Truth be told, I’ve read this now four times. My first read through was simply a perusal of an author I’d read two earlier works from and enjoyed the light-hearted bantering which followed through in his pieces. The Matriarch, by Sloane Howell, blew me away from the get go. He holds nothing back. The blended genre style was so different from the other two pieces I’d read. I needed to get down and dirty to dissect this little masterpiece a bit more up close and personal. Which is why the next three readings took place! Most likely not the last either.

Maggie is the epitome of the rising Phoenix. Yep she went through hell, left heaven and landed in the devil’s soup kitchen. Yep, she was a product of human trafficking. She has quirks of course, but she represents the underdog, rising to stick it in the a$$ of the big power. She still has a piece of her goodness left, which shows in her desire to seek normalcy on some level. The setting between the light home city and the classic juxtaposed Gotham makes it that much richer. Without a doubt, I nerded out on the raw vulgarity of the situation and how it developed through the eyes of Maggie and her young immature eyes. If this story placed Maggie in her forties totally different feel obviously, which her being young and feisty just built it up even more.

If you’re up for a totally mind-blowing superhero read that will knock your socks off grab this gem and settle in for a wild ride.

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