Sarah Kuhn’s Heroine Complex

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Sarah Kuhn

Sarah Kuhn

By Carl Slaughter: Betsy Wollheim has a gift for discovering new talent.

HEROINE COMPLEX

by Sarah Kuhn

Heroine COmplex cover

The first in a DAW series on Asian-American superheroines.

Being a superheroine is hard. Working for one is even harder.

Evie Tanaka is the put-upon personal assistant to Aveda Jupiter, her childhood best friend and San Francisco’s most beloved superheroine. She’s great at her job—blending into the background, handling her boss’s epic diva tantrums, and getting demon blood out of leather pants.

Unfortunately, she’s not nearly as together when it comes to running her own life, standing up for herself, or raising her tempestuous teenage sister, Bea.

But everything changes when Evie’s forced to pose as her glamorous boss for one night, and her darkest secret comes out: she has powers, too. Now it’s up to her to contend with murderous cupcakes, nosy gossip bloggers, and supernatural karaoke battles—all while juggling unexpected romance and Aveda’s increasingly outrageous demands. And when a larger threat emerges, Evie must finally take charge and become a superheroine in her own right…or see her city fall to a full-on demonic invasion.

PRAISE

“Sarah Kuhn creates characters you want to befriend, worlds you want to live in, and situations you can’t begin to imagine. Heroine Complex is at once fiendishly snarky yet colossally big-hearted.”

—Javier Grillo-Marxuach, writer and producer for Lost, creator of The Middleman

“Smart, sexy, and filled with beautifully fleshed-out/kick-ass women, Heroine Complex is the kind of read that sticks in your brain like a fanged cupcake…. I adored it.”

—Amber Benson, author of The Witches of Echo Park

“The superheroine we’ve been waiting for; the urban fantasy we deserve. Sarah Kuhn is the total package: comedy, tragedy, and sincerity. Grab your cape. We’re saving the city.”

—Seanan McGuire, New York Times bestselling author of the October Daye series

“Every page of Sarah Kuhn’s novel delighted me immensely…. Kuhn’s writing is bouncy and engaging, and Evie is very clearly spun into a captivating character. I also have to give Kuhn props for balancing romance and humour and drama, and making me wish that Heroine Complex would go on just a little bit longer.”

—Book Riot

“Onomatopoeias? Check. Snarkiness? Check. Kick-ass Asian-American superwomen saving San Francisco from demon-possessed cupcakes? Check and check, Kuhn’s Heroine Complex is a ridiculously fun read.”

—RT Reviews (top pick)

“Witty…. Kuhn starts of the novel with vivacity and a tongue-in-cheek narration.”

—Publishers Weekly

“A fresh take on a superheroine story. Full of wit and of course danger!… This seriously was an entertaining read. The character development was superb.”

—Boundless Books

“Love the humor and wacky hijinks, along with character development…. This is everything I’ve ever wanted in a book!“

—Dreaming of Cats

BIO

Sarah Kuhn is the author of Heroine Complex—the first in a series starring Asian American superheroines—for DAW Books. She also wrote The Ruby Equation for the comics anthology Fresh Romance and the romantic comedy novella “One Con Glory,” which earned praise from io9 and USA Today and is in development as a feature film. Her articles and essays on such topics as geek girl culture, comic book continuity, and Sailor Moon cosplay have appeared in Uncanny Magazine, Apex Magazine, AngryAsianMan.com, IGN.com, Back Stage, The Hollywood Reporter, StarTrek.com, Creative Screenwriting, and the Hugo-nominated anthology Chicks Dig Comics. In 2011, she was selected as a finalist for the CAPE (Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment) New Writers Award.

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133 thoughts on “Sarah Kuhn’s Heroine Complex”

  4. Concerned, Mikey, I am concerned for your health. Do take good care and come back to us soon.

  6. When Mike goes to the hospital, there’s nobody to report it 🙁

    Wishing you a full and speedy recovery, Mike.

