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Anti-Heroes #1
Trick of the Light
Karl leads a quiet life—quieter than he wants, especially since getting into a fight with one of the most powerful men in the city—but it could be worse. In a city where super heroes and villains can level a city block in a moment, it's a good day when nothing is destroyed, especially for the man who sells super hero insurance.
After yet another date stands him up, Karl heads home for another night spent reading with only his cats for company. But a strange sound at the bus stop leads him to a shocking discovery: Trick of the Light, a notorious villain in possession of an impossible power, and currently the intense focus of a man hunt by the Grand Order of Defenders.
But Karl has never had much respect for the Order and its arrogant, cavalier super heroes. Whatever the risks, he'd much rather spend the night helping a villain, especially since once Trick is well enough to move Karl will probably never see him again…
After yet another date stands him up, Karl heads home for another night spent reading with only his cats for company. But a strange sound at the bus stop leads him to a shocking discovery: Trick of the Light, a notorious villain in possession of an impossible power, and currently the intense focus of a man hunt by the Grand Order of Defenders.
But Karl has never had much respect for the Order and its arrogant, cavalier super heroes. Whatever the risks, he'd much rather spend the night helping a villain, especially since once Trick is well enough to move Karl will probably never see him again…
66 pages, ebook
First published January 11, 2016
43 people are currently reading
739 people want to read
About the author
Megan Derr
283 books2,936 followersMegan is a long time resident of queer romance and keeps herself busy reading and writing it. She is often accused of fluff and nonsense. When she’s not involved in writing, she likes to cook, harass her wife and cats, or watch movies. She loves to hear from readers and can be found all over the internet.
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meganaderr@gmail.com
@meganaderr
meganderr.com
patreon.com/meganderr
meganderr.blogspot.com
facebook.com/meganaprilderr
meganaderr@gmail.com
@meganaderr
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 103 reviews
April 18, 2025
A world of superheroes and supervillains and the people stuck in between. Interesting world building even if you don't get much of it in the short book, but the glimpses are well done and make you curious for more of it. Karl is soooo much fun.
His idea of going to the gym was gawking at the people inside in awe as he walked by it to get to the coffee shop. 😂💗
It was the sugar that would kill him someday, but Karl wasn't even remotely sorry. Death by cinnamon bun had to be a top ten way to go. 🤗🤗🤗
The affair that develops between Karl and Trick is super hot.
No one had ever wrapped their mouth around him and sucked him off like it was the only thing they'd ever wanted to do. 🔥🔥
And of course they have to save each other more often than not, there is plenty of action and lots of hilarious moments. I absolutely love them as a couple.
His idea of going to the gym was gawking at the people inside in awe as he walked by it to get to the coffee shop. 😂💗
It was the sugar that would kill him someday, but Karl wasn't even remotely sorry. Death by cinnamon bun had to be a top ten way to go. 🤗🤗🤗
The affair that develops between Karl and Trick is super hot.
No one had ever wrapped their mouth around him and sucked him off like it was the only thing they'd ever wanted to do. 🔥🔥
And of course they have to save each other more often than not, there is plenty of action and lots of hilarious moments. I absolutely love them as a couple.
January 16, 2016
3.5 stars
A short, but entertaining read. Karl is an insurance adjuster in this alternate world where Superheroes and Supervillains exist. Karl makes sure normals, like him, get reimbursed for the damage done to personal property when the Supers are fighting against each other. An interesting concept for sure. The problem? It's normally the Heroes doing the most damage, but the government is corrupt and controls the media. So the public is trained to believe in the Heroes.
Karl isn't like the sheople and sees the reality of the damage of their world for himself. And then one night, he stumbles upon an injured Supervillain and can't help but save someone in need.
This was really a cute story. I enjoyed the world-building, even as limited as it was in this novella. Derr managed to pack a punch. We got to see the beginning of the full story. And we get to see Karl and "Trick" fall into a relationship of sorts. How does one have steamy times with an invisible man? It was hot reading it played out - that's for sure! Bravo for the steam from Derr!! And the reveal of the real-life identity of Trick? I had it figured out, but it's nice to know I can figure these things out.
Derr plans to keep the world of Supers alive with a different couple in each story. I'm excited for the next installment.
A short, but entertaining read. Karl is an insurance adjuster in this alternate world where Superheroes and Supervillains exist. Karl makes sure normals, like him, get reimbursed for the damage done to personal property when the Supers are fighting against each other. An interesting concept for sure. The problem? It's normally the Heroes doing the most damage, but the government is corrupt and controls the media. So the public is trained to believe in the Heroes.
Karl isn't like the sheople and sees the reality of the damage of their world for himself. And then one night, he stumbles upon an injured Supervillain and can't help but save someone in need.
This was really a cute story. I enjoyed the world-building, even as limited as it was in this novella. Derr managed to pack a punch. We got to see the beginning of the full story. And we get to see Karl and "Trick" fall into a relationship of sorts. How does one have steamy times with an invisible man? It was hot reading it played out - that's for sure! Bravo for the steam from Derr!! And the reveal of the real-life identity of Trick? I had it figured out, but it's nice to know I can figure these things out.
Derr plans to keep the world of Supers alive with a different couple in each story. I'm excited for the next installment.
November 27, 2023
3.5
Still not sure if I like to round that 3.5 up or down. On the one hand I liked it and I already bought the next book of the series but on the other hand I feel like I only read half a book. Oh, it fulfills nearly all criteria of a short story but it's so short that it feels like it's not completely fleshed out, like there are more details missing than what's justified to move into the next installment but strangely I can't tell what I'm missing because Karl's and Trick's falling for each other is quite nice and certainly nothing's missing there. Also I do love that the story starts like one of feel-good, sweet ones where your average Joe finally finds the one who recognize how special he is and they somehow save each other but then Derr is adding a twist into something more serious, something twisted-dangerous where Karl doesn't have to grow only for Trick and their future might not be filled by that romantic dream filled with kids and cats and evenings in front of the TV. It's probably the revelation about the real bad guys that fell a bit short and rushed, that feeling that I was denied an important part of world building, what makes me unsure about the rounding.
Still not sure if I like to round that 3.5 up or down. On the one hand I liked it and I already bought the next book of the series but on the other hand I feel like I only read half a book. Oh, it fulfills nearly all criteria of a short story but it's so short that it feels like it's not completely fleshed out, like there are more details missing than what's justified to move into the next installment but strangely I can't tell what I'm missing because Karl's and Trick's falling for each other is quite nice and certainly nothing's missing there. Also I do love that the story starts like one of feel-good, sweet ones where your average Joe finally finds the one who recognize how special he is and they somehow save each other but then Derr is adding a twist into something more serious, something twisted-dangerous where Karl doesn't have to grow only for Trick and their future might not be filled by that romantic dream filled with kids and cats and evenings in front of the TV. It's probably the revelation about the real bad guys that fell a bit short and rushed, that feeling that I was denied an important part of world building, what makes me unsure about the rounding.
September 11, 2020
I much liked a superhero vs villain story from the villains prospective.
I think we are noticing that more and more with stories like Vicious by VE Schwab and The Extraordinaries by TJ Klune
These are more of a novella than a novel, so the read was pretty quick. I will be picking up the rest of the series at some point.
I think we are noticing that more and more with stories like Vicious by VE Schwab and The Extraordinaries by TJ Klune
These are more of a novella than a novel, so the read was pretty quick. I will be picking up the rest of the series at some point.
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March 4, 2016I have to tell y’all something. I have a serious crush on Megan Derr and the words she writes. I can’t begin to explain how much I enjoy her writing and how quickly I fall in love with her stories. This may be a semi-biased-crush-review but I don’t know any other way to do it. Sorry, folks.
So, this book. It’s fresh, it’s different and it is amazing. I am not the biggest super hero kind of fan, I know I know. I mean, I know about them and I have watched movies, shows, and seen comics but this story was a breath of fresh air among the standard hero, it’s all about the Anti-Hero and I love it. LOVE. IT.
We meet Karl Ackeman, super hero insurance seller extraordinaire, as he is being stood up once again for a date. Karl has a reputation and once the face is put to the handle, his dates turn blind and he is left alone. This night though, as he waiting for the bus he hears sounds of distress and kinda becomes his own hero to well, a villain. Mmm Hmm… *nods*
I love the play on super heroes and villains in the story. The G.O.D. or the Grand Order of Defenders aren’t always the good guys because it’s the good guys like Karl who have to clean up their messes. But Trick of the Light isn’t one of the G.O.D, he stands for something else… and his presence is what makes me all kinds of giddy.
I honestly can’t contain my excitement and full on crush with this story. Karl was an amazing narrator, telling us about his collection of watches and how he runs his insurance business and how he is so over the G.O.D and how they destroy thing. But Karl, he’s got a kink for invisible men and it just so happens that Trick of the Light is indebted to him for saving his life and yeah… this was SO good.
I don’t’ want to spoil anything but I will tell you I highlighted the hell out of this story and it’s only 66 pages. I laughed, I swooned, I got turned on and I had a theory early on that totally turned out to be right and the smile on my face, the morning after I finished the book is still as wide and cheesy as it was when it happened.
This is a great set up for a series I am anxious to continue on with. I loved Trick of the Light, learning who he really is and how he became super. I loved Karl and every damn thing about him from his cats to his reaction to Trick.
Sigh.
Oh and I am possibly drunk as a butterfly in a hurricane waiting on the next book - Turncoat because OMG, TURNCOAT is amazing and I need more of this series. Like now. Kay?
So, this book. It’s fresh, it’s different and it is amazing. I am not the biggest super hero kind of fan, I know I know. I mean, I know about them and I have watched movies, shows, and seen comics but this story was a breath of fresh air among the standard hero, it’s all about the Anti-Hero and I love it. LOVE. IT.
“You should be able to tell the good guys from the bad guys, right?"
We meet Karl Ackeman, super hero insurance seller extraordinaire, as he is being stood up once again for a date. Karl has a reputation and once the face is put to the handle, his dates turn blind and he is left alone. This night though, as he waiting for the bus he hears sounds of distress and kinda becomes his own hero to well, a villain. Mmm Hmm… *nods*
I love the play on super heroes and villains in the story. The G.O.D. or the Grand Order of Defenders aren’t always the good guys because it’s the good guys like Karl who have to clean up their messes. But Trick of the Light isn’t one of the G.O.D, he stands for something else… and his presence is what makes me all kinds of giddy.
I honestly can’t contain my excitement and full on crush with this story. Karl was an amazing narrator, telling us about his collection of watches and how he runs his insurance business and how he is so over the G.O.D and how they destroy thing. But Karl, he’s got a kink for invisible men and it just so happens that Trick of the Light is indebted to him for saving his life and yeah… this was SO good.
I don’t’ want to spoil anything but I will tell you I highlighted the hell out of this story and it’s only 66 pages. I laughed, I swooned, I got turned on and I had a theory early on that totally turned out to be right and the smile on my face, the morning after I finished the book is still as wide and cheesy as it was when it happened.
