Books to read after watching Captain Marvel

Loved Captain Marvel? Can’t get enough of Carol Danvers? Need more stories of strong women saving the world? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you’re going to want to check out these titles asap.

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Captain Marvel, Vol. 1: Higher, Further, Faster, More by Kelly Sue DeConnick and David Lopez

Sure, it’s the obvious choice but if you want more from Carol Danvers, her Marvel Now run is the perfect place to turn to, especially if you’re a Marvel comic newbie.

“Captain Marvel, Earth’s Mightiest Hero with an attitude to match, is launching headfirst into an all-new ongoing adventure! As Carol Danvers comes to a crossroads with a new life and new romance, she makes a dramatic decision that will alter the course of her life — and the entire Marvel Universe. But as Carol takes on a mission to return an alien girl to her homeworld, she lands in the middle of an uprising against the Galactic Alliance and the Spartax! Investigating the forced resettlement of Rocket Girl’s people, Carol discovers she has a history with the man behind the plot. But when the bad guy tries to blackmail Carol and turn the Avengers against her, it’s payback time!”

Ms Marvel, Vol. 1: No Normal by G. Willow Wilson and Adrian Alphona

Now isn’t the time to go into why Kamala Khan deserves a movie franchise of her own (seriously, Marvel, get on it now) but her story is wonderfully funny, intense and relevant. Ms. Marvel is the best kind of hero and is the perfect read for Captain Marvel fans for countless reasons, including Carol Danvers’ numerous cameos and Kamala may or may not have ‘borrowed’ her original alias.

“Kamala Khan is an ordinary girl from Jersey City — until she’s suddenly empowered with extraordinary gifts. But who truly is the new Ms. Marvel? Teenager? Muslim? Inhuman? Find out as she takes the Marvel Universe by storm! When Kamala discovers the dangers of her newfound powers, she unlocks a secret behind them, as well. Is Kamala ready to wield these immense new gifts? Or will the weight of the legacy before her be too much to bear? Kamala has no idea, either. But she’s comin’ for you, Jersey!”

The Epic Crush of Genie Lo by F.C. Yee

A fun read with a kickass, Chinese-American teen protagonist, filled with action scenes so epic, they’re almost cinematic. It also has a sequel scheduled to release fall 2019!

“Genie Lo is one among droves of Ivy-hopeful overachievers in her sleepy Bay Area suburb. You know, the type who wins. When she’s not crushing it at volleyball or hitting the books, Genie is typically working on how to crack the elusive Harvard entry code.

But when her hometown comes under siege from hellspawn straight out of Chinese folklore, her priorities are dramatically rearranged. Enter Quentin Sun, a mysterious new kid in class who becomes Genie’s self-appointed guide to battling demons. While Genie knows Quentin only as an attractive transfer student with an oddly formal command of the English language, in another reality he is Sun Wukong, the mythological Monkey King incarnate—right down to the furry tale and penchant for peaches.

Suddenly, acing the SATs is the least of Genie’s worries. The fates of her friends, family, and the entire Bay Area all depend on her summoning an inner power that Quentin assures her is strong enough to level the very gates of Heaven. But every second Genie spends tapping into the secret of her true nature is a second in which the lives of her loved ones hang in the balance.”

Starflight by Melissa Landers

It may not feature superheroes but it more than makes up for that with its conspiracies, space flight, mutinies, space pirates, romance and the fact that the ship’s pet is a sugar glider.

“Life in the outer realm is a lawless, dirty, hard existence, and Solara Brooks is hungry for it. Just out of the orphanage, she needs a fresh start in a place where nobody cares about the engine grease beneath her fingernails or the felony tattoos across her knuckles. She’s so desperate to reach the realm that she’s willing to indenture herself to Doran Spaulding, the rich and popular quarterback who made her life miserable all through high school, in exchange for passage aboard the spaceliner Zenith.

