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Maxima City Talent #1
A Shot at the Big Time: A Maxima City Talent Novel
Lisa Raskin is a woman with big aspirations. Sure, there are worse things than being the second in command to Maxima City’s one and only female supervillain and Lisa knows she has a pretty sweet gig. But no one ever dreams of being second banana, so when she’s given the opportunity to join the Coalition of Evil, Maxima City’s who’s-who of A-lister Malevolents, Lisa jumps at the chance. Especially since this means she can finally have her revenge against Magnificent Man, the hero responsible for the tragedy that turned her to the dark side.
But becoming a household name isn’t all evil plans and underground lairs. There are hoops to jump through, brand consultation meetings, damages to pay for, and diva costume designers to deal with. Worst of all, Magnificent Man has made himself scarcer than pockets on women’s clothing. Add in an antagonistic ex, a clueless rival, and a taxing day job, and it’s no wonder this ice talent is about to lose her cool.
But becoming a household name isn’t all evil plans and underground lairs. There are hoops to jump through, brand consultation meetings, damages to pay for, and diva costume designers to deal with. Worst of all, Magnificent Man has made himself scarcer than pockets on women’s clothing. Add in an antagonistic ex, a clueless rival, and a taxing day job, and it’s no wonder this ice talent is about to lose her cool.
- GenresSuperheroes
187 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 21, 2016
6 people are currently reading
43 people want to read
About the author
Christina McMullen
23 books286 followersChristina McMullen is a sci-fi and urban fantasy author who dreams of jetpacks and electric sheep.
Christina enjoys travel, vegan cooking, modern and classic art, and championing the progressive nature of ebooks and independent authors. She is obsessed with robots and the internet, and revels in the fact that she was fortunate enough to have been born in an era where she was able to witness the 'future' finally come into being. And for the record, the year 2000 will forever be the future no matter how far it falls into the past. Call it a perk of growing up at the end of a millennium.
In 2014, she took a vow to read and review only independently published authors. It is unlikely that this will ever change as she has since dedicated the time when she is not writing to further push independent publishing into the mainstream.
Christina enjoys travel, vegan cooking, modern and classic art, and championing the progressive nature of ebooks and independent authors. She is obsessed with robots and the internet, and revels in the fact that she was fortunate enough to have been born in an era where she was able to witness the 'future' finally come into being. And for the record, the year 2000 will forever be the future no matter how far it falls into the past. Call it a perk of growing up at the end of a millennium.
In 2014, she took a vow to read and review only independently published authors. It is unlikely that this will ever change as she has since dedicated the time when she is not writing to further push independent publishing into the mainstream.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
October 21, 2016
Suspense! Spandex! Computer Repair!
All of those exciting things and more await you within this book! Christina blends together a great narrative, believable characters, and her trademark wit into this story and it never falters. The bizarre characters go great together, and they are over the top and zany in all of the right ways. Only 'talents' could be this over the top and be believable, which was a great pleasure to read.
The whole thing was so wonderfully bizarre and mixed the absurd with the realistic troubles that would happen to super heroes and villains. It felt like the old timers in the background scenes were from The Tick, and this was the legacy they left. This crazy, fun, wacky legacy!
I started to read this and couldn't put it down, like literally. The digital pages were made of glue or something. I had to finish it right away, so I am a little sad it is over, but then again I know what happens now so I regret nothing.
Also, pockets. What up with that?
October 21, 2016
A Shot of Funny Time
This book is for those looking for some superhero humor on the adult side of the equation. It features real-ish characters in a real-ish world that is inhabited by superheroes derogatorily called Figs (short for action figures) and villains called Mals or Cacklers by some, but the world isn't as cut and dry as good vs. evil. Corporate forces and the desire to make some dough...some scratch...some cheddar...some green, yeah some green, makes the prospect of being a person of Talent whether fig or Mal a public relations nightmare which also sets the stage for some Grade A hilarity.
