What do you think?
Rate this book
Powerless #2
Killing Gods: A Superhero Novel
After the events in "Powerless", Martin is reluctantly training up Hayley to be a fully fledged hero while pretending to a convalescing Maria that he has returned to a normal life.
Meanwhile, The Church of the New Gods is making headlines, thanks to its charismatic leader, in the wake of Charles' murder trial. At the same time, The Real Heroes, an anti-hero group with a violent secret, are ready to turn to desperate measures for media attention.
In the middle of all this, an old eighties villain Martin once fought comes to him, begging for help. He is terrified Child Services are going to take his powered son away because of his history as The Savage.
When the child goes missing from protective care, both groups come under suspicion and Martin and Hayley race to find the child before lives are put at risk.
Please note, the 2nd edition of this book has the same ISBN but now a new cover, so this is an alternate cover of the book with the details below.
ISBN: 9781310825910
ASIN: B00LZYBTL4
Meanwhile, The Church of the New Gods is making headlines, thanks to its charismatic leader, in the wake of Charles' murder trial. At the same time, The Real Heroes, an anti-hero group with a violent secret, are ready to turn to desperate measures for media attention.
In the middle of all this, an old eighties villain Martin once fought comes to him, begging for help. He is terrified Child Services are going to take his powered son away because of his history as The Savage.
When the child goes missing from protective care, both groups come under suspicion and Martin and Hayley race to find the child before lives are put at risk.
Please note, the 2nd edition of this book has the same ISBN but now a new cover, so this is an alternate cover of the book with the details below.
ISBN: 9781310825910
ASIN: B00LZYBTL4
Kindle Edition
First published July 20, 2014
14 people are currently reading
39 people want to read
About the author
Tony Cooper
25 books22 followersTony Cooper was born and raised in Scotland. He followed the traditional route of becoming a writer/artist by studying Medicine then making videogames for 16 years.
His grimdark urban fantasy superhero series is currently at three books, POWERLESS, KILLING GODS and DIE FAMOUS, and a tie-in comic book SOME KIND OF HERO.
He also created the graphic novel THE MURDER CLUB: USELESS DEATHS, a psychological thriller about a pair of schoolkids who plot to kill a fellow student.
He has also release a collection of dark short stories titled "The Resurrection Tree and Other Stories", and the science fiction comedy novella "Higgs & Soap: Galaxy Delivery".
His grimdark urban fantasy superhero series is currently at three books, POWERLESS, KILLING GODS and DIE FAMOUS, and a tie-in comic book SOME KIND OF HERO.
He also created the graphic novel THE MURDER CLUB: USELESS DEATHS, a psychological thriller about a pair of schoolkids who plot to kill a fellow student.
He has also release a collection of dark short stories titled "The Resurrection Tree and Other Stories", and the science fiction comedy novella "Higgs & Soap: Galaxy Delivery".
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
May 7, 2021
The grimdark world of the Powerless series continues in Killing Gods, a couple months after where Powerless left off. Martin and Hayley continue as a team, Martin continues to come out of his shell and reconnect with the world, and the world continues to be far too real - where those with Power are subject to abuse and prejudice.
One of Martin's old enemies comes knocking, only this time asking for help for his son. As a physical Power, like Martin, only one that can't "pass" in normal society, prejudice is out-and-out discrimination for the ex-con. He can't catch a break. Social services has come knocking and the SAVAGE is sure his past will haunt him as much as his claws do, and they will declare him an unfit father and take his son.
A son who is showing a VERY rare Power while still in diapers - a Power, if known, everyone would want control of. Governments, religious organizations, villains, corporations. The child's two parents are caught up in mechanisms beyond their control.
Can Martin help? Dare Martin help? He is playing vigilante in a world where using his Powers at all can get him incarcerated alongside Powers he put in the prison system.
This is not a world with win-win situations.
It is a world with a lot happening. The story has multiple plot lines and characters which twist together and spread apart wonderfully. Highly recommend to those who love grimdark superpowers.
(Read through Kindle Unlimited)
One of Martin's old enemies comes knocking, only this time asking for help for his son. As a physical Power, like Martin, only one that can't "pass" in normal society, prejudice is out-and-out discrimination for the ex-con. He can't catch a break. Social services has come knocking and the SAVAGE is sure his past will haunt him as much as his claws do, and they will declare him an unfit father and take his son.
A son who is showing a VERY rare Power while still in diapers - a Power, if known, everyone would want control of. Governments, religious organizations, villains, corporations. The child's two parents are caught up in mechanisms beyond their control.
Can Martin help? Dare Martin help? He is playing vigilante in a world where using his Powers at all can get him incarcerated alongside Powers he put in the prison system.
This is not a world with win-win situations.
It is a world with a lot happening. The story has multiple plot lines and characters which twist together and spread apart wonderfully. Highly recommend to those who love grimdark superpowers.
(Read through Kindle Unlimited)
March 5, 2023
It's a good continuation of the series. I especially liked the more in depth exploration of the world's history and the relationships between former heroes and villains. When you can feel manufacture sympathy for fictional characters facing injustice and wish things could have gone better for them in the face of a system stacked against them, you're doing something right, even if the subject matter is superhumans.
I think the ending was a bit unsatisfactory though, given that the cliffhanger seems highly unlikely to ever be resolved, unless there is one hell of a timeskip.
I think the ending was a bit unsatisfactory though, given that the cliffhanger seems highly unlikely to ever be resolved, unless there is one hell of a timeskip.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 31, 2022
Different views of heroes
i enjoyed the multiple viewpoints about super heroes in this world where the heroes are second class citizens. This is not a standard hero story and the timeline and character changes limit the flow of the story at times. It you enjoy thinking about the public and supers, this is a good book to read.
i enjoyed the multiple viewpoints about super heroes in this world where the heroes are second class citizens. This is not a standard hero story and the timeline and character changes limit the flow of the story at times. It you enjoy thinking about the public and supers, this is a good book to read.
December 13, 2021
Absolutely raced through this, loved the new characters brought in as well as how the old ones developed and the plot and world building we’re excellent
December 17, 2025
Excellent stuff. Could do with a good edit. Also, put a comma before a name, for Pete's sake. Good story, maybe a bit more on the main characters.
April 24, 2016
Killing Gods
Nowhere near as good as the first powerless novel. Won't be reading the next novel. There is only so much boredom I can take.
Nowhere near as good as the first powerless novel. Won't be reading the next novel. There is only so much boredom I can take.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews