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Vendor
Liepman Literary Agency
Marc Koralnik
Original language
English
Categories

HENCH

Natalie Zina Walschots

Sold at auction, this debut crossover novel, part V.E. Schwab's Vicious and part Netflix/Marvel's Jessica Jones, examines a world of superpowered humans through the lens of a millennial struggling to pay her bills who discovers she has a remarkable affinity for data science . . . and a desire for revenge
• Anna and her best friend June are two millennials struggling to pay their bills and working as temps in the very precarious industry of superheroes, when Anna is nearly killed while on a rare assignment in the field after an encounter with Supercollider, the world's most beloved hero – her severe injuries are then dismissed and hushed over to keep Supercollider's image pristine, but Anna begins a deep analytical and data-driven dive to figure out exactly what the impact of all these super-powered people is, drawing attention from heroes and villains alike and putting Anna on a path she never expected, or wanted

• Part V.E. Schwab's Vicious and part Netflix/Marvel's Jessica Jones, Natalie Walschots has built a world that contains all the best bits of the superhero/villain world, but is propelled by the relationships between her engaging, intriguing cast of characters

NATALIE ZINA WALSCHOTS is Social Media Strategist & Community Manager at Stitch Media. As an essayist and journalist, you can find her work in the National Post, Buzzfeed, The Walrus, Exclaim!, Quill & Quire, The Globe & Mail, and beyond. She holds an MA in English and Creative Writing from the University of Calgary and is the author of two books of poetry: DOOM: Love Poems for Supervillains, and Thumbscrews. Her work with Syfy television show Wynonna Earp has been covered widely by journalists and academics alike, with the show's digital media winning two consecutive Canadian Screen Awards. She is a board member of Dames Making Games, and has previously worked with Pixelles; Concordia's Technoculture, Art and Games Lab; and The Hand Eye Society. She can be found causing trouble at DMG or talking about heavy metal on Banger TV. She has often been in the newspaper for swearing. Visit her at www.nataliezed.ca. tl;dr: freelance, writer, memesmith, bailed academic, nerd, gamer, metal head, SJW, world builder, supervillain.
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Published 2020-09-01 by William Morrow

Comments

"Hench is an engrossing take on the superheroic. It's smart and imaginative; an exemplary rise-of-darkness story, one I won't soon forget." Read more...

“Evocative prose, acerbic wit, and patient yet propulsive pacing complement Walschots' sophisticated plot, which juxtaposes philosophic profundity with brutal, meticulously choreographed action. Boldly drawn characters of sundry ethnicities, sexualities, and gender identities engage in realistically complex relationships that evolve (and devolve) over the course of the tale, illustrating the relativity of good and evil, the corrupting influence of power, and the necrotic nature of revenge. . . .A fiendishly clever novel that fizzes with moxie and malice.” –Kirkus (starred review)

“Walschots gleefully blurs the line between heroes and villains in this hilarious peek behind the scenes of supervillains' lairs . . . . [she] playfully pokes at both office politics and comic book absurdity while offering gripping action and gut-wrenching body horror. The inventive premise, accessible heroine, and biting wit will have readers eager for more from this talented author.”

"Witty and inventive. . . . the pleasure of the novel is the slow rollout of the rules. Creating a universe involves inventing lots of little problems, and the solutions here don't disappoint" Read more...

" In this refreshing, subversive, and darkly humorous debut novel, poet and journalist Walscholts slowly reveals the nuances of her superpower-filled world, keeping readers guessing. Hench reads like a comic without the illustrations and is packed with subplots and rapid-fire wit. With a diverse and inclusive cast of characters, Walschots' original tale performs a brilliant and exciting variation on the superhero trope and is not to be missed." -Booklist (starred review)

Haewadal

"As smart as it is, though, Hench is also pure reading delight. Walschots clearly knows her comics, and her storytelling is sheer pleasure, from Anna's defensive snarkiness to the novel's dynamic handling of scene (you can picture the epic double-paged spreads in your head) to the final confrontation between Anna and Supercollider, which will have readers cheering and cringing in equal measure. Hench is an instant classic, the sort of book you'll want to protect in a mylar sleeve while you wait – and hope – for the arrival of the second issue."

"Smart, witty, and at times bloody, this book will please comic book fans who wish to take a jab at the superhero tropes, as well as readers who enjoy dark humor with a bit of satire tossed into the mix." -Library Journal (starred review)