Archenemies

Renegades #2

by Marissa Meyer

Time is running out.
Together, they can save the world.
But they are each other’s worst nightmare.

In Renegades, Nova and Adrian (aka Insomnia and Sketch) fought the battle of their lives against the Anarchist known as the Detonator. It was a short-lived victory.

The Anarchists still have a secret weapon, one that Nova believes will protect her. The Renegades also have a strategy for overpowering the Anarchists, but both Nova and Adrian understand that it could mean the end of Gatlon City – and the world – as they know it.

Archenemies is Marissa Meyer's explosive second book in the Renegades series – eagerly awaited by her many fans, as well as a new audience of readers who love comics, superhero movies, fantasy, and speculative fiction.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Science Fiction, Dystopia, Romance, Audiobook, Fiction

497 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 6, 2018

About the author

I live in Tacoma, Washington, with my husband and beautiful twin daughters. Represented by Jill Grinberg. Learn more about me and my upcoming books at http://www.marissameyer.com.

Reviews

[Emma Giordano · Rating 5 out of 5]

Marissa Meyer has done it again. I am TRULY blown away by Archenemies. Stay tuned for my spoiler-filled video review!

CW: violence, oppression

Renegades was already a fantastically constructed world, but Archenemies breaks the boundaries for what we know of Gatlon City. I cannot get enough of the politics of this world. Conflict goes far beyond what we already know of the Renegades’ power and the Anarchists’ will for vengeance. Morals are questioned, friends become suspects, and tensions are higher than ever. I really love the direction Marissa Meyer has taken with the second installment in terms of how superheroes are viewed and how supervillains are treated. The power dynamics in this story are captivating and complex, and I’m desperate for more.

Once again, I love the cast of characters in this series. Every character, including many of the side characters, receive additional development that helps them to become authentic and refreshing. I loved watching Adrian and Nova grow as individuals and a team, alongside the rest of the Renegades and Anarchists. This series has one of the most compelling groups of companions I’ve read in YA in a very long time. Additionally, the romance is – once again – fabulous! I am HERE for more slow burn enemies-to-lovers (where-one-does-not-even-know-they-are-enemies) relationships. Nova and Adrian are a fierce, yet sweet couple, and I also loved the introduction of a new budding romance between teammates. Not only does this story have a wicked plot, but there’s a spectacular cast of characters holding it up.

When comparing Renegades and Archenemies, I do feel I prefer Renegades, but only slightly. It’s even tough to say I ACTUALLY prefer one over the other because they are both remarkable in their own ways. As a plot-based reader, I prefer Renegades because it is more action-packed, but I do find myself also drawn to Archenemies for it’s strong and ever-developing political arc. Though that is my preference, I don’t think one is greatly “better” than the other. Archenemies is a satisfying sequel that will leave you wanting more and more.

Renegades is amazing. Archenemies is equally amazing. I would highly highly recommend this series – it is one of my new absolute favorites of all time. One more note on the sequel though - Prepare yourselves for yet another unbearable ending . . .

I received a free copy of this book from Macmillan. I had no obligation to review this book and all opinions are my own.

[Sara Carrolli · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5!

[Rachel Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5!

[Emily May · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am trying so hard to love this series but it just isn't working.

After not enjoying Cinder, I went on to love the rest of the Lunar Chronicles, so I was really hoping I could do that with this series. I was hoping that Renegades was just a shaky start to something much better. And, for a while, I convinced myself I liked this one more than the first. But aside from a few good bits, I think I'll just have to admit these books are not for me.

Let's break it down.

  » The characters.

Honestly, I find almost everyone annoying and one-dimensional. Every single character is defined by their powers and has virtually no personality beyond this. Despite some attempts to add some morally grey areas, pretty much every character can be neatly separated into good guys or bad guys. It's so simplistic and bland. Plus, Adrian is sappy as all hell. Even Nova turns to mush in this book. Outside of those two, most of the characters feel interchangeable.

  » The plot.

What is the plot here? If it's supposed to be Nova's infiltration and revenge then, wow, that is not coming across very well. Maybe because she is just so bad at it. Is she even trying? It definitely doesn't feel like it. In fact, the whole "I hate the Renegades and must have revenge" angle seems like a poor cover for what is evidently nothing but a romance. And about that...

  » The romance.

In Renegades, romance sat quietly in the background, but here it is genuinely the whole book. This sequel became so unnecessarily cheesy and sappy. It felt like every single scene was an excuse for Nova to pretend to pretend to flirt with Adrian while actually just flirting with him. Afterwards, of course, she's all "shucks, why do I have these feelings? It's all part of the mission!"

And just... where’s the tension? There’s no way these two won’t end up together, right? No way. It’s so clear the way it’s headed that I find myself hoping I’ll be pleasantly surprised by Meyer having one of them fall off a building and die instead. Which, obviously, should not be my reaction to the central romance.

