Sarah J. Maas is taking on the world of DC Comics.
Its a Catwoman story with Maas signature touch.
Maas has exclusively shared with EW the books official cover, as well as a devilish excerpt.
Credit: Josh Wasserman
Read on below, and learn : Soulstealerhere.
Excerpt fromCatwoman: Soulstealerby Sarah J. Maas
She was a ghost.
That, at least, hadnt changed in the past two years.
Random House Books for Young Readers
But as for Selina herself .
The long golden-blond hair, the manicured nails, and the suntanned skin were the next.
The portrait of unthreatening, carefree money.
No sign of the girl whod ascended the stairs of this plane two years ago, bloody and battered.
No sign of that girl at all.
The League was bigger, more lethal, than any criminal organization in this city.
They answered to nobody and nothing, a veritable force of nature.
Their goals were so much larger than financial profit.
No, the League dealt in powerthe sort that could alter countries, alter the world.
The smart criminals were the ones who got out of their way.
The smartest were those who bowed.
Selina took a slow, bracing breath, flexing her fingers against the slight tremor that rippled down them.
No space for fear, for doubt, for hesitation.
Not with so many eyes watching.
Photographers sporting long-range cameras snapped photos through the nearby chainlink fence.
Snap, shutter, snap.
Or were they too afraid of looking foolish to askwhothis person was whod just descended upon GothamCity?
The information shed leaked through their computer systems had been brief but detailed.
Her family had investments everywhere.
Net worth: billions.
Selina reached the sedan and the driver holding the door open for her.
He didnt dare introduce himself.
Well trained not to be a presence but an instrument.
Even now, after all shed been taught and instructed to do, it made her stomach churn.
This is all a lie.
The East End bred me, raised me.The words sat on her tongue as she ducked into the car.
This is all a lie.
Not that shed use them.
Why ruin the makeup shed carefully applied before landing?
The barely-there foundation, matte dovegrayeye shadow with a swoop of eyeliner, and bold flamethrowerred lips.
Being nervous before a mission didnt help anything.
She reminded herself of that over and over.
Even if shed already gone through every breathing technique shed been taught.
The driver got in, turning on the radio to the station shed requested: classical.
As a soon-to-be patron of the Gotham City Opera, she at least had to appear interested in it.
Appear to be many things, since the driver was sure to talk.
Just as the flight attendants of the plane were sure to talk.
Money bought nearly everything, but silence was never a guarantee.
In Gotham City, loyalty was bought and sold as fast as any stock on the market.
Loyalty couldnt exist in a place like this.
Shed learned that, too, these past few years.
The car pulled out of the private airport, the heavy gates parting to let them through.
Selina stroked a hand down the silky-smooth leather of the Birkin beside her.
The bag, the shoes, the clothes, the jewelsall were loaded symbols.
Gotham City had been tipping too far toward the rich and corrupt for a long, long time.
Shed come home to right it once more.
And lording above them all: Wayne Tower.
Every citizen of the city could likely sketch the building from memory.
A symbol of welcome, the postcards claimed.
That tower was a symbol of anything but.
And when she was finished here, the world would see that, too.
How many bodies would be swimming in it by the time she was finished here?
Gotham City was primed to fall.
All it would take was a little encouragement.
What fortunate timing that the sanctimonious Batman was currently goneno sign of him for weeks now.
What ridiculous names they gave themselves, these vigilantes.
Selina lifted her gaze from the river to the shining metropolis approaching with every heartbeat.
To the darker, shorter buildings of the East End smudging the horizon.
Or it had been.
She hadnt let herself consider it her home in a long while.
Refused to contemplate where home might be, if such a thing could ever exist for her now.
The brutal training at the League of Assassins had taught her many, many things.
A kernel of promise while shed puked her guts up afterward.
No,homedid not exist anymore.
But it was worth it.
Shed come here to confirm it had all been worth itthe training, the unspeakable cost.
She would not fail.
Not this most vital mission.
And finally, at long last, she allowed herself a little smile.
Let Gotham City enjoy its final days of summer.