    I’ll be keeping you in my thoughts and prayers. In fact, I may pray for you constantly, with disturbing intensity, alarming my chosen deity whenever ${PRONOUN} least expects it. It’ll be a God Stalk.

  7. Ooh, “hospital” is really not a good word in this context. Here’s hoping everything turns out well.

  9. Suzle and I send our best wishes for your recovery, Mike, and hope that whatever’s put you in hospital is not life-threatening.

  10. So here was I wondering why Sarah Kuhn’s Heroine Complex – estimable though it surely is – was getting so many comments.

    Get well soon, Mike!

  11. This is what happens when one only reads the articles and skips the comment threads.

    WTH?

    Mike, if you’re reading this, you have my surprised but complete wishes for a quick and comfortable recovery from whatever has been so serious as to require hospitalization.

    Needless to say, I also hope it isn’t something with long-term consequences.

    I’m sorry you won’t be able to attend MidAmeriCon II.

    When I mention this to Nila and the sons, I know they too will be wishing you well.

  14. Best wishes for a steady return to good health, and I know you won’t be lacking in suggestions for good reading material! Take care of yourself, please!

    And thank you, JKT, for playing messenger!

  17. Mike, we want you home and well. But in the meantime, can we have contact data for those able to send cards/care packages/etc.? For Filers close enough to visit if you’re up to it?

  21. Delurking after a couple of years of greatly enjoying this blog, the community, and especially its amazing host, to wish Mike a speedy and lasting recovery. Please know that not only do the lurkers support you in email (ahem!) but they really, really miss you and hope that you can come back soon! Take care, good sir.

    (And now I’m off to buy ‘Heroine Complex’ because it sounds rather delightful.)

  22. Did we break the old comment thread?

    Anyway, I hope someone can bring a coupla shiny rockets to Mike soon (at home!). Obviously there needs to be a photo of him in Park 770 and Ancillary Park.

  24. Mike: Thinking of you and sending my prayers for a speedy and complete recovery.

    LA Denizens: Hope someone will have pity on Mike’s friends around the country and the world and post an update here or in a new thread!

  27. Lurkertype: agreed on the shiny rockets, but why stop at hoping they reach him at home? I hope he can pick them up soon… on the ISS!

  31. Mike, I heard that you were in hospital – and nothing else. This lack of information about a good friend is not at all nice. The best news is the report that you will be home this week. It was nice to see you at LASFS (with DUFF winner Clare) after too many years with you not visiting. It will be nicer to hear that you are home and well.
    –
    Marty

  40. OK, this is a relief. Far too many people I know have been in the hospital recently, so I’m hoping that Mike will have a swift recovery, and stay healthy.

  42. Mike: I don’t know what’s ailing you but here’s hoping that you recover, VERY SOON!

    John King Tarpinian: If I’m in the hospital, DON’T BRING ME A KINDLE! I work in a bookstore, dude and I will have you KILLED! BTW,Thanks for taking care of Mike, Have a Nice Day…8-)

    Chris Barkley
    Cincinnati, OH

  43. The Kindle was NOT for reading books, it was in the hopes that he could get online for emails and maybe composing a post here.

  44. Hope your feeling better Mr. Glyer! The pixels are in trouble and you’re our only hope.

  47. Phew. The hospital part is clearly not good news, but the “home soon” part sounds promising. I’ve continued to visit the site in search of an update and my heart sinks when I see poor Sarah Kuhn (poor only because it’s not her fault she is causing my heart sinkage) at the top of the File because I know that means Mike isn’t back yet.

    Feel better soon, Mike! Much better and very soon!

  50. Since it seems a little odd (though understandable) that _Heroine Complex_’s thread has been so thoroughly taken over, I have downloaded the sample from Amazon to see what I think. (I’d have just pressed the button to buy but it has been a really expensive summer…. And WorldCon is still coming up.)

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