Supervillains – Kristen Brand

4 More Sensational Superhero Short Stories

We’re not getting our usual selection of superhero blockbusters in theaters this summer for obvious reasons, but that doesn’t mean we have to be deprived of good superhero stories. One way to get them is by supporting your local comic book shop, and another is by searching the internet.

Or you can let me search the internet for you and collect a bunch of free-to-read superhero short stories into one nice list. 😉

Sojourner: Forsaken by Will Casel Brown

It is my hope and expectation that Sojourner: Forsaken will eventually grow too long to be considered a “short story,” but I’ll keep it on this list forever anyway because I love it.

The story follows Sojourner, an alien sent to Earth to study superhumans, but who crash-lands and ends up getting involved with the resistance. The main villain is the Enforcer, a costumed superhuman who is definitely not a hero and whom I just hate SO MUCH. Much of the action involves fighting him or escaping from him, and it’s wild how much adventure is packed into the current four chapters. Continue reading 4 More Sensational Superhero Short Stories

New Superhero Fiction (May and Jun 2020)

The year 2020 is halfway over. Or we still have halfway to go, depending on if you’re an optimist or a pessimist. I try to be an optimist, and while 2020 has been a dumpster fire in a lot of ways, I like to think that we can come out of this adversity as better people–and that superheroes can be an inspiration.

The superheroes we love can’t stand by and watch injustice. They’re driven to right wrongs and help people in need. While most of us aren’t faster than a speeding bullet and can’t leap tall buildings in a single bound, there’s plenty of things we can do. We can protest, donate, and petition for racial justice. We can believe survivors and hold abusers accountable. We can demand better protections for the LGBT community. We can listen, learn, and speak up for people who need help.

And we can do it all while wearing actual superhero masks that literally save the lives of our families, friends, and neighbors.

So whether you’re looking for inspiration or escapism, here’s a roundup of some recent superhero fiction releases that caught my eye. As usual, I haven’t read all of them personally, so please check the samples and reviews before purchasing. Stay safe out there, and happy reading! Continue reading New Superhero Fiction (May and Jun 2020)

Why the Queen of Fables is the most Underrated DC Supervillain

Quick—what’s the best superpower for a villain? Energy blasts? Super-strength? Mind-control?

How about the power of fairytales?

It may sound weird, but fairytales are the power source of DC supervillain Queen of Fables, and they make her such a crazy strong threat that it usually takes the entire Justice League to stop her.

So how does that work, exactly? Continue reading Why the Queen of Fables is the most Underrated DC Supervillain

New Superhero Fiction (Mar and Apr 2020)

Tuesday was National Superhero Day, and personally, I feel like we’re all heroes just for getting through another day of Covid-19. I hope everyone reading this is staying safe. If you’re looking for some superhero-themed escapism, here are a few of the latest novels I’ve discovered while searching the internet.

It’s a slightly shorter post than usual, but my wrists are still bothering me, so I’m trying to stay off the computer as much as possible. (But I’ve ordered a new ergonomic mouse and keyboard and have started dictating my current novel, so hopefully, things are looking up.) As usual, I haven’t read all these books personally, so check out the samples and reviews before purchasing.

This post contains affiliate links.

Super Adjacent

by Crystal Cestari

Claire has always wanted to work with superheroes, from collecting Warrior Nation cards as a kid to drafting “What to Say to a Hero” speeches in her diary. Now that she’s landed a coveted internship with the Chicago branch of Warrior Nation, Claire is ready to prove she belongs, super or not. But complicating plans is the newest WarNat hero, Girl Power (aka Joy), who happens to be egotistical and self-important . . . and pretty adorable.

Bridgette, meanwhile, wants out of WarNat. After years of dating the famous Vaporizer (aka Matt), she’s sick of playing second, or third, or five-hundredth fiddle to all the people-in-peril in the city of Chicago. Of course, once Bridgette meets Claire-who’s clearly in need of a mentor and wingman-giving up WarNat becomes slightly more complicated. It becomes a lot morecomplicated when Joy, Matt, and the rest of the heroes go missing, leaving only Claire and Bridgette to save the day.

In this fresh and funny take on the world of supers, author Crystal Cestari spotlights what it’s like to be the seemingly non-super half of a dynamic duo with banter-filled romance and bold rescues perfect for readers seeking a great escape.

Continue reading New Superhero Fiction (Mar and Apr 2020)

Book Spotlight: Red and Black by Nancy O’Toole Meservier

We can all probably use something good to read right now, so you may see a few more book spotlights from me in the coming weeks. Escaping into fiction while supporting authors is a win-win for everyone–especially when there are superheroes involved.

This week, I’m spotlighting Red and Black. I featured it in a new superhero fiction roundup when it first debuted and hosted a blog tour stop for the sequel, Black and Blue, but I only got around to reading it within the last couple weeks.

