Overpowered

City of Legends #2

by Cheyanne Young

After rescuing Nova from a life of evil, Maci fears she's made a huge mistake. As if she didn't have enough trouble fitting in with her fellow Supers, Nova outshines Maci in personality and power. In the midst of this one-sided sibling rivalry, humans are dropping dead from a powerful drug that originates in the underground tunnels of King City. Someone is a traitor and Maci wants to capture the villain before anyone else—especially Nova. With Nova in the spotlight, Maci needs to set aside her jealousy before more humans die and the future of King City is changed forever.

Genres: Young Adult, Superheroes, Science Fiction

264 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2014

About the author

Cheyanne Young lives in Houston, Texas and is an award-winning author of several books for young adults, including The Last Wish of Sasha Cade, which is being adapted into a TV mini-series by Waterside Studios. She has a Master of Library Science degree from Texas Woman’s University and works as a Teen Librarian.

Cheyanne has a fear of cold weather and a coffee addiction that probably needs an intervention. She loves books, glitter, and sarcasm. Her hidden talents include being able to say the alphabet backwards and typing 130 words per minute. She lives with her family, two spoiled rotten dogs, and a cat that is most likely plotting to take over the world.

Reviews

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you haven't read the first book this review may contain spoilers
First Impression:
I can't pass up a story by Cheyanne Young. After reading the first book (twice) I couldn't wait to read this one. I need to find out what happened to Maci and her friends. I honestly love this series and I adore all the characters. The second in the series did not disappoint.
The Story & Characters:
The story starts after Nova has run away and Maci is now a Super. She is on probation for now and will be able to go on light missions. What Maci really wants is to find her Twin sister and bring her home. She is aware that both Nova and Maci aren't suppose to be alive, one twin is usually killed because it was determined that one twin will always be evil. I loved the relationship between Nova and Maci. I was worried that Nova wasn't going to be likable but I loved her. I love how the book was done Maci had a tendency to give me panic attacks because of how impulsive she is. Nova wasn't what I was expecting. You get a lot more of the other characters also and I do adore them as well. They bring so much to the story. The Valiant had a lot of action and I found myself on the edge of my seat waiting to see what was going to happen next. I also thought it was great how you really get to see how someone can choose to be good instead of evil. The end...OMG the end! I honestly read the next book as soon as this one was finished because I just couldn't wait.
Final Thoughts:
This is one of my all time favorite series. I adore Cheyanne and love her writing style. She has an amazing way of telling a fantastic story. I love her spin on this work and the supers. I can't recommend this series enough, so much action, adventure and just enough romance to keep you reading every word and turning every page.

Thanks for stopping by to check out my review.

Have a great day and Happy Reading!

This review was originally posted on Because reading is better than real life

[A.N. Willis · Rating 5 out of 5]

In CITY OF LEGENDS, superhero Maci Knight found out that she has a secret twin, and she faced a terrifying question for a Hero--am I the evil one?? Maci still doesn't know for sure, and in THE VALIANT, the stakes just keep getting higher!

At first, Maci is left picking up the pieces after the last villain attack. She has a sister now, but they can't relate. She's finally a real Hero, but she's struggling with her missions. And she has a boyfriend, but can she hold onto him?

I LOVE how all the different threads of the plot came together at the end in a (literally) explosive finale. And while I wouldn't call the ending a cliffhanger--this book had its own, complete arc--Maci's life definitely ends up in even greater chaos than when we started. I must read EMPIRE RISING immediately to find out what happens!

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

trying to review without spoilers makes me wnd up just saying that I loved this second book as much as the first, maybe a bit more. I adore Evan. you will not regret reading this book

[Alyssa · Rating 4 out of 5]

personally, I think this series is getting better and better! this one for me is better than the first one. this book has more action, intrigue, and plot.

i cannot help but compare it to the first one. the first one was good but it was not as satisfying as this one. in the first one, Maci was basically just on hiding. but here we actually get to see her in action and with other people too. I just thought that this one has more contents for readers to gobble.

i love the plot on this one! quite far from the first one but very relevant to the series. i love that we actually get some connection with supers and humans. though I thought supers were degrading humans too much, it is part of the mentality of the supers. the author definitely made sure that we see everything in a super's eyes.

there's more action in this! and the action was described and written better. in the previous book, I wasn't very into the action. but this was so awesome to read!

we also have more emotional connection. this has romance, friendship, and family. family was definitely a focal point in this story. but the author made sure that this is still about Maci. she is still quite selfish and her personality is shining!

less romance in here. I love Evan! i swear, I am so into smart guys. Plus the way the author wrote the sweet moments are so adorable! it will make you sigh and envy Maci so much! but in here, Evan was more like a break from Maci's missions. He's still involved in the missions and he is his own person but i feel like he's not much there.

this time, I'm very eager to read the last book! i wanna see what happens next! i swear, the book got better and better, so I'm excited for the next one!

[Tracy H · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Valiant
Book 2 of City of Legends
Cheyanne Young

I thought the book was good but very predictable. It was well written just not completely developed. I will read the next book to find out what happens. I hope it isn't as predictable. Fingers crossed.

[Jessica Brooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was raised by the greatest dad and the most caring brother ever. They took care of me, they nurtured me and taught me the ways of being a Hero. I know I have evil genetics; I can feel them every second of every day. But I am not evil. I choose not to be.

Overpowered, the second installment in the Powered series, goes into more depth, relationship and plot-wise, as Super Hero Maci Might fights to keep her recently rescued sister, Nova, hidden, while proving she (Maci) is worthy of Hero status. Problem is, even in the midst of looking out for Nova and trying to prove she's no longer affiliated with the Villians, Maci can't help but feel jealous over everyone's immediate warming up to her twin. In fact, it almost makes Maci regret saving Nova in the first place. "...the truth is, she is incredibly easy to get along with and she's just nice. Nice in every way. It's really unsettling." The internal battle is real, and it continues to grow throughout the book as they have to learn to trust each other.

As far as the storyline goes, Cheyanne has created a great parallel world where Heroes work almost alongside humans, only allowing them to know what they "need" to know. The Heroes have great names like Max Might, Nyx Nightly, et cetera (still waiting to see what materializes with the VP, considering his name) and her use of Super Hero terms and acronyms (like their communication devices, called BEEPRs--Biometric Engineered Earth Positioning Receivers which, in Maci's own words are strictly for Heroes because humans can't read them since "The pixels look distorted to their eyes.") give a somewhat futuristic feel, without going over the top.

Just like with Powered, there are lots of great lines that had me giggling out loud, including the banter between Maci and Evan. Here's one, for example:

He leans over and slaps me on the butt. "Go get em' Hero." (ha ha ha ha)

And now we've come to the last element of Overpowered: the rise of strange activity amongst the humans. Fights are breaking out across town, and plain officers are being forced to call upon Heroes to help. Someone, somewhere, is supplying humans with a way to get short bursts of power strong enough to overpower Heroes and humans alike. People are being injured. Some are dying. And no one seems to be able to figure out where the power is coming from.

Will Maci solve the mystery of the black-market power vials? Will she decide she wants Nova on her side, or give up and decide to become a Villian herself? Find out in Overpowered (Powered, #2), by Cheyanne Young! :D

[Ruthsic · Rating 3 out of 5]

After the most vicious villain attack in centuries, Maci Knight is struggling to put the shattered pieces of her life back together. She survived, but barely, and her family will never be the same. The only good thing to come out of the attack is that the Elders have granted her probationary Hero status. Now she’s desperate to prove that she has what it takes to shine in the field.

Maci gets her first chance when she’s called in to stop an illegal fighting ring where humans are battling to the death. But when she goes toe-to-toe with the fighters, she’s shocked to discover that even she can’t contain them. The humans are strong—supernaturally so. Maci knows that this is the work of the villain underground and is determined to put an end to it. But how do you fight an enemy who won’t show their face?

I wish I could say this book improves on the former, but honestly, anything would have been an improvement at this point. The one good thing I liked that we finally see the Heroes in the outside world, something that was lacking in the previous book. I was interested in what the human world would think about them - of course the majority would revere them, but what about the criminals? Sadly, not all my raging questions were quelled, but I did find a moderate amount of satisfaction in seeing Nova getting a chance to shine. Honestly, she is more interesting than Maci as a personality; the latter is mostly a person with a Hero complex (pun intended). Maci's insecurities as being the 'evil twin' could have been elaborated upon, but then again, this series is more about the action than the characters.

As for the plot (*gah*) it was disappointing. Any rookie reader would have spotted that correlation coming. Missing supers + Humans suddenly getting powers? It is so obvious that I questioned the intelligence of the Supers. They have boy geniuses like Evan running around, but they can't put together a case? Are they only worth kicking butt and taking names? There was a small development of half-breeds but that was abandoned pretty soon, making me question the overall plot motive. This book really pushed me onto the edge of a slump.

