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Superpower Chronicles #1
Sidekicks
All the superheroes died, who’s left?
My life is full of choices. Paper or plastic, cake or pie, tackle my chem homework or give a supervillain a well-deserved smackdown? (The answer’s obvious: cake.) When the leader of the world’s most powerful superhero team asked me to become Raven, his apprentice, that was the easiest choice ever. But I blew it.
Now, all the superheroes are dead, killed in an instant by an enemy they never saw coming. And I have another choice: give up and hide inside my normal life or master my powers and assemble a team of fellow trainees to protect the city.
If you enjoy action-packed good versus evil battles, snarky banter, and plucky teenage superheroes who refuse to quit, you will love Raven’s adventures in Sidekicks, the first book of Superpower Chronicles. Perfect for fans of Spider-Man and The Teen Titans. Get your copy today!
Superpower Chronicles
SIDEKICKS (Book 1)
HEROES (Book 2)
VIGILANTES (Available October 11, 2019)
VILLAINS (Available November 8, 2019)
ASSASSINS (Available 2020)
My life is full of choices. Paper or plastic, cake or pie, tackle my chem homework or give a supervillain a well-deserved smackdown? (The answer’s obvious: cake.) When the leader of the world’s most powerful superhero team asked me to become Raven, his apprentice, that was the easiest choice ever. But I blew it.
Now, all the superheroes are dead, killed in an instant by an enemy they never saw coming. And I have another choice: give up and hide inside my normal life or master my powers and assemble a team of fellow trainees to protect the city.
If you enjoy action-packed good versus evil battles, snarky banter, and plucky teenage superheroes who refuse to quit, you will love Raven’s adventures in Sidekicks, the first book of Superpower Chronicles. Perfect for fans of Spider-Man and The Teen Titans. Get your copy today!
Superpower Chronicles
SIDEKICKS (Book 1)
HEROES (Book 2)
VIGILANTES (Available October 11, 2019)
VILLAINS (Available November 8, 2019)
ASSASSINS (Available 2020)
324 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 14, 2019
398 people are currently reading
181 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
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May 20, 2022A solid start to what I imagine will be a stellar series. I mean, a 9-book superhero epic? Count me in! The first half of this series starter was a bit of a drag, but by the final page I was completely hooked. The main character is so vibrant, endearing, and humorous, that you really can't help but be immersed into the action, just as he is, and I found myself really rooting for him and the rest of the Guard sidekicks. The plot left me guessing about what was going on, and I never saw the twists and turns coming. Some of them did disappoint, but for the most part they kept me on my toes, excited to see what would happen next. The worldbuilding was nothing special, and none of the superhero powers were very unique, but it's not a huge complaint since everything else was unforgettable. This is one of those books that due to the characters, you just can't help but become emotionally attached to the story. Overall, I'd highly recommend this for any fan of superhero stories, ages 13 and above, since there is quite a bit of graphic violence and swearing.
July 1, 2025
Sidekicks is the first book of the Superpower Chronicles, an action-packed series of superhero novels written by Arthur Mayor and independently published by Dark Shadowy Cabal. The premise involves an established organization of superheroes called the Guard that get wiped out by a group of super villains. Unbeknownst to the city, the Guard was training a team of sidekicks to help with the ancillary responsibilities of crowd-control and support.
With the death of the Guard heroes, the sidekicks consider disbanding. It is only when our MC, Raven communicates to his teammates that he wants to continue in place of the Guard that they begin to consider whether it might be worthwhile to replace the Guard. There's a great deal of action, and some of the typical tropes of the genre.
The story is a bit of an origin story so there seems to be quite a lot of exposition, which is natural to the worldbuilding necessary for an initial series starter. Of course, there's a mega villain and his thugs. There are expletives and violence. There's banter ala Spiderman: quips, sarcasm, and puns. It was so much fun that I decided to read the next book in the series.
With the death of the Guard heroes, the sidekicks consider disbanding. It is only when our MC, Raven communicates to his teammates that he wants to continue in place of the Guard that they begin to consider whether it might be worthwhile to replace the Guard. There's a great deal of action, and some of the typical tropes of the genre.
