“This book is fast, furious, compelling, and angry as hell.” — Seanan McGuire, New York Times bestselling author 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 … woman discovers the greatest superpower—for good or ill—is a properly executed spreadsheet.
Anna does boring things for terrible people because even criminals need office help and she needs a job. Working for a monster lurking beneath the surface of the world isn’t glamorous. But is it really worse than working for an oil conglomerate or an insurance company? In this economy?
As a temp, she’s just a cog in the machine. But when she finally gets a promising assignment, everything goes very wrong, and an encounter with the so-called “hero” leaves her badly injured. And, to her horror, compared to the other bodies strewn about, she’s the lucky one.
So, of course, then she gets laid off.
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. When people start listening to the story that her data tells, she realizes she might not be as powerless as she thinks.
Because the key to everything is data: knowing how to collate it, how to manipulate it, and how to weaponize it. 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. And with social media and viral videos, she can control that appearance.
It’s not too long before she’s employed once more, this time by one of the worst villains on earth. As she becomes an increasingly valuable lieutenant, she might just save the world.
A 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.
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Everyone loves a super hero right? But have you ever considered how much damage they actually do? All the buildings destroyed, people injured, and lives disrupted just to arrest one super villain? Not to mention the seemingly disposable hench persons maimed and killed. Anna has. She was just trying to earn a living doing a temp assignment as a villians show model when she was permanently maimed by Super Collider. Now, she has dedicated her life in showing the world just how destructive these so-called heroes are.
This is a fun take on the super hero genre and makes you wonder who the real villains are. I hope Anna and her crew have more adventures.
I love stories about superheroes. I was raised on the Justice League and Justice League Unlimited cartoons, watched some Batman the Animated Series, then read some of the comics. I found I had a taste for the darker side of those stories without it going grimdark. The Boys, The Umbrella Academy, Invincible, all are dark superhero stories I love.
So to read reviews comparing this book to the above stories had me hooked. Then, right before reading, I heard there’s body horror? This was a book made for me. As written in The Enigma of Amigara Fault by Junji Ito, “This is my hole! It was made for me!”
I have a lot to gush about, so I’ll start with what I wasn’t a fan of. My biggest issues with Hench were the chapter sections. There are 8 chapters, each one broken down into sections within. These sections rarely had awkward starts, but when they did, my reading was thrown off. There were two or three timeskips that forced me to reread pages. The first big one actually made me have to check what book I was reading. I would’ve appreciated some lead-ups before the timeskips. Usually, the lead-up was told after the skip happened, giving some sections a middle-beginning-end format. I also noticed a few times where words felt repeated too close to each other, giving a paragraph or page repetitive prose. Some words showed up across pages that felt important for the reader to take note of, but the ones I spotted were too nearby for technique.
Aside from that, there was one evolving relationship I took differently than the book intended, which is more a fault of my own. My friend who read with me understood where the relationship was going. I had to wait for the book to spell it out before I dropped my headcanon.
Okay, done now! Onto the gushing.
So, I’m black, trans-masc agender, and I use they/he pronouns. This book already had me joyful to see a bisexual protagonist with multiple female and male crushes. Then I met not one, but two reoccurring side characters with they/them pronouns. I was almost teary-eyed. Instead, I smiled so hard my face hurt. Every reminder makes me smile again. I don’t know if I’ve read a published novel set in the modern age with human characters using they/them pronouns. The fact that there are two in one book is groundbreaking to me. Four or five, if you count one-offs in the short story at the end of the book. The point is, they/them pronouns are accepted grammar and identities in the setting.
Then there’s racial representation. Not everyone’s ethnicity is listed, but you can get hints from their names or descriptions. Anna’s—the protagonist—best friend is a dark-skinned woman named June. One minor character has the last name Ng, and a reoccurring character is described as being Maori with tattoos.
This book gave me what I wanted from a story with representation. This is a book where ethnicity and sexuality aren’t used to make a point about society. There are no drawn-out conversations talking about the horror of biphobia or how to use they/them pronouns. A character’s transition to female is treated with respect, no one questions Anna for having a crush on a hot muscular woman, these are simply facts of life. The only bigotry is some minor misogyny, which characters turn on its head to empower themselves with.
