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Hearts of Heroes #3
Aether
When Maggie Bennett agreed to take a break from her own research to be the test subject in an experiment, all she wanted to do was help her best friend Sierra secure grant funding for the new medical imaging machine she was developing. But when Sierra’s ex-boyfriend Garrett causes an explosion in the lab next door, Maggie finds herself gifted with Superpowers and in the custody of the High Guard, Sun City’s most prominent Superhero Team.
At first, it isn’t bad. The High Guard is helping her learn to use her powers while also working to keep her and Sierra from getting blamed for the explosion. And there’s Varsha, the cute speedster that keeps showing up at her room with homemade ice cream and staying for lesbian movie marathons. But when another series of explosions at the school where Maggie and Sierra work reveal that Garrett didn’t die in the accident that gave Maggie her powers and is part of a plot to reverse engineer banned alien technology with ties to her past, she finds herself pushed into the role of a reluctant Superhero.
Caught in a race against time, Maggie must master her new abilities, and use her skills as a scientist to figure out why Garrett and his accomplices want the technology - and who they intend to
At first, it isn’t bad. The High Guard is helping her learn to use her powers while also working to keep her and Sierra from getting blamed for the explosion. And there’s Varsha, the cute speedster that keeps showing up at her room with homemade ice cream and staying for lesbian movie marathons. But when another series of explosions at the school where Maggie and Sierra work reveal that Garrett didn’t die in the accident that gave Maggie her powers and is part of a plot to reverse engineer banned alien technology with ties to her past, she finds herself pushed into the role of a reluctant Superhero.
Caught in a race against time, Maggie must master her new abilities, and use her skills as a scientist to figure out why Garrett and his accomplices want the technology - and who they intend to
368 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 13, 2023
37 people are currently reading
345 people want to read
About the author
Molly J. Bragg
9 books207 followersI’m a trans woman with a degree in Astro-physics and a love of storytelling. I love science fiction, superheroes, and giant robots. My hobbies include collecting transformers, watching way too many crafting videos on YouTube, and complaining bitterly about the way a certain comic book company treats my favorite superhero.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
March 29, 2024
4 stars
Very good, but I feel like it's a bit weaker than the previous two books in this series.
Nevertheless a very enjoyable experience.
Can recommend.
Very good, but I feel like it's a bit weaker than the previous two books in this series.
Nevertheless a very enjoyable experience.
Can recommend.
September 17, 2023
This was another fun one, and I think it actually make me like the previous one a little bit more, bc it changed my perspective a little on what this series actually IS.
It’s not rlly a romance. It’s a character study WITH a bit of romance—and that’s more so obvious here. It’s been a while since I read the first one, but I remember thinking it was more of a romance than these next two, but I could be remembering wrong. This one really felt like a character study, and I had a great time overall. The world is getting more developed, it was nice to see everyone from the first two books for a little bit, and Maggie was a good MC. I wasn’t rlly super into the romance, it was sweet, but it didn’t do too much for me beyond that, and I don’t think it was rlly meant to.
This one def made me reallllllly want both Ashley and Eurion to get their own books focused more on their romances, though. And I was sooooo curious about Airheart and would love hers too. So far all of them have been kind of origin stories for the characters developing and coming into their powers, and it would be awesome to see some of these more established side characters get their moments to shine.
It’s not rlly a romance. It’s a character study WITH a bit of romance—and that’s more so obvious here. It’s been a while since I read the first one, but I remember thinking it was more of a romance than these next two, but I could be remembering wrong. This one really felt like a character study, and I had a great time overall. The world is getting more developed, it was nice to see everyone from the first two books for a little bit, and Maggie was a good MC. I wasn’t rlly super into the romance, it was sweet, but it didn’t do too much for me beyond that, and I don’t think it was rlly meant to.
This one def made me reallllllly want both Ashley and Eurion to get their own books focused more on their romances, though. And I was sooooo curious about Airheart and would love hers too. So far all of them have been kind of origin stories for the characters developing and coming into their powers, and it would be awesome to see some of these more established side characters get their moments to shine.
April 19, 2025
“Congratulations, Maggie. You’ve got superpowers.”
“Thanks,” Maggie said. “Can I get a refund?”
3.5 stars. Not my favourite in the series, but I liked this a lot! I went into it expecting more of a romance, but that's definitely not what this is, sadly. There is a romantic element, but it takes a backseat to the plot and Maggie's character arc. That did disappoint me, not gonna lie. The first book in the series remains my favourite, and that was definitely the most romance-heavy out of all of them. I guess I'll have to adjust my expectations for future books. This book in particular has SUCH a lovely romance novel cover, so I was surprised that the relationship got so little page time.
