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Supervillainy and Other Poor Career Choices #1
Supervillainy and Other Poor Career Choices
Engineer. Survivor. Supervillain. When a down on his luck engineer ends up coming into possession of a rundown suit of power-armor, he sees an opportunity to make some quick cash by selling it off to the nearest supervillain. Unfortunately for him, what should have been a quick and easy sale to pay off his debts quickly grows into an ongoing series of events that serve only to drag him deeper and deeper into the criminal underbelly of the city he calls home. In no time at all, Erich finds himself fending off Neo-Nazi gang members, crazed capes, and the dangerous affections of his newest employer's criminally insane daughter. All he wanted to do was make a quick buck...
300 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 10, 2019
224 people are currently reading
363 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 100 reviews
November 14, 2019
This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart
Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
3.5 Stars
Erich is hiding out in some hole in the wall town, just trying to stay low. He has a past and the last thing he needs is someone digging it up. The best thing about this town is that there are no superheroes running around saving the day. Crime is rampant, which is why he pays one of the villainous gangs for protection, but he is about to make a deal that will land him unintentionally on #teambadguy. Hindsight is 20/20 and Erich just put himself on the radar of one of the supervillain gangs in the city.
Supervillainy and Other Poor Career Choices reads a bit like a comic book. Sure, Erich is on team bad guys but there is someone even worse that is killing his new employer’s people left and right. Erich just did what anyone with his skill set, past and motivations would do and built a super suit he pilots. Erich might be tech savvy but that is about it; he has no game with the ladies, makes terrible decisions and might even have crossed some lines he can’t come back from. Erich is still a little likable and you feel a little bad for him and the position he has gotten himself into, until you don’t.
My one issue is this seems like it ends abruptly. Here we are fighting the bad dude and have just figured out his end game goals and there is a scene that looks like we are headed into that backstory I mentioned and then poof it’s done. I was listening to the audio so I thought maybe I didn’t download the entire book, but I had. This is written like there will be a sequel but it didn’t feel like it finished telling the story we were in. It read more like Part I of a bigger book.
Overall this is a fast-moving story. It’s pretty short and there are many action scenes, that were a tad brutal. The humor that is normally thrown in to lessen the brutality was missing a little and when you mention the muck on the bottom of your super suit being a former person, well eww, just eww. Still I was interested in a few of the side characters and exploring Erick’s past, so I was disappointed when we got to the end.
Narration:
Neil Hellegers is a new to me narrator. He made Erich more likable than I think he would have been in my own head with his performance and I thought that his voice was enjoyable for all the characters. I listened at my usual 1.5x speed.
Listen to a clip: HERE
Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
3.5 Stars
Erich is hiding out in some hole in the wall town, just trying to stay low. He has a past and the last thing he needs is someone digging it up. The best thing about this town is that there are no superheroes running around saving the day. Crime is rampant, which is why he pays one of the villainous gangs for protection, but he is about to make a deal that will land him unintentionally on #teambadguy. Hindsight is 20/20 and Erich just put himself on the radar of one of the supervillain gangs in the city.
Supervillainy and Other Poor Career Choices reads a bit like a comic book. Sure, Erich is on team bad guys but there is someone even worse that is killing his new employer’s people left and right. Erich just did what anyone with his skill set, past and motivations would do and built a super suit he pilots. Erich might be tech savvy but that is about it; he has no game with the ladies, makes terrible decisions and might even have crossed some lines he can’t come back from. Erich is still a little likable and you feel a little bad for him and the position he has gotten himself into, until you don’t.
My one issue is this seems like it ends abruptly. Here we are fighting the bad dude and have just figured out his end game goals and there is a scene that looks like we are headed into that backstory I mentioned and then poof it’s done. I was listening to the audio so I thought maybe I didn’t download the entire book, but I had. This is written like there will be a sequel but it didn’t feel like it finished telling the story we were in. It read more like Part I of a bigger book.
