J Bennett (1)

I had a lot of fun reading this book, which takes an unconventional and appealing approach to the superhero/villain genre.

Main character Alice is sympathetic without being a pushover. We can see how her past has brought her to where she is today without bludgeoning the reader with tragic backstory. The other characters she encounters are well fleshed out, and they clearly have their own lives to lead rather than revolving around Alice's story. Some of the characters have only brief show more appearances, but I suspect they might pop up in later books. The plot flowed nicely without feeling too convenient or forced.

I enjoyed being immersed in the world. It's set in a future that we can imagine rather than being completely alien. I particularly liked seeing how language and customs might have evolved along with society and its conventions. What I enjoyed the most was feeling that although Alice's story is the one we're focussing on, there are plenty of other stories that might be told.

Even if you're not into the superhero genre, I think this is well worth a look. show less

This book picks up shortly after How to Become a Henchman, with Alice trying to settle into her new life. She has to balance the needs of her villainous boss (and his ratings) with her real-life study, family and friends. Additionally, her secret identity isn't as secret as it should be, and she has an uneasy relationship with her fellow henchmen.

This was a smooth read, and I only noticed a couple of typos. The action was easy to follow, and everyone's actions made sense for their show more characters. That's allowing for the lengths to which the inhabitants of Big Little City will go for their shot at fame.

The plot was pretty straightforward, with no great surprises. For me, the social commentary is what raises this book above a standard action adventure. I did feel in spots it got a bit heavy-handed, with Alice mulling over her guilty conscience, but not really acting on it. It's perfectly understandable in her situation, but maybe bogs things down.

In summary, a fast-paced SF adventure that's also quite thoughtful. show less

As with the first two novels in the trilogy, this final book was solidly plotted and moved towards a satisfying ending. We follow Alice, AKA Iron, as she and a couple of unlikely allies try to find the murderous villain who's breaking all the rules (or would be, if there were any actual rules).

The prose was clear and easy to read, with only a few typos that caught my eye. As before, I enjoyed being immersed in the world the author has created, even if I definitely wouldn't want to live show more there. Given the previous setup, the events in this book weren't a huge surprise, although it was fun to see exactly how Alice and her diverse mates achieved their goals.

For me, this book didn't feel quite as strong as the previous two. Perhaps it's because Alice spends a lot of time feeling guilty about such a wide range of things: some justifiably, some less so. And yet, when she needs to set in motion a mad plan, or to have the cooperation of someone she (thinks she) has wronged, she never has a problem securing anyone's cooperation. It gave me the impression that her sense of guilt wasn't actually affecting anyone around her, and therefore the guilt felt not so significant.

A solid ending to an enjoyable superhero trilogy. show less

A very funny short story that gives reading about vampires a delightful and refreshing twist. An excellent start to this series. Definitely quenches the appetite to read the rest.