But I still really liked this. Like the other books in the series, this is a superhero origin story mixed with a lot of scifi elements and some romance. Maggie's life was changed years ago when a superhero saved her from a horrible accident that killed the rest of her family. She's lived with the guilt, the burn scars and the chronic pain ever since, pivoting away from her old dreams of being an astronaut, and concentrating on her own research and academia. When her best friend recruits her for an experiment, things go haywire, and Maggie comes out of the experience with superpowers; some of the strongest on record. The story follows her as she integrates with the local superhero team, learns to control and manipulate her new powers, figures out the nature of who and what she now is, tracks down the people who caused the accident, and figures out what she wants to do with her new powers. There's a sweet, burgeoning romance with another hero, and a complicated relationship with her best friend. I won't harp on too much about it, but I'll just say again that I do think the book would have been better with a stronger, more developped romantic core. I loved Varsha, and I definitely wanted more of her relationship with Maggie. We should have gotten more little moments where they bonded! On the other hand, I'm really glad that the friendship aspect of this got a lot of room for conflict and development. It doesn't turn out the way things usually do in 'gay girl falls for her straight best friend' books. This was realistic and also poignant. I'm glad Maggie stood up for herself. It did get a little frustrating at one point, how everyone kept assuming the worst of Sierra, and then judging her by the things they assumed? But yeah, Sierra did need a wake up call. I kinda hope she gets her own book at one point. I also liked how this treated with disability.
There's a lot of science-y and technical stuff in this book. I understood maybe 2% of it. And yet, it's something I really enjoyed about the book? It's like, when your friend has a super niche or obscure hyperfixation, and they excitedly tell you all about it, and even though it's too convoluted for you to really get into it, you still have a good time listening/hearing about it, because your friend is so engaged and happy and hyper about it. Yeah. Like that. Ms. Molly, I don't know anything about physics or math and after reading this book, I still don't. But there's something really fun about watching a bunch of hyper intelligent, mostly women superheroes, trade ideas and theories and argue and generally just be really hot and smart. And even if, as a layperson, I didn't really understand the physics behind Maggie's powers and how she did what she did and the way she explained certain things, it all seemed really plausible?
I thought the cameos from other characters in previous books were... cute? But they did feel a little clumsy and shoe-horned. Like the author had been deliberately looking for places to put cute moments or whatever. I LOVE Focus and Scatter, but their cameo did feel a little contrived. Same for the trio from the second book. I'm not complaining about it, because like I said, it was cute. But I do think the page time could have been used for other stuff. The plot was interesting, and definitely better paced and plotted than the second book. I never really felt like the characters in this story were ever really in danger (the downsides of having characters that are SO powerful) but also, that was kind of a comfort.
Listened to the audiobook as read by Jennifer Pickens, and loved it as usual. She has such an engaging voice and way of narration, and even when she doesn't do super distinct character voices, I always have a good time. I definitely see myself coming back to this series, but like I said, my expectations have been adjusted.
“Physics is just poetry if you know how to read it.”
June 25, 2023
This is the third and latest book in the Hearts of Heroes series, each a contained story set within a comic book style superhero setting. Scatter, the first one, was most excellent, while the second, Transistor, wasn't nearly as good. This one falls in between the two and is really quite the read.
Here you can tell that Molly J. Bragg has a degree in astrophysics. There's... a lot of it in the book and she goes to great lengths to try to explain it all. She's more or less successful, I'd say. It helps that most of the explanations comes as exposition from the main character to other characters who know just about as much as astrophysics as I do.
I don't really have much more to say about it other thnan I highly recommend the series. Four stars.
Here you can tell that Molly J. Bragg has a degree in astrophysics. There's... a lot of it in the book and she goes to great lengths to try to explain it all. She's more or less successful, I'd say. It helps that most of the explanations comes as exposition from the main character to other characters who know just about as much as astrophysics as I do.
I don't really have much more to say about it other thnan I highly recommend the series. Four stars.
June 21, 2023
4.5 stars
This was a great addition to the series. It was better than Transister, because the whole book didn't feel like one long repeated sequence. However, it did have some repetitious concepts that almost made me give it a lower score. Repetition like that creates all this build-up, and with no release it can be frustrating on a reader.
Neither this story or the last one hold a candle to Scatter. And I will freely admit it is likely, because in that one we get to see an actual conclusion to the culmination of desire built up between the characters. Whereas, these last two kind of gloss over it. (And yes, I'm trying not to be too descriptive, but you get my meaning.)
I do have to give this one props for knowing what a seizure can look like(even though it wasn't an actual seizure in the story) and knowing what to do for that person. It gives an understanding of the type of person Aether always was, but it also shows someone did their research when writing this. As an epileptic, too many times I've come across people using "movie science" in their writing, and indeed in their everyday lives, where people flail around or something gets put where it shouldn't... It was a nice reprieve.
I look forward to more from this series, especially Aether. As many cameos that have been in the last books, she's bound to popup again. She has the potential to become incredibly overpowered. Her only limit is her imagination.