This is a great set up for a series I am anxious to continue on with. I loved Trick of the Light, learning who he really is and how he became super. I loved Karl and every damn thing about him from his cats to his reaction to Trick.
Sigh.
Oh and I am possibly drunk as a butterfly in a hurricane waiting on the next book - Turncoat because OMG, TURNCOAT is amazing and I need more of this series. Like now. Kay?
January 16, 2016
I have read the prototype of this story on Ms. Derr's website and quite liked it, as well as a handful of other stories in this universe from both the websites and previous books.
With all that said, I wish this book would be a bit more fleshed out. At times, it felt as though the book kinda skip a bit of progression from budding relationship to very serious.
I also wanna read the
As the first book of the series , I think it was tad too short, that there should be some more world building added. It was a bit sparse for me. Maybe because I read the prior stories of this universe and In comparison to starting with Karl, we only see the world... Actually, just like a civilian, just like the readers. I suppose it was a good choice as we eventually were pulled into the depths of the struggle
However, with the next book release in March, the wait is not so long. I wonder how many books in this series Ms. Derr intended to write... Since she probably have four to five couples currently available to write about. And with the way the story had fleshed out so far, it would be not over in just two books... Hopefully.
With all that said, I wish this book would be a bit more fleshed out. At times, it felt as though the book kinda skip a bit of progression from budding relationship to very serious.
I also wanna read the
As the first book of the series , I think it was tad too short, that there should be some more world building added. It was a bit sparse for me. Maybe because I read the prior stories of this universe and In comparison to starting with Karl, we only see the world... Actually, just like a civilian, just like the readers. I suppose it was a good choice as we eventually were pulled into the depths of the struggle
However, with the next book release in March, the wait is not so long. I wonder how many books in this series Ms. Derr intended to write... Since she probably have four to five couples currently available to write about. And with the way the story had fleshed out so far, it would be not over in just two books... Hopefully.
February 1, 2016
I'll put my feelings about this book simply.
Was it horrible? No.
But has it been done before? Yes.
Has it been done better? Absolutely.
It was a big bummer for something that sounded so neat. I'll stick to Cari Z's super villains and such. For loyal fans of Megan Derr, I'm sure you'll enjoy it. It just was too boring and bland for me personally.
Was it horrible? No.
But has it been done before? Yes.
Has it been done better? Absolutely.
It was a big bummer for something that sounded so neat. I'll stick to Cari Z's super villains and such. For loyal fans of Megan Derr, I'm sure you'll enjoy it. It just was too boring and bland for me personally.
May 12, 2016
Omg! I loved this book. It was a sweet story where heroes where villains and villains were heroes. Trick and Karl are so sweet. A civilian falls in love with a badass invisible villain. I would have loved it more if the story was longer so it could show better the dynamics between Countdown and Trick Of Light. Favorite hero-villains ever.
February 5, 2016
Pleasantly surprised by this one. As a girl who often tended to root for the "villains", I find this story refreshing and interesting. Can't wait for the next one.
January 31, 2024
Let this book be the start of my break from Megan Derr. Like I don’t understand if I outgrew her or if her writing style changed, but I just haven’t been able to enjoy her stories lately.
January 12, 2016
I wanted to love this so bad. I mean superheroes! Gah! But it just wasn’t there. Gah,
Karl is an insurance man. He insurers against superhero/villian damage. I love when superhero stories take this into consideration and Karl is awesome. To those he helps he well liked but on the personal side he’s a dud when his pursuit of a watch puts on the bad side of a wealthy man. One night he helps a very injured supervillian, Trick of the Light (not an easy feat as Trick of the Light is aptly named, he’s invisible). Trick is grateful for the help and he and Karl start a hot little fling that totally rocks Karl’s world. One thing I particularly loved about Karl is how conscious he is of the wire Trick walks and does nothing to manipulate him or attempt to find out his true identity. Trick’s secret identity was obvious to me but knowing who it was didn’t detract from the story at all. It actually made me curious how that all worked.
The story reminded me somewhat of Dance in the Dark, at least with respect to Johnnie’s secret only in the dark lover. But unlike Johnnie’s story, I didn’t feel as connected to the relationship between Karl and Trick. The story didn’t dive into Karl’s feelings about the whole thing, how they affected his work or his self identity. It’s hinted at, then the story moves on.
This story is only 50 pages and glosses over so much to get to the end game. I would have liked to see more character development or world building and less sex. Overall I loved the story idea, the beginning, and the end. But I felt so disappointed when I was done, like I’d read through an outline not a story. There was so much there I wanted to know more about.
Perhaps when the entire series it put together it will feel complete. But I’m finding that short stories just don’t pack enough punch for me anymore. I’m glad I read it, there is truly a lot to like, but not enough to keep me reading.
ETA the correct first name for Karl. Thanks Seeilin!
Karl is an insurance man. He insurers against superhero/villian damage. I love when superhero stories take this into consideration and Karl is awesome. To those he helps he well liked but on the personal side he’s a dud when his pursuit of a watch puts on the bad side of a wealthy man. One night he helps a very injured supervillian, Trick of the Light (not an easy feat as Trick of the Light is aptly named, he’s invisible). Trick is grateful for the help and he and Karl start a hot little fling that totally rocks Karl’s world. One thing I particularly loved about Karl is how conscious he is of the wire Trick walks and does nothing to manipulate him or attempt to find out his true identity. Trick’s secret identity was obvious to me but knowing who it was didn’t detract from the story at all. It actually made me curious how that all worked.
The story reminded me somewhat of Dance in the Dark, at least with respect to Johnnie’s secret only in the dark lover. But unlike Johnnie’s story, I didn’t feel as connected to the relationship between Karl and Trick. The story didn’t dive into Karl’s feelings about the whole thing, how they affected his work or his self identity. It’s hinted at, then the story moves on.