I also think I threw up in my mouth a little at the scene where Adrian literally makes Nova's dreams come true.

  » The repetition.

Seriously, I get it already! How many times will I have to read Nova's mantra about how the Renegades are just so terrible because they didn’t save her family? She has to think it again every few chapters, lest we stop being annoyed by it! In fact, every time she repeats something like:

This was why she was here. To put an end to the idolizing of these so-called heroes and the promises they made but couldn’t keep. The heroes who had not saved her family. Who had not saved her. The heroes who had ruined Ace.

I find it less convincing. I think it's a weak idea anyway that she will betray these people she's become so close to because they weren't there to save her parents. Reiterating it doesn't make it any better.

I'm also tired of Nova insisting she is playing a part by flirting with Adrian then noting how she must “ignore” those strange feelings in her stomach. I gotta say, it didn’t feel much like “ignoring” because she brought it up in most of the chapters.

  » Cheesy dialogue.

To be fair, I think Meyer actually toned it down some in Archenemies. The superhero dialogue was even worse in the first book. Still, I cannot take it seriously when the characters say things like "Who are you?" "Your worst nightmare." It sounds so silly. That will ALWAYS make me think of...


I guess this particular brand of superhero story may not be for me. The tropes of the genre (such as how no one knows Adrian is The Sentinel even though he practically wears a sign saying "it is me") make it difficult for me to suspend disbelief, and the black and white view of good vs evil is uninteresting to me. I think it's all just very simplistic - from the characters' motivations to the standard YA romance. I also dislike the decision to have Adrian's tattoos be able to bestow any power or make someone immune to pretty much anything; it seems to defeat the point of everyone having unique powers and weaknesses.

Oh well, I gave it a good chance.

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[SK · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a good book and series. I AM SO INVESTED 😩😩😩

Although I found it to be a bit slower paced than Renegades and not as action packed but the story in itself was so gripping, I had an amazing time regardless. I loved the focus on character and relationship dynamics. The emotional connections surely made the ending extremely impactful.

Nova is a badass queen. She is the perfect morally grey fmc and I love that she never hesitates to speak her mind when others are going wrong. Be it the Renegades or Anarchists. I do wish that we got to see more of her Nightmare abilities. Adrian is a cutie as always. I love how soft he is for Nova and puts her dreams first. The Sentinel persona is so cool imo. Adrian and Nova had me giggling, kicking my feet and SO GIDDY. I was smiling so big whenever they admitted their feelings and acted on it. Oscar and Ruby have my heart, they're so precious. I loved that we got to see more of Max, he's such an adorable kid 🥺

The middle definitely slowed down exceptionally but Agent N is definitely an interesting concept and I definitely agree with Nova, in the wrong hands it is going to be exploited. The ending, especially the last 50-60 chapters was so gripping and jaw dropping. I wasn't expecting a lot of things and the cliffhanger had me so concerned for some of the characters 😭😭😭 Also, ngl Nova left me kinda mad...

Thanks to Noi for reading this with me. Glad I had someone to cry, laugh and panic with 😂🧡

[emma · Rating 2 out of 5]

happy book birthday to Archenemies!! my gift is that i posted this mildly negative full review on my blog. find it here: https://emmareadstoomuch.wordpress.co...

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I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Life is teeming with disappointments.

The fact that that is closer than anything else to becoming my catchphrase is, in a word, concerning. I was hoping that when I inevitably developed a catchphrase, it’d be something cool, like “cleanup on aisle 7” (for when I commit murders) or “all in a day’s work” (for when I do something very cool that should not be a casual or daily occurrence).

But this works too.

Renegades was a meh read for me, but when I finished, I was like, “Potential!!” There were plotlines and relationships that were set up that I thought, if they played out a certain way, could be really fun. I had hopes for Archenemies.

What I did not remember - which is crazy because I do pride myself on my pessimism - is that if things can go one way and go well, they can also go another way and go very badly.

That is what happened here.

Let’s go one by one.

THE CHARACTERS

In my Renegades review, I basically listed off a bunch of characters and declared that I didn’t like any of them per se, but also didn’t dislike any of them, and if a very specific set of events occurred in Archenemies I could, perhaps, come away with an appreciation for one or two.

Guess what didn’t happen.

(The opposite happened.)

The characters in this book were B A D. That’s right! No abstractions. They were straight up unpleasant, and/or non-present. Here was my ranking of ability-to-potentially-like-any-given-character, from “one cool fight scene and some banter” away to “this character would have to spend 500 pages being unadulteratedly amusing for me to even give half a sh*t, but theoretically anything’s possible.”

- Nova
- Oscar
- Ruby
- Honey
- Adrian

This is some high potential for me!! I almost never like characters. I’m picky. I have high standards. But I was willing to believe.