This was a great addition to the series. It was better than Transister, because the whole book didn't feel like one long repeated sequence. However, it did have some repetitious concepts that almost made me give it a lower score. Repetition like that creates all this build-up, and with no release it can be frustrating on a reader.
Neither this story or the last one hold a candle to Scatter. And I will freely admit it is likely, because in that one we get to see an actual conclusion to the culmination of desire built up between the characters. Whereas, these last two kind of gloss over it. (And yes, I'm trying not to be too descriptive, but you get my meaning.)
I do have to give this one props for knowing what a seizure can look like(even though it wasn't an actual seizure in the story) and knowing what to do for that person. It gives an understanding of the type of person Aether always was, but it also shows someone did their research when writing this. As an epileptic, too many times I've come across people using "movie science" in their writing, and indeed in their everyday lives, where people flail around or something gets put where it shouldn't... It was a nice reprieve.
I look forward to more from this series, especially Aether. As many cameos that have been in the last books, she's bound to popup again. She has the potential to become incredibly overpowered. Her only limit is her imagination.
July 22, 2023
Unexpected but really good.
October 18, 2024
4 stars. How did I not know about this series until this past month. The first is still my favorite, but all are worth reading.
October 2, 2023
Totally awesome
Nerdy, sapphic awesomeness. Accidental superpowers, math zombie mode, kulfi breaks and a talking cat (yes, that was an accident, too).
In the Scatter world but could be read as a standalone (but the series is great, read them all).
Nerdy, sapphic awesomeness. Accidental superpowers, math zombie mode, kulfi breaks and a talking cat (yes, that was an accident, too).
In the Scatter world but could be read as a standalone (but the series is great, read them all).
July 27, 2024
2.5 stars.
This book is a marked improvement over Transistor, but it isn't a romance. Instead, it follows the now-familiar arc of:
1. main character (MC) is in a really hard situation
2. deus ex machina turns MC into a goddess
3. everyone thinks MC is really hot
4. stuff happens
5. the end
It turns out that I had a LOT of gripes with this.
/rant
As always, Bragg impressed me with her perspective. There's a lovely passage where Maggie and Fractal (Kesha) discuss Chance:
I mean, it's sci-fi pulp fiction X Becky Chambers.
If you can appreciate this book for what it is (sci-fi adventure with social commentary) then you're in for a treat. Aether is much easier to follow than Transistor, has some pretty sexy math,too many lots of sapphics, and a decent story to boot.
Just... don't come for the romance.
This book is a marked improvement over Transistor, but it isn't a romance. Instead, it follows the now-familiar arc of:
1. main character (MC) is in a really hard situation
2. deus ex machina turns MC into a goddess
3. everyone thinks MC is really hot
4. stuff happens
5. the end
It turns out that I had a LOT of gripes with this.
/rant
As always, Bragg impressed me with her perspective. There's a lovely passage where Maggie and Fractal (Kesha) discuss Chance:
"Why do you want to meet them?"
"Chance is an emergent sentience," Fractal said. "They're a gestalt mind composed of trillions of nanites filtered through an artificial neural network that's modelled after Naomi's brain. They share a body with Naomi."
"Kind of like you and Kesha," Eurion said.
"No," Fractal said. "Kesha and I are the same person. Naomi and Chance are different people."
"Wait, what?" Maggie asked.
[...] "Kesha's autistic, and she has severe social anxiety. She's what most people would call 'high functioning', meaning she's capable of talking to people and communicating, but she's not really comfortable with doing it face to face. Especially with social anxiety. She has trouble picking up social cues. [...] so she created me as a sort of social prosthetic. I started out as a series of machine learning algorithms designed to analyser social interactions, social cues, and help generate appropriate responses. The longer she worked on me, the more advanced I got, until I had developed something close to what most people would consider a personality, but unlike Chance, I never developed true sentience. [...] We're still one person. It's just two different interfaces. Kesha's command line, and I am the Graphic User Interface."
I mean, it's sci-fi pulp fiction X Becky Chambers.
If you can appreciate this book for what it is (sci-fi adventure with social commentary) then you're in for a treat. Aether is much easier to follow than Transistor, has some pretty sexy math,
Just... don't come for the romance.
April 7, 2024
A good third book
I quite enjoyed the third installment. It I loved along nicely, built upon the world Ms. Bragg has created. I hope it comes out on Audible soon.
I quite enjoyed the third installment. It I loved along nicely, built upon the world Ms. Bragg has created. I hope it comes out on Audible soon.
June 26, 2024
Thoroughly justified decision on the go with or not crush. Author pls give us more...i am guessing Ashley's story is next.
March 28, 2025
"Find something that makes you happy and hold onto it with both hands."
July 20, 2023
I really loved Scatter, Transistor was pretty good, but Aether just really did not do it for me. The series has progressively lost its shine.
Is every superhero main character basically a god with no weakness, never in real danger, and dating a mature well-adjusted person? The first book having 2 11-out-of-10 heroes worked, but every main character has followed that same pattern. Also, it only takes a week for every hero to fully learn their powers with hardly any setbacks in their training? I like competent characters, but it all seems way too easy.