Overall this is a fast-moving story. It’s pretty short and there are many action scenes, that were a tad brutal. The humor that is normally thrown in to lessen the brutality was missing a little and when you mention the muck on the bottom of your super suit being a former person, well eww, just eww. Still I was interested in a few of the side characters and exploring Erick’s past, so I was disappointed when we got to the end.
Narration:
Neil Hellegers is a new to me narrator. He made Erich more likable than I think he would have been in my own head with his performance and I thought that his voice was enjoyable for all the characters. I listened at my usual 1.5x speed.
Listen to a clip: HERE
April 30, 2022
Enjoyable comic book adventure features a nerdy genius with a dubious past who gets sucked into building a mech suit for a gang led by a minor super villain. Violent turf war ensues, the book is bloodier than expected but also generally light and jokey. The protagonist gradually goes from wimp to bad guy in a way which is kind of fun and some of the action is quite good. It’s an interesting world of disappointing superheroes and cartooney gangs and you get the sense there’s more to it than the author reveals. It’s held back by a broad, juvenile tone and somewhat anticlimactic sequel bait conclusion however. Still, I listened to the whole thing more or less in one go and had a reasonably fun time with it.
May 13, 2019
A little more brutal than I like with no humor to leven the grimness
I enjoy supervillain stories usually because they laden with snark. You can sympathize with the mc and root for them. In this case the mc is only marginally likable, the story is dark, and there's almost no humor to brighten things up.
But it was a good story. Just not what I was hoping for.
I enjoy supervillain stories usually because they laden with snark. You can sympathize with the mc and root for them. In this case the mc is only marginally likable, the story is dark, and there's almost no humor to brighten things up.
But it was a good story. Just not what I was hoping for.
August 11, 2020
Disappointing
Would be so much better if the MC wasnt such a beta loser. It's like the author is intentionally making a character that is hard to read about. The mc doesn't like sex, conversation, fighting, or anything else... Just some loser who over debates everything internally.
Would be so much better if the MC wasnt such a beta loser. It's like the author is intentionally making a character that is hard to read about. The mc doesn't like sex, conversation, fighting, or anything else... Just some loser who over debates everything internally.
May 28, 2019
Story works, editing doesn’t
This is a jacka$$ MC story. By the end of the book, MC is almost someone you want to know, which bodes better for book 2. The other characters aren’t as well fleshed out and mostly bitchy/greedy so far. Blur seems the best of the lot and she only shows up as cameos.
The world is interesting, a semi post-apocalypse in comic book style. The plot lines wandered a little bit but contained and maintained a full story while leaving enough questions for a sequel.
The editing sucked. Punctuation was all over the place, homonyms butchered frequently (i.e., they’ll instead of there’ll), and no grasp of the difference between dialogue tags (said, screamed, shouted, etc.) and actions (grinned, nodded, stood, looked, etc.). Oh, and a bit of redundancy with a hefty side of passive voice in places. Sucked, but usually not badly enough you couldn’t figure out what the author meant.
This is a jacka$$ MC story. By the end of the book, MC is almost someone you want to know, which bodes better for book 2. The other characters aren’t as well fleshed out and mostly bitchy/greedy so far. Blur seems the best of the lot and she only shows up as cameos.
The world is interesting, a semi post-apocalypse in comic book style. The plot lines wandered a little bit but contained and maintained a full story while leaving enough questions for a sequel.
The editing sucked. Punctuation was all over the place, homonyms butchered frequently (i.e., they’ll instead of there’ll), and no grasp of the difference between dialogue tags (said, screamed, shouted, etc.) and actions (grinned, nodded, stood, looked, etc.). Oh, and a bit of redundancy with a hefty side of passive voice in places. Sucked, but usually not badly enough you couldn’t figure out what the author meant.
November 18, 2022
It takes a certain amount of skill to write a story about a compelling protagonist who is also a villain. I think I've read five or six books that have attempted that, all of them were better than this book. It wasn't awful, but I found the protagonist to be an (admittedly, self-aware) whiny, self-centered, scummy sort of guy who progressively got worse as the story progressed. The plot was fairly predictable and well stocked with tropes and cliched dialog.