For you to fully understand the sheer extent to which my ability to hope was made a mockery, I need to tell you three simultaneous things that happened in this book.

1. All characters except Nova (who I was closest to liking) and Adrian (least close) were basically dropped. We rarely heard from anyone except those two.

2. Nova became insufferable.

3. Adrian grew worse than I ever could have imagined.

GUYS. IT WAS AWFUL. Honey and Ruby and Oscar, the only characters who were ever really even anywhere close to approaching funny? GONEZO. Sayonara!

So now we are in the suffocating embrace of literally only Nova and Adrian (which is terrible for an additional reason that we will get to). Which would maybe be okay, if they were better than in Renegades, or even if they were exactly the same. I’m not asking for much.

BUT APPARENTLY NOT MUCH IS TOO MUCH TO ASK FOR.

Nova spends this entire book being overwhelmingly, unrelentingly selfish. She put the lives of children and innocents on the line, she manipulated perfectly nice people, she lied and stole and deceived, all to achieve her ends. And she was really annoying about it, too, which was the worst bit of all.

Adrian was just Boring McBoringson. All he cared about was his dumb alter ego and his boring parents and guess what? I do not care about either of those things.

It’s such a long character development arc, from all-evil/all-good to complex, and the second book really gets the short end of the stick for that. Basically both Adrian and Nova spent the whole time in one (1) repetitive thought process, which wasn’t even interesting in the first place.

Except for one other thought process.


THE ROMANCE

Picture me dramatically collapsing to my knees, shaking my fists beseechingly at the sky, screaming “NOOOOO!”

For, my friends, I have been made a fool of.

I never like romances. I especially never like them in YA fantasy. They always feel extraneous and dull and unremarkable. But for Renegades...I put it all on the line.

The romance between Nova and Adrian in Renegade was veryyy slow, and awkward, and cute. It was a side-plot and it didn’t overtake any of the more interesting stuff. I thought it was exactly what a romance in YA fantasy should look like, if there has to be one at all.

But, as mentioned, Marissa Meyer took my risking of it all and PUT IT THROUGH A PAPER SHREDDER. AND THEN PICKED UP THE PIECES AND LAUGHED AND THEN EVERYONE ELSE LAUGHED. (That’s where the being made a fool of comes in.)

The romance in this book was suffocating and overwhelming and insta-love-y and sentimental and cheesy and everywhere and INESCAPABLE.

I hated it so much. And the fact that I had already come to hate both the characters involved just made me hate it even more.

Forming a hatred so powerful it probably qualifies as one of the C-minus level superpowers in this book.


THE PLOT

The last book set up a very cool and complex moral exploration - essentially what Wildcard wishes and prays it could do - but it got old fast in this book. It was way too hit-you-over-the-head. If it remained a background theme, that would have been great, but instead every conversation and internal monologue had to brush up against it.

And by brush up against it, I mean “hit it with the force of one of those really jump scare-y don’t-drive-distracted commercials where a bunch of friends are in a car texting and then the car gets hit by like the biggest 18-wheeler you have seen in your life.”

Very subtle. Blink and you’ll miss it type of stuff.

Overall, the plotline of this was better than the last one (which had the weirdest full book + one half of another book structure of all time), but it still mostly came into play in the ending.

The ending, however, was fantastic. And I think it also sets up what could be a really interesting plotline for the next book. It has potential.

But we’ve all learned how that goes.

Bottom line: I think I’ll stick with this series, but that also might just be because of how dearly I love to suffer.

------
tbr review

out here getting BLESSED with ARCs of highly anticipated sequels when i haven't even started the series yet!!

& oh boy this is long.

also renegades is long.

...

i have a lot of reading to do.

[Riley · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book is almost 600 pages and I read it in a day so if that tells you anything

[jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

i feel like i could copy and paste my review for ‘renegades’ and everything would apply to this sequel. we stan a consistent series! lol.

again, this series is the only story i have read where the plot centres around crime fighting superheroes. like actual heroes vs. villains. and i forget how cheesy it can be at times, especially during the action sequences. literally all that is missing is a POW or BAM in little balloon bubbles down the margins. but once you get past that, the story is actually quite decent. slow, but decent.

i will admit, i think series would have benefited from being a duology. it often feels like theres not enough content to stretch across three books. and because of that, there is a lot of filler and slow moments to trudge through. but, similar to ‘renegades,’ everything picks up towards the end. and when it picks up, i mean like 100mph fast. like, holy cow. the lines have become so blurred, its not even funny. 



and once more, the book ends on a cliff hanger. the cliff hanger from the first book is not really a focal point in the sequel, which i thought it would be. so it will be interesting to see how this one is addressed in the final book!

↠ 3.5 stars

[Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

UPDATE: $2.99 Kindle US 9/5/19

I didn't like it as much as the first book but it was still up there.

Cover is good. Narrators were good. I think when the next one comes out, I need to read them back to back and see how it goes 🤔😉

Happy Reading!

Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾

[Ashley Nuckles · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED this but I’m also so ANGRYYYYY HOW COULD IT END THAT WAY I DIDNT GET ANYTHING I WANTED WHERE IS BOOK THREE AHHHH

[Angelica · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was so long!!!!! And absolutely no reason!

Don't get me wrong, I was entertained. At times I didn't even notice the time passing. Other times it felt like it was never going to end!

I keep wanting to love this series. I keep wanting to love these characters the same way I loved the characters of Meyer's Lunar Chronicles. I tried, guys, I really did. And I just couldn't.

My first issue was the charcters.

Aside from Adrian and Nova, none of these characters mattered. They were two dimensional and honestly, pretty interchangeable. The story would have gone the same without them. If anything, it might have made the book shorter which I honestly wouldn't have minded.

And even Adrian and Nova were pretty bland. Adrian was my favorite in this book, which isn't really saying much, all things considered. And I have to admit, I only really liked him because his powers were pretty cool and he could easily be the worlds greatest superhero... or villain if he wanted.

Nova, on the other hand, was kind of annoying. Her hate towards the Renegades always seemed like a weak plot point. Yes, she should be wary about all the laws the Renegades make, but having this personal vendetta because they didn't save her all those years ago just seems childish.  They were probably busy doing other hero stuff. They aren't omniscient, it's not like they knew she was in trouble!

Then there was the plot... or lack thereof.

You'd think that a book that was almost 600 pages would have a plot, right? Well, no, you'd be terribly wrong.

It's supposed to be a revenge plot with villains and heroes. It's supposed to be a battle of superpowers and skill. We barely get to actually see any of that though.

Nova spends the entire time going through a repetitive mantra of how the Renegades are horrible and should be removed from power, and then going on in a ramble about how maybe, just maybe the Renegades weren't all bad.

Also, the dialogue is pure cheese. It was funny and cringy all at once. I don't know if I hated it or if I secretly loved it. I think I secretly loved it, not gonna lie.

All of that said, I was pretty entertained. Also, I now have several theories of where this story is going to go and I'm looking forward to reading the third book and see where it goes.

So, do I recommend it? Maybe?

I have no idea. Read at your own risk.


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[✨ Helena ✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Continuing buddy read with my dear Maica!

4.5 stars

ANOTHER CLIFFHANGER?! AGH! OMG, SO MUCH WENT DOWN!!!

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! THIS IS RIDICULOUS! Two books in and everyone still doesn’t know the identities of everyone’s alter egos!!! UGH

It’s too late. I’m addicted to this series lol

Can it be November already?!

[Hamad · Rating 3 out of 5]

This review and other non-spoilery reviews can be found @The Book Prescription

“I just want to remind you that there are no lone wolves in the Renegades. There is no I in hero.”

🌟 I insist on calling Marissa Meyer the queen of re-tellings. TLC is one of my favorite series that kept improving somehow till the last book. I expected Marissa to be awesome when she writes an original series, except that it was not original!

🌟Jump back a few years ago to when the X-Men movies were released, particularly the 3rd movie. Which I watched a million times on a DVD player back in the day where there were not many options to choose from. The point is that this book felt like a YA retelling of that movie rather than being an original.

🌟 I don’t have any problems with Marissa’s writing style and I probably shouldn’t after 8 books. Although some of the conversations felt comical more than realistic but that didn’t bother me.

🌟 The other problem I had was the slow pacing, for the first 50-60% of the book, pretty much nothing important happened and it was repetitive. The book is a large one that could have been cut to half and still delivered the same story.

🌟 I like the characters. And though I was rooting for The Anarchists rather than The Renegades, this book focused on the later group which made me feel something was missing.🌟 As I was saying above the plot was easy to predict. Specially if you are into superheroes and super powers. I can’t stop thinking of some characters as characters in the X-Men movie which is sad.

🌟 Summary: I originally read this because it was supposed to be a duology and it is now a trilogy. Something that made me skeptical and it looks my fears were in the right place. It should have been faster, shorter and more original. I am still invested enough to read the last book and I hope it doesn’t become longer than that. I ended up being generous and gave it 3 out of 5 stars.

🌟 Prescription: If you like superheroes but hasn’t watched/ read books like that then this may be for you.

[Lara Knight · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so mad at myself for not reading this before but now I have and AHHHHHHH IT'S SO GOOD!!

(It's probably a little bit trashy, but I am 10000% invested in the series and I love it so much!)

Even the beginning, which had a lot less action, I still don't think it was boring. It was a little bit slow, but I still thought it was a good pace for the story.

And that ending!! It was so action packed and so intense!!