I loved it all in this book. I loved the characters, especially Lisa the IT girl by day and icy supervillain by night who's also known as Frostbyte--see what she did there? I thought Lisa's primary motivation was a great subversion and was played for laughs pretty well. And I really like it in superhero books when you get to see a protagonist's full life, from day job to what equates to a dating life or bar time in this case, to superhero shenanigans.
The world was also set up beautifully and had a lot of creative touches that I liked. I enjoyed the naming conventions for the Figs and Mals, as well as the reasoning for having or using Talent in the first place. Oh and powers are called Talents, which sometimes adds a confusing twist to things (as also recognized by Lisa) but gives this book more personality.
+Crisp writing, pages fly by smoothly.
+A smart and funny female lead
+Non-stop laughter (literally)
+Filled with tons of geeky easter eggs (lets count them together)
+Tons of creative heroes and villains--ahem--Figs and Mals with tons of pun-tastic names
+Great subversions.
I received an ARC (advanced review copy) of A Shot at the Big Time.
This book is for those looking for some superhero humor on the adult side of the equation. It features real-ish characters in a real-ish world that is inhabited by superheroes derogatorily called Figs (short for action figures) and villains called Mals or Cacklers by some, but the world isn't as cut and dry as good vs. evil. Corporate forces and the desire to make some dough...some scratch...some cheddar...some green, yeah some green, makes the prospect of being a person of Talent whether fig or Mal a public relations nightmare which also sets the stage for some Grade A hilarity.
I loved it all in this book. I loved the characters, especially Lisa the IT girl by day and icy supervillain by night who's also known as Frostbyte--see what she did there? I thought Lisa's primary motivation was a great subversion and was played for laughs pretty well. And I really like it in superhero books when you get to see a protagonist's full life, from day job to what equates to a dating life or bar time in this case, to superhero shenanigans.
The world was also set up beautifully and had a lot of creative touches that I liked. I enjoyed the naming conventions for the Figs and Mals, as well as the reasoning for having or using Talent in the first place. Oh and powers are called Talents, which sometimes adds a confusing twist to things (as also recognized by Lisa) but gives this book more personality.
+Crisp writing, pages fly by smoothly.
+A smart and funny female lead
+Non-stop laughter (literally)
+Filled with tons of geeky easter eggs (lets count them together)
+Tons of creative heroes and villains--ahem--Figs and Mals with tons of pun-tastic names
+Great subversions.
I received an ARC (advanced review copy) of A Shot at the Big Time.
April 30, 2019
Superheroes with humour, and an all too human attitude. I love the light touch and the snarky humour Christina brings to the business of being a comic book baddie.
November 10, 2016
The Fine Print of Super Powers
Behold the Super Hero, resplendent in shiny costume with bold, vibrant colors. Beware the evil Super Villain, cloaked and dark. They face off over the city in a mighty battle to defend the cause of right, or to wreak havoc on the denizens below.
From the bottom looking up, it sounds glorious and epic. But is the life of a Super Human all it’s cracked up to be?
“A Shot at the Big Time” is a wry and satirical take on the Super Hero genre by Christina McMullen.
We are brought alongside Lisa who spends her days in Maxima City, at the bottom of the corporate ladder in the IT department. However, she happens to be one of the residents of that city gifted with a super power talent, and works in the company owned by one of the city’s biggest villains, known as Malevolents. At night, Lisa dons her “Mal” alter-ego “Frostbyte” to engage in nefarious activities and match talents against the members of the Liberty Gang.
Frostbyte has one goal, to face off against the city’s most popular hero: Magnificent Man and exact revenge for a childhood trauma. But getting such an A-list hero to notice a mere henchman is harder than it appears.
But, when Frostbyte finally gets her chance to join the upper echelon of the Coalition of Evil, she feels her chance to confront Magnificent Man is within her grasp … if only there wasn’t so much paperwork! What’s her brand going to be? How long does it take to get an appropriate costume? Who pays for all the damage done to the city after the fights?