Related to the above, Anna also suffers physical trauma early on that isn’t treated as an end to her life. It’s an impediment that would be better if she didn’t suffer it at all, but over time, as her body heals and she receives support from her friends, she’s able to see that all isn’t bad. The same goes for her mental health and PTSD. There were a couple of times she had panic attacks that she controlled with breathing techniques, even citing the term CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy). That too is shown as a hardship capable of being managed. Her trauma never goes away, but it doesn’t rule her either. It’s a breath of fresh air to read a story about a mentally ill and physically disabled character who isn’t seen as a burden or as an inspirational story. She has her problems and she makes the best of them.
There isn’t much more for me to say on this book. I loved it. I loved the characters, I loved the balance of tragedy with modern humor (good for Millennials and the older Gen Z crowd).
When the true body horror kicked in, the book had me gripped and I made no attempt to escape. I loved it even more. I clearly haven’t read enough horror books if this is the best body horror I’ve read. With that in mind, if you hate that stuff, don’t touch the book. Physical trauma is littered throughout and it only gets worse. I didn’t think it could, but it did. This was stuff taken out of Lovecraftian horror.
Natalie Walschots stated within an interview on Los Angeles Public Library that a sequel is in the works. Hench ended well as a one-off, but there is plenty of room to expand on the world. Which, isn’t that the joy of comic book universes? They’re infinitely expansive. Hench introduces superhero teams with unique dynamics, villains of varying morality, and a government with systems for superpowered people. Walschots has plenty to work with, whether she follows the main character, changes perspectives, or creates a whole new story set in the world of Hench. It wouldn’t be the first time, because there’s a short story from the perspective of another character within the book. If a sequel never comes, there is plenty for fanfiction writers to pick up on, and I suspect that something she would enjoy seeing.
Wonderful and clever- loved it!
Supervillains and their henchpeoples for the win. Great heroine and this book was lots of fun in a twisty way.
Superhero deconstructions have been done to death by everyone from HBO to Buzzfeed so it is rare to see one so well executed as Hench. Never before have I seen the awful banality of living in a superhero world so beautifully explored. Every time I thought I understood what was going to happen in this novel and what type of book it was, I would be side swiped by something else entirely different happening. Every character in the novel is wonderfully memorable and the main character’s sense of humor managed to make scenes that could have easily been upsettingly grimdark significantly more palatable. This is my favorite book I’ve read in 2021 to date and I cannot wait for the sequel.
I’d been meaning to read this book for a while after I was captured by its exciting premise and it came recommended by my Mum, who never steers me wrong when it comes to good books. It centres around Anna, a young woman who works for a temp agency that specialises in providing administrative support to super villains. At the start of the novel Anna is just looking for a way to pay her bills, but after a battle between her villainous boss and a famous superhero, she is left badly injured and with permanent mobility issues. Furious at what has been done to her and to countless others like her, Anna does what she does best – she makes a spreadsheet. She begins to calculate the damage that superheroes do, not just to so-called villains, but to civilians, in their pursuit of justice and eventually her work captures the attention of one of the most infamous super villains of all. He gives Anna the resources that she needs for her to start using her data to take on the superhero establishment and as the story progresses, the line between who is a hero and who is a villain becomes increasingly blurry. This novel was a totally compulsive read. The plot moved so quickly from major event to major event that I couldn’t put it down because I needed to know what was happening next. It expertly blends moments of real emotional depth with great laughs, heart-pounding action and truly horrifying elements (the ultimate fate of Supercollider was so incredibly and deliciously fucked up; a masterpiece). All I can say is, Natalie Zina Walschots – I salute you and I can’t wait to read whatever you’re writing next.
