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Henchman #2

Sidekick

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A world-changing secret. Superhero mercenaries. Fake it till you break it.

Gus thought he could relax in paradise and level his powers at his leisure, but nothing's ever easy. No sooner are the shields down than the island is beset with intruders full of… only good intentions. Out of his league in every sense of the word, Gus scrambles to hang on to his only shot at making something out of himself. Losing everything despite all he has worked for seems inevitable.

The original owners of Gus' not-so-secret lair have discovered that the Manor is up for grabs. Only they know the true secret it holds; a secret that can change the fate of supers everywhere. Luckily for him, Gus isn't alone this time. Someone from his pre-super life has appeared to help him out, but the new Supervillain can’t be certain where her loyalties ultimately lie.

Does he finally have a partner of his own? Or is he doomed to be the sidekick?

358 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 18, 2020

107 people are currently reading
18 people want to read

About the author

Carl Stubblefield

5 books16 followers

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5 stars
118 (43%)
4 stars
91 (33%)
3 stars
41 (15%)
2 stars
15 (5%)
1 star
8 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
Profile Image for Ryan McCoin.
182 reviews10 followers
December 30, 2020
A marked improvement

This is an improvement over the first novel and the story seems to have hit its stride. There are still some questions choices that look like plotholes, but the pacing is much better and the plot is much more engaging. Characterization is still pretty weak outside of 2 or 3 characters, but that's mostly forgivable.
2,366 reviews
October 1, 2023
This is still one of the most unique super hero stories that I've ever read.
In Sidekick a new group of supers are ready to take over Gus' domain, the island and his Lair, oops I mean manor. Whether Gus is ready or not. But unbeknownst by the faction they have a stowaway, Aurora. And she's out for blood! Their blood! Since the "enemy of my enemy" is her friend she joins up with Gus. Gus is still "speed" powering up. And he's trying to work out all the Demons in his closet.
And yes, seriously the book is still chuck full of pop-cultural references.
Grab this action-packed book to see if two people can take on a whole faction of supers.
Profile Image for Jack Vinson.
954 reviews49 followers
December 21, 2020
Our main character was a "henchman" and is now becoming a superhero. The big arc in this installment is him deciding whether to become a hero of legend or one of "those supers" who lord their powers over the "regulars" and continually seek more power.

The story is enjoyable with more characters coming into the fold, but the ending seemed a bit scattered to me. Maybe that is how the main character is feeling at the moment, given what is happening with his character's development.
Profile Image for Jim.
388 reviews9 followers
January 3, 2021
Gus struggles, grows stronger, but will it be enough

Gus is definitely abusing his leech power, looking for his limits? Or maybe regardless of any limits?
Either way, Aurora and Gus may not be enough to keep control of the island and manor, but don’t tell Gus that.
Scores of supers are on the way to take back the manor and island after over 40 years.
What did Gus float into here?
251 reviews3 followers
December 19, 2020
Dreaded flashbacks

Very disappointed with this story. The first book was limited by a single character and this book jams new characters in with heaps of flashbacks. The first third of the book is a mess with the story bouncing all over the place. There was enough there for me to finish the book but I am glad it’s over.
Profile Image for Johnny.
2,183 reviews84 followers
December 20, 2020
Book two

Mistakes: I didn't find anything. Came out quick after book one so a recap wasn't needed.

Plot: The shield around the island is down and now it's time to defend what's yours!

Characters: I'm interested in seeing how they grow in book three. Flashbacks have nice history on characters, but some could have been left out.

9/10
28 reviews
March 11, 2021
Super litrpg

I liked the world building and the MC’s personal development such as his realisation he has been self centred in the past and that he needs to change.

Although he has a growth in his powers this is offset by the requirement not to kill his enemies which is difficult to do.

Look forward to the next book.
250 reviews6 followers
September 26, 2022
Done with the series.

None of it seems to be going anywhere, tired of the MC making stupid decisions, getting smacked around constantly to no benefit. MC's support character/friend maybe/maybe-not gets annihilated and I just couldn't care less. I just don't care what happens to the MC so no point in keeping up with it.
Profile Image for Jason.
26 reviews3 followers
December 18, 2020
Man, Gus just about has this superhero business figured out. Of course he's alone on the island he secured in the first book. When the rest of the world comes to him, well things begin to get a lot more complicated. Gus is proof that being a superhero is more than a flashy power.
Profile Image for David U..
151 reviews6 followers
December 19, 2020
Great continuation, Gus had some introspective character growth and a huge boost in power towards the end. The story was abit predictable for me, but I enjoyed the concept. Looking forward to the third book.
421 reviews7 followers
December 20, 2020
Great sequel

Love the setting and world building. The little touches if pop culture that actually make sense. The character development was very well done as well, you see growth and a reason for it.
2,542 reviews72 followers
December 24, 2020
Let down.

The main character is an emo fool. He turns into a one trick pony that is boring compared to his actions in the first book. The first book had a good character in an iffy setting. This one ruined that character and did not improve the setting. I am done with this series.
77 reviews2 followers
January 20, 2021
Enjoying this new series. Found book 2 even better that 1

The story continues and both the stakes and the plot grew deeper. I feel the writing and quality of the work also increased. Keep up the good work. I hope this turns into more than just a trilogy.
99 reviews2 followers
February 13, 2021
Nice read, but...

Gus really had a rough time. I noticed he stopped using his old skills. All of his old “powers” could have been useful. T-wreck, sweep the legs, and others could have been really bad for the others. I wonder if he will combine them in the next book.
8 reviews5 followers
March 31, 2021
Book one was decent but book two went downhill with the horrible idea to stick the main character with moronic moral principles while dealing with slavers, murderers and rapists. That;s the kind of crap Terry Goodkind will pull.
Not reading the next book.
Profile Image for Mike Goodman.
1,594 reviews12 followers
March 27, 2023
I Liked But

This story of a young man getting the most powerful superpowers that he is too emotionally damaged to remember to use,…is absolutely frustrating. Also too many POVs is ruining a possible great story.
Profile Image for Darren.
517 reviews11 followers
December 22, 2020
Enjoyable story

Enjoyable and parts were even exciting. Definitely worthy of a read. While OP, it's what makes it fun while revealing more of the mystery plot.
Profile Image for Kristen L.
18 reviews
February 5, 2021
Great follow up

i really enjoyed the first book and was pleasantly surprised at how enjoyable the second book was - just as good if not better than the first!
561 reviews7 followers
February 7, 2021
OP

This is a great read with a really fascinating premise. As the story unfolds you can find layers of intrigue and introspection on the part of the characters!
445 reviews
November 22, 2022
good

A good book. The world building and characters are developing and the action is good. Some more interesting music choices too.
8 reviews
February 17, 2021
The first book was 100x better.

I only read through to the end so I could write an honest review and see how it worked out with his father and wow. I will not be reading the next book. It was like they put the kids gloves on for this book. The first book had a much different tone and direction and it was like this book was “disneyfied”. If the first book was YA then this book is for children. The main character makes ridiculous and illogical decisions, the bad guys will literally wait DAYS in between attacks so that Gus can conveniently level up and train. Literally anyone reading this review right now could have taken the island from Gus. Huge gaping plot holes and things that happened in the first book suddenly didn’t happen at all so now new drama can happen in this book. If the plot wasn’t so ham-fisted and the character so overpowered with cheat abilities there is no possible way that Gus could have held onto the island for more than a single day. The first book was great but I would not recommend this book.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews

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