The story is a bit of an origin story so there seems to be quite a lot of exposition, which is natural to the worldbuilding necessary for an initial series starter. Of course, there's a mega villain and his thugs. There are expletives and violence. There's banter ala Spiderman: quips, sarcasm, and puns. It was so much fun that I decided to read the next book in the series.
May 10, 2020
It's difficult to find a good supers book. I was in the mood for one, and looked at and discarded more than 30 before settling on this one. I'm glad I picked it up; it was well done, with a bit of depth to the main character, and not too trope-ridden given the genre. The supers are not obvious knockoffs of Marvel or DC characters, and a bit of thought has gone into their powers.
It was also better edited than the average superhero novel, though sadly that's a very low bar to clear. An editor is credited; I'm sure she caught a lot (by the nature of editing, the audience never sees what the editor caught), but she missed a lot of omitted vocative commas (the "let's eat Grandma" error), some vocabulary issues (homonyms and mangled expressions), a couple of apostrophe glitches, and a few other assorted minor problems. It wouldn't be hard to clean up to a high standard.
The setting is a dark and gritty city filled with urban blight, corruption, and supervillain-organized crime, in which a group of technically illegal vigilantes known as the Guard try to protect the innocent as best they can. Led by the Batman-esque Raptor (who, unlike Batman, does have superpowers, but like Batman is grim and rigidly disciplined), they put their sidekicks/apprentices through a rigorous training regimen and impose strict rules on them, including keeping them isolated from the wider superhero community.
This is a problem when the senior members of the Guard are ambushed and killed, leaving the sidekicks out of their depth, not knowing how to access key resources or any assistance from other supers, and (thanks to the strict rules of their mentors) not really knowing, or in some cases liking, each other very well at all.
There's a strong theme throughout of the main character, who only has a low level of superpowers, having to choose between sensible safety and doing the right thing, and he goes back and forth between the two choices. His first-person narration is filled with self-deprecating banter inadequately covering over terror; he goes through some very traumatic events on his way to a rousing conclusion (that then has doubt cast on it as an effective setup for a sequel).
The other members of his team, apart from Butterfly, who can go into a robotlike mental state in which she can calculate odds and angles with extreme accuracy, don't get much development. Flare is mostly angry, Peregrine mostly a tool (though the rivalry between him and the narrator, Raven, does shift towards a shaky alliance in the course of the book), and Ballista mostly vulnerable; Butterfly gets an arc, in which she struggles with an issue similar to, but sufficiently different from, the safety versus heroism issue Raven faces. Her robotic mindset is a refuge from the fear and horror she's feeling, but it takes away from her humanity, so neither one is truly safe, and she needs both parts of herself in order to be an effective hero.
There's a sequel, which I will definitely read. It's a decent job of writing, with more emotional depth and subtlety than a lot of supers books, and I enjoyed it. They are a bit pricey, though, especially for books with less-than-impeccable editing, so I'm not in any hurry.
It was also better edited than the average superhero novel, though sadly that's a very low bar to clear. An editor is credited; I'm sure she caught a lot (by the nature of editing, the audience never sees what the editor caught), but she missed a lot of omitted vocative commas (the "let's eat Grandma" error), some vocabulary issues (homonyms and mangled expressions), a couple of apostrophe glitches, and a few other assorted minor problems. It wouldn't be hard to clean up to a high standard.
The setting is a dark and gritty city filled with urban blight, corruption, and supervillain-organized crime, in which a group of technically illegal vigilantes known as the Guard try to protect the innocent as best they can. Led by the Batman-esque Raptor (who, unlike Batman, does have superpowers, but like Batman is grim and rigidly disciplined), they put their sidekicks/apprentices through a rigorous training regimen and impose strict rules on them, including keeping them isolated from the wider superhero community.
This is a problem when the senior members of the Guard are ambushed and killed, leaving the sidekicks out of their depth, not knowing how to access key resources or any assistance from other supers, and (thanks to the strict rules of their mentors) not really knowing, or in some cases liking, each other very well at all.
There's a strong theme throughout of the main character, who only has a low level of superpowers, having to choose between sensible safety and doing the right thing, and he goes back and forth between the two choices. His first-person narration is filled with self-deprecating banter inadequately covering over terror; he goes through some very traumatic events on his way to a rousing conclusion (that then has doubt cast on it as an effective setup for a sequel).
The other members of his team, apart from Butterfly, who can go into a robotlike mental state in which she can calculate odds and angles with extreme accuracy, don't get much development. Flare is mostly angry, Peregrine mostly a tool (though the rivalry between him and the narrator, Raven, does shift towards a shaky alliance in the course of the book), and Ballista mostly vulnerable; Butterfly gets an arc, in which she struggles with an issue similar to, but sufficiently different from, the safety versus heroism issue Raven faces. Her robotic mindset is a refuge from the fear and horror she's feeling, but it takes away from her humanity, so neither one is truly safe, and she needs both parts of herself in order to be an effective hero.
There's a sequel, which I will definitely read. It's a decent job of writing, with more emotional depth and subtlety than a lot of supers books, and I enjoyed it. They are a bit pricey, though, especially for books with less-than-impeccable editing, so I'm not in any hurry.
March 26, 2021
This is a decent novel, if you like the genre. It's essentially a story about a "Robin"-style hero who suddenly discovers his "Batman" is dead, after being fired as a sidekick, then realizes he has some serious decisions to make, about whether to keep going and solve the mystery behind his boss' death or whether to throw in the cape.
The characters are all well-written and I had no trouble empathizing with the protag and following his process and motivations.
I've tried to pin down why I only rate this a 3 star project, but I've been unsuccessful. Part of it might be that the protag often didn't feel necessary to the story, in some ways. The times when he was successful tended to not matter that much. Even when he seemed to succeed, that success was pretty much immediately stolen in some way. It just felt like, if he hadn't been the protag, he would have died early on. I suppose I'm just griping because he wasn't my favorite type of character and the author was trying to present the story of the total self-doubting underdog, all the way through, somehow succeeding at the end.
I will admit that this novel presented more seriously the issues of how government and citizens would actually react to having vigilantes out doing their thing, and the precautions necessary to avoid the consequences for going cowboy with powers. I would imagine, if we had powered vigilantes in real life, the world would function somewhat like in this novel.
I'm sure other people will enjoy reading this more than I did, lol, so take this review with a grain of salt. :)
The characters are all well-written and I had no trouble empathizing with the protag and following his process and motivations.
I've tried to pin down why I only rate this a 3 star project, but I've been unsuccessful. Part of it might be that the protag often didn't feel necessary to the story, in some ways. The times when he was successful tended to not matter that much. Even when he seemed to succeed, that success was pretty much immediately stolen in some way. It just felt like, if he hadn't been the protag, he would have died early on. I suppose I'm just griping because he wasn't my favorite type of character and the author was trying to present the story of the total self-doubting underdog, all the way through, somehow succeeding at the end.
I will admit that this novel presented more seriously the issues of how government and citizens would actually react to having vigilantes out doing their thing, and the precautions necessary to avoid the consequences for going cowboy with powers. I would imagine, if we had powered vigilantes in real life, the world would function somewhat like in this novel.
I'm sure other people will enjoy reading this more than I did, lol, so take this review with a grain of salt. :)
January 23, 2020
This was a fun book. The plot wasn't really anything new, but the story was interesting, fun, and action packed enough. It was an easy read that hooked me in pretty quick, and kept me wanting to keep reading the whole time.
The world building with how powers seem to work was interesting. There were lots of unique powers shown, and there seems to be a structure to how powers work, although we don't get the full picture. I like the way there are villains, heroes/vigilantes, and federal supers who want to take down both other groups. I wish that was explored a little bit more, but I'm sure it will be in future books.
The characters were great. We get the main character's point of view, and I enjoyed his sarcastic asides. I liked all the other sidekicks as well, but I'm most intrigued by Jackal. I definitely want to learn more about him.
Overall, I'd say this was a good YA superhero book that can also be enjoyable to older readers. While the main character is 17, there was plenty of action and violence, with a bit of gore, so it's not a kid's book. I would recommend it to anyone who likes superhero fiction, and especially if they like a lot of action.
The world building with how powers seem to work was interesting. There were lots of unique powers shown, and there seems to be a structure to how powers work, although we don't get the full picture. I like the way there are villains, heroes/vigilantes, and federal supers who want to take down both other groups. I wish that was explored a little bit more, but I'm sure it will be in future books.
The characters were great. We get the main character's point of view, and I enjoyed his sarcastic asides. I liked all the other sidekicks as well, but I'm most intrigued by Jackal. I definitely want to learn more about him.
Overall, I'd say this was a good YA superhero book that can also be enjoyable to older readers. While the main character is 17, there was plenty of action and violence, with a bit of gore, so it's not a kid's book. I would recommend it to anyone who likes superhero fiction, and especially if they like a lot of action.
March 22, 2020
Great Superhero (kinda) story.
Basically, this is a story about a group of Sidekicks who, after the death of their mentors, try to find out what happened, and save their city in the process. The story is told from the point of view of Raven, the "weakest" from a power standpoint of the sidekicks who is trying to handle the deaths of all the "real" heroes, the danger to the city, the Gov't organization hunting them and his own teammates.
This series has a really great grasp of the Superhero dilemma in a semi-realistic world with a dash of hero optimism that doesn't beat you over the head with it like a Saturday morning cartoon from the 90's.
Definitely worth a read along with the other 3 books if the series.
Basically, this is a story about a group of Sidekicks who, after the death of their mentors, try to find out what happened, and save their city in the process. The story is told from the point of view of Raven, the "weakest" from a power standpoint of the sidekicks who is trying to handle the deaths of all the "real" heroes, the danger to the city, the Gov't organization hunting them and his own teammates.
This series has a really great grasp of the Superhero dilemma in a semi-realistic world with a dash of hero optimism that doesn't beat you over the head with it like a Saturday morning cartoon from the 90's.
Definitely worth a read along with the other 3 books if the series.
May 9, 2020
A Good SH Book
It's one of my guilty pleasures. I can't get enough of SH books. BUT! It has to be a Good SH book like this book. This book has the mysterious head bad guy, the young SH's who think they don't measure up, and the Author can spin a good story. Now out all this together and you have a book worth reading. I'm going to order the second book in the series and start reading, you get this book and enjoy a good SH story 👍
It's one of my guilty pleasures. I can't get enough of SH books. BUT! It has to be a Good SH book like this book. This book has the mysterious head bad guy, the young SH's who think they don't measure up, and the Author can spin a good story. Now out all this together and you have a book worth reading. I'm going to order the second book in the series and start reading, you get this book and enjoy a good SH story 👍
August 6, 2020
Enjoyable Read
Arthur Mayor introduces a new universe in Sidekicks: Superpower Chronicles Book 1. Great story here, the trainees, or sidekicks, end up having to save the day after all their mentors fall. Enjoyed the heck out of this one.
Arthur Mayor introduces a new universe in Sidekicks: Superpower Chronicles Book 1. Great story here, the trainees, or sidekicks, end up having to save the day after all their mentors fall. Enjoyed the heck out of this one.
May 23, 2022
A very well-written narrative, with piles of action and some really snarky dialogue. The author cleverly deals with an awkward relationship between Raven and his mother; Raven has a history of drug use and his older sister died when he was much younger. Both issues are dealt with lightly in this book, the first in a series.
The relationships are handled in a clever and sensitive manner, and the rather complex plot does not fall into the trap of maudlin self-pity or the usual teen angst that seems to curse many stories about younger people. Frankly, the story is too busy for that. I read the ebook version, and there are a few odd grammatical and spelling errors, but I'm giving 5 stars despite these as they are fairly minor, all things considered.
This is my second time around, but for some reason I did not record the details when I read the book in January.
The relationships are handled in a clever and sensitive manner, and the rather complex plot does not fall into the trap of maudlin self-pity or the usual teen angst that seems to curse many stories about younger people. Frankly, the story is too busy for that. I read the ebook version, and there are a few odd grammatical and spelling errors, but I'm giving 5 stars despite these as they are fairly minor, all things considered.
This is my second time around, but for some reason I did not record the details when I read the book in January.
April 10, 2022
ok but not great. too many characters, rushed exposition not well fleshed out.
This is an okay story. A lot characters - good and evil,constantly dropped in and out of the story with inadequate development and poor development. Hard to keep track of who’s who and care about their story. The plot itself felt kind of vague, rushed and poorly explained. Even after having read it I’m still kind of fuzzy on details and motivations.
The underlying skeleton of the story is decent enough but it felt rushed and badly implemented. More editorial oversight, a slower pace and stronger character development would have helped a lot.
This is an okay story. A lot characters - good and evil,constantly dropped in and out of the story with inadequate development and poor development. Hard to keep track of who’s who and care about their story. The plot itself felt kind of vague, rushed and poorly explained. Even after having read it I’m still kind of fuzzy on details and motivations.
The underlying skeleton of the story is decent enough but it felt rushed and badly implemented. More editorial oversight, a slower pace and stronger character development would have helped a lot.
November 12, 2022
Main character is too much like Robin would have been better if had superpowers instead
The story was good, the MC powers were.too weak, shoulda made him closer to Spiderman than Robin. Spiderman the most agile hero in marvel can dodge bullets etc. The hero runners by away because he can't fight was awful to the plot especially when he left friends twice.to vet taken. Once can happen but two times was poorly thought out. Also everyone wearing helmets is dumb,.when there are full face masks. Hopefully Raven gets a batman beyond, or Spiderman make over. To make him tougher and stop crying so much about flying.
The story was good, the MC powers were.too weak, shoulda made him closer to Spiderman than Robin. Spiderman the most agile hero in marvel can dodge bullets etc. The hero runners by away because he can't fight was awful to the plot especially when he left friends twice.to vet taken. Once can happen but two times was poorly thought out. Also everyone wearing helmets is dumb,.when there are full face masks. Hopefully Raven gets a batman beyond, or Spiderman make over. To make him tougher and stop crying so much about flying.
July 31, 2022
cool adventure
I've been searching for a good hero story and this is the first one that isn't a power fantasy for the author to live out his angst and insecurities from his late teens. The Mc is not the most powerful, he's not the most courageous, he's not the smartest, nor is he the richest, he's barely a parahuman (supers) but he's a hero. It's great! This is a good superhero story, try it out
I've been searching for a good hero story and this is the first one that isn't a power fantasy for the author to live out his angst and insecurities from his late teens. The Mc is not the most powerful, he's not the most courageous, he's not the smartest, nor is he the richest, he's barely a parahuman (supers) but he's a hero. It's great! This is a good superhero story, try it out
September 27, 2023
a great book in the superhero world. Reminds me of playing the RPG Champions as a teen.
A few typos. I will send the author a more complete list if he PMs me and delete the ones below.
anyway.(space)”No one was hurt,
I laid there for a while.(lay)
If he’d keep his secret,(kept)
Self(-)appointed
Light(-)years
The roof’s access door was ripped(had been)
issues. (Delete vspace. Add indent)”Calm down, Peregrine,”
through the crack(period)
A few typos. I will send the author a more complete list if he PMs me and delete the ones below.
anyway.(space)”No one was hurt,
I laid there for a while.(lay)
If he’d keep his secret,(kept)
Self(-)appointed
Light(-)years
The roof’s access door was ripped(had been)
issues. (Delete vspace. Add indent)”Calm down, Peregrine,”
through the crack(period)
October 26, 2020
The start of what I'm hoping to be a great series
I am a big fan of superhero novels these days, and sidekicks definitely didn't disappoint. I'm very much looking forward to the next book as well as the prequel short sorry I received for signing up for the author's newsletter.