The basic plot is that we have our anti-hero, a technical genius living in a super-hero world, who is running a failing repair shop because 'reasons'. He manages to acquire a power-armor suit through dubious means and plans to repair it and sell it off to clear his debts and get out of town but the local gang that he's paying protection money to wants the suit and him to pilot it. So things go from bad to worse to really, really bad.
The story is pretty gruesome, with lots of blood and bodies, and highly questionable decision making.
The basic plot is that we have our anti-hero, a technical genius living in a super-hero world, who is running a failing repair shop because 'reasons'. He manages to acquire a power-armor suit through dubious means and plans to repair it and sell it off to clear his debts and get out of town but the local gang that he's paying protection money to wants the suit and him to pilot it. So things go from bad to worse to really, really bad.
The story is pretty gruesome, with lots of blood and bodies, and highly questionable decision making.
April 27, 2020
Impressed
A good book from a new author. Action was good as was the story line in my opinion. The only reason I gave it four starts instead of five was bc I didn’t feel like the MC made enough character development. He was very reactive until the end and for a genius was very slow to upgrade his suit.
A good book from a new author. Action was good as was the story line in my opinion. The only reason I gave it four starts instead of five was bc I didn’t feel like the MC made enough character development. He was very reactive until the end and for a genius was very slow to upgrade his suit.
March 11, 2020
Wasn't sure about this one since it sounded a little too much like Confessions of a D-List Supervillain all round, but decided to give it a shot. I wasn't disappointed, it is an interesting story. It lacks the humor of D-List and I would definitely recommend that one over this one, but this was fun in it's own right.
I thought (and hoped) this was a standalone and while this book works as a standalone, the ending was written in such a way that I expect more.
My only complaint is maybe some inconsistency in the main character. Later in the story he'll display a trait or other characters will mention a trait that hadn't been seen at all up until that point in the book. It's not enough to detract from the story, but did make me think "well, we should've been seeing that"
The narration was excellent.
I thought (and hoped) this was a standalone and while this book works as a standalone, the ending was written in such a way that I expect more.
My only complaint is maybe some inconsistency in the main character. Later in the story he'll display a trait or other characters will mention a trait that hadn't been seen at all up until that point in the book. It's not enough to detract from the story, but did make me think "well, we should've been seeing that"
The narration was excellent.
May 12, 2019
A morally grey mc in a meta-universe.
I definitely liked the book. The world building and character development were well done, and the plot keeps you holding on until the end. I'm curious to see where the next book goes.
Pros
-fun universe where super powers exist randomly
-the mc is complex enough not to fall into any of the stereotypes that often plague these types of stories
-story keeps you wanting to find out what happens next
Cons
-There were a lot of formatting and editing issues throughout the book that pulled me out of the story to figure out what I'd just read.
-Cliffhanger ending
I definitely liked the book. The world building and character development were well done, and the plot keeps you holding on until the end. I'm curious to see where the next book goes.
Pros
-fun universe where super powers exist randomly
-the mc is complex enough not to fall into any of the stereotypes that often plague these types of stories
-story keeps you wanting to find out what happens next
Cons
-There were a lot of formatting and editing issues throughout the book that pulled me out of the story to figure out what I'd just read.
-Cliffhanger ending
April 21, 2021
I didn't like it.
I don't like stories where agency is taken away from MCs and they're forced into doing things that are nominally or outright immoral. I don't like love triangles that are basically wish fulfillment fantasy "rape" scenarios and sexual harassment, even F on M. I don't like MCs who have no emotional or character growth. I don't like this world of nasty pushy criminal ugliness. The one hook that intrigued me (refugee from a particular family business) was wasted.
Excellent narration (audio version) but the story made me uncomfortable and angry.
Hated it.
I don't like stories where agency is taken away from MCs and they're forced into doing things that are nominally or outright immoral. I don't like love triangles that are basically wish fulfillment fantasy "rape" scenarios and sexual harassment, even F on M. I don't like MCs who have no emotional or character growth. I don't like this world of nasty pushy criminal ugliness. The one hook that intrigued me (refugee from a particular family business) was wasted.
Excellent narration (audio version) but the story made me uncomfortable and angry.
Hated it.
April 24, 2020
"His ‘customer’ for the morning was a failed super villain. Or would-be supervillain, if the half-built exo-suit now cluttering up Erich’s shop was any indicator. Could he still be considered a villain if he had never got around to committing any crimes?"
Well, either the author was influenced heavily by "The Boys" (TV show or comic), or somehow they have hit the same vibe.
Supervillainy is very reflective of a certain strain of modern Sci-fi author. Not to say thats a bad thing, but there are quite a few that run a certain style
1)Female Characters are usually very attractive, and sexually promiscuous
2)Violence is graphic
3)The Story is not indepth, but is slick enough that it progresses at a rapid pace
Its very much a 90's comic book style of storytelling, and can sometimes edge on slight teenage cringe. I however, liked 90's comic books, and Supervillainy fits the brief perfectly. The comparisons to "The Boys" is easily made, running with the idea that most Superheros are only in it for the money/fame/benefits.
I actually genuinlly like the protagonist, his development is threadbear, but theres enough of a motive and justification there to propell the story forward. Even though hes meant to be a Supervillian, he never does anything that bad. His enemies? Neo Nazis.....and on one occasion Strippers.....
"Rocket launcher armed strippers. Of all the ways he might have gone out."
Only real gripes with the book?
The 2 female leads at times feel like they are bordering on a Harem, and obviously they find the main character super attractive etc etc (I also find this a bit jarring)
One character just dissapears, and its never really explained where he went
The book isnt long, clocking in at only a 4 hour ish read. It doesnt waste your time, and the action and story keep going to an almost satifisying end. Read if you are a comic fan
Obviously, also read The Boys, Volume 1: The Name of the Game
Well, either the author was influenced heavily by "The Boys" (TV show or comic), or somehow they have hit the same vibe.
Supervillainy is very reflective of a certain strain of modern Sci-fi author. Not to say thats a bad thing, but there are quite a few that run a certain style
1)Female Characters are usually very attractive, and sexually promiscuous
2)Violence is graphic
3)The Story is not indepth, but is slick enough that it progresses at a rapid pace
Its very much a 90's comic book style of storytelling, and can sometimes edge on slight teenage cringe. I however, liked 90's comic books, and Supervillainy fits the brief perfectly. The comparisons to "The Boys" is easily made, running with the idea that most Superheros are only in it for the money/fame/benefits.
I actually genuinlly like the protagonist, his development is threadbear, but theres enough of a motive and justification there to propell the story forward. Even though hes meant to be a Supervillian, he never does anything that bad. His enemies? Neo Nazis.....and on one occasion Strippers.....
"Rocket launcher armed strippers. Of all the ways he might have gone out."
Only real gripes with the book?
The 2 female leads at times feel like they are bordering on a Harem, and obviously they find the main character super attractive etc etc (I also find this a bit jarring)
One character just dissapears, and its never really explained where he went
The book isnt long, clocking in at only a 4 hour ish read. It doesnt waste your time, and the action and story keep going to an almost satifisying end. Read if you are a comic fan
Obviously, also read The Boys, Volume 1: The Name of the Game
January 4, 2024
To rate this book is very difficult for me. I gave it 4 Stars in the end.
Here is why. This book is so fat out of my comfort zone it is not funny but i did not know that when i started reading it. So i analized the separate parts to come to a conclusion.
Characters: they where a very big plus. They are very well written and the motivations and their aspirations are made very clear and easy to follow without becoming boring or predictable wich is a big plus in my book.
World building: i love the World. A distopyan future where superpowers are normal and human nature took over. It is not romantazized or anything. But still understandeble what is happening and why. Really loved it.
Plot: the plot is very interesting which is proven by me finishing the book even though i really thought this wasnt a book i would have read without the insentive to read for RARE24Edinburgh. The twists and turns are so well done it keeps me on my toes and lets me think about the plot wich i really enjoyed.
Writing: This is the point that was the most difficult. The Action was wtitten beautifuly. The grimy details and everything that describes the World was done so great. So i did not understand why the same care wasnt put into writing the human interactions. Some things where just mentioned in a, oh yes that happened by the way, way wich i thought was really sad. I would have liked to see more of these interactions. To get deeper into the chracters sometimes. Not just mention the struggle Show the struggle. But yeah.
Overall this is a really good book. Will i read more of these? Probably not. But i am really happy that i made the experience. I get now why some people love the Genre. Sadly i am not one of them. But thank you for this amazing book anyway.
Here is why. This book is so fat out of my comfort zone it is not funny but i did not know that when i started reading it. So i analized the separate parts to come to a conclusion.
Characters: they where a very big plus. They are very well written and the motivations and their aspirations are made very clear and easy to follow without becoming boring or predictable wich is a big plus in my book.
World building: i love the World. A distopyan future where superpowers are normal and human nature took over. It is not romantazized or anything. But still understandeble what is happening and why. Really loved it.
Plot: the plot is very interesting which is proven by me finishing the book even though i really thought this wasnt a book i would have read without the insentive to read for RARE24Edinburgh. The twists and turns are so well done it keeps me on my toes and lets me think about the plot wich i really enjoyed.
Writing: This is the point that was the most difficult. The Action was wtitten beautifuly. The grimy details and everything that describes the World was done so great. So i did not understand why the same care wasnt put into writing the human interactions. Some things where just mentioned in a, oh yes that happened by the way, way wich i thought was really sad. I would have liked to see more of these interactions. To get deeper into the chracters sometimes. Not just mention the struggle Show the struggle. But yeah.
Overall this is a really good book. Will i read more of these? Probably not. But i am really happy that i made the experience. I get now why some people love the Genre. Sadly i am not one of them. But thank you for this amazing book anyway.
May 29, 2025
As a child, my love of reading was fused by comic books and Pyle’s Robin Hood, so this was a lot of fun. While some elements were admittedly telegraphed a bit - probably because I am so accustomed to the comic book based superhero genre and tropes - there is most assuredly much to like here. A brilliant engineer type trying to stay off the proverbial grid for good reason owes money to the wrong person (a super villain), but when he agrees to help a string out minor villain who agrees to surrender his mech suit if he cannot pay the engineer, things begin to spiral. He gets the suit instead of pay thinking he can use the suit to settle the debt, but everything spirals outward from there…
And then the fun continues. Fun and literarily cinematic in many ways, this was one I really enjoyed, and while the protagonist is more Harry Lockhart than Tony Stark (if one was only going to use Robert Downey, Jr. characters for comparison), this is why the story works. The world building is solid, the characters are well hewn, and the story hits a solid adventure and action rhythm. Does it redefine the genre? No, but as Roger Ebert once commented about the film The Rock, this is a genre novel that is “…made out of pieces of other movies, yes, and not much in it is really new, but each element has been lovingly polished to a gloss.” The polish and gloss works here… the world is new enough to be worth visiting and the villain views present give us just enough gloss and framing to be new enough.
Had great fun with this one. I recommend it if you like to consider the villain as a full character worth exploring in your action reads.
And then the fun continues. Fun and literarily cinematic in many ways, this was one I really enjoyed, and while the protagonist is more Harry Lockhart than Tony Stark (if one was only going to use Robert Downey, Jr. characters for comparison), this is why the story works. The world building is solid, the characters are well hewn, and the story hits a solid adventure and action rhythm. Does it redefine the genre? No, but as Roger Ebert once commented about the film The Rock, this is a genre novel that is “…made out of pieces of other movies, yes, and not much in it is really new, but each element has been lovingly polished to a gloss.” The polish and gloss works here… the world is new enough to be worth visiting and the villain views present give us just enough gloss and framing to be new enough.
Had great fun with this one. I recommend it if you like to consider the villain as a full character worth exploring in your action reads.
June 7, 2019
Not quite the same caliber as "wild cards" !!!
