I love seeing women in Marvel get their own spotlight. As a big Guardians of the Galaxy fan, I was thrilled to read Gamora & Nebula, which takes place before the events of the first Guardians film. I have been curious about their relationship since first seeing that movie, and because I desperately wanted some backstory on them, and this was so much fun.

Gamora & Nebula tells the story of a planned heist to gather the heart of a dying planet. Gamora has been sent by her father to retrieve it, no matter the cost, and if there's one thing Gamora does, it's follow her father's orders. She arrives on the planet of Torndune, a planet that has been mined to the point of being inhospitable. As she begins to do what she needs to do to find this heart of the planet, her sister Nebula is on her trail.

This story is a non-stop action adventure thrill ride that feels just like an entry in the MCU. It would be awesome to see on the big screen. I loved learning more about these sisters and what drives them. The chapters are told from both Gamora's and Nebula's viewpoints and I loved the perspective of both of them. This was a great summer book and I will definitely be recommending it to my teens. I know they'll love it.

I enjoyed this story and thought it did a good job of exploring the relationship between Nebula and Gamora. Their relationship isn't perfect and there was still a lot of issues, but I though Lee did a good job of showing that they were "enemies" and did fight against each other, but at the same time showed that there was room for a change and that perhaps some day they would be able to better mend their relationship.
I also like the inclusion of Nebula knowing that her father was abusive and bad, but yet Gamora was not at that stage and so there were times in this story where she questioned Thanos's parenting.
Including some backstory for how Nebula lost some of her parts was also a nice touch and I liked how Lee explored a couple different ways that Nebula was hurt.
My one big problem with the book was the inclusion of the church. It wasn't surprising when it turned out that the church was not as innocent as they claimed, because I was kind of expecting that from the moment they were introduced. It just seems like when a church is included in a world/story like this they are going to turn out to be evil and I don't like how that seems to be the case 9 times out of 10.
Overall it was a good book and my favorite part was the exploration of Gamora and Nebula's relationship.

I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I love Gamora and Nebula in the GOTG movies. I am not well versed in the comics or graphic novels, but that did not take away from enjoying this story. I loved seeing a deeper insight into the two of them that wasn't mixed in with a bigger story. I think this was a great place for a beginner (outside of the movies) to jump in and know what's happening.

I also liked the side characters, some of them were only there very briefly but felt very fleshed out and painted a good picture of the planet they were on, and the motivations of everyone involved.

Thank you #NetGalley and Disney Publishing for providing me an ARC to read Gamora and Nebula by Mackenzi Lee!

First, let me say I am a huge Marvel fanboy (comics and movies), but I have never really invested much time into Gamora or Nebula outside of what we see in the movies. I was a little skeptical going into this book if I would like, but I am glad I gave it the chance.

Here we see Gamora and Nebula in their early days as sisters - long before their father has acquired all of the infinity stones. Thanos has spent his life pitting Gamora and Nebula against one another and their relationship is understandably strained. This novel throws you right into the story as Gamora is sent on a mission to acquire the heart of the planet Torndune - a desolate mining world. Nebula follows in her footsteps eager to take revenge on her sister for abandoning her. (It actually took me a few chapters to figure out what was going on.) Frrom there we are taken on a wild ride through both of their missions!

The action here is typical of any Marvel movie or comic and drives the plot along. However, it is the relationship between Gamora and Nebula that really shines. We see a lot of brotherhood in the MCU, but it was nice to have a change of pace here and to allow sisters to take the stage. You get to see the tragedy both women have gone through in their life through their eyes and thoughts, and to be honest, it broke my heart at times. I spent most of the novel rooting for them to reconcile and to come together - however, we all know how Gamora and Nebula's story goes. It is one of tragedy and heartbreak.

Another shining light in this book was the presence of The Grandmaster. The short snippets where he was included were some of my favorite parts due to his wit and humor.

My only complaint would be that there were times when the pacing seemed a little off. The book seemed to slow to a crawl at points, and I found myself getting bored. However, the payoff was worth it in the end. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves Marvel and wants to see another side of the story!

This was another fun look at the rivalry between Gamora and Nebula. I like how it plays more into their backstories and relationship so you get a better glimpse of who they truly are. This is a great read for those that love Marvel and are looking for something different than the comic books. Highly recommend, especially to teens.

Gamora and Nebula: Sisters in Arms by Mackenzi Lee is a delightful addition to the Marvel Universe. It was interesting to see them at the teenage stage in their lives. The Grandmaster is a wonderful addition.