Aether has a lot of introduction to new heroes, where we get pages of descriptions of their powers and then explanation of why they aren’t a good fit for a mission. Why did we need all this explanation if those heroes are going to be barely in the rest of the book? The characters’ battle plans are explained before the action is on screen, and there are no real surprises because of that.
I had really high hopes for the series, but it really just feels like they’re all pretty monotonous. Bragg hit out of the park with Scatter, and the follow-ups just don’t hit the same mark.
Is every superhero main character basically a god with no weakness, never in real danger, and dating a mature well-adjusted person? The first book having 2 11-out-of-10 heroes worked, but every main character has followed that same pattern. Also, it only takes a week for every hero to fully learn their powers with hardly any setbacks in their training? I like competent characters, but it all seems way too easy.
Aether has a lot of introduction to new heroes, where we get pages of descriptions of their powers and then explanation of why they aren’t a good fit for a mission. Why did we need all this explanation if those heroes are going to be barely in the rest of the book? The characters’ battle plans are explained before the action is on screen, and there are no real surprises because of that.
I had really high hopes for the series, but it really just feels like they’re all pretty monotonous. Bragg hit out of the park with Scatter, and the follow-ups just don’t hit the same mark.
July 18, 2024
All three books in the Heart of Heroes series are wonderful superhero-action-fantasy-romance-science-fiction stories. All three are full of representation, diversity, they are full of fun, of action, quirky side characters and queer superheroes. There is no real angst, the steaminess is very low, the fun is turned to eleven. I recommend reading all three books in one go, since many characters appear in all books.
Aether
Maggie helps her friend and crush Jenny with an experiment, which leaves her a superhero. The local superhero chapter tries to solve the mystery sorrounding the failed experiment and Maggies unexpected powers. Especially the speedster Delta-V seems to take a liking to Maggie.
The story revolves around Maggie trying to come to terms with her newfound abilities, her interest in Delta-V und how to stop further explosions. The romance part is rather low and sweet. The primary focus is Maggies changing self-perception and the crimes associated with the failed experiment. Molly Bragg again creates a very nice and cool setting for different characters tackling multiple problems. It's funny, sometimes snarky in a nice view and overall a feel-good powertrip.
Aether
Maggie helps her friend and crush Jenny with an experiment, which leaves her a superhero. The local superhero chapter tries to solve the mystery sorrounding the failed experiment and Maggies unexpected powers. Especially the speedster Delta-V seems to take a liking to Maggie.
The story revolves around Maggie trying to come to terms with her newfound abilities, her interest in Delta-V und how to stop further explosions. The romance part is rather low and sweet. The primary focus is Maggies changing self-perception and the crimes associated with the failed experiment. Molly Bragg again creates a very nice and cool setting for different characters tackling multiple problems. It's funny, sometimes snarky in a nice view and overall a feel-good powertrip.
July 10, 2023
Loved the book but not Maggie’s choices
So she has a best friend who has been by her side for 6 years. She’s been there through countless surgeries, through depression, through pain and other things. Her best friend has struggled with her own sexuality and coming to grabs with it. The same best friend dumps her boyfriend for her but didn’t get a chance to tell, one because she told her she didn’t want her to help her that night and two because of the explosion the next day. The best friend tells her she’s in love with her but she picks the superhero she just met? The one who has only seen her in her new body and is of course attracted to the new body. But she kicks the best friend to the side, who has been there all this time. That’s jacked to me.
But I still loved the book.
So she has a best friend who has been by her side for 6 years. She’s been there through countless surgeries, through depression, through pain and other things. Her best friend has struggled with her own sexuality and coming to grabs with it. The same best friend dumps her boyfriend for her but didn’t get a chance to tell, one because she told her she didn’t want her to help her that night and two because of the explosion the next day. The best friend tells her she’s in love with her but she picks the superhero she just met? The one who has only seen her in her new body and is of course attracted to the new body. But she kicks the best friend to the side, who has been there all this time. That’s jacked to me.
But I still loved the book.
May 3, 2025
Enjoyed this a bit more than Transistor, which had a small but wonderful cast of central characters but bland villains. This one had a more interesting premise, especially with all the sciencing involved. Ultimately, though, the sciencing came in the form of lengthy conversations that, along with casual conversation involving way too many characters, brought the story to a grinding halt so many times.
I loved Scatter, and while it wasn't a perfect book (it was initially the only four-star read I had on my favorites list; I eventually upgraded it to five stars), the focus (no pun intended) on the relationship between the leads was my favorite thing about it. You still had snippets of the lives of everyone else, and the book wasn't spared from occasional information dumps, but the cast was relatively small and intimate. The supports had their own lives and mini-arcs, and none of it felt intrusive to the plot. Aether gets a new batch of characters, then gets a lot from the previous books as well. And they all fight for page time during the already lengthy amounts of down time where the story barely progresses.
