The Shadow Society

Stan Lee's The Devil's Quintet #2

by Jay Bonansinga, Stan Lee

Born of the legendary imagination that brought us Spider-Man, The Avengers, The X-Men, and an enduring universe of marvelous heroes and villains, Stan Lee's The Devil’s Quintet return to take on a fiendish new The Shadow Society.

Ever since The Armageddon Code, the Devil’s Quintet have been using their demonic powers to fight evil and protect the world, while remaining nothing but an urban legend to the general public. But the Devil is not about to let them keep using his powers for good.

Created by Satan himself to counter the Quintet, the Shadow Society are five saintly men and women that have been secretly (and strategically) possessed by five of Hell’s most powerful demons. Granted supernatural powers of their own, they are part of a literally diabolical plot to strike at the very heart of the Quintet―and destroy humanity’s last hope!

336 pages, Hardcover

Published May 9, 2023

About the author

The national best-selling author of ten acclaimed books – both fiction and non-fiction -- Jay Bonansinga has been called “one of the most imaginative writers of thrillers” by the Chicago Tribune.

Jay is the holder of a master's degree in film from Columbia College Chicago, and currently resides in Evanston, Illinois, with his wife and two sons. He is also a visiting professor at Northwestern University in their Creative Writing for the Media program.

Reviews

[Kristjan · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I am a huge fan of Marvel movies, I am pretty much hit or miss with the comics themselves. The Shadow Society is written more along the lines of a novelized comic book without the cool illustrations. The idea of a team of anti-heroes is pretty standard stuff and the members of the quintet pretty [stereo]typical … so don’t expect a PC story here. Since this is the second of the series, let’s meet the main characters. Spur is muscle bound cowboy that is the nominal leader of the “ very special unit” and has the ability to duplicate or match his opponent’s main advantage. Boo is “petite” ninja assassin who earned her code name from her ability to ambush folks from the shadows (as in Boo, you dead). Pin-up (yeah, they went there) is a sexualized Latina who can shape shift (of course). Ticker is a dapper African American who can stop time and Hack follows the trend with his legendary cyber skills.

The story opens with a little demonic possession and satanic cult weirdness that it hopefully meant as a caricature the exorcism tradition of the Catholic Church. It is designed by be repulsive and it does a fair job without being too silly. Next we get some sleight of hand and the characters all move around the board without any apparent rhyme or reason other than bad guys gotta be bad guys. Frankly that makes Part I a bit of a drag to get through. We don’t get to the actually plot until Part II when we realize that Satan has some very specific plans to bring about Armageddon … and there really are no surprises here … after all, the prophecy is over 2 thousand years old by now. Part III is where the team springs into action to head off the Devil at the pass … with a [moderately] surprising incentive on top. This is where the super hero genre finally comes through and it was just okay when all was said and done. If you are a big comic book fan, feel free to add a star.

I was given this free advance reader copy (ARC) ebook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

#TheShadowSociety #TheDevilsQuintet #NetGalley

[Sean Halpin · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was sadly not a book that I could get through, I stopped reading around 18 percent. The first book was bad, but I managed to finish it. This however, was just....worse, maybe it's because I'm not the worlds biggest Marvel fan, but I think that other than the obvious (comics) the only way to properly tell stories from Marvel is in either live action, or preferably animation.

The narrative voice, characters, plot, everything that I experienced was just not enjoyable.


Either way, thanks netgalley for the e-ARC in exhange for my honest review.

[Justin Soderberg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Building off of the events of his previous novel, The Armageddon Code, Jay Bonansinga’s newest work, Stan Lee's The Devil's Quintet: The Shadow Society, explores the ongoing fight between two groups of powerful beings, The Devil’s Quintet and The Shadow Society. With the fate of the world hanging in the balance, this novel offers a thrilling ride through a world of supernatural powers and cosmic battles.

New York Times bestselling author Jay Bonansinga’s latest work is fast-paced and packed with action. The story picks up where The Armageddon Code left off – with The Devil’s Quintet using their powers to fight evil and protect the world. However, their battle against evil is far from over when The Shadow Society is introduced. The Shadow Society is a group of five saintly individuals that have been possessed by demonic entities to counter The Devil’s Quintet. The Shadow Society's objective is to destroy humanity's last hope by striking at the Quintet. The stakes are high, and the Devil is pulling all the strings behind the scenes.

Bonansinga's writing style is also worth noting. His prose is engaging and easy to read, ideal for those looking for an escape into a world that’s vastly different from our own. The writing style is notably reminiscent of the late Stan Lee himself, with action-packed scenes filled with witty dialogue, larger-than-life characters, and supernatural elements.

The character development in the novel also stands out; the Quintet and Shadow Society may seem like archetypes at first, but Bonansinga adds layers of complexity to them that make them more interesting. The Quintets struggle to balance their newfound powers with their humanity makes them compelling characters. Meanwhile, the newly introduced Shadow Society may be saintly individuals on the surface, but their darker intentions make for a thrilling antagonistic force.

Bonansinga's newest novel is an excellent addition to his work in supernatural fiction. With the story's high stakes and fast-paced action combined with beautiful prose and captivating characters, the book is a standout in its genre.

This book is a thrilling read that will keep you hooked from beginning to end. Bonansinga's creative writing style and stunning character development make this novel an excellent addition to any comic book fan's collection.

While we are more fans of The Walking Dead novels from Bonansinga, The Devil's Quintet continues to wow and we can't wait for more.