Frostbyte quickly finds that the view from the top isn’t so black and white as it first appears, but filled with shades of gray on both sides, and a lot of committees.
“A Shot at the Big Time” is a very fun read and filled with delightful, sarcastic humor. If you enjoy stories where the real world invades the fantastic, then I recommend you give this imaginative story a read!
Behold the Super Hero, resplendent in shiny costume with bold, vibrant colors. Beware the evil Super Villain, cloaked and dark. They face off over the city in a mighty battle to defend the cause of right, or to wreak havoc on the denizens below.
From the bottom looking up, it sounds glorious and epic. But is the life of a Super Human all it’s cracked up to be?
“A Shot at the Big Time” is a wry and satirical take on the Super Hero genre by Christina McMullen.
We are brought alongside Lisa who spends her days in Maxima City, at the bottom of the corporate ladder in the IT department. However, she happens to be one of the residents of that city gifted with a super power talent, and works in the company owned by one of the city’s biggest villains, known as Malevolents. At night, Lisa dons her “Mal” alter-ego “Frostbyte” to engage in nefarious activities and match talents against the members of the Liberty Gang.
Frostbyte has one goal, to face off against the city’s most popular hero: Magnificent Man and exact revenge for a childhood trauma. But getting such an A-list hero to notice a mere henchman is harder than it appears.
But, when Frostbyte finally gets her chance to join the upper echelon of the Coalition of Evil, she feels her chance to confront Magnificent Man is within her grasp … if only there wasn’t so much paperwork! What’s her brand going to be? How long does it take to get an appropriate costume? Who pays for all the damage done to the city after the fights?
Frostbyte quickly finds that the view from the top isn’t so black and white as it first appears, but filled with shades of gray on both sides, and a lot of committees.
“A Shot at the Big Time” is a very fun read and filled with delightful, sarcastic humor. If you enjoy stories where the real world invades the fantastic, then I recommend you give this imaginative story a read!
November 22, 2016
This is a story about superheroes, or rather-- in the case of the lead character-- a somewhat second tier supervillain who gets a chance to shine in the big leagues. Very well written and well edited, making this an easy read. The author's quirky humor pulls you effortlessly into Lisa's world
and her struggles to balance her day job and super-villain-dom.
For me I felt the opening was a little slow, but once the story started to move it was a non-stop runaway train of a read. The book pokes fun at the many clichés in the world of comic book heroes and will entertain anyone who loves that world, while still being easily accessible to those who
don't necessarily know that much about it. As someone who worked for many years in IT the main character's day job of IT support is especially biting and sarcastically funny.
Highly recommended!
and her struggles to balance her day job and super-villain-dom.
For me I felt the opening was a little slow, but once the story started to move it was a non-stop runaway train of a read. The book pokes fun at the many clichés in the world of comic book heroes and will entertain anyone who loves that world, while still being easily accessible to those who
don't necessarily know that much about it. As someone who worked for many years in IT the main character's day job of IT support is especially biting and sarcastically funny.
Highly recommended!
November 29, 2016
Can I be honest for a sec and admit that while I love how popular superheroes are right now, I've been a bit underwhelmed with the latest offerings? It's true. That's probably part of the reason why I enjoyed this book so much - it was such a departure from the norm. It's told from the POV of a "mal" (bad guy - or gal in this case) that gets a chance to move up into the big leagues, but instead gets a surprising look 'behind the cape' at what being an A-list super entails.
You'll likely find some of the characters familiar and a few are hilarious parodies *cough* Nocturno *cough* of popular heroes. Two things I really love about this book are the humor and the main character. Humor and satire are something I know this author does well from reading some of her other works, so that was no surprise. What I enjoyed about the MC was even though she's got superpowers, she's still a relatable character (considering I work in IT, she may be a little too relatable) with normal problems compounded by not so normal super ones. While she's a mal, by the end of the book we can see she, and most all of the other characters, are a lot more grey than they are black or white.
This book was a very fast read for me, too fast really, but that's part of what makes it a 5 star read. I hear rumors the author will be writing more stories in this world and I can't wait to see them.
