Secret Invasion by Paul Cornell ~ a Review

by MK French

Skrulls infiltrated S.H.I.E.L.D., the Avengers, and the interplanetary defence force S.W.O.R.D. When Elektra, leader of the Hand, transforms into a Skrull after her death, the New Avengers realize that an attack is coming. Anyone could be a Skrull in disguise. The team doesn't know who to trust as they try to defend Earth, but it's too late. The invasion has begun.

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September 2023; Titan Books; 978-1803362489
audio, ebook, print (320 pages); science fiction

This is the prose novel adapted from the graphic novel, which is based on multiple comic books written by Brian Michael Bendis and Leinil Francis Yu. It's been done across different universes and media, most recently in the live-action Disney+ "Secret Invasion" series. Because this follows the comics, we have Avengers, New Avengers, Young Avengers, Thunderbolts, mutants, and the Fantastic Four all involved, coming together despite the Civil War arc regarding registering those with superpowers and abilities. Most people have no idea how to determine who is a Skrull and who isn't, so they turn on each other and have no idea who might be a true enemy. Paranoia destabilizes the superhero community, just as the Skrulls had hoped, and their invasion fleet arrives. They claim they want to help humanity better itself, which superheroes hadn't allowed them to do, and don't mention the desire to take over the planet and its resources to make it their own.

While it certainly helps to know who all of the characters are and this iteration of them, each chapter is titled with the character whose POV it is. We're given enough backstory within their chapter to place their motivations and what had happened to put them into that position. This makes for fairly fast movement as each group in various places across the world is targeted and fights back. It's definitely a page-turner, even in prose form, and is a great addition to the library of any fan of the comic arc, or for those who want to know what happened without having to buy books across all the different comic lines. The threats are explained and each story thread is completed, with loose ends that are taken up in the comics afterward.

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Born and raised in New York City, M.K. French started writing stories when very young, dreaming of different worlds and places to visit. She always had an interest in folklore, fairy tales, and the macabre, which has definitely influenced her work. She currently lives in the Midwest with her husband, three young children, and a golden retriever.

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