As she becomes an increasingly valuable lieutenant, she might just save the world.Ī sharp, witty, modern debut, Hench explores the individual cost of justice through a fascinating mix of Millennial office politics, heroism measured through data science, body horror, and a profound misunderstanding of quantum mechanics.Natalie Zina Walschots’ debut novel Hench is both a razor-sharp deconstruction of the superhero genre as well as the best example of prose writing on the subject since Austin Grossman’s Soon I Will Be Invincible. It's not too long before she's employed once more, this time by one of the worst villains on earth. And with social media and viral videos, she can control that appearance.

By tallying up the human cost these caped forces of nature wreak upon the world, she discovers that the line between good and evil is mostly marketing.

When people start listening to the story that her data tells, she realizes she might not be as powerless as she thinks.īecause the key to everything is data: knowing how to collate it, how to manipulate it, and how to weaponize it. With no money and no mobility, with only her anger and internet research acumen, she discovers her suffering at the hands of a hero is far from unique.

And, to her horror, compared to the other bodies strewn about, she's the lucky one. But when she finally gets a promising assignment, everything goes very wrong, and an encounter with the so-called 'hero' leaves her badly injured. But is it really worse than working for an oil conglomerate or an insurance company? In this economy?Īs a temp, she's just a cog in the machine. Working for a monster lurking beneath the surface of the world isn't glamorous. The Boys meets My Year of Rest and Relaxation in this smart, imaginative, and evocative novel of love, betrayal, revenge, and redemption, told with razor-sharp wit and affection, in which a young woman discovers the greatest superpower-for good or ill-is a properly executed spreadsheet.Īnna does boring things for terrible people because even criminals need office help and she needs a job. 'This book is fast, furious, compelling, and angry as hell.' - Seanan McGuire, New York Times bestselling author

Hench by Natalie Zina Walschots