This was a rollercoaster. There were scenes that I loved and enjoyed, and scenes that I couldn’t wait to see end. So, why five stars? Because (to me) Hench is an amazingly well-told tale of the rationalizing a descent into villainy. There is the obligatory question of who the real villains are. But it is the process of showing the argument through small decisions, interspersed beautifully with daily life, that make this a stand-out read. You’re not supposed to enjoy every moment… It’s villainy, after all. But you must believe each one. And Natalie Zina Walschots succeeds here without fail.
Her pacing is perfect. The dipping back into the quotidian is deftly interspersed. One tense scene between out-of-this-world characters ends with a simple, “The coffeemaker was empty so I set about the business of refilling it, so there was a fresh pot for whoever wandered in next.” The unreal becomes real. Natalie is a natural world-builder.
Hench is perfectly executed, original, well-told, and filled with rich dialogue and characters to love. There are hints online of a sequel, and I hope they’re true. I’ll be first in line.
I really enjoyed this and sort of wished I hadn’t been watching THE BOYS on Netflix recently. This takes a similar theme and expands it, putting us in the POV of a “hench”, one of those faceless, nameless adjuncts to the villain who does everything from drive the getaway car to keep the books.
Where does a villain get henches? Sometimes, like in the case of Anna, they’re bean counters hired from a temp agency. But as we all know, when the superheroes show up to foil the bad guys, henches get hurt…and so do innocent bystanders. While Anna’s recovering from her injuries she starts crunching numbers and creating spreadsheets and makes a disturbing discovery, which brings her to the attention of Leviathan, the baddest of the bad, nemesis of top hero Supercollider.
I really enjoyed this. It was a thoughtful, deep dive into ethics and philosophy with a lot of “biff, bam!” action and sound effects. Be forewarned, the author pulls no punches in describing the gore and collateral damage. Seeing Anna’s journey from hench temp to her evolution into The Auditor was a wonderful examination of a woman acquiring agency through her natural talents.
Again, not for the faint of heart or people who have a low tolerance for descriptive gore, but like THE BOYS it raises interesting questions of the nature of good and evil and the consequences of the decisions we make. I would definitely read more by this author.
Thanks to Harper Audio for the complimentary audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
Hench by Natalie Zina Walschots tells the story of Anna, who works as an assistant to villains, in her case crunching numbers and spreadsheets and doing research. She lives in a world where superheroes and villains are out in the open to the world. Within the superhero world there are top tier and lower tier heroes and villains as well. And the heroes and villains have entourages and staff to keep their operations running. They even have temp agencies! I really enjoyed the world building on this one.
The premise behind the book is that while heroes are supposed to be protecting people, their collateral damage is often worse than the good they accomplish. I’ll leave the plot there so as to not spoil things.
Overall I really enjoyed this book. I really could see some parallels between what’s going on in the world today and the alternative universe this book takes place in. I loved that the heroine, Anna, in a world of super powers, uses her brain to advance. I also loved that the characters are not just one dimensional caricatures, but rather fully developed with strengths and weaknesses, as well positives and negatives aspects of their personalities.
I do feel like the book does get a little long in parts. The ending, although not a cliff hanger, is pretty open ended and is pretty much begging for the next adventure sequel. Overall I think the whole premise of the book is smart and told with enough snark that it kept me interested throughout.
Narration: I loved the narrator of this book. She has just the right amount of sass and spark without being obnoxious. I think she really helped bring the book to life.
If you are a fan of superhero movies or comics, you’ll probably love this book. If you’re someone who enjoys the Marvel films, you’ll probably find this entertaining as well.