You'll likely find some of the characters familiar and a few are hilarious parodies *cough* Nocturno *cough* of popular heroes. Two things I really love about this book are the humor and the main character. Humor and satire are something I know this author does well from reading some of her other works, so that was no surprise. What I enjoyed about the MC was even though she's got superpowers, she's still a relatable character (considering I work in IT, she may be a little too relatable) with normal problems compounded by not so normal super ones. While she's a mal, by the end of the book we can see she, and most all of the other characters, are a lot more grey than they are black or white.
This book was a very fast read for me, too fast really, but that's part of what makes it a 5 star read. I hear rumors the author will be writing more stories in this world and I can't wait to see them.
November 23, 2016
I liked this story. To expand on that statement - I really liked this story! It is quite a different take on characters with super-powers told from the point of view of a Talent, as they’re called, who’s not on the side of the “good” guys.
Frostbyte, a female Talent who admits to being on the other side of good, is determined to exact revenge on a member of the hero faction, Magnificent Man, for a traumatic incident suffered by her family when she was a kid. She finally gets her chance at moving up into the big league of villains and prepares to deal out her payback. Things escalate and s**t happens.
That’s all I’m gonna say.
Well, except for this: The story moves along at a good pace; it’s got satire, a little romance, a bit of angst, some heavy drinking, fighting, IT fixes, stolen panties, and a woman longing for pockets (not necessarily in that order), but best of all, it’s got FUNNY!
I would recommend this book to anyone who’s ever read a super-hero comic book or to anyone who needs a good laugh.
Five stars - for making me snort.
Frostbyte, a female Talent who admits to being on the other side of good, is determined to exact revenge on a member of the hero faction, Magnificent Man, for a traumatic incident suffered by her family when she was a kid. She finally gets her chance at moving up into the big league of villains and prepares to deal out her payback. Things escalate and s**t happens.
That’s all I’m gonna say.
Well, except for this: The story moves along at a good pace; it’s got satire, a little romance, a bit of angst, some heavy drinking, fighting, IT fixes, stolen panties, and a woman longing for pockets (not necessarily in that order), but best of all, it’s got FUNNY!
I would recommend this book to anyone who’s ever read a super-hero comic book or to anyone who needs a good laugh.
Five stars - for making me snort.
November 6, 2016
I was fortunate enough to read an advanced copy of this book and enjoyed it so much I decided to leave a review. I'm a fan of comic book heroes, superhero movies, and geek culture in general. I'm also a fan of Christina McMullen's work. Put the two together, and you have a shining gem of satire and comedy. This book is a page turner that will have you laughing from start to finish. The snark and wit of the author really comes through on every page. Lisa/Frostbyte is the perfect dichotomy of heroine/anti-heroine, which is really difficult to pull off and still leave the reader sympathetic. McMullen does this well. The supporting characters are just as developed as Frostbyte and just as fun to follow. Despite this being a satire, the plot is well-developed and unpredictable, yet easy to follow. In short, this is a perfect lighthearted read, and highly recommended.
June 5, 2017
I'm pretty sure this is the first superhero novel I've ever read, but if Christina McMullen keeps writing them, I will keep reading! In fact, this novel really spoke to me - like the main character, Lisa, I too am finding a shortage of pockets on my pants lately, and apparently have been experiencing "cubicle rage" (my new favorite term, courtesy of Lisa). The dialogue (both external and internal) was witty and fun, the action page-turning. I could really see this story, these characters, translating to an onscreen format. In fact, if this book was on Netflix, I would binge watch the heck out of it. Looking forward to continuing the series.
