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.
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.