I can't believe that they still don't know each others' secret identities!!! We're 2/3 of the way through the series and they are still so oblivious! That third book is going to be super intense when they all find out... I'm also a little disappointed in both of them for not figuring it out though. Neither of them seem particularly subtle, but especially Nova. She is so outspoken about Agent N and Ace Anarchy's helmet that someone other than the now trapped Danna really should have caught on by now.

But I might just die of impatience because I neeeeeeeeed the third book NOW PLEAAAASSSEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this one but sadly not as much as Renegades...
Am I the only one?

[chloé ✿ · Rating 3 out of 5]

i don’t have a whole lot to say about this book????

as the second book in a trilogy, it mostly felt like filler and i think this was too long for what we were given. in short, i like the story, the setting, and the characters, but this book was somehow playing hide and seek with the plot. only about the last 30 pages had major action and contributed to the overall story.

probably could’ve been a novella but was still decent. i’m excited for book three. <3

[Simona B · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5

I still think Meyer is one of the best fantasy YA author out there, and I still think she doesn't even have to try to be able to stand out. But this book just didn't work. Personally, I believe that the reason (at least in my case) is one of disappointed expectations: like many other fans, I had got used to the idea that the Renegades series was going to be a duology, and only recently did I find out that this was not the case any longer. Not only that, but Archenemies, the second book I, and we all, longed for for so long, on top of not being the finale we wanted, also feels rather static: it is probably unfair to say that this book is devoid of any major turning point in the wider picture of the series's plot; one or two important things do happen, after all, but compared to the length of the novel itself, it is not sufficient at all. It fell dramatically flat. It's not that it was bad; but it was disastrously unfulfilling.

Nevertheless, I would like to point out that the series still poses a range of moral issues which I believe will prove very interesting for the younger audience that it targets. I say specifically 'younger audience' because, while the book's themes may certainly interest a wider public, the treatment of said themes is still not complex enough as to make them stimulating for somewhat more mature readers. So if you are looking for a book to give to your kids, choose Renegades—or Marissa Meyer in general. I promise they'll thank you.

[♛ may · Rating 4 out of 5]

i need a moment of silence for the fact that this book ended second book syndrome. marissa meyer pulled through, i knew my queen could do it

SERIOUSLY though, wow this book fixed everything the first book lacked. the action was so well paced and the scenes were so vivid. i felt connected to the characters this time unlike last time. i ship ruby and oscar so much wow i love them

nova's personality and moral dilemma were so well developed and expressed, you could FEEL the predicament she faced. i EVEN was shipping nova and adrian, who am i??

MAX, MY SON WAS A STAR. this kid is so precious, i need to find out what happens to him, my happiness depends on it

jfldakjfla i JUST REALLY LIKED THIS BOOK

it wasn't //perfect// for sure, it had its flaws, but it was such an improvement from the first book and i'm so excited to see how this series is going to end bc as of now, it's so messy and unpredictable

4.5 stars

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

buddy read with the blogging queen, kat

honestly i'm expecting a top quality sequel from marissa meyer, book 1 was okay, but book 2 better be epic 🙏

[Trina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a fun series! I love it. To be honest I flew through this book so fast that I won't have a lot to say about it because it's a blur. But I LOVED the tension of will-they-or-won't-they find out about the secret identities. There was good romantic chemistry. I love this friend group. I love how the book explores heroes who have evil motives and villains that have good ones. My feels are all over the place!

Audiobook review: Narrated by Rebecca Soler and Dan Bittner. Soler is my fave so it's always a joy to listen to anything she does. Both narrators do great, so I'd recommend this format.

[patrycja ୨୧ ‧₊˚ · Rating 4 out of 5]

— 4 ★

"𝑶𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒘𝒆 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒐𝒕𝒂𝒍 𝒑𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓, 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕'𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒌𝒆𝒆𝒑 𝒖𝒔 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒃𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒗𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒔 𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒗𝒆𝒔?"

I'M SO OBSSESED WITH THIS SERIES. 😩

Not gonna lie, this was making me a little bit anxious every single time it was way too close to revealing the secret identities.

However, the plot, drama, writing style, characters, romance are just 🤌🏻💋

ᯓᡣ𐭩 Nova is a badass fmc and I love how morally grey she is and how she's not afraid to speak her mind out loud if she thinks someone's wrong. Though, I have to admit that she gave me almost a heart attack not once, not twice but multiple times when it came to some of her decisions 😭

ᯓᡣ𐭩 Adrian is the softest guy ever. He always stands up for what he believes in and that's what I really love about him. He was the one that brought Nova's childhood dream to life. 🥹 He would do everything to protect people he loves and he's also such a great, older brother to Max. I love their relationship. It is so adorable.