This story takes place well before Gamora joins the Guardians of the Galaxy, but her relationship with Nebula is already deeply strained. Both sisters find themselves on a dying planet as pawns in one of the Grandmaster's games.

It was a great story that I was immediately invested in. I loved how the sisters' relationships was displayed with both their love and their lack of trust in one another.

Gamora and Nebula have always been rivals, pitted against each other by their father. But through it all, they are sisters. Now, they are each trying to get the heart of the planet Torndune. It is a dangerous task. Just breathing the air can kill, and they must travel deep through the unstable mines to the center of the planet to find the heart. It is a test of strength and trust. This action-packed adventure still takes time to look at trust and family, overmining and workers’ rights. This is a fun story, especially for Marvel movie fans.

As a fan of "Guardians of the Galaxy" and YA books in general, I found this piece to be a perfect combination of the two. It really captured the characters and described their story and experiences in wonderful ways

A really good book though it was slow paced in my opinion. Still very interesting and well executed though!! Overall, solid 3 star read. Though I did get bored during reading it during some points. Honestly whoever her check-in person is at Marvel/Disney they really need to provide her with more insight into these characters as they’re mega OOC (out of character).

I'm a HUGE Marvel fan so I was stoked to receive an advance copy of this book.

I really enjoyed getting a glimpse of Gamora & Nebula's relationship as sisters and the rockiness that comes with being so different.

This book had so much action and thrill that it was hard to put down for longer than a day or so.

As for the general pace, I felt like the "Gamemasters" sections broke up the flow and made it difficult to jump right back in.

Overall, this book did not disappoint and I cannot wait to share this with my friends!

“Nebula had always thought of her sister as lightning, not the rain. And if Gamora was lightning, Nebula was thunder, just as powerful but a few second behind. Always behind.”

I really wish I could say I enjoyed this book more but it honestly was just ok.

A few positive notes…I think that Mackenzi Lee did a great job writing both Gamora and Nebula. I think she captured their personality and relationship (disfunction and all) really well. This book can also be enjoyed by casual MCU fans or die hard Marvel fans. There is an addition of a character that MCU fans would not recognize but comic fans would and thankful I knew a little back story thanks to the podcast binge mode and their marvel/MCU binge…so that was helpful.

There were moments in the book that were entertaining but towards the end it just got short of drawn out. And the last 3 chapters felt kind just thrown in really quick. Overall the whole plot/story was just ok.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the digital of this book!
I received an advance reader copy in exchange for a honest review

Gamora & Nebula is a YA novel based off the Marvel characters - also known as the daughters of Thanos and who play heavily in the MCU. The characters are sisters, but have a very fraught relationship. They are constantly pitted against each other by their "Father" and not able to show each other compassion.

The story is very female centric- almost all characters are female which is great to see. The drama was there with the story, the battle and intrigue was well thought out and the resolution worked so well with the future stories in Avengers: Infinity War.

Nebula's story was the most interesting. I would have liked even more of her. She is such a complex character with a backstory that wasnt as well known. Gamora also isnt as innocent of a person as they sometimes make her out to be in the movies, with her relationship with Nebula.

I do hope we get more stories on these characters in other books.

Also shoutout to the best character ever- The Grandmaster.

First line: The Grandmaster is seated on his throne. His hair is perfect. His clothes, tailored. His makeup, flawless. All cameras have been placed in this room according to his specific instructions to capture his best angles.

Summary: Gamora and Nebula are the adopted daughters of the mighty Titan, Thanos. Their whole lives they have been pitted against each other. With each loss Nebula’s anger with her sister and need to please her father grows. When Gamora is sent on a mission to a mining planet to retrieve an artifact, Nebula follows her. As each of them get closer to acquiring the artifact things become more twisted on this mission and secrets are revealed.

My Thoughts: I was really disappointed in this book. I like MacKenzie Lee. I enjoyed the Loki story. But this one was just long and boring. I was excited to read a story about the lives of Thanos’ daughters before the events of The Guardians of the Galaxy and get some more insight into their characters. This gave a little but it seemed to just be the same thing over and over. They compete. They don’t trust each other. They try to hurt each other. It was not something I was really invested in. Hopefully the last book in this trilogy does a better job than this one.

FYI: Book two of a Marvel trilogy.

I should have KNOWN how this was going to end!

I really liked seeing Gamora and Nebula in a time before the MCU, as they are navigating being Thanos’ kids that are expendable but still feeling beholden to him and trying to earn his love. This book was actually very emotional, as they realize they are being used and yet still fall into his traps. It made me so sad.

I thought Gamora and Nebula were developed well, but actually think Nebula was more relatable; I felt I got to know her better through the course of the book.

