Cath Lauria’s second contribution to Aconyte Books’ range of Marvel: Heroines novels (after the excellent Elsa Bloodstone: Bequest), Black Cat: Discord offers a fun perspective on Marvel’s wild world of heroes and villains, from someone who straddles both communities. Thief extraordinaire Felicia Hardy, aka the Black Cat, normally looks out solely for number one, but when teenager Casey asks for (well…more like demands) help to find her missing father – the ex-criminal Firestrike, now turned state witness – there’s something about the case that piques Felicia’s interest. While she’s out searching for the missing Firestrike however, seemingly the entire hero and villain population of New York is searching for a magical, wish-granting golden apple, and she finds her services in considerable demand.
Written in a breezy, conversational first person, this is an entertaining blizzard of heists, cons, fast cars and frantic fights, packed full of snark and taking in all manner of New York locations. The appearance of the mysterious golden apple (at a prestigious gala event which Felicia was absolutely not using as an opportunity to scope out future jobs) and the temptation it offers really stirs up both the hero and villain communities in New York, which provides the perfect reason for Felicia to variously mingle with, team up with, annoy and/or battle all sorts of famous Marvel names, from Tony Stark and Danny Rand to the Owl and the Kingpin. The high-profile, high-stakes antics that ensue nicely complement the burgeoning (and begrudging) partnership between Felicia and Casey, the two story strands interweaving to give Felicia plenty to think about as she carefully plans her moves.
As the focus of the book, Felicia – Black Cat – makes a tremendously engaging protagonist; she’s exceptionally dangerous and understandably confident, an absolute thrill-seeker but still human and relatable despite everything. Certainly the difficulties of dealing with a troubled teenager are somewhat out of her usual wheelhouse, and she’s almost endearingly grouchy any time she feels someone else is butting into her business (unless it’s Spider-Man, for whom she has something of a soft spot). Working with the teenage tantrum-throwing Casey, not to mention a pair of bickering (but very capable) henchmen, consistently tests her patience, but whether laying down the law to her team, pulling off an outrageous heist, teaching Casey to be a thief or battling any number of super-powered frenemies, she’s just consistently entertaining to read about.
On the surface, the core of the Black Cat as a character is all about Felicia finding a way to always come out on top, and to always prove herself the better of others. What Lauria does really well here though is throw her into the middle of a super-powered free-for-all with someone else to think about other than herself, which cleverly challenges her assumptions and just occasionally gives her pause for thought as she takes Casey under her wing. Throw in a smart, knowing perspective on New York and its relationship with its population of heroes and villains (a weary indifference from many New Yorkers), and a snappy, modern feel making amusing use of social media, influencers and all manner of contemporary touchstones, and you’ve got a fun action adventure with more than enough depth to bring its central character to vivid life. If (like me) you’re new to the Black Cat, this is an excellent introduction to a really great character.
Many thanks to Aconyte Books and Cath Lauria for sending me a review copy of Black Cat: Discord in exchange for my honest opinions!
See also: the main Aconyte Books page on Track of Words, for loads of reviews, interviews and more.
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