October 21, 2016
It’s no secret to anyone who might be paying attention that I love Christina McMullen’s entire library of work. It might just be because of that or my lifelong love of superheroes, but I can easily say that A Shot at the Big Time is her best work to date. It’s chalk full of all the things Christina is best at (sarcastic, witty humor, an engaging storyline, and loveable characters) but she’s taken it to a new level here. I did a literal LOL so, so many times during this book. Christian lampoons some of the more ridiculous aspects of the superhero genre with such a razor’s edge that it made me wonder how these things became so conventional in the first place. Experiencing the story through Lisa/FrostByte’s perspective gave the whole thing a very genuine and sarcastically hilarious feel. My single, solitary complaint with A Shot at the Big Time is that it’s too short, but that’s not a bad thing. I just wanted like a thousand more chapters because I annihilated this book. If you’ve read and enjoyed any of my books and none of Christina McMullen’s, you’re doing yourself a serious disservice.
*NOTE* I received an advanced copy of this book to provide feedback to the author. Leaving a review was my decision because this book is amazing.
*NOTE* I received an advanced copy of this book to provide feedback to the author. Leaving a review was my decision because this book is amazing.
October 27, 2021
This review is long overdue. I finished reading the book several months ago, but I still find myself thinking of it often. It is such a fun story and a very unique take on the whole superhero/supervillain genre. The book turns these roles upside down by making them more about promotion and marketing than fighting/committing crimes, with consultants and designers in the background pulling all the strings. Lisa is a B-list villain motivated by vengeance, yet you can't help but root for her as she works her way up the corporate ladder armed only with wit, sarcasm and a really fun superpower. I loved this book!
April 11, 2022
Inventive and entertaining take on corporate superheroes and villains! A great quick read with characters which immediately pop, witty observations on the genre and the world at large, an amusing and unexpected takedown at the end. Plus the answer to a question I didn't even know I had: 'if Bruce Wayne was the guy from 50 Shades of Grey would he be even more punchable?'
Pick it up and find out!
Pick it up and find out!
November 30, 2016
I read an advanced review copy, planning to read it one chapter a day. I ended up reading it all in one sitting. A great fast read.
February 19, 2017
I was planning to read a different Christina McMullen book, but I switched to this the moment I read its premise. Something about the everyday subjects of promotions, rivalries, corporate politics, company dynamics, but transferred to the world of supervillains, captured my attention immediately. It's a funny, entertaining read, with a cast of wonderful characters. It was every bit as good as I hoped it would be.
November 4, 2016
I am a big fan of Ms McMullen so even though this book wasn't a genre I totally embrace, I just had to read it.
First, I'll say that it wasn't exactly what I was expecting. When you hear about superheroes, you immediately think about the good guys of course. This one features a bad girl. Bad? Well…not really. If not for the blurb, I am not sure I would have associated Frostbyte with a villain. Sure, she's no angel, but villain? She's not quite there. Anyway, the whole story is told in a parody way. I had a laugh with the costume sequence, where the protagonist is being 'harassed' by her leader's fashionista so she'd look more sexy while our antihero would rather have pockets, loads and loads of pockets, to carry her stuff.
The story is told from the perspective of our anti-hero who has a vivid way of delivering it, so although it is a bit shorter than McMullen's earlier work, she stayed true to herself, and offered a protagonist that feels real. And without offering spoilers, all I can say is that I loved the ending.
I'd recommend to fans of Superheroes of course, but also fans of satire and parody.
First, I'll say that it wasn't exactly what I was expecting. When you hear about superheroes, you immediately think about the good guys of course. This one features a bad girl. Bad? Well…not really. If not for the blurb, I am not sure I would have associated Frostbyte with a villain. Sure, she's no angel, but villain? She's not quite there. Anyway, the whole story is told in a parody way. I had a laugh with the costume sequence, where the protagonist is being 'harassed' by her leader's fashionista so she'd look more sexy while our antihero would rather have pockets, loads and loads of pockets, to carry her stuff.
The story is told from the perspective of our anti-hero who has a vivid way of delivering it, so although it is a bit shorter than McMullen's earlier work, she stayed true to herself, and offered a protagonist that feels real. And without offering spoilers, all I can say is that I loved the ending.
I'd recommend to fans of Superheroes of course, but also fans of satire and parody.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews