Meet the fiercest kitty-cat that will bring Gotham to its knees. Part of the DC Icons series, Sarah J. Maas’ rendition of Selina Kyle will have readers out to buy a set of cat ears, and some matching claws to go with it. Plucked from the crime ridden Gotham city, Selina Kyle returns to Gotham posing as the mysteriously wealthy young woman Holly Vanderhees. The perfect guise for some criminal masterminding, she quickly finds out that our beloved Batman is off on a mission, and it seems like the city is ready to be taken on a wild ride.
Meanwhile, our Batwing (also known as Luke Fox) lurks in the shadows, watching our beloved Catwoman wreak havoc upon the rich. As the debonaire but also mysterious Luke Fox, he uses his connections to find out what he can about the movements of our frustratingly enigmatic thief. When she teams up with Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn, our hero knows he needs to do everything he can to stop her…before she does something more than merely stealing jewels and artwork.
Get ready for some laughs, plenty of action, and some tears. Maas created such a three-dimensional character in Selina Kyle as she’s funny, witty, and that whip of hers will do some serious damage, enemies beware! There was so much depth and back story that painted a new side of Catwoman. Not just our badass chick without a moral compass, but a vulnerable young woman swept into a world that required her to be the strongest, fiercest, and smartest person to survive. Is she still a villain? Hell yes, but a damned good one, if I’m being honest. Her motivations behind her criminal activity justify the action, although Batwing might not quite agree.
Never underestimate the power, will, and strength of a woman…that was definitely one of the morals of this story to me. The female characters in this story display incredible strength both physically and otherwise, but I feel that their interpersonal relationships is what really kept me hooked. I loved the interactions between Catwoman, Poison Ivy, and Harley Quinn better than the romantic interactions between Batwing and Catwoman. The friendship developed between these three villainesses is so badass. Three women respecting each other while also having time to steal from the rich to pursue their own agendas. Finally, the romance is definitely there, but it’s not the focal point of this story. There is so much more going on that the romance is only a small tidbit in the grand scheme, which were still tasty tidbits to be sure!
While the story moves very quickly, I loved every minute of it. In the week that I took to read it, every few chapters that I read almost felt like I was reading a comic book. Full of action, and always teasing you to turn the page and find out what’s next. It’s a constant game of cat and mouse, getting to see Catwoman and Holly Vanderhees (Selina Kyle) in action. The duality of her personalities works so well, because it keeps Batwing captivated and none the wiser to who the real Catwoman might be. Speaking of Batwing, I liked his character but I found myself not really loving him until later in the story. His own personal traumas coming to light help him become a better character, but at the beginning, he comes off a little vapid and shallow.
There wasn’t too much of this story that I didn’t like. More interactions with Harley and Poison Ivy, because sometimes it felt like there was a whirlwind of action where they were in the scene one minute, gone the next. I would have also loved a little bit more depth into the relationship development between Catwoman and Batwing. Would I have liked more of the story? ABSOLUTELY, no doubt about it. Sarah J. Maas has written some pretty long books (with the longest one coming out this month, Kingdom of Ash, I’m looking at you). However, all good stories must come to an end, though I feel that the ending of this book might have left it open for more adventures to come. It felt like that with the other stories as well, especially Wonder Woman: Warbringer.
I’ll rate Catwoman: Soulstealer as a 9/10 because it’s an excellent story, and I encourage everyone to read it! I just wished there was a tad more relationship development between some of the characters. Hopefully Sarah J. Maas will decide to revisit Gotham one of these days, I would love to see more adventures of the delightfully devious Catwoman.
Catwoman: Soulstealer is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers.
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Synopsis | Goodreads
When the Bat’s away, the Cat will play. It’s time to see how many lives this cat really has. . . .
Two years after escaping Gotham City’s slums, Selina Kyle returns as the mysterious and wealthy Holly Vanderhees. She quickly discovers that with Batman off on a vital mission, Batwing is left to hold back the tide of notorious criminals. Gotham City is ripe for the taking.
Meanwhile, Luke Fox wants to prove he has what it takes to help people in his role as Batwing. He targets a new thief on the prowl who seems cleverer than most. She has teamed up with Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn, and together they are wreaking havoc. This Catwoman may be Batwing’s undoing.
