‘Thanos: Titan Consumed’ was something I knew I needed but didn’t think I’d ever get…and that is the story of Thanos. I started reading the book on Sunday. I finished it last night. Yeah. It was that good.
Thanos is a character that has always fascinated me because he’s an intellectual villain. He talks out his plans. He tells the people he murders why he’s doing what he’s doing. In his eyes, he is a hero and everyone who fights against him are the villains. The ones who want to keep the galaxy in its imminent state of ruin and Barry Lyga does an INCREDIBLE job transporting the reader into Thanos’s head and thought process.
I became consumed (pun totally intended) by this amazing story which is, in full, the story of Thanos’s life and his determination to complete his great, righteous mission which is, of course, to wipe out half of all life.
We see Thanos at his most vulnerable, we learn about Thanos’s relationships with those on his journey, we learn that he’s been in love once which is kind of shocking and yet adds a personal depth to his character that I didn’t know I needed, but most importantly, we grasp how ridiculously powerful/smart/cunning Thanos truly is.
I came away from this book not only shocked by how fantastic the story was but how much it made me appreciate The Avengers and the Guardians of the Galaxy and what they had to accomplish in order to defeat Thanos. Earth was the one place in the galaxy that he couldn’t conquer. Earth’s Mightiest Heroes would be his undoing.
Him! The Mad Titan who destroyed every world with merciless efficiency. The galactic madman bent on a quest that no one could stop. They were able to defeat…him. A simple bunch of heroes with far less power than him was strong enough to stop his reign of terror, even when he thought he had won. It’s AMAZING!
I also feel like I understand his relationship with his daughters, Gamora and Nebula, far better which adds yet another layer of perspective to their story. And, most importantly, I UNDERSTAND Thanos which will make my future viewings of Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame that much greater.
All in all, Thanos: Titan Consumed is an ABSOLUTE must-read for those who have truly grown invested in the MCU storyline, particularly Thanos’s story. This book is so good that even though I just finished it I’m going to pick it right back up and read it all over again.
Now, I must warn you, this is not a book for children. It’s a YA novel for a very obvious reason. Thanos’s quest is wrought with violence, meaning this story can get very gory at times and Barry Lyga makes sure to give you a perfect imaginative visual of this violence in full detail, which of course enhances the story but can be a bit wince-worthy.
For the past…year or so I have been fascinated with reading YA Star Wars novels that help paint a greater picture of some of my favorite Star Wars characters but honestly, none of them, even The Last Jedi novel that I found so thrilling, can compare to this book. I know I keep saying it but Thanos: Titan Consumed is amazing. A true masterpiece of literature for an incredible franchise. And Barry Lyga is at the center of this ridiculously enjoyable book.
He told Thanos’s story so perfectly, so effortlessly, that I’m ready to read more of his stories because if they’re all as good as this book was I’m going to be in fiction heaven.
I thank you for reading and I hope you have a splendid day.
(Do yourself a favor and get this book. You won’t be disappointed.)
Annlyel Online 