I don't even dislike these parts. I just don't like the imbalance between these moments and the plot. The blurb presents the book as action and less slice of life than it really is. I find the sciencing extremely fascinating, too—and I use the term sciencing because I am way out of my depth and cannot personally claim to know if everything is accurate. Still, it is presented in a way that vibes with me, and I can easily suspend my disbelief and enjoy the ride. I just wish the book had more pages for the plot or fewer pages for the characters; or just fewer characters in the first place. It's like watching the MCU, but instead of having individual character movies bookended by an Avengers movie, each phase just has the Avengers movie and everyone's introductions are squeezed into them.
Edit: I forgot to mention that out of every reason Maggie gave for . Please let me know if I'm misremembering
I loved Scatter, and while it wasn't a perfect book (it was initially the only four-star read I had on my favorites list; I eventually upgraded it to five stars), the focus (no pun intended) on the relationship between the leads was my favorite thing about it. You still had snippets of the lives of everyone else, and the book wasn't spared from occasional information dumps, but the cast was relatively small and intimate. The supports had their own lives and mini-arcs, and none of it felt intrusive to the plot. Aether gets a new batch of characters, then gets a lot from the previous books as well. And they all fight for page time during the already lengthy amounts of down time where the story barely progresses.
I don't even dislike these parts. I just don't like the imbalance between these moments and the plot. The blurb presents the book as action and less slice of life than it really is. I find the sciencing extremely fascinating, too—and I use the term sciencing because I am way out of my depth and cannot personally claim to know if everything is accurate. Still, it is presented in a way that vibes with me, and I can easily suspend my disbelief and enjoy the ride. I just wish the book had more pages for the plot or fewer pages for the characters; or just fewer characters in the first place. It's like watching the MCU, but instead of having individual character movies bookended by an Avengers movie, each phase just has the Avengers movie and everyone's introductions are squeezed into them.
Edit: I forgot to mention that out of every reason Maggie gave for . Please let me know if I'm misremembering
December 13, 2023
A good book, a great story set in the Scatter universe, but author i was disappointed when u decided to start making Sierra bad, someone who loved Maggie and stuck with her when most others wouldn’t, disappointed u decided to take the story there. i was also disappointed in where u took Maggie, her immediately thinking badly of a person who was so positive in her life, after she expressed an attraction to Maggie, it seems to me it was Maggie, not Sierra, who was the negative one, now that she was no longer scarred she didn’t want Sierra around anymore because Sierra reminded her of her old life where she felt she was useless and not good enough. But Vasha, who she met after she change, and Chance who she met as an unscarred person in an online game, are ok because they got to know her apart from her scarring. I feel its a sad way to treat a character who was such a good friend. Then when Maggie and Sierra have a conversation about there relationship for me Maggie comes close to gaslighting Sierra by saying basically any negative feelings or reactions u have toward what i say are wrong, “you get defensive”, when u are having a conversation like this, for me, people should be able to share all their feelings, that’s how u have a real conversation, basically Maggie is saying my point of view is the right one and your reaction to it is wrong. Also, for me, during their conversation Maggie was saying to Sierra you’re bad for how your feelings where in the past, as though not being able to see she wasn’t straight at the time was wrong? that is just life, and it’s fine if Maggie moved on, but treating Sierra as bad because of not realizing she wasn’t straight in the past and because now she realizes she is bi is just not cool, or blaming Sierra for not realizing until after the accident that she liked her, that’s life, and Maggies attitude toward Sierra, for me, it’s condescending. Very disappointed in Maggie.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 15, 2023
Aether, the third book in the ‘Hearts of Heroes’ series by Molly Bragg is an exciting, adventure-filled thriller that also contains a charming romance tucked inside. With each of Ms. Bragg’s novels, I fall more and more in love with her characters, and this story has given me several more folks to add to that list.
In Aether we meet Maggie Bennett, a research scientist who agrees to help out her best friend Sierra who needs a test subject for her new medical imaging machine. While Maggie is hooked up to the machine there is a huge explosion in the lab next door which results in Maggie somehow receiving superpowers. Maggie and Sierra end up in the custody of the High Guard, an organization of superheroes in Sun City. The High Guard (including a shy superhero named Varsha who seems to have a crush on Maggie) begin teaching Maggie how to use her powers. They have to speed up her lessons when some really bad folks including the one who caused the explosion in the lab try to steal dangerous alien technology.
This novel, as well as the first two books in the series has led me to really enjoy superhero stories. Ms. Bragg has a knack for creating loveable characters, and she did a fine job with Maggie. I also totally fell for a secondary character named Maxine, and when you read the book, you’ll understand why. The action in the tale is almost nonstop with lots of twists and turns. Those of you who have read the first two books in the series will also recognize quite a few familiar faces.