Supercollided
With the popularity of superheroes, comes a branch genre of anti-superhero stories. Focusing on the destructive cost of superheroes, Natalie Zina Walschots delves into the lives of the part-time employees of villains nicknamed the Hench. Anna Tromedlov is looking for a full-time job, and is willing to do all the boring evil work she can to pay the bills. Anna and her friends are not exactly villain material, as the evilest thing they do is make fun of people on Tinder. Unfortunately, when living in a world of superheroes there is collateral damage. When Anna has an unfortunate run in with the superhero Supercollider, almost destroying her life, she becomes obsessed with counting the cost. For her own brand of revenge, and for all the other Hench who are considered expendable. So, a brief warning to those who get queasy with mentions of vomiting, blood, and serious medical injuries. Anna is refreshingly normal and relatable. It is great that she is not especially fantastic from the beginning, but instead works hard to find herself in a crazy world. I also appreciate that she is not overly jaded after her traumatic experiences, just evilly determined. Natalie Zina Walschots sets up a satisfying plot, and highlights a lot of behind the scenes problems of living in a super-powered world. This is a great book for fans of revenge narratives, and anti-heroes. #mycollision
When it comes to superheroes and their sidekicks, I am usually not all that interested since these stories tend to follow the same formulaic script. Hench brilliantly flips the script to give us a fresh new take on hench people, the expendable people who work for villains.
Anna Tromedlov alongside her friend June work crappy temp assignments for minor villains that no one really cares about. Anna can’t complain though because she needs to make money to be able to eat. Anna finally gets her break working for a villain, but the gig goes south leaving her injured. To make matters worse, Anna gets laid off. While unemployed, Anna starts analyzing and compiling data that shows that superheroes are actually terrible for the world.
Supervillain Leviathan takes notice of Anna’s research, and hires her to use her expertise to expose and take down superheroes.
Anna is definitely one of the most fascinating characters that I’ve read. The author does an incredible job of developing her character from this meek underling to this person of great influence and power. That’s not to say that Anna becomes any less awkward because she still fumbles when it comes to being attracted to others. Anna is the perfect amount of snark and cynicism in a world that is pretty dark and depressing.
One of the other facets of this book that I really enjoyed was the increase in levels as you move through the plot. We start at the very bottom with the henches and the meat who are used and abused by the supervillains. We slowly progress our way through the chain of command as we see the different power dynamics at play.
The pacing for the plot is steady for the most part. There is a bit in the middle that slowed down a bit as Anna’s character undergoes a transition, but it did not make me any less interested in the story.
I’m really hoping that there is a book two because after that ending, I want to see what else is in store for Anna.
Thank you to Harper Audio for providing an advanced listening copy through Edelweiss. This did not influence my review. All opinions are my own.
This debut novel brings superheroes and villains to life – literally. The main character, Anna, works for a temp agency as a henchwoman. She has an aptitude for finding, collating, and manipulating data. She is severely injured when a superhero, Supercollider, gets a little carried away in his dealings with the villains. She is unable to work, she’s bunking on her best friend’s couch while she recovers, and nothing is going right. Because she’s bored and can’t get out of the apartment due to her injury, she starts looking at the results of the superheroes actions and is appalled. She starts blogging about her findings. Then, a supervillain hires her to wreak havoc on the superheroes. She figures out ways to mess with the heroes and she and her team love their jobs.
The storyline, while initially fun and interesting, eventually devolves into an uneven mess – too much is going on with too little worldbuilding. It is as if the author lost her way and started writing whatever popped into her head. Anna is a well-drawn character – intelligent, slightly off putting in her nerdiness and definitely out for revenge. There are a lot of unanswered questions about when all this takes place and why more simplistic avenues aren’t explored – and rejected – first.
If you’re a fan of superheroes and/or supervillains, you’ll undoubtedly love his book. But if you picked up the book only because the plot sounded interesting, you may be sorely disappointed.
My thanks to William Morrow and Edelweiss for an eARC.
Hench Aug 2020
Yikes, two stars. I really wanted to like this one too. I won it on Goodreads giveaway. The premise sounded so interesting and promising. And it started out just so. Great Point of view, strong female character, good writing craft. The first part of the book had me all the way while she built the new world. It came out natural and easy to follow. I always talk about the Fictive Dream and as the book progressed I got dumped out too many times. This was caused mainly by my own inability to suspension disbelief. For me it was a tad over the top.
The story is about a temp (work) agency that supplies Hench or henchmen/women for villains to help with their villainy. What a great premise, loved it. Let me say I am not a fan of superhero movies and I realize lots of folks are. I’m absolutely sure other readers will love this book.
David Putnam author of the Bruno Johnson series.