Araña and Spider-Man 2099: Dark Tomorrow by Alex Segura Review

On May 4, 2023 By authoranthonyavinablogIn reviewsLeave a comment

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

A young hero who lost her mentor finds help from a man in the future who has lost his way as a hero himself in author Alex Segura’s “Araña and Spider-Man 2099: Dark Tomorrow”, the latest YA Marvel novel!

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The Synopsis

Araña is a Spider-Girl lost in time. . . . Miguel is a Spider-Man who’s lost his way. . . . Together, they’re our only hope.

Araña. It means spider—and it also means Anya Corazon. She was a normal Brooklyn teenager with normal Brooklyn problems—until a few months ago, when she was gifted with amazing spiderlike abilities, from super-strength and heightened agility to web-slinging. A powerful mentor guided her on how best to use these new powers for good—until Anya lost him, just as she lost her mother, just as she’s about to lose everything she knows.

Nueva York. It is the future of New York City, the home of the Spider-Man of 2099, and where Anya finds herself stranded, tossed across the century. And Nueva York’s Spider-Man, billionaire CEO Miguel O’Hara, is Araña’s only hope of getting home. But Araña and Spider-Man are about to discover that the enemies they face have dark and powerful connections to both heroes—and that this unlikely team across time will need to save much more than each other. . . .

Alex Segura, the Anthony Award–winning author of Secret Identity and Star Wars Poe Dameron: Free Fall, brings two fan-favorite Spider-Verse heroes together in prose for the first time in this thrilling new time-hopping adventure.

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The Review

This was such an incredible read. The author did an amazing job of world-building and making this corner of the Marvel universe his own. The action and adventure of the narrative were greatly fleshed out in this novel, and the story of a young woman thrust into an ancient war between two organizations and forced to become a part of a grand destiny felt fresh and unique to this world, giving a new voice to the Spider-verse as it were.

For me, the heart of this narrative was in both Anya’s and Miguel’s stories. The shared feeling of loss and fear of responsibility that they face in going after the conspiracy that ties them together were great themes to explore through these characters. Getting to see some more Hispanic culture and representation with these characters was amazing as well, and their story is something that would be great to see explored in future MCU-related storylines in the future.

The Verdict

Memorable, action-packed, and entertaining, author Alex Segura’s “Araña and Spider-Man 2099: Dark Tomorrow” is a must-read YA sci-fi and fantasy novel and a brilliant addition to the Marvel Universe as a whole. The twists and turns in the narrative, the shared history of family loss and surprise betrayals that both Miguel and Anya experience, and the imagery all brought this narrative to life in a brilliant way. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!

Rating: 10/10

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About the Author

Alex Segura is the bestselling and award-winning author of Secret Identity, which the New York Times called “wittily original” and named an Editor’s Choice. NPR described the novel as “masterful,” and it received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly, Kirkus, and Booklist. Alex is also the author of Star Wars Poe Dameron: Free Fall, the Pete Fernandez Miami Mystery series, and a number of comic books – including The Mysterious Micro-Face (in partnership with NPR), The Black Ghost, The Archies, The Dusk, The Awakened, and more. His short story, “90 Miles” was included in The Best American Mystery and Suspense Stories for 2021 and won the Anthony Award for Best Short Story. By day he is the Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Oni Press, with previous stints at Archie Comics and DC Comics.

A Miami native, he lives in New York with his wife and children.

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Gamora and Nebula: Sisters in Arms by Mackenzi Lee Review

On June 3, 2021 By authoranthonyavinablogIn reviewsLeave a comment

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

Two sisters raised to be assassins and warriors by a ruthless villain find themselves stranded on a planet being mined and quickly deteriorating, forcing them into a series of events that explores their rivalry and the source of the distance between them in author Mackenzi Lee’s “Gamora & Nebula: Sisters in Arms”.

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The Synopsis

The second book in the hit series from New York Times best-selling author Mackenzi Lee!

This three-book series explores the untapped potential and duality of heroism of popular characters in the Marvel Universe. The first book in the series, Loki: Where Mischief Lies, was an instant New York Times best seller and received two starred reviews!

The relationship between teenage adopted sisters Gamora and Nebula is as volatile as ever. When they end up on a deteriorating planet being mined for its valuable resources, the two sisters are faced with a series of events that force them to explore the source of their rivalry-and where their loyalty truly lies. This action-packed yet sincere story will tug on the heartstrings of anyone who has ever had to learn how deeply weird and changeable trust can be.

The Review

As a longtime fan of all things Marvel Comics, I was immediately drawn to this book. The author does a fantastic job of balancing the source material of the characters with the creativity and originality of this novel’s narrative. The writing expertly paints a vivid image in the reader’s minds of this vast Marvel Universe, exploring the vastness of the universe that has relatively been unexplored in the comics while adding new layers and context from the creative mind of the author.

What stands out of course is the strong character development of this narrative. From the complex and emotional struggle of sisters Gamora and Nebula, who has been driven against one another and brainwashed by the vile Thanos and his war machine. The interesting thing is that the author utilizes concepts of the comics rather than the MCU as a whole into the narrative, exploring the effects Thanos’s relationship with the personification of Death has had on both protagonists. Even the humorous and tricky personality of The Grandmaster shines brightly in a grim and gritty corner of the Marvel Universe.

The Verdict

Emotional, action-packed, and entertaining superhero storytelling, author Mackenzi Lee’s “Gamora & Nebula: Sisters in Arms” is a must-read sci-fi and fantasy read. Expertly crafting an original science fiction narrative within a well-established Marvel Universe is an extraordinary feat, and the author excels at navigating the complex relationship between the protagonists and their villainous adoptive father, which has always been a crucial part of the fabric of Marvel’s Cosmic storytelling. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!

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About the Author

Mackenzi Lee holds a BA in history and an MFA in writing for children and young adults from Simmons College. She is the New York Times bestselling author of the historical fantasy novels THIS MONSTROUS THING, THE GENTLEMAN’S GUIDE TO VICE AND VIRTUE, which won a 2018 Stonewall Honor Award and the New England Book Award, and its sequel, THE LADY’S GUIDE TO PETTICOATS AND PIRACY, which debuted at #3 on the New York Times bestseller list. She is also the author of BYGONE BADASS BROADS (Abrams, 2018), a collection of short biographies of amazing women from history you probably don’t know about but definitely should, based on her popular twitter series of the same name.

When not writing, she works as an independent bookseller, drinks too much Diet Coke, and romps with her St. Bernard, Queenie.