While I suppose it’s possible to read this novel as a standalone, I would encourage you to read all three books in order. They are all great stories and well worth your reading time.
I received an ARC for an honest review.
In Aether we meet Maggie Bennett, a research scientist who agrees to help out her best friend Sierra who needs a test subject for her new medical imaging machine. While Maggie is hooked up to the machine there is a huge explosion in the lab next door which results in Maggie somehow receiving superpowers. Maggie and Sierra end up in the custody of the High Guard, an organization of superheroes in Sun City. The High Guard (including a shy superhero named Varsha who seems to have a crush on Maggie) begin teaching Maggie how to use her powers. They have to speed up her lessons when some really bad folks including the one who caused the explosion in the lab try to steal dangerous alien technology.
This novel, as well as the first two books in the series has led me to really enjoy superhero stories. Ms. Bragg has a knack for creating loveable characters, and she did a fine job with Maggie. I also totally fell for a secondary character named Maxine, and when you read the book, you’ll understand why. The action in the tale is almost nonstop with lots of twists and turns. Those of you who have read the first two books in the series will also recognize quite a few familiar faces.
While I suppose it’s possible to read this novel as a standalone, I would encourage you to read all three books in order. They are all great stories and well worth your reading time.
I received an ARC for an honest review.
May 30, 2023
A copy of the book was provided to Sapphic Book Club in exchange for an honest review.
The third book in the Hearts of Heroes series about the vast and interesting superheros in the world. This book takes place in Sun City, which has been mentioned in previous books, and follows Maggie a scientists that goes through some changes after an experiment goes wrong, and Varsha a local speedster.
I liked both Maggie and especially Varsha. I don't want to say too much but her journey to becoming a superhero is not a new experience but I really enjoyed reading it. Varsha is who stole the show for me with her understanding and support he provided.
It was nice to see characters from the previous books again. Especially Chance, who was my favorite from the previous book, Transistor. It was wonderful to see them again and how they are doing. While this book is considered standalone and could be read on its own, there is some great nods to the other books. This series is like the romance series that follows a different person in a friend group or siblings, not necessary to read them all but some info is lost.
So far, Bragg has not disappoint. There is something about Bragg's writing and storytelling that I just enjoy immensely. I hope we get more in this series. I especially want to see Eurion, Ashley/Hannah, and Elana get their happy endings.
I would recommend this book for fans of superhero stories and of the other books in the Hearts of Heroes series.
The third book in the Hearts of Heroes series about the vast and interesting superheros in the world. This book takes place in Sun City, which has been mentioned in previous books, and follows Maggie a scientists that goes through some changes after an experiment goes wrong, and Varsha a local speedster.
I liked both Maggie and especially Varsha. I don't want to say too much but her journey to becoming a superhero is not a new experience but I really enjoyed reading it. Varsha is who stole the show for me with her understanding and support he provided.
It was nice to see characters from the previous books again. Especially Chance, who was my favorite from the previous book, Transistor. It was wonderful to see them again and how they are doing. While this book is considered standalone and could be read on its own, there is some great nods to the other books. This series is like the romance series that follows a different person in a friend group or siblings, not necessary to read them all but some info is lost.
So far, Bragg has not disappoint. There is something about Bragg's writing and storytelling that I just enjoy immensely. I hope we get more in this series. I especially want to see Eurion, Ashley/Hannah, and Elana get their happy endings.
I would recommend this book for fans of superhero stories and of the other books in the Hearts of Heroes series.
July 19, 2024
Once again, I really love Bragg's work. This book is a lot of fun and I loved it. None of the other books got quite so into the training of a superhero aspect of things. I found it really interesting and fun to read. My only real complaint about the book is the lack of spicy scenes. If this had been the first book in the series, or even my first book from Bragg I would have written it off as just someone that doesn't write explicit scenes...but all her other books have had multiple spicy scenes up to this point. And there were several instances where spicy scenes would have naturally worked out. I hope this isn't a new direction Bragg is headed in with her writing to be honest. I liked most of her previous explicit scenes and hope there are more in the next book.
Maggie and Varsha are great. I loved their love story. They started with innocent flirting and blushing smiles, then worked their way toward a relationship in a fairly believable manner. The drama with Sierra was unfortunate. I did agree with Maggie that their dynamic wasn't very healthy, and I hope it gets better moving forward. Once again, it was great to see previous characters being pulled into the story. I feel like Focus and Scatter keep getting snubbed a little bit since in the two books since theirs they only pop up for a scene or two while other characters keep coming back for extended periods.
There was no third act breakup. I'm not sure that Bragg even writes those at this point, for which I am glad. Though I haven't read all of her books yet. Looking forward to Eurion's book next. It's about time that dragon found some love.