This story is only 50 pages and glosses over so much to get to the end game. I would have liked to see more character development or world building and less sex. Overall I loved the story idea, the beginning, and the end. But I felt so disappointed when I was done, like I’d read through an outline not a story. There was so much there I wanted to know more about.
Perhaps when the entire series it put together it will feel complete. But I’m finding that short stories just don’t pack enough punch for me anymore. I’m glad I read it, there is truly a lot to like, but not enough to keep me reading.
ETA the correct first name for Karl. Thanks Seeilin!
January 4, 2017
5 super stars!
It's no secret that I love Megan Derr and Trick of the Light is yet another winner from her. It's one of the most imaginative and original take on the superhero genre that I've come across. Who do you trust if the heroes are the bad guys and the purported villains are the ones saving the common people? Karl leads a quiet life with his cats until one night when he comes across an injured super villain, Trick of the Light. Little did he know that providing the super a place to recover for a night will complicate his life. Trick of the Light is awesome! I really can't think of a more appropriate word to describe it. The worldbuilding is excellent -- the idea of superheroes and villains not quite being what the public thinks they are is laid out from the start so it wasn't a surprising turn of events when Karl helped out a so-called villain. Karl and Trick are adorable together! They sort of have a Cupid and Psyche vibe since Trick's ability is invisibility and he can't show Karl his appearance for both their protection. This is also one of Megan Derr's steamier stories which is definitely a plus for me. If you want a different kind of superhero story, then do check this one out. Highly recommended!
It's no secret that I love Megan Derr and Trick of the Light is yet another winner from her. It's one of the most imaginative and original take on the superhero genre that I've come across. Who do you trust if the heroes are the bad guys and the purported villains are the ones saving the common people? Karl leads a quiet life with his cats until one night when he comes across an injured super villain, Trick of the Light. Little did he know that providing the super a place to recover for a night will complicate his life. Trick of the Light is awesome! I really can't think of a more appropriate word to describe it. The worldbuilding is excellent -- the idea of superheroes and villains not quite being what the public thinks they are is laid out from the start so it wasn't a surprising turn of events when Karl helped out a so-called villain. Karl and Trick are adorable together! They sort of have a Cupid and Psyche vibe since Trick's ability is invisibility and he can't show Karl his appearance for both their protection. This is also one of Megan Derr's steamier stories which is definitely a plus for me. If you want a different kind of superhero story, then do check this one out. Highly recommended!
January 16, 2016
3.1 stars. This story has a great concept and plenty of interesting characters. But it's simply too brief to properly deliver on such an ambitious premise.
November 29, 2020
Karl sells superhero insurance which includes coverage for people getting their things destroyed by the fights between the superheroes and the supervillains. But Karl always thinks that the superheroes do the most damage and he sort of roots for the supervillains. And one night, he ends up saving one of the supervillains... the Invisible Trick of the Light
Well, I liked the set-up for sure... the alternate world where superheroes are a$$holes with ego as big as the world. I can believe in Karl's relationship with Trick too (despite this being a short novella). It's cute! I'm definitely curious with the next story. I wonder how these villains will bring down the superheroes...
PS: Thank you Santa's Elf with the Blue Stocking from Secret Santa Gift Exchange 2020 who gifted me this novella.
Well, I liked the set-up for sure... the alternate world where superheroes are a$$holes with ego as big as the world. I can believe in Karl's relationship with Trick too (despite this being a short novella). It's cute! I'm definitely curious with the next story. I wonder how these villains will bring down the superheroes...
PS: Thank you Santa's Elf with the Blue Stocking from Secret Santa Gift Exchange 2020 who gifted me this novella.
November 1, 2019
I'm not crazy over superheroes and I haven't been too crazy about some of Derr's more recent works, but I gave this a go anyway. It failed to deliver on plot and characters like the Derr stories I know and love, but it did serve up spotting editing, which is pretty prevalent in her books, especially the shorter ones.
I was momentarily confused when Karl pulled a toboggan over his head until a quick Google search told me that apparently some people in some parts of the world (crazy parts, obviously) think a toboggan is a toque, not a sled.
I was momentarily confused when Karl pulled a toboggan over his head until a quick Google search told me that apparently some people in some parts of the world (crazy parts, obviously) think a toboggan is a toque, not a sled.
August 1, 2020
Sex with an invisible man... Hot... that’s all I have to say...
February 8, 2016
Sometimes a book's not perfect but its so much fun it's just right. That's the way I felt reading this odd romance with understated action. Mild mannered insurance guy falls for villain. This is my second Megan Derr and I see she has a style of her own. It's like a drop rolling down a window slowly setting up the plot, character development, backstory and tone then SPLASH action. Quirky to the hills but quiet. I know this is a series so I won't say the ending was rushed because it ended like every good comic book I've ever read. Me like a lot.
October 13, 2016
4.0 stars
As usual, Megan Derr rocks.
Bottom line: I'm moving on to book 2!
As usual, Megan Derr rocks.
Bottom line: I'm moving on to book 2!
December 6, 2017
I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. It is far from perfect with the poor flow of events and not consistent character behavior. The biggest problem was that you can only fit so much into a short story for it to feel as genuine as it should.
But I love the concept that was executed so well. It is definitely a good superhero story.
But I love the concept that was executed so well. It is definitely a good superhero story.
July 20, 2020
rating: 4.5 stars
I really loved this book and think it is a great start to a new series. I just love the whole heroes and villains reversal that is going on with this series. Karl the insurance salesman was absolutely wonderful as a main character. I also loved Turncoat who is a secondary character in this book, but will be the MC in the next one. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a good superhero story.
I really loved this book and think it is a great start to a new series. I just love the whole heroes and villains reversal that is going on with this series. Karl the insurance salesman was absolutely wonderful as a main character. I also loved Turncoat who is a secondary character in this book, but will be the MC in the next one. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a good superhero story.
February 5, 2023
It was, sadly, quite underwhelming. The idea was interesting and I wished the book was longer so that the author could fully develop the characters and the world. The writing wasn't her best (to put it mildly) either.
October 11, 2022
While this world doesn't make a lot of sense, I did enjoy the dynamic between our point of view character and his love interest, and how very dark the "heroes" are.
April 30, 2017
Review written for Love Bytes Reviews.
Oh my God, this book was SO GOOD! Seriously, for a novella this packed one hell of a punch!
Karl is just your everyday run of the mill guy; he lives by himself, dotes on his two cats, and keeps apprised of the local super hero/super villain battles that take part almost daily. The newest on the scene, and his newest fascination, Trick of the Light, just adds a little bit of guilty spice to Karl’s everyday ordinary. When he’s stood up again by yet another blind date, Karl ends up getting more involved with the city’s newest villain than he ever could’ve imagined and when he finds Trick is in trouble, Karl will be forced to make a decision: Stay safe or step out of the shadows and prove that he’s anything but ordinary.
*whimpers* I loved this. I loved this so much and I’m so upset the sequel isn’t available yet because I need more of this right now. Really, just right now. Everyone always thinks they know what constitutes a hero or a villain but in this story things aren’t that clear cut. I loved how Karl was determined to do the best he could by people, even though he was ‘just an insurance salesman’ and that the villains all had a ‘do not harm’ order out for him because of it. Really, it was just awesome. The world was imaginative and I found it really hard to put the book down when I had to; I was drawn very quickly into the world built within these pages and I didn’t want to leave it. This was a fantastic start to a new series and even though this first offering was a novella, I don’t feel I missed out on anything at all. I will most likely read this for a second time within a day or two because I’m not ready to let go of this world or characters yet; this was just so good!
I loved every bit of this and my only complaints are that A) this wasn’t longer and B) I don’t have the sequel in my hands yet.
Oh my God, this book was SO GOOD! Seriously, for a novella this packed one hell of a punch!
Karl is just your everyday run of the mill guy; he lives by himself, dotes on his two cats, and keeps apprised of the local super hero/super villain battles that take part almost daily. The newest on the scene, and his newest fascination, Trick of the Light, just adds a little bit of guilty spice to Karl’s everyday ordinary. When he’s stood up again by yet another blind date, Karl ends up getting more involved with the city’s newest villain than he ever could’ve imagined and when he finds Trick is in trouble, Karl will be forced to make a decision: Stay safe or step out of the shadows and prove that he’s anything but ordinary.
*whimpers* I loved this. I loved this so much and I’m so upset the sequel isn’t available yet because I need more of this right now. Really, just right now. Everyone always thinks they know what constitutes a hero or a villain but in this story things aren’t that clear cut. I loved how Karl was determined to do the best he could by people, even though he was ‘just an insurance salesman’ and that the villains all had a ‘do not harm’ order out for him because of it. Really, it was just awesome. The world was imaginative and I found it really hard to put the book down when I had to; I was drawn very quickly into the world built within these pages and I didn’t want to leave it. This was a fantastic start to a new series and even though this first offering was a novella, I don’t feel I missed out on anything at all. I will most likely read this for a second time within a day or two because I’m not ready to let go of this world or characters yet; this was just so good!
I loved every bit of this and my only complaints are that A) this wasn’t longer and B) I don’t have the sequel in my hands yet.
March 21, 2016
The cover for this is seriously stunning, but that's maybe the only thing I really liked about this book. The whole set up seemed like I was reading a bad fanfiction of Love For The Cold-Blooded. There was just nothing else new about this to distinguish it from other superhero/villain stories, so it came across as a superficial copy. The superhero names were okay, I guess - cringe-y at times (Trick of the Light is such a mouthful) but not too terrible at other times.
Karl was a bit of a blah character. I feel like he needed a lot more development-- actually, I think the whole story needed a lot more development. I really like the idea of the heroes being the bad ones, but it was so shallow and black/white, it became boring. There was no real suspense or lead up to anything, just a random string of events tied thinly together. It's also incredibly obvious who each character's 'secret identity' is from the moment they're introduced. And I wish there was more development towards Karl hating the destruction, yet his family has profited from it for years. There was like one mention but that was it. I also found it a bit ridiculous, him pretty much running an insurance company by himself and also having such a stellar reputation.
There were good bits in this, but they were all so underdeveloped. Even when the plot began to pick up at about 80%, I DNF'd it not long after because it was all so ridiculous. This felt like pulling teeth, yet it wasn't even that long! I love superhero stories, and generally Derr's newer stuff is quite good, but this was a miss for me.
Karl was a bit of a blah character. I feel like he needed a lot more development-- actually, I think the whole story needed a lot more development. I really like the idea of the heroes being the bad ones, but it was so shallow and black/white, it became boring. There was no real suspense or lead up to anything, just a random string of events tied thinly together. It's also incredibly obvious who each character's 'secret identity' is from the moment they're introduced. And I wish there was more development towards Karl hating the destruction, yet his family has profited from it for years. There was like one mention but that was it. I also found it a bit ridiculous, him pretty much running an insurance company by himself and also having such a stellar reputation.
There were good bits in this, but they were all so underdeveloped. Even when the plot began to pick up at about 80%, I DNF'd it not long after because it was all so ridiculous. This felt like pulling teeth, yet it wasn't even that long! I love superhero stories, and generally Derr's newer stuff is quite good, but this was a miss for me.
July 1, 2016
This was a wonderful story, in a world where heroes aren't always heroic and getting a little good done can mean first doing a lot of bad.
Karl is a sweet and lonely character. He's an insurance owner who specifically covers damage from super fights. He never lets anyone go homeless, hungry, or be helpless when they have their lives ruined by a super fight. It has earned him a loyal clientele, but it has also given him a good look at the other side of supers. He sees that they are not the heroes they claim to be, but just power hungry people willing to do whatever it takes to get whatever they want.
Trick of the Light is a new villain who is going around harrying the supers in such a way that makes them want him dead, but doesn't often hurt normal civilians. Karl finds him dying and takes him home.....starting a 'torrid affair', or as Karl calls it, a fling. The two are drawn to each other and have a loving but secret and hazardous relationship.
I loved the balance between the stolen moments and the everyday occurrences. The stark humanity of both the characters was touching and the little wants and needs in their lives was beautiful. The world is fascinating and you want nothing more than to see the dogs taken down for all they have down. This was an excellent story and I can't wait to see where the rest of it goes!
Karl is a sweet and lonely character. He's an insurance owner who specifically covers damage from super fights. He never lets anyone go homeless, hungry, or be helpless when they have their lives ruined by a super fight. It has earned him a loyal clientele, but it has also given him a good look at the other side of supers. He sees that they are not the heroes they claim to be, but just power hungry people willing to do whatever it takes to get whatever they want.
Trick of the Light is a new villain who is going around harrying the supers in such a way that makes them want him dead, but doesn't often hurt normal civilians. Karl finds him dying and takes him home.....starting a 'torrid affair', or as Karl calls it, a fling. The two are drawn to each other and have a loving but secret and hazardous relationship.
I loved the balance between the stolen moments and the everyday occurrences. The stark humanity of both the characters was touching and the little wants and needs in their lives was beautiful. The world is fascinating and you want nothing more than to see the dogs taken down for all they have down. This was an excellent story and I can't wait to see where the rest of it goes!
April 26, 2016
Love the anti-hero theme here :) I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed reading this book, and cannot wait for what the series will bring. Throughout the book I was cheering for Karl, not just in regards to his relationship with Trick; but in life itself. I honestly came across this book through KU, and I really have to say I love the service that amazon provides. The books I truly enjoy, I end up buying for my library to be read and read again. I have to say this is one of those books. If your looking for something new to read, this book will surprise you.
February 24, 2016
Definitely not the best one by Megan Derr. It was OK,no more and no less, and unfortunately not too engaging. There was no room for some serious development, world building...although I found romantic part of the story not to be lacking. Hope the next one will be a little longer and, honestly, little better.
October 13, 2021
I read the books in this series, unfinished as it is, one after the other and even though each has a different couple the story is interconnected and continuous so I'm writing one review that encompasses all three books and it
will contain spoilers
.
In Trick of the Light we have the story of Karl and Trick of the Light aka Matt, a "villain" that turns invisible.
This book should have been the setting for the world building but it really wasn't. From info sprinkled here and there, and I think most was given at Turncoat, a meteor hit the Earth at 1600s that gave people superpowers. The hows and whys are a mystery, the level designations are a mystery as well.... generally there wasn't much when it came to info apart from that. Meteor falls, some people get superpowers.
The thing here though is that the superheroes aren't much of ones, since in their campaign to capture, dead or alive, the "villains" they don't care about the destruction and death toll they leave behind. And when Karl, an insurance man that tried to live his boring life peacefully and help people get their life on track after the destruction the "heroes" caused to their properties, sees how callously a "hero" walked amongst the dead bodies he caused with his powers, like they were nothing but trash, enough was enough for him and turned into the "villain" side, especially since by a fluke he could identify who that "hero" was and with that info he could and would save his lover. Thus he was branded a "villain" by the heroes.
In Turncoat we have Dixie's and Greg's story.
This was the most emotional of the 3 books because Dixie's past is really tragic. Greg is a cat burglar and a very clumsy and prone to beatings one. For all that Megan Derr said that when Greg was on the job he was quiet and focused that was never shown, since he was kept getting caught and beaten up.
In terms of info we learnt that apart from superpowers the meteor also caused a couple of diseases, one of them being meteor lung but that's the only info given. Just the name of it and that Greg suffered from it at one point. We get more info about Dixie and his abilities as a bio-computer and the Mason System and Chip but again pretty much surface level.
Also here is the point where our "villains" are slowly starting to gather to one place to implement their plans of taking down the G.O.D., the real villains of the story hiding behind surface level charity work and their propaganda.
In Close Enough to Touch we have the story of Leland aka Minder, one of the most notorious "villains" and top 5 of most wanted in G.O.D.'s list and Byron our Alien Overlord, a nickname given by Oberon.
Leland is a 12-level telekinetic that barely escaped the clutches of G.O.D.'s and becoming one of their pawns. He wants revenge from one of G.O.D.'s pets, the Prince that by using his siren powers he made a "villain" use their powers on themselves and devastate a whole neighborhood, killing Leland's parents and little sister.
Byron is one of the 2 aliens that managed to survive the crashing of their ship to the Earth because of the meteor. Since then he has tried to do the best to adapt, survive and stay out of the G.O.D.'s clutches. Although he was captured at some point but no info was given how he managed to escape and when he did so he stole quite a few billions out of the G.O.D. earning him the moniker Fortune by them and being in their list of most wanted.
Here our "villains" start using the name "Anti-Heroes" which what they truly are and prepare for one of the biggest heists ever. Saving Ariadne, the other Alien that survived the crash to Earth, that G.O.D. captured almost a year, to the beginning of the series, and if possible as well as the 15 or so children Ariadne was protecting from G.O.D. when they captured her.
Plans are made and go askew, injuries, unexpected help, reveals and the building blocks for the upcoming pairings are set up but most of all the fall of the G.O.D. and the destruction they cause for their own purposes of gain, greed and power.
So as I said minimal world building, little to no info, editing issues -like name changes and timings that were off (in Close Enough to Touch it was said that they had 1 month to implement their plan and then Megan Derr went on to say that Leland took 1 week to build his family's ofrenda, he trained for 2 weeks with his telekinesis and then went on to say that they had 3 more weeks before everything went down)- and a slow pace isn't a winning combination. I liked the stories just fine but not so much as to come back when more might be released.
In Trick of the Light we have the story of Karl and Trick of the Light aka Matt, a "villain" that turns invisible.
This book should have been the setting for the world building but it really wasn't. From info sprinkled here and there, and I think most was given at Turncoat, a meteor hit the Earth at 1600s that gave people superpowers. The hows and whys are a mystery, the level designations are a mystery as well.... generally there wasn't much when it came to info apart from that. Meteor falls, some people get superpowers.
The thing here though is that the superheroes aren't much of ones, since in their campaign to capture, dead or alive, the "villains" they don't care about the destruction and death toll they leave behind. And when Karl, an insurance man that tried to live his boring life peacefully and help people get their life on track after the destruction the "heroes" caused to their properties, sees how callously a "hero" walked amongst the dead bodies he caused with his powers, like they were nothing but trash, enough was enough for him and turned into the "villain" side, especially since by a fluke he could identify who that "hero" was and with that info he could and would save his lover. Thus he was branded a "villain" by the heroes.
In Turncoat we have Dixie's and Greg's story.
This was the most emotional of the 3 books because Dixie's past is really tragic. Greg is a cat burglar and a very clumsy and prone to beatings one. For all that Megan Derr said that when Greg was on the job he was quiet and focused that was never shown, since he was kept getting caught and beaten up.
In terms of info we learnt that apart from superpowers the meteor also caused a couple of diseases, one of them being meteor lung but that's the only info given. Just the name of it and that Greg suffered from it at one point. We get more info about Dixie and his abilities as a bio-computer and the Mason System and Chip but again pretty much surface level.
Also here is the point where our "villains" are slowly starting to gather to one place to implement their plans of taking down the G.O.D., the real villains of the story hiding behind surface level charity work and their propaganda.
In Close Enough to Touch we have the story of Leland aka Minder, one of the most notorious "villains" and top 5 of most wanted in G.O.D.'s list and Byron our Alien Overlord, a nickname given by Oberon.
Leland is a 12-level telekinetic that barely escaped the clutches of G.O.D.'s and becoming one of their pawns. He wants revenge from one of G.O.D.'s pets, the Prince that by using his siren powers he made a "villain" use their powers on themselves and devastate a whole neighborhood, killing Leland's parents and little sister.
Byron is one of the 2 aliens that managed to survive the crashing of their ship to the Earth because of the meteor. Since then he has tried to do the best to adapt, survive and stay out of the G.O.D.'s clutches. Although he was captured at some point but no info was given how he managed to escape and when he did so he stole quite a few billions out of the G.O.D. earning him the moniker Fortune by them and being in their list of most wanted.
Here our "villains" start using the name "Anti-Heroes" which what they truly are and prepare for one of the biggest heists ever. Saving Ariadne, the other Alien that survived the crash to Earth, that G.O.D. captured almost a year, to the beginning of the series, and if possible as well as the 15 or so children Ariadne was protecting from G.O.D. when they captured her.
Plans are made and go askew, injuries, unexpected help, reveals and the building blocks for the upcoming pairings are set up but most of all the fall of the G.O.D. and the destruction they cause for their own purposes of gain, greed and power.
So as I said minimal world building, little to no info, editing issues -like name changes and timings that were off (in Close Enough to Touch it was said that they had 1 month to implement their plan and then Megan Derr went on to say that Leland took 1 week to build his family's ofrenda, he trained for 2 weeks with his telekinesis and then went on to say that they had 3 more weeks before everything went down)- and a slow pace isn't a winning combination. I liked the stories just fine but not so much as to come back when more might be released.
January 17, 2016
DNF, sadly I'm reminded of why I don't read MD.
May 29, 2019
I feel like this book had so much missed potential. It had some really cool ideas! For instance, the very concept of the main character, Karl. Sure, you get protagonists all the time who are like "*grumble grumble* HEROES *grumble grumble* OFF MY LAWN *grumble grumble*" and dislike heroes because, like, they're overshadowed by their hero sibling or something. Or it's dramatic because someone died due to some hero's recklessness, which makes sense as a reason but is quite overdone.
Karl has a pretty original, non-self-centred, and solid reason for not being a big fan of heroes without the bitter aftertaste of deep-seating loathing and psychological scarring for the reader to wade through. He's an insurance salesman who cares about his clients -- that's it. And that's why he dislikes heroes. They inflict massive amounts of property damage and Karl's clients suffer the consequences; even though he pays them out fairly, they're at best at a massive inconvenience because some hero, like, took out half their living room and also their roof is gone and it's raining. He sees, day after day, the after-effects of "heroic" actions and how it affects the average person and he's bothered by the lack of accountability. Simple as that. I love it!
And then you've got the heroes themselves. It's explained (well, just told -- the fact is set down on the table and then the reader kind of stares at it, like, what do I do with this, because nothing here is ever explained) relatively quickly that superpowers came about due to a meteor, but there's no real detail given. Like, when was this? Was it studied? Where did the meteor come from? Who got powers? Was it worldwide? Localized? There's zero world-building, with the meteor and everything else. I know so little about this world.
Later, it's revealed that there's a strong possibility that the meteor didn't just give humans superpowers -- it very likely also . That's fantastic, that's brilliant, that's incredibly freaking interesting! But this is never really explored. It's touched on, and then kind of... ignored? Sort of? It's talked around, and mentioned after, but never delved into. It's not really discussed. This is a massively intriguing notion that carries so much narrative weight and Derr just kind of mentions it and then wanders off somewhere else in the plot. Are you kidding me? Look, Karl, no offense, I care about you but I am far more interested in this meteor shit.
I know there's another book in the series, but even the basics aren't explained here. Derr doesn't even construct a foundation to build on later, or at least not one strong enough to suspend disbelief. There's zero world-building. I know I said that before, but I need to say it again. I feel like this meteor concept and the characters have so much potential and could have done amazingly in the hands of a different author.
That's harsh. I know. It's just that I say that as someone who has read some of Derr's other books, and I've noticed that she seems to struggle with making her worlds detailed. They're just... empty, like a sketch that an artist always meant to turn into a finished painting but never got around to, and the artist can see all the colours and filled spaces in their mind's eye so they think it's fine as-is but the observer doesn't have that kind of view. The observer just sees the sketch, and it's not enough.
For instance, there's no explanation for anything that differs from our world, things that require more text than "and yeah so things are this way because of, like, reasons and stuff, okay let's move on" because it's like NO, I DON'T WANT TO MOVE ON, I WANT TO KNOW.
In general, Derr has great plot ideas in all of the books of hers I've read, but she suffers badly from telling and not showing. Both tell and show have their place in writing, but unfortunately Derr is all-tell and no-show, and it... well, it shows. And she always, always skimps on detail. I think that's Derr's main problem, honestly. She has huge ideas, but she writes so small. I think she'd do fantastically with smaller ideas, but she tries to do massive scope in a tiny amount of writing. It's not enough.
I'm not going to lie, I could easily see this basis, led by Karl's character, becoming an epic sci-fi series. It could be so good, and that's the problem. I wish Derr's ideas were bad, because then I wouldn't be taunted with all of this what could have been.
Karl has a pretty original, non-self-centred, and solid reason for not being a big fan of heroes without the bitter aftertaste of deep-seating loathing and psychological scarring for the reader to wade through. He's an insurance salesman who cares about his clients -- that's it. And that's why he dislikes heroes. They inflict massive amounts of property damage and Karl's clients suffer the consequences; even though he pays them out fairly, they're at best at a massive inconvenience because some hero, like, took out half their living room and also their roof is gone and it's raining. He sees, day after day, the after-effects of "heroic" actions and how it affects the average person and he's bothered by the lack of accountability. Simple as that. I love it!
And then you've got the heroes themselves. It's explained (well, just told -- the fact is set down on the table and then the reader kind of stares at it, like, what do I do with this, because nothing here is ever explained) relatively quickly that superpowers came about due to a meteor, but there's no real detail given. Like, when was this? Was it studied? Where did the meteor come from? Who got powers? Was it worldwide? Localized? There's zero world-building, with the meteor and everything else. I know so little about this world.
Later, it's revealed that there's a strong possibility that the meteor didn't just give humans superpowers -- it very likely also . That's fantastic, that's brilliant, that's incredibly freaking interesting! But this is never really explored. It's touched on, and then kind of... ignored? Sort of? It's talked around, and mentioned after, but never delved into. It's not really discussed. This is a massively intriguing notion that carries so much narrative weight and Derr just kind of mentions it and then wanders off somewhere else in the plot. Are you kidding me? Look, Karl, no offense, I care about you but I am far more interested in this meteor shit.
I know there's another book in the series, but even the basics aren't explained here. Derr doesn't even construct a foundation to build on later, or at least not one strong enough to suspend disbelief. There's zero world-building. I know I said that before, but I need to say it again. I feel like this meteor concept and the characters have so much potential and could have done amazingly in the hands of a different author.
That's harsh. I know. It's just that I say that as someone who has read some of Derr's other books, and I've noticed that she seems to struggle with making her worlds detailed. They're just... empty, like a sketch that an artist always meant to turn into a finished painting but never got around to, and the artist can see all the colours and filled spaces in their mind's eye so they think it's fine as-is but the observer doesn't have that kind of view. The observer just sees the sketch, and it's not enough.
For instance, there's no explanation for anything that differs from our world, things that require more text than "and yeah so things are this way because of, like, reasons and stuff, okay let's move on" because it's like NO, I DON'T WANT TO MOVE ON, I WANT TO KNOW.
In general, Derr has great plot ideas in all of the books of hers I've read, but she suffers badly from telling and not showing. Both tell and show have their place in writing, but unfortunately Derr is all-tell and no-show, and it... well, it shows. And she always, always skimps on detail. I think that's Derr's main problem, honestly. She has huge ideas, but she writes so small. I think she'd do fantastically with smaller ideas, but she tries to do massive scope in a tiny amount of writing. It's not enough.
I'm not going to lie, I could easily see this basis, led by Karl's character, becoming an epic sci-fi series. It could be so good, and that's the problem. I wish Derr's ideas were bad, because then I wouldn't be taunted with all of this what could have been.
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