For Claire and her RPG hero friends, the spring semester was loaded with PR interviews, sponsorship requests, and paparazzi. Summer has come and it’s finally their chance to unwind in Italy. Or is it? The Hero Olympics will test Claire on and off the field as an evil plot unfolds in the shadow of the games. Augur’s visions can only get them so far as Terra’s Heroes fight not just to claim victory for their guild, the Stewards of Light, but to foil the plans of an unknown agent who’s pulling the strings of the massive corporation XHRI, an Olympic sponsor. The line between friend and foe will blur as Claire navigates new waters of fame and fandom. Can Terra’s Heroes prevent the games from falling into the grip of a deadly plot, or will they succumb to the wiles of their mysterious enemy? From J.D. Astra, author of the LitRPG Epic Viridian Gate Firebrand, comes a new universe of heroes and monsters. If you loved Super Powereds by Drew Hays, I Alone Level-Up , or you crave more anime like One Punch Man and My Hero Academia (with a healthy serving of RPG elements) then Zero.Hero is for you!
The Terras Heroes were zeros no more after their win in the games in the US. Now Claire and her team were on their way to Italy to take part in the hero Olympics. They would be tested to their limits on and off field but they felt prepared and confidant to battle monsters and other heroes thrown their way. However, what they were not prepared for was the evil plot unfolding in the shadow of the games. Augur, Claire’s boyfriend and his far-sight visions could only help them to some extent, but would he be enough to foil the plans of the unknown agent behind the multi-corporation XHRI which is a main Olympic sponsor and their host? The team of heroes was being played, taunted by fame and fortune, but would they fight to prevent the games from falling into evil hands or will they be lured by the wiles of the enemy? I really enjoyed this 2nd book in this awesome series, I love the characters of the whole cast of our heroic team and really love Augur, Gary and Nylena, the new addition to Claire’s shamanic helpers. Nylena is a hypnotrasher and the queen huntress of her forest, she is fearless and beautiful and real bad-ass, a totally good pairing for Raven. The team work very hard to level up in order to be the best in the arena, battling giant cockroaches in underground tunnels and a gigantic dragon but their worst battle was against the betraying humans themselves. I love that Claire, Norah, Elise and Piper are so loyal to one another and look out for each other even at the risk of their own lives, their team work is what saves the day and I really like the bit of romance blossoming on the horizon. I am really looking forward to Book 3 as I enjoy the games of courage and love to see our team gain strength through the quests they undertake.
This story starts off with a bang and successfully holds the reader's attention for the rest of the novel. The MCs are off to Italy for the Olympics but with precognitive visions of disaster it isn't going to be a peaceful trip. As the B team and not major league Supers, will Claire and her team be able to save the day?
The characters have "leveled up" since they were the team of losers from the previous novel but are still only the B Team and not even close to overpowered and invincible. This is a definite plus as this new confidence allows the story to proceed with less emphasis on the characters' insecurities and short comings and more attention to the storyline. The other big plus is the way the author allows the reader to reacquaint themselves with the characters before plunging them into the action.
Even better than the previous novel, this book is recommended for all ages and does not contain any cliffhangers.
Prolific Shadow-Press author of Fireband (VGO) and Bastion Academy, Jess Astra, continues to establish herself in a literary league of her own with Zero. Hero 2.
Following the events of book one, we get to see there is increasingly more than meets the eye within the world of super heroism, each of the Stewards of Light continue to grow in their own unique ways and we begin to peak into what it truly means for one to be a hero.
Furthermore, our favorite familiar Gary gets a new friend that is just purrfect.
Well written, well paced and followed on fantastically from the first book. The story flowed nicely, with plenty of twists and turns that weren’t obvious from the start.