Triptych

Once again, I would like to thank Aconyte Books and Netgalley for giving me access to this ARC in exchange for a honest and fair review. I will preface this by stating three facts; I love most marvel (who doesn’t nowadays?!), I loved Jaleigh Johnson’s other work and Aconyte Books might well be becoming my favourite publisher out there! That said I will remain unbiased and will keep the review spoiler free and add greater detail when the book is released.

I must start by admitting I didn’t know as much about Fantomex as some other X-men centric characters I wasn’t sure what to really expect. I knew the basics and loved his snarky attitude (who doesn’t!). This coupled with the synopsis sold me. From the very first line I was not disappointed. The storytelling is top notch, of course this is a story of Fantomex but all other characters be they classed as deuteragonist or supporting character find their own voice with Johnson’s skills. I have to say, and I admit my biased, Magneto’s interactions with Fantomex are some of my favourites!

The plot is fantastic and keeps you hooked from the start. Johnson blends serious and humorous in such a way and in such great measures that you won’t be left thinking there is too much of one or the other (well I certainly wasn’t!). The action is well written and believable within the Marvel universes.
One thing that I find increasingly refreshing in works published by Aconyte Books is the natural inclusion diversion of both race and sexuality. That is not to say this is the books main focus but as in real life it is depicted in such a way that it seems natural, there is no song and dance about being diverse it is just there, as it should be!

All in all the book went well above my expectations. Fast paced action, heartfelt moments, funny moments, fabulous writing style, brilliant characters and characterizations and a snarky protagonist what isn’t to love?
I cannot help but recommend this book enough, I’ve pre-ordered a physical copy and a couple of copies for friends who I am sure will love this. Currently the hardest thing is keeping myself quiet about the plot and not being able to go full fan-girl mode yet! The Ebook will be available from the September 7, 2021. With the paperback following on September 28th for the US and November 11th for the UK.

Aconyte Books are the novel division of Asmodee Entertainment. Asmodee Entertainment is based in an amazing building in Nottingham, England. The Star Brewery opened in 1852, producing beer for Shipstones until 1991.

About Marvel Entertainment
Marvel Entertainment, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is one of the world’s most prominent character-based entertainment companies, built on a proven library of more than 8,000 characters featured in a variety of media for over eighty years. Marvel utilizes its character franchises in entertainment, licensing, publishing, games, and digital media.
For more information visit marvel.com. © 2020 MARVEL

Jaleigh Johnson lives and writes in the wilds of the Midwest. Her middle grade debut novel The Mark of the Dragonfly is a New York Times bestseller, was chosen for the ABA Spring Indie Next list, and was named one of Amazon’s Top 20 Children’s Books of 2014. Her other books from Delacorte Press include The Secrets of Solace, The Quest to the Uncharted Lands, and The Door to the Lost. She has also written fiction for the Dungeons and Dragons Forgotten Realms line and Marvel/Aconyte Books. Johnson is an avid gamer and lifelong geek. Visit her online at www.jaleighjohnson.com.

Writing for franchises is a hard thing to do. Especially ones that have a long standing tradition and near cult-following such as #Marvel's X-Men as there's so much lore, expectations and baggage that the task might seem dauting to any professional author.

Yet, in true hero fashion, Jaliegh Johnson looked at the odds, read the danger in the room, and lunged in to create a great piece of storytelling firmly set in the universe created by #MarvelEnt's Marvel Comics multiverse, with this particular one taking place in the corner where the mutants are fighting for their very existence and the X-men are sometimes saviors, sometimes bogeymen, often times an unnerving mystery to all those outside their closely knit circle.

Triptych is what I'd call a "Heist" novel, where the most interesting feature defining it is its exploration of self. The most important questions Jean-Phillipe Charles—the suave and hard-to.swallow Fantomex—is often making to himself (and his selves is): "what makes me, well us, ourselves amid all we've lost?"

The answers are not easy or as obvious of as a splitting of abilities between the three "nodes" he has beein divided into due to a faulty assessment by the healing programs initiated over at the New Charles Xavier School, located somehwere in the fridgid cold of the Canadian expanse. What can I say? When you get savaged by the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, some things are usually going to have a rather unexpected turn. Consider it their gift that keeps on giving.

Very much like this book.

It's written in a simple, direct way that make reading easy, but that doesn't mean it doesn't have very powerful moments and interesting turns of phrase beyond the usual comic book one-liners, as well as breathtaking moments of introspection and imagery that keep the reader entrhalled by a narrative that, in the vein of the best stories in the genre—be they other novels or movies—keeps getting more and more intense as the mysery unravles and the action mounts to the momentous finale.

Yes. That means this book is a great ride filled with many interesting stops, which all come at the precise time and with the force they need to astonish, shake, shock and make the reader think hard about serious issues about relationships, identity and what links these two together as well as their place in our respective worlds.

Yes, the world we live is one, but the way each one of us experience it makes completely our repective own, and this story is proof of this fightening marvel.

So, yes the novel is not a frantic ride from start to finish. As any good dish from the Vallée du Rhône or the Monts du Lyonaiss, this tale of the most broken of Fantomex personas—not "personalities," mind—has to be let to simmer in a low fire because the results of all the preparation are, well... quite specatcular.because the wait is well worth it in the end.

Now, a bit more detail and an honest disclaimer, with the latter being the first I'd address:

I'm no longer a fan of the X-Men, but I love good X.Men stories.

Needless to say, I'm quite pleased with what Jaleigh Johnson has crafted with him, E.V.A., Cluster and Weapon XIII, besides Christopher Muse (Triage) and Avery Torres, and the rest of the familiar "big name" X-men characters who make appreances throughout the story, Everything is in its right place and in the exact quantities to make them delectable, recognizable and essental to the moment they appear on the tale., and by no means are there just to parade a huge list of supporting characters.

So what the story like?

As I said: solid. Like any good heist-caper-thriller, it paces itself and mounts the tensions for and between all characters who find themselves part of a plot far bigger than their initial suspicious had them believing.

After all, we're reading about Fantomex. Misdirection is to be expected.

What's more enticing to me is the complex, well-fleshed relationship between Fantomex (Jean-Phillipe) and E.V.A., (his disembodied central nervous system come sentient and self-aware enoug to be a definite and important personality all on her own), and the way both of them deal with change, loss and rebuilding after trauma. In a way, to me this is a deep reflection on the act of aging and outgrowing our pettiest if prettiest selves. A process of the getting wiser by getting hurt and getting real, so to speak..

This is perhaps the very thing that makes this book different from all others of its kind (superheroes and heist fiction): there's a sense of inevitability to the protagonist quandary and major conflict that can't be solved, but sorted out. It's not all non-stop action, grim instrospection, dark noirish prose or funny displays of snappy dialogue. Yet, at various stages, it manages to be the perfect amount of each of these elements in an almost perfect blend.

What I love about it is that Triptych is novel that digs deeper into this nagging question of what makes us.... our own unique selves.. and this is perhaps the second most important thing why you should care to read it. The first, of course, being Fanto... I mean, the X-Men.

All in all, a great, fun read and a great tale that builds and expands on the #Marvel Universe line that's been published by the good, dedicated folks over at #Aconytebooks.

This was my honest #review for this book.

This advance copy has been given to me for an honest review #Marvel #MarvelEnt #Aconytebooks #review

My first Marvel novel and really enjoyed it. Fanta ex is no longer whole but one part of a Triptych and is not sure of himself or others. And so the adventure begins in a fast paced novel with moral questions and values plus some violence. New characters for me and loved it. Read to see what happens and enjoy.

About Marvel Entertainment. Marvel Entertainment, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is one of the world’s most prominent character- based entertainment companies, built on a proven library of more than 8000 characters featured in a variety of media for over 80 years. Marvel utilises its character franchises in entertainment, licensing, publishing, games and digital media. For more information visit marvel.com. 2020 MARVEL