ᯓᡣ𐭩 Ruby and Oscar. I love them. These two are so precious. 🥹❤️‍🩹

"𝑴𝒖𝒄𝒉 𝒂𝒔 𝒔𝒉𝒆 𝒉𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒂𝒅𝒎𝒊𝒕 𝒊𝒕, 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒕𝒐 𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒇, 𝒔𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒊𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝒉𝒊𝒎. 𝑺𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒊𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒚 𝒉𝒆 𝒖𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝒂𝒕 𝒉𝒆𝒓. 𝑵𝒐 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒉𝒂𝒅 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒌𝒆𝒅 𝒂𝒕 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒒𝒖𝒊𝒕𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑨𝒅𝒓𝒊𝒂𝒏 𝑬𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒅𝒊𝒅."

"𝑰'𝒎 𝒔𝒐 𝒔𝒐𝒓𝒓𝒚 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒉𝒂𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒎𝒚."

In last 80 pages happened more than in my whole life. No, but seriously, it was so gripping that there was no way to put this book down.

One more thing. I DONT TRUST ACE ANARCHY. I don't know but he gave off weird vibes in every scene he appeared in.

"𝑬𝒂𝒓𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒓 𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒔𝒕. 𝑳𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒓 𝒘𝒆𝒂𝒌𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒔. 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒏, 𝒅𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒐𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎."

"𝑨 𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒆 𝒒𝒖𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒊𝒔 𝒎𝒂𝒅𝒆 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒚, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒅𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑."

"𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒏𝒐 𝑰 𝒊𝒏 𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒐."

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──
𓂃 ࣪˖ ִֶָ pre-read ་༘࿐
....READY FOR IT? Nah, I'm definitely not. This book will undoubtedly give me anxiety. Honestly, I don't know if my heart can take it, but let's go find out. Be as good as the first one 🙏🏻

[Ash ꣑ৎ (quit) · Rating 4 out of 5]

.ೃ࿐⁀➷ 4/5 stars 💫✨

Eeee this was so so good 🥳🥳 You don't know how fast I ran to the library to get the second book, and it did not disappoint 🤭🤭 I still can't believe that I ever put off reading this series, it's SO GOOD, I'm OBSESSED 🫠🫠 Also, that ending OMG!!?! Gimme the last book NOWWW 😩😩 I don't want this series to ever end 🥺🥺

Once again, I am surprised how much I enjoyed Marissa Meyer's writing. Normally sci-fi books are really complicated and difficult to understand, however this couldn't be further from the truth in this series 😍😍 The writing and plot is really easy to understand, and I never found myself confused or bored. In saying that however, I do have to admit that in comparison to Renegades, I was cringing quite a lot, which may be a me problem, but it did sadly bring my enjoyment down slightly, as every time I was cringing, I would stop reading and go do something else to take my mind off it (again probably a me problem) 🥲🥲

.ೃ࿐⁀➷ Playlist

❥ Disaster - Conan Gray
❥ You Are In Love - Taylor Swift
❥ Bad Blood - Taylor Swift
❥ Look What You Made Me Do - Taylor Swift

.ೃ࿐⁀➷ Characters

➸ “Once we have total power, what's to keep us from becoming villains ourselves?”

❥ Nova: Is it bad that I can't decide whether I like her more as Insomnia or Nightmare 🫣🫣 I mean, they're both SO GOOD 🤭🤭 I love how badass and morally grey she is, and how she doesn't back out at the first sight of trouble 😍😍 I do have to admit she did give me minor heart attacks, far too often, but I guess I signed myself up for that when I started the series lol 😂😂

➸ “That’s human nature, isn’t it? People want to put someone on a pedestal. Maybe it gives them something to dream about.”

❥ Adrian: My precious cinnamon roll 🥺🥺 I love him so so much 💗😭🫶🏻 In book one I was kinda sceptical about the sentential, but I definitely like him more now 🤭🤭 I love how he is such a softy, yet he also has a mind of his own, and isn't afraid to stand up for what he believes in 🥰🥰 And ik I said in book 1, but iykyk it hits even harder now, when I say the way he cares so much for Max is so cute 🥹❤️‍🩹

➸ “There is no I in hero.”

❥ The Renegades: Ok so most of the renegades have grown on me 🤭🤭 I love Ruby and Oscar SO SO MUCH 🤧🤧 I was expecting to like Danna more than I did, so that was slightly disappointing, but you can't love every character ig 🥲🥲 Ngl I am surprised how much Simon and Hugh have grown on me, they're not perfect but I like them a lot more now than I did in book one 🥰🥰

➸ “A true queen is made not in times of prosperity, but in times of hardship.”

❥ The Anarchists: Honey is a queen, I love her sm 🥰🥰 The same with Cyanide, he's AMAZING 😍😍 Omg I felt so bad for Winston 😭😭 Ngl I am confused regarding Hawthorn, like it says she was an anarchist in the cast of characters, but she wasn't ever really mentioned, and it seemed like the anarchists didn't rly care about her 🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️ Phobia continues to intrigue me, and I really hope we learn more about her in book 3 🤔🤔 Also Ace, I mean he just casually reappeared and no one even seemed surprised, like did Nova know, bc she didn't rly act shocked or surprised 🤨🤨

.ೃ࿐⁀➷ Romance

➸ “Do you want to come in? I was warming up cinnamon rolls for dinner."
"What, you don't eat seven-course meals every night?"
"Only on Sundays.”

