Marvel's Midnight Suns: Infernal Rising

by S.D. Perry

The official prequel novel to Marvel’s Midnight Suns , the hotly anticipated RPG developed by Firaxis (XCOM) starring iconic Marvel heroes.

Blade, Magik, Nico Minoru, and Ghost Rider have joined forces to form the Midnight Suns. Trained by the Caretaker at the Abbey, a gothic fortress in a pocket dimension, this brand-new team of supernatural heroes is the world's first line of defense against the demonic forces of the underworld.

With a looming prophecy of magical upheaval that threatens to unleash apocalyptic danger, the Suns must learn to work together, and quickly. But they aren't the only ones paying attention to the disruption of mystical forces.

Taking advantage of the growing disorder, a mysterious group called the Triumvirate has discovered the existence of a hidden relic that would give them control over Mephisto, and they will stop at nothing to exact revenge on their shared enemy. The Midnight Suns will face their biggest challenge yet to prevent the Triumvirate from unearthing this devastating power and throwing the world into chaos.

Genres: Marvel, Fantasy, Comics, Audiobook

336 pages, Paperback

First published November 29, 2022

About the author

SD Perry (Stephani Danelle, by the way, though she prefers SD or Danelle) has been writing novelizations and tie-ins for most of her adult life. Best known for her work in the shared multiverses of Resident Evil, Star Trek, and Aliens, SD is a horror nerd and an introvert. Her father is acclaimed science fiction author Steve Perry. SD lives with her family in Portland, Oregon.

Reviews

[Nico D. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I generally try not to expect too much from tie-in stories as a rule. But I have read S.D. Perry's work in the past and always found myself impressed with her strong characterization and grasp of the source material, as if she existed within the culture of that particular universe her whole life. The way she chameleon's herself into an existing property and writes with authority, all the while spinning the characters and finding solid, unique voices is nothing short of extremely impressive to me.

She continues to do so here beautifully. A prequel to the game Midnight Suns, the full prose novel is a great story on it's own, with a solid lead in to the story of the game. I'm a little disappointed that this won't get a follow-up, even if a novelization of the game itself, as I would absolutely love to see Perry play in this sandbox more and explore and develop these characters further.

Perry jumps between perspectives which really sells the idea that we're enjoying an ensemble piece. Nico, Blade and Satana Hellstrong probably get the most focus, with Sara-- the Caretaker and team leader of the Midnight Suns-- following suit. Exploring both the heroes and antagonists sides of things, and the antagonists which are not entirely working together as a cohesive unit, makes the story fun and easy to follow and Perry does so without sacrificing tension of mystery. One of the biggest mysteries revolving around a member of the Triumvirate is maintained well until the very end.

Major kudos to Perry for writing a succubus who is a literal sexual being, but somehow avoiding objectifying her or sliding into sleazy writing. That takes some skill.

I really liked the way magic was depicted, and just...ugh. it's such a crime this won't be a full series. Please make it one. For me.

Highly recommended for anyone interested in the game, but also would throw out a decent rec for anyone just interested in this side of Marvel. Just keep in mind that the mysteries brought up at the end of the story won't be answered in another prose novel-- at least as of right now.

[Nico D. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I generally try not to expect too much from tie-in stories as a rule. But I have read S.D. Perry's work in the past and always found myself impressed with her strong characterization and grasp of the source material, as if she existed within the culture of that particular universe her whole life. The way she chameleon's herself into an existing property and writes with authority, all the while spinning the characters and finding solid, unique voices is nothing short of extremely impressive to me.

She continues to do so here beautifully. A prequel to the game Midnight Suns, the full prose novel is a great story on it's own, with a solid lead in to the story of the game. I'm a little disappointed that this won't get a follow-up, even if a novelization of the game itself, as I would absolutely love to see Perry play in this sandbox more and explore and develop these characters further.

Perry jumps between perspectives which really sells the idea that we're enjoying an ensemble piece. Nico, Blade and Satana Hellstrom probably get the most focus, with Sara-- the Caretaker and team leader of the Midnight Suns-- following suit. Exploring both the heroes and antagonists sides of things, and the antagonists which are not entirely working together as a cohesive unit, makes the story fun and easy to follow and Perry does so without sacrificing tension of mystery. One of the biggest mysteries revolving around a member of the Triumvirate is maintained well until the very end.

Major kudos to Perry for writing a succubus who is a literal sexual being, but somehow avoiding objectifying her or sliding into sleazy writing. That takes some skill.

I really liked the way magic was depicted, and just...ugh. it's such a crime this won't be a full series. Please make it one. For me.

Highly recommended for anyone interested in the game, but also would throw out a decent rec for anyone just interested in this side of Marvel. Just keep in mind that the mysteries brought up at the end of the story won't be answered in another prose novel-- at least as of right now.

[Leonardo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Took me a bit to get through this book. I had issue with the fight scenes in this book. They were so confusing to the point where I had to rewind to figure out what exactly happened. As an example, I found it hard to believe that Blade would allow someone to be thrown into him multiple times. It's in no way a bad book and it did make me wanna play the game but I doubt I'd recommend it.

[Ben · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's okay.
It's understandably stuck in the shadow of the plot from the game. It's a shame that the events of the story are so closely tied to the game as I think a prequel story about how this team came together in the first place would have been a better story but hey ho. It's okay.

[Carolina · Rating 2 out of 5]

Great writing and portrayal but I didn't find the plot all that interesting.

[Adrian Montanez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for providing an audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Marvel's Midnight Suns: Infernal Rising by S.D. Perry
Narrated by J.D. Jackson

This was an interesting and engaging story. First of all, let me state that this is a prequel to the forthcoming video game Marvel's Midnight Suns. So I came into this knowing there is going to be some type of unresolved plot point; even if it bothers me now that I finished it. But after I got over those unresolved plot points (yeah, there's more than one), I can honestly say this is a pretty well-written prequel for a video game. After doing some more research into J.D. Perry and seeing her other works in video game media tie-ins, this really shouldn't have been so surprising. It's just, I remember watching the game trailer and thinking "This looks cool, but how did we get here?" Well, look no forward than Infernal Rising for all your background information needs. How did the Midnight Suns get together? Why did they get together? How did the big bad in the game rise up? Well if you're willing to read a full prose novel to find out, I promise you probably won't come out disappointed. Those questions and more get answered in a pretty interesting sequence of events, all neatly written down for any fan's perusal. This book makes me want to go back and binge-read The Midnight Sons comics.

Now let's critique the narration. J.D. Jackson does a pretty good job in this audiobook. While there was one voice that just didn't work for me, everyone sounded pretty much how I would imagine they sound when reading them in a comic. Sure some female voices sounded masculine, but he did the best he could and it showed. The only dry moment for me was the big bad's voice, it just didn't project as a revenge-obsessed archdemon (maybe it just needed to be more gravelly.) Still, this was an enjoyable listening experience and I'm looking forward to the game to see if I can get more info on those plot points.

3.75 out of 5 stars.

[Chris The Lizard from Planet X · Rating 4 out of 5]

Midnight Suns: Infernal Rising By S.D. Perry, is a media tie-in novel based RPG video game Midnight Suns developed by Firaxis Games starring iconic Marvel superhero heroes.

Being a huge Marvel fan, going into Midnight Suns: Infernal Rising I was pretty sure I was going to enjoy it. After all it was written by S.D. Perry, who has had a history of ‘playing’ in established worlds. She’s written books taking place in the Resident Evil, Star Trek, and Aliens universes to name a few. And I was right, the story within Infernal Rising is solid.

Set in it’s own separate Marvel Universe, It revolves around a evil group known as the Triumvirate an alliance made up of Arch demon Zarathos, the succubus demon Satana Hellstom, and an ex-Hydra scientist Fenn trying to claim a ancient relic that will give them control over the powerful demon lord Mephisto and the new supernatural superhero team the Midnight Suns attempt to thwart them. This version of the Midnight Suns is made up of Blade, Ghost Rider, Magik, and Nico Minoru with Caretaker acting in a type of team leader.

Immediately, one of my favorite things about the novel is how each story section rotates through the different characters’ points of view. The novel is excellent for spotlighting each of the different hero and villain characters, even ones not in the game like Satana Hellstrom. The book also includes many deep-cut references from the comics, which helps flesh out the video game’s new universe and bridge the gap between the comics and the game.

Infernal Rising presents an exciting two-pronged story structure by focusing closely on a team of demons (Zarathos and Satana) and a team of demon hunters (the Midnight Suns). Perry operates in multi-genre storytelling by using the two groups to juxtapose thriller and mystery. We are engrossed in the demons’ story as they try to pull off their master plan; at the same time, we’re also rooting for the demon hunters to uncover the demons’ plan and stop them.

The two story threads come to a head in an epic cat-and-mouse adventure heist. The propulsive, non-stop action beats lead to a hellish finale filled with demons and witchcraft.

While Infernal Rising is a fun story on its own, it doesn’t forget its role as a prequel to the video game. The book is written with the clear objective to introduce the readers to the game’s characters, personalities, powers, origins, histories, and the foundation of their team dynamics. Yet surprisingly, Perry incorporates these “info dumps” into her narrative in a way that feels natural and engaging. In fact, one of the greatest strengths of the novel is how well Perry explores the characters’ individual physical and psychological weaknesses, helping add nuance and relatability to these magical superheroes while forging them into a stronger team.

Some of the early sections were a little exhausting with backstory, but the book quickly builds momentum as the action picks up. By the end of the first act, I was flying through the pages with a greater understanding of the characters. The commitment was fully rewarded by the end of the book because of the satisfying payoff of the characters’ evolution as a team over the course of the story.

Even though the core of the book is focused on bringing the Midnight Suns together for their first team mission, the genuinely emotional, surprising ending leads into the video game storyline so smoothly and so meaningfully that this novel feels completely necessary for the video game and adds an extra layer of excitement and depth to the game’s storyline.

Given that this is an alternate interpretation of characters in service of a more prominent video game, there are a number of differences from the comics. A major shortfall of this tie-in approach is that, while the characters are generally accurate, their exact history and canon has to be left vague and enigmatic.

However, I must admit that while I’m a Marvel fan there were a few characters that I was only vaguely familiar with from my comic reading days, and had to look them up. I wouldn’t say it’s completely necessary to know the characters well before reading this novel, but having a basic knowledge of them does help.

One the great things about this novel is how well Perry uses the novel format to inhabit the minds of these iconic Marvel characters. Being able to live inside their heads and experience the world from their unique perspectives.

One of my favorite examples is the way Perry captures Blade’s painful self-loathing about being a vampire and the way the author vividly describes the world through his heightened senses. By taking advantage of the novel format, Perry is able to bring us into the broken psyches of these characters to create a surreally intimate sensory experience that no comic, film, or TV show has ever been able to match.

Another one of my few reservations with the novel is that the writing style took a bit of time to get used to, but it grew on me as I kept reading. Early on, I found some of the descriptions a little confusing to follow, with certain things being described in unnecessary detail while more important things were left to the imagination or described much later in the book.

When characters are thinking or experiencing action, some of the sentence structures become fragmented and flow loosely, almost in a stream-of-consciousness style. But as the book went on, I realized that Perry’s surreal style made for a refreshing reading experience and I was happy for the unique effect.

Overall, Midnight Suns: Infernal Rising is a strong recommendation for all fans of Marvel’s supernatural characters in general, and especially for the fans of the new video game. SD Perry’s intimately sensory narration brings an invaluable new perspective to our understanding of these heroes, which makes this novel absolutely essential alternate universe reading for all serious fans. The strong character work and thrilling storylines feed into the game narrative so naturally that Midnight Suns: Infernal Rising should be an indispensable part of the full Midnight Suns experience.

[Evan Bond · Rating 5 out of 5]

I put over a hundred hours into this game and got excited when I learned there was a prequel novel. I am so glad I picked up this book. It really helped to flesh out the characters a bit more and understand more of where they were when the game started. Now, the Avengers showing up in the game makes a bit more sense too, learning that the Suns are more inexperienced than I thought. And it was nice seeing story that leads up to the main game. S.D. Perry did an excellent job with character voice as well. I could practically hear the voice acting in my head with how well she nailed the way each character spoke. I loved this book and can't recommend it (and the game) enough to Marvel fans!

[Khurram · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. I am not much of a gamer so I probably will not be playing the game but if the game's story follows this book it will be good (I have seen the graphics, and they are awesome).

One of the things I liked about this book is Balde being given the biggest part of the Midnight Suns. This is a reminder to anyone who has not seen the original Blade movie what a badass the character is, but also a reminder of how intelligent as well.

I do also like the character/team development between the Midnight Suns. I liked the way Caretaker was written as an old general who has seen too many battles and dealt with too much loss. Niko is the youngest (and to me the newest, as I have never heard of her before) member always trying to prove herself, and with great potential. I hope she is in the game or it would be a waste. Robbie/Ghost Rider and Magik probably have the smallest part on the books but they do contribute.

A great prequel and a good read. The book has the horror vibe down. Lots of people were killed, plenty of demons a couple of good fights, but the book is more investigation than action. A good team-building book for the Suns but like a hood prequel there is much more work to be done.

[Ant Clements · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good story and introduction to the newly formed team of the Midnight Suns. I had some knowledge of most of the main Characters from being a Comic Fan since the age of 11 (so 34yrs now). The book does give a good introduction to each character without it getting too confusing with most of them having very in-depth and long in-depth often confusing histories and origin stories. Which to be fair doesn’t need to be covered in too much detail. This certainly has peaked my interest in purchasing the game on its release which I was pretty sure I wouldn’t as most versions of MARVEL Comics trying to create a decent RPG game with good gameplay, and having a really good storyline/plot to play to had been lacking. They simply haven’t seemed to be able to come anywhere near to creating games that could rival the almost flawlessly perfect gameplay of DC’s Arkham City, with smooth fighting and just superior everything. DC have gradually got better and better as games got release with Arkham Knight, then Injustice 2. Then Arkham Asylum and then the Flawless Arkham City.

But there is a big Buzz about Midnight Suns so i’m Hopeful and wait with baited breath.

[Thom · Rating 1 out of 5]

Note: I received access to read this book from the publisher for free. That doesn't influence my opinion on it, but it is worth disclosing.

Midnight Suns: Infernal Rising commits the largest sin that exists for a media tie-in: it made me less interested in playing the game it acts as a prequel to. I was extremely disappointed in the writing. I felt like I needed to know about every character beforehand, because they certainly aren't described well, or consistently throughout the book. The word "based" is used to describe someone without irony. Multiple things "exploded into a thousand pieces," over the course of the story.

I listened to the audiobook and didn't enjoy the narration. The narrator frequently mispronounces words, inserts strange pauses (like he is turning the page while reading the book) and, generally, doesn't have a great flow.

[Gilbert Stack · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the idea for this novel even before I realized that it was a Marvel Comics novel. There is a diabolical (literally) plot afoot for certain demons to take control of Mephisto so that they can rule pretty much everything. The only people standing in their way are a handful of Marvel's supernatural heroes (minus Doctor Strange). The ones I was already familiar with were Blade, Ghost Rider, and Magik. These are not heroes you normally see in the Marvel books so that was an added bonus. The action is pretty good--as one would expect in a novel about superheroes--and the plot was okay. I frankly never really felt the universe was threatened, but I enjoyed watching the heroes defend it anyway.

[Joshua Jonah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this book from Titan, in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve not read an SD Perry since dropping Resident Evil for some cringey writing. But i will say, she handled this IP pretty well. This book tells the events before the video game and usually with tie Ins you have to have some knowledge of the property but if you’re a fan of the marvel characters like Magick, Blade, Ghost Rider you’ll be able to get into this fairly easy. Watching the chemistry between characters was also something I enjoyed while reading this. If you have any doubts whether this will be good I am here to say if you’re a fan of marvel, this one is a lot of fun.

[Joe Shahen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I know one should not have high expectations for a video game prequel novel, but this wasn’t very good. Good to have additional info on Caretaker since she doesn’t get a ton to do in the video game. The best moments are when the team is interacting, much like the game. But you can tell this was hastily written for a cash grab. The Triumvirate doesn’t really click and the multiple references to Satana stinking like sex are weird. Nico’s period also random - perhaps an attempt to humanize her but just feels mad out of place.

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had no idea a book for the game came out, but the moment I found out, I knew I had to read it.
I really enjoyed the game, and the characters and being able to enjoy them again was amazing.
I loved how the different points of view were written and catered to the specific character and how the story ties in with the game. I think the power scaling was written well for the different characters, which can be tough for Marvel characters, but in this, it works really well.
All in all, I found it to be an enjoyable read.

[Beth Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun little prequel. Fleshed out a lot of what the Suns were up to prior to Hunter arriving on the scene.

I really enjoyed Nico and Robbie's relationship in particular, as well as seeing Blade act as their de facto leader. Also appreciate that it continued the tradition of the MS losing every single battle they're in until it really matters at the end.


Shame this series isn't going anywhere, because it is a great little squad.

[taifah⋅⋆˚౨ৎ ⋆.˚ · Rating 2 out of 5]

I only got up to the fourth chapter, but this was a very tedious read for me. There was a lot of backstory and although I only reached the fourth chapter, these were very long chapters, which made the book even more of a difficult read.
I am giving it a two-star rating as I do believe it has potential and would have eventually picked up in terms of the plot, but it just wasn't for me.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

A ok entry into the Midnights Suns team. I have not played the game (yet) and magic in marvel is a big hit or miss for me. I enjoyed seeing the team finally click toward the end, but the threat and most of the character interactions felt very by the book. I was most familiar with Magik and Blade, and did not know anything about "Caretaker". How many magic teams are there in Marvel?

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent tie-in to the videogame!

S D Perry has been a master of the tie-in and novelization for ages, this is no different.

Nails the characters and tone, with some added flair for the villains perspectives.

[Derrick]

Couldn't finish. Horrible. Not sure it gets better, but I couldn't take all the sex talk, etc... stupid and not the marvel I enjoy.

[Ricardo · Rating 2 out of 5]

I only read this book because I plan on playing the video game soon.

[Lori S. · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars
I like the team, but the plot was on the thin side. Still, I'd like to read more featuring these characters.

[dabtsuki · Rating 4 out of 5]

not bad for a schlocky tie-in tbh

[Mike Rempel · Rating 2 out of 5]

bad narrator
do not recommend

[Mark Everglade · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book transcends mere fan fiction to be a very well told tale that maintains consistency with both the game as a prequel and, to the best of my knowledge, the overall characterization as we see less acknowledged heroes take center stage. Some great lines and effective writing, particularly when describing hellacious beings. The writing also has good rhythm where needed to drive action scenes. Fun stuff ! Read in three days.

[novus · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF

This is my second time trying to get through this book, this time, trying the audiobook. However, the problems remain, with the added bonus of a voice that sounds like an AI. The story is boring, and doesn't make a lot of sense, and so far doesn't seem to tie into the main game it's a prequel for.

Totally a skipable book.

[PMoslice · Rating 3 out of 5]

Midnight Suns, was interesting. I consumed this book in audiobook format and perhaps it was the Narrator or the story itself, but I couldn't fully get into it. I loved certian aspects, but there were others where it felt the story dragged on in some spots. For what it was I was nice to see a different set of Marvel heroes going toe to toe with the forces of evil

[Jesse Freeman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great segue in to the game. I have loved these characters since I was little and this was a good read with some of my favorite comic book characters. Although the chapters are long there was plenty of content to keep you engaged. Over all a good read if you are a fan of comic books and these characters.

[Paul Veldhouse · Rating 3 out of 5]

I generally like tie ins but don’t expect much. This lived up to expectations. A good story with characters I like. Plus I enjoy the other characters not in the mainline series of the Marvel universe as well.

A quick, fun read. 3.5/5.

[Sisyphus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Should’ve been a comic. Giving this 5 stars anyway because the game is awesome and deserves all the stars it can get!