A decent read along the lines(but not as fleshed out) as "game of thrones" author George R.R. Martin's mutant filled book series "wild cards" tend to be. But an interesting, if still fledgling story. But, I believe, worthwhile to peruse the sequel(s) to see if the author builds up(at least the mains) the characters with more background and depth. Thus allowing a greater feeling of connection and understanding by the reader regarding the characters,their world, and possibly motives(moral,ethical,political,race,nationality,etc) that influences various " Metas" in choosing(or not) the "Super" path to either "Hero" or "Villainy".
All in all, not a horrible start to a series, and as I said...not a "horrible" read.
A decent read along the lines(but not as fleshed out) as "game of thrones" author George R.R. Martin's mutant filled book series "wild cards" tend to be. But an interesting, if still fledgling story. But, I believe, worthwhile to peruse the sequel(s) to see if the author builds up(at least the mains) the characters with more background and depth. Thus allowing a greater feeling of connection and understanding by the reader regarding the characters,their world, and possibly motives(moral,ethical,political,race,nationality,etc) that influences various " Metas" in choosing(or not) the "Super" path to either "Hero" or "Villainy".
All in all, not a horrible start to a series, and as I said...not a "horrible" read.
June 10, 2023
Read this on Reddit over the course of a day and enjoyed it.
Strengths: Dialogue(at times), descriptions, easy to read, tension.
Weaknesses: Dialogue(at times), fairly basic plot, pacing issues.
I'm a big fan of the 'nobody' influencing the world around them, making an impact. This story has that in spades. The protagonist has a superiority complex, which makes for interesting internal dialogue, and the world they're in suggests that there's a lot going on- though we don't see any of it, really.
It reads almost like a lit RPG due to the upgrading of gear, acquisition of materials, and fight sequences. I liked it, but it could use some polish. Solid read at 3am, not sure if the updated book version holds up.
Would recommend, won't read again.
Strengths: Dialogue(at times), descriptions, easy to read, tension.
Weaknesses: Dialogue(at times), fairly basic plot, pacing issues.
I'm a big fan of the 'nobody' influencing the world around them, making an impact. This story has that in spades. The protagonist has a superiority complex, which makes for interesting internal dialogue, and the world they're in suggests that there's a lot going on- though we don't see any of it, really.
It reads almost like a lit RPG due to the upgrading of gear, acquisition of materials, and fight sequences. I liked it, but it could use some polish. Solid read at 3am, not sure if the updated book version holds up.
Would recommend, won't read again.
September 21, 2019
Great read
I really enjoyed this book. It really tells a great story of a reluctant would be super villain in the making. While he wasn’t born with the powers of many of the other super villains he uses his extreme intelligence and skill in engineering to overcome meta humans that would normally crush a norm like him.
The budding love triangle with the cities biggest supervillian’s two daughters also makes for an interesting twist and a few good laughs.
The main characters secrets come out as the story progresses and only complicates his life.
I highly recommend this to anyone that likes the super power genre.
I really enjoyed this book. It really tells a great story of a reluctant would be super villain in the making. While he wasn’t born with the powers of many of the other super villains he uses his extreme intelligence and skill in engineering to overcome meta humans that would normally crush a norm like him.
The budding love triangle with the cities biggest supervillian’s two daughters also makes for an interesting twist and a few good laughs.
The main characters secrets come out as the story progresses and only complicates his life.
I highly recommend this to anyone that likes the super power genre.
September 10, 2021
In a world and society were people with powers define the rules.
A lone engineer is quietly trying to make a living on his own terms. it is just that something he creates catches the local gangs eyes. One favor leads to another until he suddenly finds himself a villain. Creating and supporting the gang in the aim to be local rulers.
Things are not how they seem and the engineer has a deep secret from his past that is quickly catching up.
The narrative and flow is humorous and fun. I wish they were more books out there of a similar nature, I loved reading it.
A light read and wish they were books in the series to follow up on.
A lone engineer is quietly trying to make a living on his own terms. it is just that something he creates catches the local gangs eyes. One favor leads to another until he suddenly finds himself a villain. Creating and supporting the gang in the aim to be local rulers.