I am a big fan of superhero novels these days, and sidekicks definitely didn't disappoint. I'm very much looking forward to the next book as well as the prequel short sorry I received for signing up for the author's newsletter.
January 2, 2021
Interesting looking series
Pretty good book, seems to be a bit different than a lot of the other superhero books out there, and looks like there might be more to this universe than just superheroes. Looking forward to seeing where the series goes.
Pretty good book, seems to be a bit different than a lot of the other superhero books out there, and looks like there might be more to this universe than just superheroes. Looking forward to seeing where the series goes.
June 16, 2021
better than most
If you're looking for all the quips but just enough darkness, then this is your read. Wonderfully paced. You're left chapter to chapter wondering how they'll survive. Only flaw is that the personal life wasn't a major factor for a teen hero.
If you're looking for all the quips but just enough darkness, then this is your read. Wonderfully paced. You're left chapter to chapter wondering how they'll survive. Only flaw is that the personal life wasn't a major factor for a teen hero.
March 8, 2020
hb hg ghvghk vghk
April 18, 2021
One of my favorite sidekick comes into his own stories, great characters and a well thought out growth for the sidekicks.
December 24, 2021
Great book
So this is around the 4th time I've read this series, and I'm finally leaving a review now. I love this series.
So this is around the 4th time I've read this series, and I'm finally leaving a review now. I love this series.
March 12, 2022
The best in the genre
I have a special place in my heart for superhero novels. Some are good, some I abandon after a few pages, but I give 'em all a chance. Arthur Mayor's Superpower Chronicles are the best I've found. Fast-paced and brimming with wall-to-wall action, and yet this author still manages to fit believable character development, complex plot and plenty of mystery and foreshadowing into the story. Brilliant!
I have a special place in my heart for superhero novels. Some are good, some I abandon after a few pages, but I give 'em all a chance. Arthur Mayor's Superpower Chronicles are the best I've found. Fast-paced and brimming with wall-to-wall action, and yet this author still manages to fit believable character development, complex plot and plenty of mystery and foreshadowing into the story. Brilliant!
February 19, 2023
have not really read a super heroe story before.
Enjoyed this. It was a nice change of pace from what I usually read. Now on to book number two in the series
Enjoyed this. It was a nice change of pace from what I usually read. Now on to book number two in the series
September 21, 2023
It's nice to read a really good story that is not part of a 15 book set. This is
worth reading.
worth reading.
Read
June 26, 2025Too dark for my tastes
February 26, 2020
Great read
Well thought out, characters actually made sense. Has an actual good plot, unlike the other sitcoms made books in the superhero genre. Overall, believable funny characters, and superbly written.
Well thought out, characters actually made sense. Has an actual good plot, unlike the other sitcoms made books in the superhero genre. Overall, believable funny characters, and superbly written.
November 12, 2019
Great story
Really well thought out characters and situations. The action is non stop and exciting. Getting to know the other Sidekicks and their powers is interesting and they keep you guessing clear through to the end. I can't wait to start the next book in this series. I would recommend this story to any reader who is into superhero stories.
Really well thought out characters and situations. The action is non stop and exciting. Getting to know the other Sidekicks and their powers is interesting and they keep you guessing clear through to the end. I can't wait to start the next book in this series. I would recommend this story to any reader who is into superhero stories.
December 11, 2019
Great story, love the super hero sidekicks
I really enjoyed this book. Not used to the language but most wouldn’t have even noticed. This book was nonstop action with plenty of twists.
I really enjoyed this book. Not used to the language but most wouldn’t have even noticed. This book was nonstop action with plenty of twists.
September 15, 2019
This series merits a closer look. I have high hopes for the next book.
October 10, 2019
I love the realistic feel.
Their is very lil plot armor here. Actions have effects and no explain shit way with advanced tech or powers. You just picked up a new fan.
Their is very lil plot armor here. Actions have effects and no explain shit way with advanced tech or powers. You just picked up a new fan.
November 18, 2019
Had a hard time getting into it at first but did enjoy it overall.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews