote. Confusing, as I was pretty sure Mantis wasn't American and would not have been in the demographic responsible for that oppression. Baffling.
Anyway, again, I think white teenage girls would enjoy this. There's about a 50/50 split in POV with Rhi, so it felt like a fic about someone's Original Female Character. This book made it even more apparent to me that I may have outgrown Carol Danvers stories. I've certainly outgrown stories of female empowerment starring white female characters.
This story centers an alien refugee, Rhi, who crash lands on earth fleeing a stereotypical patriarchal hellhole. Complete with a literal comparison to the Handmaid's Tale, this representation of a society where women are seen, not heard, and set to be used as broodmares, it's hard reading this as a black queer woman living in TX. I'm reminded of the sudden realization BookTok had that a lot of these dystopian, misogynistic portrayals in stories are just privileged people writing things that actually still happen to women of color today. So, forgive me if this wasn't as moving a story as it may have been for others.
Anyway, the cast of characters consists of Carol, Scott Lang, Mantis (the best character in the story), Amadeus Cho, and a character I'd never heard of, Hepzibah. They team up to go to Rhi's home planet and rescue the other girls in captivity.
Barring me having outgrown white feminist books ages ago, purely judging this book on whether I thought it accomplished its goal: I think it made a pretty good attempt. It's clearly meant for a younger teenage audience, it's got a queer character in a prominent role, and there's enough moments of misogynists getting their just desserts for teen girls to find this satisfying, I think.
There were some moments that made me tilt my head. It takes 95 pages for Carol to even mention her own privilege - and it was 1 line. The scene where she's reunited with a set of dog tags was baffling as, unless I understood Rhi's ability incorrectly, that shouldn't have been possible. There's a moment where Mantis, in the bare bones mention of past discrimination against women of color, says it took a long time before "We" gave women the vote. Confusing, as I was pretty sure Mantis wasn't American and would not have been in the demographic responsible for that oppression. Baffling.
Anyway, again, I think white teenage girls would enjoy this. There's about a 50/50 split in POV with Rhi, so it felt like a fic about someone's Original Female Character. This book made it even more apparent to me that I may have outgrown Carol Danvers stories. I've certainly outgrown stories of female empowerment starring white female characters.
June 17, 2021
I read this book with Luna. We usually read about 30-60 pages weekly. This book is definitely the kind of book that I could finished in one sitting or at least one weekend. This is the 6th marvel novel I read and is definitely in the top. When picking it up I wasn’t prepared for this book to be so incredibly well written or that the theme would be so mature.
I’m all for dark stories and women fighting back against a misogynistic society. However I would like to give anyone reading this a fair warning, it’s not a light read. It’s quite ‘draining’ at some parts, and even the first chapters that was mostly humorous got very real, real quickly. Sometimes I felt like I was reading an adult book aimed at adult women.
This book is packed with strong female character, and not just at a power level but with with strong personality. These women aren’t afraid to take their space in the narrative. But the writer didn’t feel like she needed to empower women by ‘taking away’ abilities or strong moments from men which is one of my biggest pet peeves.
This book definitely feel like a comic book novel and I mean it in the best way possible. I would love for Sharpe to write more novels for Marvel.
Also a side note: I’ve read a few comments saying it would be a good book if it wasn’t obvious it had a political agenda. Yes, I agree it has a political agenda. But Marvel Comics have always written political stories with political agendas.
March 13, 2019
When a portal opens over New York City, Captain Marvel barely manages to keep an alien ship from crashing into the city. Carol Danvers, on leave from Alpha Flight, finds an unconscious Inhuman teen on board. Exiled from Attilan and searching for help from the alien race that enslaved the Inhumans, Rhi finds the perfect hero to lead this rescue mission. Leading a team comprised of Mantis, Brawn, and Ant-Man, Captain Marvel is determined to save everyone.
Written with an eye more towards comics readers than viewers of the various MCU movies (Brawn, for example, plays a large role in the book), this is still a highly entertaining read for any fan of Carol Danvers. The characterizations feel spot on, and the action is perfectly paced. If you're jonesing for more Captain Marvel content until you can watch the movie (again), check out this book!
Written with an eye more towards comics readers than viewers of the various MCU movies (Brawn, for example, plays a large role in the book), this is still a highly entertaining read for any fan of Carol Danvers. The characterizations feel spot on, and the action is perfectly paced. If you're jonesing for more Captain Marvel content until you can watch the movie (again), check out this book!
June 30, 2024
I received this book as a gift, and assuming it was from the dollar store, didn't expect much. Boy was my first impression wrong! This book was an original story, appropriate for several ages (I'd say mature tweens through adults, mostly due to some graphic violence), and well written. I was immediately invested in both the story and the character development. The feminist aspect of the book was enjoyable as well. I would highly recommend to anyone who is a fan of Marvel, superheroes in general, and women reclaiming their agency.
September 19, 2019
This was an excellent and exciting story of Captain Marvel with strong supporting Marvel characters helping Rhi, an alien refugee, save the ones she loves from a monstrously oppressive regime. This was a great story of how a group of terribly oppressed people rose up and overthrew the tyrants around them and meted out justice. I just wanted more Carol and fighting.
October 31, 2020
I was severely disappointed by the lack of Danbeau, but other than that it was okay ig
August 27, 2019
Good story. A little heavy on the message. Loved the guest shots starring Scott Lang/Ant-Man, Brawn, and Medusa of the Inhumans.
April 4, 2023
You’re strong and you’re smart!” Carol called out “Don’t you forget it!”
Rhi smiled, a brilliant bright crook of her mouth that said it all.
“I won’t.”
this is actually so very precious to me😭🫶🏻
Rhi smiled, a brilliant bright crook of her mouth that said it all.
“I won’t.”
this is actually so very precious to me😭🫶🏻
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 30, 2019
I really enjoyed this book! Plenty of action paired with plenty of heart. Sharpe has the voices of these characters down perfectly, especially in Ant-Man and Captain Marvel. I hope she gets the chance to write another because I would love to read it!
March 31, 2020
After my last brush with an Avengers-themed novelization, I was almost scared to pick this one up. My love of Captain Marvel won out in the end, however, plus this one has a different author. Am I glad I gave it a chance? Without a doubt!
It was well-written and action-packed, with excellent pacing and an important point to make, and I was pleasantly surprised by the inclusion of Ant-Man and Mantis!
At its core, it's a fight against misogyny and the patriarchy, but it's never too heavy-handed, and it's consistently entertaining.
I loved the author's writing style, and I'm definitely going to check out more of her works.
Inspiring, important, and wildly entertaining, I think this is one that everyone can enjoy, regardless of whether they're usually into superheroes and comic book stories or not.
It was well-written and action-packed, with excellent pacing and an important point to make, and I was pleasantly surprised by the inclusion of Ant-Man and Mantis!
At its core, it's a fight against misogyny and the patriarchy, but it's never too heavy-handed, and it's consistently entertaining.
I loved the author's writing style, and I'm definitely going to check out more of her works.
Inspiring, important, and wildly entertaining, I think this is one that everyone can enjoy, regardless of whether they're usually into superheroes and comic book stories or not.
March 17, 2019
Sfortunatamente, questo libro non possiede l'ironia carismatica del film, né l'energica profondità dei fumetti: in soldoni, si tratta di uno stranissimo ibrido fra la (scarsa) immaginazione dell'autrice e una desolante collezione di cliché. Qua e là si intravede anche qualcosa di buono, non fraintendetemi; ad esempio la solida positività dei messaggi anti-patriarcali, il ritmo scorrevole, il finale abbastanza coinvolgente.
È solo che ''Liberation Run'' (nonostante i numerosissimi riferimenti ai comics originali) secondo me rende pochissima giustizia ai vari personaggi Marvel presentati. Probabilmente perché l'autrice sembra più interessata a seguire le tribolate vicissitudini della giovane Inumana Rhi (un personaggio di sua invenzione), che non a sforzarsi di creare una sua convincente versione dei nostri popolari beniamini Marvel.
Alla resa dei conti, comunque, non posso neanche dire che si sia rivelata una lettura del tutto spiacevole; l'ho trovata semplicemente dozzinale, infinitamente prevedibile.
Anche se il difetto peggiore, per quanto mi riguarda, ha a che fare con gli evidenti problemi stilistici della Sharpe: sembra quasi che, al momento della stesura di questo romanzo, gli unici strumenti a disposizione del suo personalissimo ''kit per la scrittura'' fossero una dose abbondante di retorica e un breve elenco di similitudini mal congegnate.
Aspettatevi quindi una schiera di descrizioni nebulose, un set di dialoghi scritti con il pilota automatico, una sfilza di punti di vista che si confondono e scivolano via l'uno nell'altro, e colpi di scena che cadono completamente nel vuoto.
Senza contare l'agghiacciante seriosita' che aleggia su ogni singola pagina del libro, una caratteristica secondo me completamente fuori luogo, nel contesto di un romanzo dedicato alle avventure intergalattiche di Carol Danvers, Regina indiscussa delle battute fulminanti e delle rispostacce taglienti a ogni costo (<3)...
È solo che ''Liberation Run'' (nonostante i numerosissimi riferimenti ai comics originali) secondo me rende pochissima giustizia ai vari personaggi Marvel presentati. Probabilmente perché l'autrice sembra più interessata a seguire le tribolate vicissitudini della giovane Inumana Rhi (un personaggio di sua invenzione), che non a sforzarsi di creare una sua convincente versione dei nostri popolari beniamini Marvel.
Alla resa dei conti, comunque, non posso neanche dire che si sia rivelata una lettura del tutto spiacevole; l'ho trovata semplicemente dozzinale, infinitamente prevedibile.
Anche se il difetto peggiore, per quanto mi riguarda, ha a che fare con gli evidenti problemi stilistici della Sharpe: sembra quasi che, al momento della stesura di questo romanzo, gli unici strumenti a disposizione del suo personalissimo ''kit per la scrittura'' fossero una dose abbondante di retorica e un breve elenco di similitudini mal congegnate.
Aspettatevi quindi una schiera di descrizioni nebulose, un set di dialoghi scritti con il pilota automatico, una sfilza di punti di vista che si confondono e scivolano via l'uno nell'altro, e colpi di scena che cadono completamente nel vuoto.
Senza contare l'agghiacciante seriosita' che aleggia su ogni singola pagina del libro, una caratteristica secondo me completamente fuori luogo, nel contesto di un romanzo dedicato alle avventure intergalattiche di Carol Danvers, Regina indiscussa delle battute fulminanti e delle rispostacce taglienti a ogni costo (<3)...
April 15, 2019
A great fantasy novel that greatly mirrors our own society. The whole plot where Carol goes on a mission to liberate women who are seen as second class beings. The Damarian women as well as the Inhuman women are taught from young that they are incapable of any kind of power. It was a great read with a strong feminist moral. I loved it!
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