Nimona by Noelle Stevenson

Nimona is an impulsive young shapeshifter with a knaack for villainy. Lord Ballister Blackheart is a villain with a vendetta. As sidekick and supervillain, Nimona and Lord Blackheart are about to wreck some serious havoc. Their mission: to prove to the kingdom that Sir Ambrosius Goldenloin and his buddies at the Institution of Law Enforcement and Heroics aren't the heroes everyone thinks they are (from Goodreads).

Rating:

Sorry that my March books have been so heavily delayed. I'm trying to get back on track, but I might have to push them into April to get them all finished. But here is one of the books from the list before the month is up.

Graphic novels are something I really don't read that often, and I really should. Nimona was a recommendation that kept popping up on my Amazon suggestions, and I took a chance because it sounded funny and a little strange. I do enjoy stories told from the villain's point of view, so this was right up my street. 

Our main character is Nimona, a young girl who comes to Blackheart to train to be his evil apprentice. She is a gifted young woman, with powers she can't really explain, and Blackheart does take her on, despite insisting he doesn't actually need any help. He does, though, because he's a rather bad villain.

Nimona is such a complex character, and a compulsive liar. Her life before she meets Blackheart is a mystery, but it's clear she has been abused for her gifts before. Her dark and twisted humour is the perfect foil for the sometimes too-serious Blackheart. I loved her, and her character development is just right.

Blackheart is a funny villain, especially since he's quite terrible at being bad. It's just how his life ended up that he became a villain, cast out of hero training after losing one of his arms in a fight with Goldenloin. In a way he is the ridiculous sidekick you'd expect to see in a villain story to a real villain, someone like Nimona. Unlike him, she is eager to create some real havoc, rather than the mild panic he typically stirs up. 

Goldenloin and the Institution of Law Enforcement and Heroics are the real villains of the story, though poor Goldenloin isn't aware of it for a very long time. What I've found is anything with the word 'institution' in it is probably evil, like if a dystopian novel has a setting within a country with 'republic' in the title you know the government shouldn't be trusted (such as the Republic of Panem). Goldenloin is a character I enjoyed, because he truly believes he is a hero but he has made a lot of mistakes in his past, and his way of thinking is so linear it blinds his judgement. If you're not one of the good guys, or you don't agree with him or the Institution, that makes you the enemy. He learns over the book things are never that clear cut. 

Overall, it's a good read. Very easy and quick to read, so please pick it up if you're wanting a story about the villains you'll laugh at. I want more, but I'd be happy if this was a standalone graphic novel because it was perfect. I'm also pretty sure Blackheart and Goldenloin are in love, cause they both act like spurned lovers the entire way through. It's never confirmed, but I've decided I ship them regardless. 

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