Maggie and Varsha are great. I loved their love story. They started with innocent flirting and blushing smiles, then worked their way toward a relationship in a fairly believable manner. The drama with Sierra was unfortunate. I did agree with Maggie that their dynamic wasn't very healthy, and I hope it gets better moving forward. Once again, it was great to see previous characters being pulled into the story. I feel like Focus and Scatter keep getting snubbed a little bit since in the two books since theirs they only pop up for a scene or two while other characters keep coming back for extended periods.
There was no third act breakup. I'm not sure that Bragg even writes those at this point, for which I am glad. Though I haven't read all of her books yet. Looking forward to Eurion's book next. It's about time that dragon found some love.
October 11, 2023
I liked this book better than I did Transistor.
I know it’s more of a character study and really delved in the science and the action and not much of the romance, but I am 100% okay with it.
Truthfully, the parts that annoyed me were more on the aspect of her love life. Her feelings for Sierra was so confusing and so I don’t know. It made sense to an extent but a huge part, it felt as if the author did not know where exactly to take their relationship or how to explain their relationship so it went all over the place and over-all became just confusing which made Maggie’s romance with Varsha a bit shakier along with the fact that they just met.
The romance with Varsha was more of a bonus for me. I wasn’t totally invested in them but liked them enough to be happy that they’re at least starting their relationship.
I liked reading the science stuff even if half the time I had to read it twice or thrice to have a vague understanding of it. The action was fun to read and I would not be opposed to reading more.
The side characters were so much fun for me! I’m glad we got to know more of the heroes here. Now, I want to read Ashley and Hannah’s book! And of course, Eurion! I think she and Sierra could be something good given the right plot.
I know it’s more of a character study and really delved in the science and the action and not much of the romance, but I am 100% okay with it.
Truthfully, the parts that annoyed me were more on the aspect of her love life. Her feelings for Sierra was so confusing and so I don’t know. It made sense to an extent but a huge part, it felt as if the author did not know where exactly to take their relationship or how to explain their relationship so it went all over the place and over-all became just confusing which made Maggie’s romance with Varsha a bit shakier along with the fact that they just met.
The romance with Varsha was more of a bonus for me. I wasn’t totally invested in them but liked them enough to be happy that they’re at least starting their relationship.
I liked reading the science stuff even if half the time I had to read it twice or thrice to have a vague understanding of it. The action was fun to read and I would not be opposed to reading more.
The side characters were so much fun for me! I’m glad we got to know more of the heroes here. Now, I want to read Ashley and Hannah’s book! And of course, Eurion! I think she and Sierra could be something good given the right plot.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 9, 2024
Another knock out!
This book was just as good, if not better, than the others in the series. Definitely worth the read, and I definitely recommend to all. I'm not sure if this is the final book in the series, or just the latest installment, but I hope this series never ends. Having gotten my praises out of the way, I do need to point out that, there is basically an entire justice league of characters in this book, and the author flip flops back and forth between their secret identity names and their hero names frequently. And other than the MC's of this series, it was a little hard to keep up with who is who. Some were easier than others. Couple that with some one like me with memory issues, and it can make for some slightly confusing conversations between the characters. But otherwise, an amazing book/series, and definitely hoping for more.
This book was just as good, if not better, than the others in the series. Definitely worth the read, and I definitely recommend to all. I'm not sure if this is the final book in the series, or just the latest installment, but I hope this series never ends. Having gotten my praises out of the way, I do need to point out that, there is basically an entire justice league of characters in this book, and the author flip flops back and forth between their secret identity names and their hero names frequently. And other than the MC's of this series, it was a little hard to keep up with who is who. Some were easier than others. Couple that with some one like me with memory issues, and it can make for some slightly confusing conversations between the characters. But otherwise, an amazing book/series, and definitely hoping for more.
July 7, 2024
Molly J. Bragg is easy a fav author! Only author who's been able to get me to read the superhero trope and now she's ruined any chance of anyone else trying lol.
Book 3 in this series and Bragg has hit another stellar home run. I realise i dont give reviews that go into depth about editing, writing and other such sensible stuff but where's the fun in that. Plenty others do that. I'm just gonna ramble about how much I enjoyed a book. Like this lol. Another Molly J. Bragg book, another Hearts of Heroes installment and I bloody loved it! Bragg brought everything she always does, great charavters, unique story, diversity, and fan-bloody-tastic writing. I didnt even mind that half of the very smary sciency stuff went over my head. Bragg is a supper smart human being, not her fault i cant keep up lol. Love that she owns it and includes it 👍
Book 3 in this series and Bragg has hit another stellar home run. I realise i dont give reviews that go into depth about editing, writing and other such sensible stuff but where's the fun in that. Plenty others do that. I'm just gonna ramble about how much I enjoyed a book. Like this lol. Another Molly J. Bragg book, another Hearts of Heroes installment and I bloody loved it! Bragg brought everything she always does, great charavters, unique story, diversity, and fan-bloody-tastic writing. I didnt even mind that half of the very smary sciency stuff went over my head. Bragg is a supper smart human being, not her fault i cant keep up lol. Love that she owns it and includes it 👍
April 19, 2025
A badly scarred and crippled physicist gains the power to shape reality at the quantum level after being killed in a lab experiment. She is soon recruited by Sun City's premier metahuman team, falling for their speedster, Delta V. Two relatively minor characters really shine: Keish, an autistic technopath who has invented an AI interface personality to handle peer interactions for her, and a little kitten called Maxine, who Aether accidently imbues with the ability to talk and to walk through solid walls. Maxine is an obvious reference to both Salem from Sabrina, the Teenage Witch and Pixel from Heinlein's The Cat Who Walks through Walls and other works.
