This super hero world is set in Gatlon City after the great war between Anarchists and Renegades. A super power police force of sorts  of Renegades has been created to hold peace and keep evil at bay. Nova, our main protagonist, was orphaned at a very young age, pre war, when violence ran amok. Her parents and little sister killed by a gang. She was raised by her uncle Ace Anarchy the leader of the Anarchists and opposing force to the Renegades. When he was killed in the war Nova was left with a few remaining Anarchists to be raised in an old subway system. Needless to say, Nova is not a fan of the Renegades. During a parade celebrating Renegade history the Anarchists decide to act, sending Nova out as her alias Nightmare (because with a touch she can put people to sleep) to assassinate one of the Renegade leaders, Captain Chromium. The mission fails, but not before everyone knows of Nightmare and she becomes one of the most wanted, her face pinned to every light post.

Adrian is the adopted son of the two most famous heroes in Renegade history. He is known as Sketch (because he can draw things to life), the leader of one of the Renegade patrol teams, but Adrian wants more. With his alter ego secret identity he starts to investigate the death of his real mother and thinks that Nightmare has the answers to his questions. Nova ends up under cover as a Renegade as Insomnia (because she can’t sleep) and ends up on Adrian’s team where she “helps” him try to find Nightmare while working her own agenda.

I really, really wanted to like this book! I love comic books and am a fan of all things super hero. I think my biggest issue was that Marissa Meyer had too deft a touch at making Nova sympathetic. She tried to balance her internal struggle of her parents death and blaming the Renegades for it with her dislike of the actions of some of the other Arnachists. Her hatred always won over her softer feelings. In contract you have the golden child Adrian who is a Renegade by day, and yet wants his mothers killer to come to justice so bad that he’s willing to break the rules a bit to find them. I believed his character more than hers, and because of this his developing feelings for her felt too faked. If I couldn’t like her, how could he?

There were elements in this novel that I loved. The world building was phenomenal. The super powers were pretty cool and I liked the characters, with the exception of Nova. I’ll clarify that statement by saing that I didn’t hate her, I just didn’t care what happened to her. Apathy for your main character is just not a good thing for a reader. If not for the big twist at the end of the book I wouldn’t even think of reading Archenemies (Renegades #2) when it comes out in November. That ending made me curious so I’m on the fence, but my feelings for this first novel are pretty black and white. Meh.

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Copyright 2018 Deborah Kehoe The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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