Things are not how they seem and the engineer has a deep secret from his past that is quickly catching up.
The narrative and flow is humorous and fun. I wish they were more books out there of a similar nature, I loved reading it.
A light read and wish they were books in the series to follow up on.
June 29, 2019
Meta editing errors
Outside of the extremely poor editing and numerous mistakes this was a very enjoyable read. Mechromancer (Jason) was the main character. Not really a meta but a very confident articifer. He comes across an Iron Man like suit of armor and he improves on it. He gets mixed up with a crime family fighting other criminal gangs. Plenty of action throughout as he gets himself in deep. There is a lot of killing but supervillains and criminals usually don't play nice. I'm looking forward to the next installment.
Outside of the extremely poor editing and numerous mistakes this was a very enjoyable read. Mechromancer (Jason) was the main character. Not really a meta but a very confident articifer. He comes across an Iron Man like suit of armor and he improves on it. He gets mixed up with a crime family fighting other criminal gangs. Plenty of action throughout as he gets himself in deep. There is a lot of killing but supervillains and criminals usually don't play nice. I'm looking forward to the next installment.
May 21, 2020
Hope's and dreams
Honestly this book gets 4 stars because I was pretty riveted, but it's just hella sad. I really hope Erich gets some help in the next book cause that poor kid is messed up. And I feel terrible for his sister as well. I think it should have been longer because how the sisters personalities changed felt very unnatural especially gravity, seemed like it was written with a lack of direction at times. Really cool world though and hoping for another one with maybe more debauchery and the kids, but less sadness and insanity.
Honestly this book gets 4 stars because I was pretty riveted, but it's just hella sad. I really hope Erich gets some help in the next book cause that poor kid is messed up. And I feel terrible for his sister as well. I think it should have been longer because how the sisters personalities changed felt very unnatural especially gravity, seemed like it was written with a lack of direction at times. Really cool world though and hoping for another one with maybe more debauchery and the kids, but less sadness and insanity.
January 5, 2022
Very meh. Little to no character development. Most of the characters are unlikable. By the final battle I didn't really care if the protagonist lived or died. The cliffhanger ending really fell flat because it involves a character that's only been hinted at. But the hints weren't prevalent enough to make me intrigued about the character. So the big "Gasp! That's them!" moment that the author was aiming for just didn't happen. Great premise for a book, but the author failed miserably to catch my interest at all.
May 16, 2023
Both book 1 & 2 are decent. A few places where a word is missing in a sentence or a wrong word is used but not horrible. Formating on the version I got for Amazon Kindle was odd, often a sentence would cut off halfway through only to immediately continue on the next line.
Other than that I just wonder where j.r. grey disappeared to. Published 2 decent books, with clear room to continue the series and nothing for the last 3 years.... like too many of the authors I'd love to read more from he just disappeared.
Other than that I just wonder where j.r. grey disappeared to. Published 2 decent books, with clear room to continue the series and nothing for the last 3 years.... like too many of the authors I'd love to read more from he just disappeared.
February 1, 2026
I started this thinking it would be an easy read. It was definitely that but for the first half it was very generic and clichéd. I thought there might be ethical questions raised but the rival gang they fight are actual Nazis so there are no moral qualms to be had. In the second half, after things go downhill, the story picks up and there are moral dilemmas. I was expecting some humour too from the title but the book isn't written to be funny. Now that I know the author wrote a poorly received sequel and then disappeared I probably wouldn't recommend this.
June 13, 2019
Great book
The characters were funny and interesting, Erich was clever and his Paranoid nature was perfect for why he always survived. The world building left me wanting more and some terms the author assume we know them but only context clues infer because I read other sci-fi books that use the trope, only reason it made sense. Like the different POV chapters gave them more to his characters. I want their to be a sequel badly.
The characters were funny and interesting, Erich was clever and his Paranoid nature was perfect for why he always survived. The world building left me wanting more and some terms the author assume we know them but only context clues infer because I read other sci-fi books that use the trope, only reason it made sense. Like the different POV chapters gave them more to his characters. I want their to be a sequel badly.
July 30, 2019
What a great start to a series I hope continues
As the title indicates.... This is a very creative take on the super hero genre that is engrossing, entertaining, and hopefully will continue. The acerbic wit of the main character is funny and insightful to his motivations. There were a few places where the story meanders and could be tighten up, but overall a very good book. Highly recommended.
As the title indicates.... This is a very creative take on the super hero genre that is engrossing, entertaining, and hopefully will continue. The acerbic wit of the main character is funny and insightful to his motivations. There were a few places where the story meanders and could be tighten up, but overall a very good book. Highly recommended.
September 6, 2019
Overall I really enjoyed this book. the snark is good and the characters are well developed. The story is good, though sometimes jarring. And I got the print version of this book and unfortunately the author needs to have someone do professional layout on it, because the way the print version is done is harder to read and makes the book less enjoyable. Also the ending feels tacked on, but I still look forward to the next book.
December 1, 2019
An enjoyable exploration of the other side
I like reading about tech heroes/villains, and their struggle to maintain both logistics and maintenance for their creations. This guy was a bit on the unlikeable side, but he was entertaining. I like this enough to look up the next book on KU.
Side note, the Kindle version of this book has a bunch of missing quotation marks and works line endings, but that wasn't enough to make me doing it a star.
I like reading about tech heroes/villains, and their struggle to maintain both logistics and maintenance for their creations. This guy was a bit on the unlikeable side, but he was entertaining. I like this enough to look up the next book on KU.
Side note, the Kindle version of this book has a bunch of missing quotation marks and works line endings, but that wasn't enough to make me doing it a star.
December 10, 2020
Good book - proofers?
This was a fun read. Story was engaging. Characters were relatable.
JR Grey, however could benefit from a better proofreader or two. I'm sure self publishing is a challenge, but the xtra words, changes to sentence structure that weren't complete, mixed up pronouns and all will probably put some readers off.
But, after reading this, I would gladly proofread another of JR Grey's books. Good even though it is fraught with typing errors.
This was a fun read. Story was engaging. Characters were relatable.
JR Grey, however could benefit from a better proofreader or two. I'm sure self publishing is a challenge, but the xtra words, changes to sentence structure that weren't complete, mixed up pronouns and all will probably put some readers off.
But, after reading this, I would gladly proofread another of JR Grey's books. Good even though it is fraught with typing errors.
July 8, 2024
I am surprised at how much I enjoyed this story.
The thing that stood out to me was how the different characters felt about their villainy. I felt like there was a decent spread of "violence is fun" to "I am doing what I need to survive." It was really nice.
There were a few fun different twists and turns of what was happening.
Was it a perfect story? No. There were a few parts that felt a little flat, but it was a fun little read.
The thing that stood out to me was how the different characters felt about their villainy. I felt like there was a decent spread of "violence is fun" to "I am doing what I need to survive." It was really nice.
There were a few fun different twists and turns of what was happening.
Was it a perfect story? No. There were a few parts that felt a little flat, but it was a fun little read.
April 24, 2019
A great book
Once I started to read I could not put it down. I like the pace of the book and the world gets better as you get in to the story. The hero is not a hero but still fun. Read for your self but you had me aT seven foot purple meta human hope she makes a appearance in book two.
Once I started to read I could not put it down. I like the pace of the book and the world gets better as you get in to the story. The hero is not a hero but still fun. Read for your self but you had me aT seven foot purple meta human hope she makes a appearance in book two.
April 29, 2019
Interesting storyline and characters
The main character, Erich, was interesting and gripping. In his point of view the reader witnessed his descent into a villain-like mindset. In contrast his awkward interactions with people and emotions were amusing and authentic, giving the book some lightheartedness through the journey. I'm excited to see how Book 2 will be.
The main character, Erich, was interesting and gripping. In his point of view the reader witnessed his descent into a villain-like mindset. In contrast his awkward interactions with people and emotions were amusing and authentic, giving the book some lightheartedness through the journey. I'm excited to see how Book 2 will be.
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