This novel follows pretty closely the pattern of the first two, except that the romance aspects are a little less emphasized and the technobabble is upped. Because the cast is so large, with both call signs and normal names, plus inevitable cameos by characters from the previous novels, it gets rather crowded and confusing at times, figuring out who is talking to whom. But, all-in-all, I enjoyed it.
This novel follows pretty closely the pattern of the first two, except that the romance aspects are a little less emphasized and the technobabble is upped. Because the cast is so large, with both call signs and normal names, plus inevitable cameos by characters from the previous novels, it gets rather crowded and confusing at times, figuring out who is talking to whom. But, all-in-all, I enjoyed it.
September 21, 2023
I came for the romance, stayed for the science!
The banter between characters and the science (Science!) was really good, but what kept me turning pages was the complexity of situational perceptions, how people react, once they learn another point of view, and keeping the mystery of how things came to be just hidden enough that you had to keep a second guess in your back pocket.
The Mary Sue main character was flawed (a good thing) and had somewhat of a hero's journey, though a bit more struggle and insecurity would have been welcome for character development. Dealing with new perceptions and reactions is rarely navigated so easily.
I would have liked more from the character of Varsha. Perhaps another book?
The banter between characters and the science (Science!) was really good, but what kept me turning pages was the complexity of situational perceptions, how people react, once they learn another point of view, and keeping the mystery of how things came to be just hidden enough that you had to keep a second guess in your back pocket.
The Mary Sue main character was flawed (a good thing) and had somewhat of a hero's journey, though a bit more struggle and insecurity would have been welcome for character development. Dealing with new perceptions and reactions is rarely navigated so easily.
I would have liked more from the character of Varsha. Perhaps another book?
June 17, 2023
A great superhero origin
So I've had problems with Molly's work. I didn't enjoy a couple of her books, I thought Mail Order Bride ended abruptly and I thought Transistor didn't quite catch the vibe of the first heart of heroes book. But I loved Scatter and I have to say I loved this one too. It was a lot of fun, though I'm still holding out hope of seeing more focus and scatter down the line.
So I've had problems with Molly's work. I didn't enjoy a couple of her books, I thought Mail Order Bride ended abruptly and I thought Transistor didn't quite catch the vibe of the first heart of heroes book. But I loved Scatter and I have to say I loved this one too. It was a lot of fun, though I'm still holding out hope of seeing more focus and scatter down the line.
August 9, 2023
I WAS RIGHT TO BE WAITING FOR THIS
OML another feast for my eyes and soul. I enjoy everything about this book. I couldn’t understand half of what Maggie was talking about but I didn’t give a dang! I freaking called it for Chance being the friend Chance from the game even laughed. Is that a set up for my fave dragon Eurion with Sierra I saw there?? Cause I totally ship it so hard if soo!!
OML another feast for my eyes and soul. I enjoy everything about this book. I couldn’t understand half of what Maggie was talking about but I didn’t give a dang! I freaking called it for Chance being the friend Chance from the game even laughed. Is that a set up for my fave dragon Eurion with Sierra I saw there?? Cause I totally ship it so hard if soo!!
December 19, 2023
Aether Is One Of The Most Original Superheroes I’ve Ever Come Across
This was fascinating to me because of the main character, the powers she has, and how she got them. But woven into this story is also a tale of unrequited love, two journeys to self discovery, and a scientific mystery that needs to be solved to stop the bad guys.
I’ve enjoyed all three of the Hearts of Heroes books and I look forward to more of them in the future.
This was fascinating to me because of the main character, the powers she has, and how she got them. But woven into this story is also a tale of unrequited love, two journeys to self discovery, and a scientific mystery that needs to be solved to stop the bad guys.
I’ve enjoyed all three of the Hearts of Heroes books and I look forward to more of them in the future.
July 14, 2024
OK another wonderfule book in the series. BUT ,to the author, Molly WHY oh WHY did you leave out all of the Spice in this book, especially after the first two books? You do suck a great job with the sex scenes, please give us at least one really good one per book at a minimum!
Besides that complaint I really enjoyed this book just as much as the rest of the series and I will be eagerly awaiting Rhapsody to hit Audible!
Besides that complaint I really enjoyed this book just as much as the rest of the series and I will be eagerly awaiting Rhapsody to hit Audible!
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