❥ Nova + Adrian: 907 pages of slow burn ❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥 (In my editions anyway), but it could have been 1 million pages, and the wait would have still been worth it 🥹❤️‍🩹 It is not funny the number of times I had mini panic attacks for these two, thinking they'll never get together 😅😅 Tho to say I'm worried after the ending would be an understatement 😨😨 Danna you better not ruin it 🔪🔪

.ೃ࿐⁀➷ In Conclusion

eee this series is so much fun 🤭🤭 Definitely give it a go if you if you are looking for:

✅ Superhero's vs villains
✅ Really sweet found family
✅ Plot twists that will leave your jaw on the ground
✅ Black cat x golden retriever energy

✧･:*✧･:*✧･:*✧･:*✧･:*✧･:*✧･:*✧･:*✧･:*

💙| pre-read

eee the first one was sm better than I expected, and I can't wait to dive into the second!! fingers crossed it's as good as the first 🤞🏻🤞🏻

[Cassie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t feel like writing a long review honestly, but just know that this book has destroyed me and I’m not okay.

Take me out of the oven and stick a fork in me because I. Am. Done.

Thank you, Marissa Meyer, for signing my death certificate. Maybe I’ll come back as Phobia and be your worst fear. Though, even that wouldn’t be enough in my eyes after that heart breaking ending you delivered to us.

Do I seriously have to wait a year for the third and final book? I think I just died a little more with that thought.

I’m ending this without my heart and soul in tact. From now on, I’m going to be known as soulless Cassie. That’s it, that’s all I got for you. Goodbye.

[Layla · Rating 2 out of 5]

~ 2 stars ~

This was certainly worst than the first book, but once again, I am extremely indifferent to anything pertaining to this book. I couldn't care less about this series, and because of that, I also can't really hate it.

I'm still super frustrated with the plot conveniences, and the fact that two full books, it was still dragging and adding to the plot. So frustrated to the point that I felt like there was no way it could wrap up the story in a satisfactory way (spoiler alert: I was right).

This series as a whole is just severely mediocare and predictable. It isn't anything extraordinary or new. The characters don't stick out to me. I've read all of Marissa Meyer's books excluding the graphic novels and her most recent release, and she definitely missed the mark with this series. I had a great time with The Lunar Chronicles and Heartless was enjoyable for the most part, but Renegades was simply just a disappointment.

[Jasmine from How Useful It Is · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't love this book as much as the first one. I got bored with Nova's third job at Renegades HQ. That portion is excruciatingly lengthy to get through. Callum tried hard to keep the artifacts upbeat but it's like browsing through a museum. I enjoyed the start of the book before Nova started her third job. I enjoyed the ending as well. The villains' win at their mission and lost of their *** is a surprise one for me. Normally I don't like Villains but I'm liking Nightmare and the banters among her group.


This book is told in the third person point of view following Adrian, Renegade team leader and son of Renegade original founders, as he and his teammates attempted to apprehend a band of thieves leaving the hospital with their stolen bags of pills. Adrian is still in search of his mother's killer and he doesn't believe Nightmare is dead. The alternating view is Nova, a villain called Nightmare is spying on the Renegades by becoming a Renegade herself, a position she won through trial competition. This book continues from book one where the recent villain, the Detonator harm a lot of innocent civilians and the Renegades are introducing a weapon that will take away the supper powers of prodigy lawbreakers. From the surprise ending of book 1, Nova's new mission is more important now than ever and she can't fail.


Archenemies is filled with thoughts of wanting the world rid of superheroes. Readers get to follow the lives of the heroes and villains in normal day to day life. It seems not much difference because there are bullies among the heroes and they act like any villains. The romance escalated another step in this sequel and Adrian is so cute when he's nervous. Some superpowers are pretty cool like Monarch and Adrian's drawing. I like Ruby and Oscar's attempts at love or Ruby's attempts at playing hard to get. Out of the first two books, I enjoyed the first one more. I can't wait to read Supernova, the finale to the series.

xoxo,
Jasmine at www.howusefulitis.wordpress.com for more details

[Noi (in & out) · Rating 4 out of 5]

RTC (and it will! I made one for Renegades so now I have no excuse)
------------------------------------------
BRing with SK; the 2nd installment.
After book one left us -> 🫨 we just have to keep going.

[lydia ‧ ia · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐️

●*~ "There is no I in hero." ~*●

I've missed the feeling that Marissa Meyer always gives me. The feeling of being so emotionally attached to her characters that you scream and cry and giggle and gasp and grow right alongside them as the story progresses. The feeling that you're going to cry when it ends, no matter what, because the characters have become your best friends and you never want to let them go. The feeling of not even knowing how much you love them until when she tortures them in the worst way possible you throw your book across the room and wail in agony.

