It had a foil cover, and I loved it.  

But I figured what's the point if I don't read it, and I'd forgotten how good this series was.    It's as charming and funny as the main character, and the other Hawkeye isn't too shabby either.   I think I like the female Hawkeye a little more at this point, but she's got an unfair advantage: this series is amazing.

This is an enjoyable book of folklore from the Maldives, an island nation in the Indian Ocean. Though the author’s writing in the introduction is a bit stiff, the 80 tales included are characterized by strong storytelling, and paint a vivid picture of the traditional culture of the Maldives. The stories are perhaps best described as legends, featuring kings, ghosts and spirits, good and evil sorcerers, and monsters from the sea, alongside regular people who interact with all of the above, and of course a few animal stories. A few tales are based on recent historical incidents, while most seem to be set sometime in the distant past. Despite the large number of stories, ranging in length from 1-2 pages to 12 or 14, they felt fresh and engaging throughout. In fact, two different stories about a man who falsely sets himself up as an expert have opposite endings.

I would have appreciated more information about the Maldives and the storytellers, who are identified by name and place of residence but not otherwise discussed, though the author might reasonably have seen that as beyond the scope of this book. I was surprised to learn that the book is actually banned in the Maldives, which currently has a strict Muslim government; Islam has been in the islands for centuries and appears in many of the stories, but the stories treat it casually, as part of the backdrop. More information about life in the islands today, to put all this in context, would have been helpful. That said, I think this is an excellent choice for those who enjoy folklore, and I enjoyed reading it.

Kate Bishop, aka Hawkeye, wants to start up her own PI business.   She doesn't have the license yet, but she was once an Avenger.   Her sign might be a HAWK and a hand drawn eye under it - which makes people either looking for the "real" - read male - Hawkeye or an optometrist.   

She isn't going to let that stop her, either, so when someone with an actual case comes looking for her, well, Kate eagerly takes on the case.   A college student is being stalked, and her harasser's messages are getting more and more threatening.   She also suspects this big jerk-bag might know her, which is freaking her out, too.   

This is far more adorable than what I'd expected.  That being said, I also got this through Marvel Insider: it's a system in which you get points for things you do.   You can redeem these points for something like codes to digital comics, or subscriptions to MU+.  (The points do expire, after a year, I believe.   You need 750,000 points for the MU+, and you get 50 points for visiting Marvel, and 250-500 points for most everything else.  I gave up on the MU+, and will keep paying for it, if I decide to do that much longer.  I may not have the time soon...)

This was 20,000 points, and well worth it.   My points were going to start expiring soon, anyway, and I like having this in my library instead of something I don't own since I'm getting it for free anyway!