black widow » The Novel Hermit

Black Widow Forever Red

Enter the world of the Avengers’ iconic master spy

Natasha Romanoff is one of the world’s most lethal assassins. Trained from a young age in the arts of death and deception, Natasha was given the title of Black Widow by Ivan Somodorov, her brutal teacher at the Red Room, Moscow’s infamous academy for operatives.

Ava Orlova is just trying to fit in as an average Brooklyn teenager, but her life has been anything but average.The daughter of a missing Russian quantum physicist, Ava was once subjected to a series of ruthless military experiments-until she was rescued by Black Widow and placed under S.H.I.E.L.D. protection. Ava has always longed to reconnect with her mysterious savior, but Black Widow isn’t really the big sister type.

Until now.

When children all over Eastern Europe begin to go missing, and rumors of smuggled Red Room tech light up the dark net, Natasha suspects her old teacher has returned-and that Ava Orlova might be the only one who can stop him. To defeat the madman who threatens their future, Natasha and Ava must unravel their pasts. Only then will they discover the truth about the dark-eyed boy with an hourglass tattoo who haunts Ava’s dreams. . . .[/note]

myreview

First sentence: “Natasha Romanoff hated pierogies—but more than that, she hated lies.”

Natasha, Natasha, where art thou? You’re certainly not in Black Widow: Forever Red (at least, not as much as I had wished you were).

When I heard there was gonna be a novel about Black Widow, I jumped in joy, and I had thought it would be an origins story (of sorts)—like how Natasha became the Black Widow and a bit of her history. The young adult part of Natasha’s life. Imagine my surprise when Black Widow: Forever Red focused on a new character—someone I didn’t particularly care about—and essentially shoved Natasha out of the spotlight.