Too many books, too little time. It’s the eternal struggle.

This post contains affiliate links.

Book Description

Dawn Takahashai knows all about superheroes.

She’s been a fan of them for years. So when she’s granted an impressive powerset of her own, she dives right in, eager to prove herself as Bailey City’s first superhero: Miss Red and Black.

Her first challenge is Faultline. He’s powerful, smart and, as a henchman for Bailey City’s first supervillain, standing right in her way. But that’s not the real problem. The real problem is that under the mask, Faultline is Alex Gage, a working-class guy trying to scrounge together enough money to help support his younger sisters.

Dawn has no idea that the charming and seemingly straightforward Alex is Faultline. Alex has no idea that the adorably awkward Dawn is the superhero he clashes with at night.

And Dawn and Alex have a date next week. Continue reading Book Spotlight: Red and Black by Nancy O’Toole Meservier

Bookish Travel Guide: Hero Status

We’re going into Week Three of social distancing, and I hope everybody who’s reading this is staying safe. I want to send my thanks to the nurses, doctors, grocery store workers, delivery drivers, and everybody else going out there to help others. I also want to send my thoughts to everyone who’s been affected by the virus.

If you, like me, have been hunkered down in your house for the past weeks, you’re probably getting tired of staring at the same old place everyday. That’s why I’m starting Bookish Travel Guide.

The goal is to take you on a fictional vacation to a destination from a book. I’ll be using my own novels, but I encourage book bloggers to post about their favorite bookish escapes and other authors to spotlight the settings of their works–whether published or still in progress. Feel free to use the graphic at the top of this page, and if you use the hashtag #BookishTravelGuide, I’ll do my best retweet and share! Continue reading Bookish Travel Guide: Hero Status

News & Updates

Clockmaker has officially been re-released. I’ve been signing the paperback and hardcover rewards for those of you who contributed to the Kickstarter, (Thank you again for your support and patience!) and they’re just so pretty. Look!

You can get yourself a hardcover, paperback, or ebook copy on Amazon if you don’t already have one. I promise it will deliver swashbuckling steampunk adventure and gothic thrills. Here are some quotes from it that I’ve been making for Book Quote Wednesday on Twitter: Continue reading News & Updates

Flash Fiction: The Lunch Date

The glass case over the pastry display was shattered, a masked goon moaning on the floor in front of it. Half the tables in the small cafe were overturned, broken plates and smashed sandwiches scattered across the tile. The rest of the customers had fled, and a terrified barista peeked out from behind the counter.

Oh, and the salad bar was still on fire.

Surveying the destruction, Dave would have sighed if he wasn’t still catching his breath. He glanced at Val, who was checking her reflection in a handheld mirror, another masked goon lying at her feet.

“Sorry about that,” Dave said. Continue reading Flash Fiction: The Lunch Date

New Superhero Fiction of 2019 (Year-End Megapost)

2019 is almost over, and it was a good year for superhero fiction. You can check out Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 of my wrap-ups throughout the year to find any books you missed. Below, I’ve got a mix of books that came out in the last couple months and releases from earlier in the year that I overlooked. Hopefully, you can find something that catches your interest.

As usual, I haven’t personally read all of these novels, so check out the reviews and samples before purchasing. And happy reading!

This post contains affiliate links.

Supernova

by Marissa Meyer

All’s fair in love and anarchy in Supernova, the epic conclusion to New York Times bestselling author Marissa Meyer’s thrilling Renegades Trilogy

This volume sees Nova and Adrian struggling to keep their secret identities concealed while the battle rages on between their alter egos, their allies, and their greatest fears come to life. Secrets, lies, and betrayals are revealed as anarchy once again threatens to reclaim Gatlon City.

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Kobo

A Christmas Carol (Wearing the Cape)

by Marion G. Harmon

Continue reading New Superhero Fiction of 2019 (Year-End Megapost)

Mary Jane Watson’s Wedding Dress is Perfection (And Other Thoughts on Weddings and Comics)

So… I’m getting married later this month.

I know, right? It’s incredibly exciting yet stressful. I’m super ready to marry this man, but wedding planning is such an ordeal, you guys. It’s given me a deep and unyielding sympathy for every character in a superhero franchise whose wedding ceremony was crashed by marauding supervillains.

That poor couple spent months searching for a venue, finding an officiant and a caterer, choosing colors, arranging centerpieces, ordering favors–and I’ll stop now, otherwise this post will become a 500-word checklist of all the things you need to do to plan a wedding.

And then some costumed jerk comes and ruins everything. You’re never going to get those months of your life back!

Flash Wedding Gif — NO RORY. THIS IS LITERALLY THE WORST POSSIBLE THING THAT COULD HAPPEN.

Continue reading Mary Jane Watson’s Wedding Dress is Perfection (And Other Thoughts on Weddings and Comics)