This kind of feeling is what I look for in every book, whether I realize it or not, yet I don't always find it. But with Marissa, I know I will.

In Renegades, she introduced and developed these amazing characters. But in this book, she takes advantage of sneakily emotionally attaching you to them and absolutely destroys your heart with the angst and pain and loneliness and complications that they go through.

And because of the pain and suffering, I loved this book even better than the first 🥺🥺

Yes, I need therapy 😃

My favorite things about this book: a short list:

-Nova
-Adrian
-Nova + Adrian
-Oscar
-Ruby
-Oscar + Ruby
-Max
-Max
-Max + Max bc Max is all you need

No seriously though, the writing, plot, twists, and all that jazz are impeccable. But the characters introduced here are all the sweetest lil cinnamon rolls you ever did see. I wanna wrap them all up in a blanket and protect them from the world and from Marissa Meyer. Their character and romance development fit seamlessly with the plot and overall, all the angst and feelings in this book made it so addictive that I devoured it in only a couple several-hour sittings, and when I finished I didn't know what to do with my life. That's a prime example of a good book!

This series has just been such a rollercoaster and I love it so much. Highly recommended <3

●*~"We are so much stronger and better when we put our energy into creating things, not destroying them."~*●

●*~ pre-review ~*●

I have something to say, and it’s very important so listen up.

aaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAHHHHHhHhHhHHHHHHHHH

RTC when I’m not drowning in emotions 😃

●*~ tbr review ~*●

MOM, WE'RE GOING TO THE LIBRARY AGAIN!

[Kelly Brigid ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

“There were still consequences. There were always consequences, no matter which side she was on.”

♡ I’m utterly torn. I love the sweet characters and prodigy society depicted in general. But, I can’t overlook the glaring similarities between this novel and the third installment in the X-men franchise, The Last Stand. One of the central plot points involves a drug that can neutralize the abilities of any prodigy. Nova is concerned that this power will be abused in the hands of egotistical Renegades, and thereby attempts to find a way to prevent its usage. Baring such a remarkable resemblance to the plot in the X-men movie, truly dampened my overall enjoyment.

♡ The pacing is painfully slow during the first half of the novel. I honestly don’t mind it much when a story is slow-paced. I often welcome it! After all, The Lord of the Rings is one of my favorite novels ever written, and it’s a whopping 1,100 pages. There does however, need to be enough developments presented to hold my interest. I found this unfortunately, was lacking in Archenemies. Every turn of event felt either drawn out, repetitive, or unnecessary. Perhaps this is a side effect from a duology becoming a trilogy, but I would’ve greatly preferred it if the story was several hundred pages shorter.

♡ The romance in all its slow-burning beauty … withered and died? How Nova and Adrien’s relationship develops in this book is disappointing to say the least. Their interactions were cute at times, but for the most part, too time-consuming and unnecessarily convoluted. It could’ve been simple and straightforward, but Nova incessantly stresses over her feelings for him, weaving together a (550 page-long) web of teenage angst and confusion. She has several agendas occurring at once that encourage this relationship to reach new depths, yet her guilt-laden conscience constantly causes her to hesitate. It’s highly frustrating and grows wearisome after a while.

♡ Bring on the moral dilemmas! I mentioned this in my review for Renegades as well, but the morally grey areas depicted in this society are wonderful! Mostly evident through Nova’s character, the fine line between what makes someone a hero or villain is fascinating. Not unlike most situations in our lives, it’s challenging to devise a solution that will satisfy everyone. The numerous perspectives on the humane use of Agent N, Renegade laws, treatment of Anarchists, etc. is such a treat to read about!

♡ Out with a bang! Despite its lethargic start, the last 100 pages of the novel is spectacular! It’s fast paced and riveting, with just enough emotional anxiety and agony to keep you on your toes. As a matter of fact, the conclusion felt so cohesive and entertaining that I find it startling to believe that it’s part of the same novel. The action sequences felt comical (as expected of a superhero novel) throughout most of the story but dives down a darker path in the finale. Foreshadowing a grittier sequel, perhaps?

♡ Archenemies certainly has a few faults, but it delivers where it matters. The story is entertaining, the side characters are endearing when they make appearances, and the socio-political factors discussed throughout are highly intriguing! I’ll be holding onto the hope that the last book, Supernova, seals the deal! Wishing for better pacing, more side character love (where have my babies flown off to? I need them!), and less romantic angst! Marissa Meyer, I believe in you!

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

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[Kelly Gillan · Rating 5 out of 5]

“i’m so sorry you had to be the enemy”

*screams*

[Patricia Bejarano Martín · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 en realidad

[Cory Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

How refreshing it is to read about a morally grey female villain. Take that, society. Girls can be cunning badasses too.