(I received a free copy of this book, through NetGalley, in exchange for a review).
(This review may contain spoilers).
I found this book a really entertaining one to read. While it seemed to start partway through a plot, I thought that the opening scene did a good job of establishing the characters and something of the relationships between them. It was good to see the tensions between the group… and the fact that, even though they were allies (and even friends), there were still some very real conflicts between them. While it was disheartening to see the group split up, there didn’t seem any other way to resolve things.
I particularly liked seeing the friendship between Rocket and Groot and how it was easy to see what Groot was really saying, beneath the only three words he could actually say.
While it was easy to see that Quill regretted what had happened, I found it difficult to see what was so different about this time… while it might have been one of the only times they’d been stranded on a planet, I couldn’t imagine it was the first time Quill had got them into awkward situations.
I did really like the fact that I could tell the Guardians were all conflicted characters… even Quill, beneath the exterior of a rogue. While I would have liked to see something of how Quill fought his way to become the Duke’s righthand man, it was good to see that his skills didn’t make him perfect… and I did care about his safety while he was battling. And the first scene was difficult to read, with how alone he seemed to feel.
I liked the opportunity to see more of the planet and the different races that peopled it. It was also good to see how the different crew members found temporary places… but I especially liked that the call of friendship was still strong enough to bring them all together.
I did think there was a lot of buildup and there was a lot of tension during the battle, but it was good to see more of the natives able to stand up for themselves. And I liked being able to get some answers about the history of the planet and seeing the Guardians work together.
I probably would read more book/s about the Guardians of the Galaxy in the future, whether comics or novels.
Ink of Blood 