Name: Reverse Ella: Superheroes of Kaimas
Rating: 4.5 (1 reviews)

Author 8 books35 followers

June 13, 2023

***This review is part of a series of ongoing reviews dedicated to Kindle Vella serials. You can find this and more on my website: authornathanwall.com. If you wish to have your Vella be part of this series in the future, please reach out to me there or through social media.***

“Reverse Ella: Superheroes of Kaimas” (referred to as R/E henceforth) is a fresh take on the Superhero genre. So fresh at times that it reads more like a Young Adult, Coming-of-age drama with superheroes that-happen-to-be-in-it rather than basking in the tropes that define the genre.

Ella Zelt, the titular Reverse/Ella, is the twin sister of the aptly named Cinder. Yes, their mom loved fairytales, and evidently, their names get brought up a lot. It’s not something they like to talk about. To make matters worse, their mom is a famous superhero that everyone loves, and whose shadow they find themselves completely eclipsed by. Ella is a few zits and braces short of deciding to crawl into a hole and never coming out.

From the get-go, you can tell world-building was at the forefront of Author Heidi Harris's mind. R/E immediately draws you in with lore and details about the people of Kaimas, the superheroes they adore, and the “villains” of Tref they choose to dissociate with. The details aren’t overblown and flow casually through the story. If it weren’t for the airplanes, fast cars, and celebrity wall posters, the Vella would have more in common with traditional epic fantasies: mages communicating through water, tribal elders with ornate titles, and long-standing traditions that no one seems to question…until we meet our protagonists.

Ella and her brother’s special abilities revolve around time manipulation. It just so happens that their rival siblings from Tref, Blink, and Amaia Stone, also have similar abilities. This allows the far more experienced Stones to pop in and out of the Zelt twins’ time warps.

The Zelts and Stones are summoned to a joint meeting by their elders, the Elnok and Premier. Not only is this meeting confounding, as the Elnok and Premier are opposed in every which way, but both sibling pairs are also further thrown for a loop when they learn they will be getting married.

R/E is a technically sound Vella. You won’t find many (if any) grammatical or spelling errors. This is refreshing to see in the indie world as so often I am pulled out of a fascinating narrative with errors that a simple read-through would catch. The narrative flow is also easy to follow. There aren't any gimmicks in the storytelling. Harris takes the reader head-on.

Another thing I especially enjoyed was the catchy way in which the characters used their powers. Immediately, in Episode 1, we’re treated to a visual spectacle and the twitch that brings about the abilities. In Episodes 14 and 15, we FINALLY get to see the characters in crime-fighting action. Rowland has no issues bringing the visuals in my head to life.

There are only 15 Episodes currently available for the Vella, and the best character throughout them has been Blink. It’s not particularly close. He’s crafty, smart, and confident but not cocky, and he gets some of the best lines. I’m on the fence as to whether I think the Vella would benefit from something in his POV. Right now, Amaia and Ella are running the show. Blink’s distance thus far has enabled him to climb the ladder to undisputed fan favorite (in my eyes anyway), but at the same time, I think the story could use a jolt.

If there were one criticism I have it’s that the Vella’s slow burn borders on the fire going out altogether. There’s a lot of smoke, but 7 Episodes in and the reader finds themselves still in the same scene. The first inkling of real action doesn’t happen until Episode 14, which I won’t spoil. For something branding itself as an Action-Adventure Superhero story, I would have liked more superhero feats. The focus through the first 13 Episodes is clearly on the relationships of the newlyweds.

There is a moment with Cinder and Amaia in Episode 14 that brings the two closer and gives more insight into the Zelt twins’ past. I hope we get more about this past incident in future flashbacks. It was a great nugget, and I think the story could have benefited by taking the time to let it marinate in a Cinder-centered-POV flashback.

If you're someone who believes a hero is only as good as their villain, then through the first 15 Episodes you'll find the Zelts and Stones lacking. Hopefully, the aforementioned nugget turns into a strong antagonizing force for our four heroes. It certainly has the emotional potential to put the Zelt twins through the wringer.

One question I do have arises from the premise of two cities hating each other. Both Tref and Kaimas believe themselves to be good guys. This makes for some dramatic irony and great story fodder when the Stones and Zelts are betrothed to one another. However, if Kaimas believes Tref to be villains, then why does Ella have a poster of the famous (infamous?) Blink Zelt on her wall that she swoons over? I get that he’s labeled as one of the few good guys from Tref. However, wouldn’t this be some sort of contraband? I know, it’s a nitpick given I’m dealing with a story about time-manipulating twins, and it makes for some great dramatic irony when she has to marry the object of her teenage affection, and it is intriguing these Superheroes live in a world where people buy their posters, but in my mind it would be tantamount to Batgirl having the Joker’s poster on the wall while simultaneously having the last name Capulet while he is a Montague.

R/E has a bunch of questions that need to be answered, which will force you to scroll through to get the nitty gritty. What exactly are the elders cooking up? Will traditional family allegiances win through, or will the newlyweds ultimately choose their spouses? What kind of turn will there be? Will there be a time warp that affects all reality except the four heroes?

Only time will tell…see what I did there?

4/5 stars. The story did start picking up at the end, but the lack of action in a Superhero adventure with the genre label "Action Adventure" was disappointing, and would be misleading to future readers. Everything else in the story is high quality. I will follow this Vella further and may update the rating if the action changes to suit the genre and the label.

Reverse Ella: Superheroes of Kaimas

Heidi Harris

About the author

Heidi Harris

Ratings & Reviews

Friends & Following

Community Reviews

Join the discussion

Can't find what you're looking for?