Gamora and Nebula: Sisters in Arms (Marvel Rebels & Renegades) Hardcover – June 1, 2021

My grand daughter enjoyed these books

If you love Mackenzi Lee, you need to read this book. Gamora and Nebula are still, well, read the book and find out!

Gamora and Nebula: Sisters in Arms by Mackenzi Lee is a movie tie-in novel based on the MCU characters of “Gamora and Nebula” from the various MCU Guardians of the Galaxy and Avengers films.The Marvel Cinematic Universe excels at telling stories of comradeship, be it familial or in the more spiritual sense. But in Mackenzi Lee’s Gamora and Nebula: Sisters in Arms, as the title suggests, it is sisters that take centre stage. Set years before we ever meet them in their various MCU films, Gamora and Nebula follows the titular sisters on their separate, yet equally mysterious trips to the mining world of Torndune. Gamora has been sent there on a mission by an unknown entity, while Nebula arrives in pursuit of her sister. Both however, share the same goal: retrieve a mysterious item called the heart of the planet. The action scenes and the state of the planet Tordune work just fine, and set the mood very well, but it is the fraught relationship between the two Daughters of Thanos that is the driving force and the beating heart of the narrative. I was rooting for the two of them to join forces, and cheered when it happened, only to realize with a sinking heart that I was only at the halfway point of the book and there was no way this could last.The tragic - and toxic - thing about being a child of Thanos is that neither girl ever really knows where she stands. They definitely know where they stand with their father - Gamora is the favourite, Nebula is the one he detests. What neither of them know for certain is where they stand with each other. And the fault with that lies entirely with Thanos. He constantly plays the two of them against one another, preying on their insecurities to ensure that they play his game exactly as he wants them to. Both have become equally proficient weapons for him, but only one is allowed to flourish, while the other is left to languish in the dark, unwanted and forgotten.Though the book isn’t technically about him, we do get some development of the Mad Titan himself, as seen through the eyes of his daughters. Interestingly, author Mackenzi Lee works in an aspect from the comic books that was entirely absent from the MCU movies, and that is Thanos’ relationship with Death - or Lady Death, as she’s called here. Lady Death is a shadowy, omnipresent being that never speaks yet seems to have an undue influence over Thanos and his actions. Her addition to the novel and to the MCU in general is a chilling one, and is a wonderful way to lure in both comic readers, and fans of the films, to tell a story that will satisfy both.This story broke my heart in the best kind of way. Not only the tragedy of the relationship between Gamora and Nebula, but the struggles each faces at the hands of a father who enjoys messing with their heads and hearts for nothing short of his own amusement (and that of his deathly paramour). Their incessant competition with one another brought to mind Nebula’s line from the second Guardians of the Galaxy movie: “You were the one who wanted to win, and I just wanted a sister.”. That, if nothing else, is the thesis statement for the book as a whole.There are parts of this story that shocked me with how dark and upsetting they were. Not that I believe it’s inappropriate for a Young Adult audience, it’s very in line with the kind of thing you would see in the MCU. But with it being a book, we have that added benefit of reading what a character is feeling at any given moment that really drives the emotion home. As someone who is very familiar with the MCU, I knew going in that no matter what happened, Gamora and Nebula would not walk away from this story as friends or even allies. What I was not expecting was to fall hook, line, and sinker for their shared hope that maybe this time they could be sisters for real, only to be absolutely crushed when things returned to the expected status quo. That’s how you know it’s a well-told story: when you know how it’s going to end, but it doesn’t stop you from enjoying the ride. Overall, the book is an exciting look at the early backstory of Gamora and Nebula prior to their various appearances in the MCU Guardians of the Galaxy and Avengers films. The moments of them working together for a common end are brief but satisfying. The level of trust the two have grows towards the end of the story only to have it tragically snatched back. Strong character development and lots of action make Gamora and Nebula: Sisters in Arms a must read for any Marvel fan.

Gamora is on a mission. Directed to the deteriorating planet of Torndune to retrieve an important object -- as yet unspecified -- on the orders of an unknown person to be delivered to an unknown location -- but Thanos has commanded her to follow through. And you don’t disobey your father when he is known as the Mad Titan.Nebula is on a mission of her own, one that directly interferes with Gamora’s. Unbeknownst to her sister, Nebula is also on Torndune, after the same unknown object, and determined to beat Gamora to the finish line. And when the two cross paths, they must decide whether to put aside their differences and work together -- or to fight to the end as their father would have them do.So here we have the once in a blue moon problem of loving a story so much that it’s hard to point out each individual thing adored. But for the sake of all considering whether to pick up this beauty of a book, I shall try.First off, it should be mentioned that while it’s not necessary to know Gamora and Nebula and their history in the Marvel films, it certainly helps. This novel adds layer upon layer of depth and exploration and explanation as to how these adopted sisters came to be where they are when we first find them in the films.The cruelty of Thanos knows no bounds. The mental manipulation the Titan employs with Gamora and Nebula -- Nebula in particular -- is on another level.Mackenzi Lee’s writing is a work of art. Her choice of words paint a picture like no other, while also pulling at heartstrings with each emotional memory and encounter.You get an exploration of sisterhood and family, chosen or not, and what that means on many levels. We see how the trust between Gamora and Nebula is built up and broken, sometimes in quick succession. And yet the sisters (almost) always find themselves fighting to save the other.You get your classic Marvel action time and time again, described to perfection, creating a crystal clear picture in your mind of each scene as it unfolds.You get the addition of a shadowy figure named Lady Death, who stands at Thanos’ side, who often only appears out of the corner of your eyes, who taunts and teases whenever death is near, welcoming and threatening at the same time.We get glimpses of the Grandmaster, last seen in Thor: Ragnarok, a crossover I never expected but am so grateful to have.Overall, this read hit every point for me. I was engrossed from beginning to end. I have no complaints.