When a twist of fate lands them instead on the Banshee, a vessel of dubious repute, Doran learns he’s been framed on Earth for conspiracy. As he pursues a set of mysterious coordinates rumoured to hold the key to clearing his name, he and Solara must get past their enmity to work together and evade those out for their arrest. Life on the Banshee may be tumultuous, but as Solara and Doran are forced to question everything they once believed about their world—and each other—the ship becomes home, and the eccentric crew family. But what Solara and Doran discover on the mysterious Planet X has the power to not only alter their lives but the existence of everyone in the universe…”

Kate Triumph by Shari Arnold

If, like us, you can’t get enough of strong, smart, witty female heroes who are vulnerable but refuse to give up, look no further than Kate Triumph.

“Normal is so overrated. At least that’s what seventeen-year-old Kate Triumph tells herself every day. But the truth is she lives in constant fear that someone will discover how not normal she really is. With her startling speed and her unusual ability to heal, Kate believes she’s something of a freak. Then Andrew Shore arrives. 

He claims he’s her father, sticks around for a few days and leaves her a plane ticket. “Come to Mercer Island,” he says. “Give me a chance to get to know you.” Soon Kate is floundering in a world of new: new address, new car, new high school and, of course, new father. Not to mention Zack, her intriguing new neighbour, who makes her want to abandon her steadfast rule of never allowing anyone to get too close. But when she discovers someone is trying to kill her, life for Kate gets a bit more complicated. And a lot less normal.”

Sidekick Squad Series by C.B. Lee

With book three releasing this summer, now is the perfect time to jump on this wonderfully diverse as it puts a unique spin on the classic superhero narrative.

“Welcome to Andover… where superpowers are common, but internships are complicated. Just ask high school nobody, Jessica Tran. Despite her heroic lineage, Jess is resigned to a life without superpowers and is merely looking to beef-up her college applications when she stumbles upon the perfect (paid!) internship—only it turns out to be for the town’s most heinous supervillain. On the upside, she gets to work with her longtime secret crush, Abby, who Jess thinks may have a secret of her own. Then there’s the budding attraction to her fellow intern, the mysterious “M,” who never seems to be in the same place as Abby. But what starts as a fun way to spite her superhero parents takes a sudden and dangerous turn when she uncovers a plot larger than heroes and villains altogether.”

Beyond the Red by Ava Jae

Although, slightly more on the fantasy end of sci-fi than the superhero end, with aliens and assassinations, this trilogy is bound to help fill the Captain Marvel shape hole you’ve had in your heart since leaving the movie theatre.

“Alien queen Kora has a problem as vast as the endless crimson deserts. She’s the first female ruler of her territory in generations, but her people are rioting and call for her violent younger twin brother to take the throne. Despite assassination attempts, a mounting uprising of nomadic human rebels, and pressure to find a mate to help her rule, she’s determined to protect her people from her brother’s would-be tyrannical rule.

Eros is a rebel soldier hated by aliens and human alike for being a half-blood. Yet that doesn’t stop him from defending his people, at least until Kora’s soldiers raze his camp and take him captive. He’s given an ultimatum: be an enslaved bodyguard to Kora, or be executed for his true identity—a secret kept even from him. 

When Kora and Eros are framed for the attempted assassination of her betrothed, they flee. Their only chance of survival is to turn themselves in to the high court, where revealing Eros’s secret could mean a swift public execution. But when they uncover a violent plot to end the human insurgency, they must find a way to work together to prevent genocide.”

Renegades Trilogy by Marissa Meyer

Heroes, villains and secret identities come together to make the perfect read for Captain Marvel fans in this fantastic trilogy, which is set to end late 2019.

“The Renegades are a syndicate of prodigies — humans with extraordinary abilities — who emerged from the ruins of a crumbled society and established peace and order where chaos reigned. As champions of justice, they remain a symbol of hope and courage to everyone… except the villains they once overthrew.

Nova has a reason to hate the Renegades, and she is on a mission for vengeance. As she gets closer to her target, she meets Adrian, a Renegade boy who believes in justice — and in Nova. But Nova’s allegiance is to a villain who has the power to end them both.”

Captain Marvel by Shannon and Dean Hale

It may not be set to release until 2020, have no cover and next to no information attached to it other than it’s a “YA book centring around Captain Marvel”, but hey, it’s something to look forward to?