Received a free galley from Alloy Entertainment, via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

[Patrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book of the "Powered Trilogy." I really liked the first one in that it presented, to my mind anyway, a unique superhero universe. I mean most superhero stories just rip off the familiar DC and Marvel heroes, only changing costumes and powers a little. (Even I'm guilty of that, though intentionally so.) Basically the genetically superior "Supers" have their own nation inside the Grand Canyon where they live and use as a base to defend the world from Villains. In the first book, Maci Might, daughter of the president, came into her powers only to realize she has an identical twin and that she (Maci) is probably the evil twin.

So in book two Maci finds her sister Nova and tries to hide her from the heroes who want to capture her for being a villain. At the same time a new drug called Strike is giving humans the power of superheroes, which they mostly use for underground fight clubs. Who's behind the drug and can anyone stop it?

For the most part I enjoyed this book, though maybe a little less than the first one. Maci is a fun character, especially now that she has a goody-goody twin to play off of. The writing is sharp and as with the first one, I like the uniqueness of the superhero world.

The thing I didn't like is that the plot is too obvious. It's so clear where Strike is coming from that I sat there for much of the book waiting for the heroes to figure it out. But maybe that's just me; maybe the younger people who make up the target audience will be more surprised.

Anyway, it's still a very enjoyable book and I'm looking forward to the conclusion of the trilogy when it sounds as if the [stuff] will really hit the fan.

That is all.

[Teresa Kander · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read the entire trilogy of books in less than a week, and found it to be a fun, easy read. Reading it took me back to watching superhero cartoons on Saturday morning television.

This series is full of surprises and twists, so that while you may think you know where the plot is headed, nine times out of ten you are going to be wrong. But that just added to the reading enjoyment for me, as I am not a fan of predictable plots.

The characters are well-developed and likable. Maci is not your typical YA heroine with self-confidence issues....she tends to go a little too far in the other direction at times, with a little too much faith in herself and her abilities. Her relationship with her twin sister, Nova, develops well over the course of the series, as they moved from the awkward getting to know you stage into sharing a deep bond and working together as a team. Reading about those transitions added more depth to the series.

There is a subplot involving the relationship between Evan and Maci, and we get to see that grow through the series, but it never becomes the main focus. I enjoyed the interactions between them, seeing their feelings develop.

While all the loose ends are tied up by the end of the third book, I would like to see more stories about these characters in the future.

**I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and feelings are entirely my own.**

[Allison Renner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cheyanne Young does it again - writing a book that's light, funny, and suspenseful. This is the second installment of the POWERED trilogy, and I'm eager for the third. I really love Cheyanne's writing style, and the suspense isn't hokey to keep readers interested - it's well done and important to the story. The world she created is so vivid, I can picture the Supers in the cities and the transportation system. A lot of made up worlds can be over the top, but the world of humans, Supers, and Heroes is very well done.

[Warren · Rating 3 out of 5]

I dunno, I guess I'm a sucker for the whole quiet introvert with a dark past who just wants to belong theme lol.
I said in the first book that I had hoped the whole twin thing would only be a subplot, but I'm not glad it wasn't, it was done well, and I really liked Nova.
My one gripe this time around
*spoilers*

Is that it ended kinda similar to how the first book ended. But, I'm sure the last book is just as good as the first two so I guess I can't be mad :)

Overall, another very fun read in the series

[David Harriss · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sibling Rivalry

The plot is pretty straightforward. The mystery takes the protagonists a while to solve, but readers should have most of it by the middle of the book.
The real challenge is how jealous Maci is of Maddie/ Nova.

I deducted a star for editing /proofing. Quotation from two different characters needs to be in two different paragraphs, dang it.
Still this book is better than the first.

[Shawn Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting world.

I very much enjoyed the story and would recommend it to others. Some of the science and morality needs more definition. And the concept that evil is Genetically determinable is stretching suspension of disbelief to its limits. That said the elimination of the supers liquid power makes little sense when it is shown to have healing properties for others.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to be a BETA reader and I do not want to accidentally spoil, anything.

I adore this series and this book is so good, I am on pins and needles to find out what happenes in book 3!!!

You will not regret reading this series

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review to come!

[Bekah Lou · Rating 5 out of 5]

Check out my review here: http://thatnerdshow.com/rubyslippersa...

[Lyssa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even better than book 1 in this series!!

[Allie Singer]

c/e

[Jessica Brooks]

Yay for the reread! Loved how so many more characters come together in this book, including, of course, NOVA. Can't wait to read book three for the first time now that things are on a roll!