I don’t think scifi is really my genre, as I find it hard to understand terms often, but I enjoyed the action scenes, I’d which there were many. It took me til about 25% in to really get invested, but after that it was a quick read!

GAMORA & NEBULA is an upbeat, scandalous, all-consuming tale of teamwork and feminism. To put it bluntly, this book was awesome!

The plot and conflict were captivating from the first sentence (which was outstanding for its imagery and immersion) and the characters were reasonable and consistent. The first thing I look for when reading is connection to the characters, and this was almost instant in GAMORA & NEBULA! I was touched by the sister's loyalty to each other and the conflict of their simultaneous loyalty to their individual goals and needs. The themes were abundant throughout but won't bore young readers who are looking for adventure over influence. Personally, I was impressed with Lee's world building - it was out of this world!! The realm GAMORA & NEBULA is set in was comfortable and familiar to readers yet lively with the dynamic and unique supernatural elements! Normally, the setting is "just the location," but in GAMORA & NEBULA, the setting is part of what makes the story so rich and resonating. Expanding on this, older readers will recognize the imprints on our own society in this realm. Exploiting resources from other countries/planets is not something new to industrialization or literature, which gives Lee's tale lots of significance to resonate with older readers. GAMORA & NEBULA contains so many elements - themes, character development, entertaining plot - that readers can view and take it any way they want.

In conclusion, read GAMORA & NEBULA because you’re destined to love it no matter what!

As a fan of the MCU, I was excited to have a book about Gamora and Nebula! I really enjoyed both characters as individuals in the film franchise, but we don't get too much of the sister's relationship. I was hoping this book would be more of that, but it wasn't. I really enjoyed the setting as it was portrayed in such an atmospheric way!

I found the pacing of the book pretty slow even though there was a lot of action happening. I felt myself skimming through the book and not engaging with the text. The pacing picked up around the climax and I wish the rest of the book followed this same pace as I would've enjoyed it more.

I went into this book liking Gamora more, but after the last few scenes, I definitely have more empathy towards Nebula now.

I recommend this book to any Marvel and Guardians of the Galaxy fan!

Gamora and Nebula have always been an interesting pair. From the comic books to the movies, the sisters have been trying to best one another for years and very rarely see eye-to-eye. As the latest book in the Marvel book series that follows the untapped potential from some of the Marvel Cinematic Universe characters, Gamora and Nebula: Sisters in Arms was a great read.

I wasn't sure exactly what to expect, particularly because I hadn't read Mackenzi Lee's previous story, Loki: Where Mischief Lies (or Lee's other books for that matter). However, I was pleasantly surprised by Gamora and Nebula: Sisters in Arms. For me, the book had great pacing and action-packed moments, but I was surprised at how emotionally impactful it was. I'm most certainly glad to have been able to read it and would highly recommend it to others who are interested in the Marvel Universe.

Sidenote: the cover art by Jenny Frison is amazing!

I’m a huge Marvel fan, so getting approved for this was a blessing! I loved Gamora & Nebula. A story about my two favorite Guardians of the Galaxy written by the author who wrote Loki, my second favorite superhero ever? Sign me up! If you like Loki by Mackenzi Lee, Guardians of the Galaxy, or just Marvel in general, you’re guaranteed to like this book.

The Review

As a longtime fan of all things Marvel Comics, I was immediately drawn to this book. The author does a fantastic job of balancing the source material of the characters with the creativity and originality of this novel’s narrative. The writing expertly paints a vivid image in the reader’s minds of this vast Marvel Universe, exploring the vastness of the universe that has relatively been unexplored in the comics while adding new layers and context from the creative mind of the author.

What stands out of course is the strong character development of this narrative. From the complex and emotional struggle of sisters Gamora and Nebula, who has been driven against one another and brainwashed by the vile Thanos and his war machine. The interesting thing is that the author utilizes concepts of the comics rather than the MCU as a whole into the narrative, exploring the effects Thanos’s relationship with the personification of Death has had on both protagonists. Even the humorous and tricky personality of The Grandmaster shines brightly in a grim and gritty corner of the Marvel Universe.

The Verdict

Emotional, action-packed, and entertaining superhero storytelling, author Mackenzi Lee’s “Gamora & Nebula: Sisters in Arms” is a must-read sci-fi and fantasy read. Expertly crafting an original science fiction narrative within a well-established Marvel Universe is an extraordinary feat, and the author excels at navigating the complex relationship between the protagonists and their villainous adoptive father, which has always been a crucial part of the fabric of Marvel’s Cosmic storytelling. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!