Legacy

by Tom Sniegoski

What if your deadbeat dad was a superhero?

What if you found out your deadbeat father is a superhero? Would you leave your small-town life to take up the mantle of a father you never knew? For 18-year-old Lucas, the choice is an easy he’s not going to leave behind his mother and his comfortable life for a father who’s never shown any interest in him. But his father—known officially as billionaire Clayton Hartwell, and secretly as the vigilante superhero The Raptor—tells Lucas that as he is dying, evil is growing, and the world needs Lucas to become the new Raptor. When Lucas’s mother is killed by mysterious warriors, he realizes that his father is right. Once in Seraph City, Lucas is stunned by the amount of poverty and crime. But after observing his father’s “heroic” behavior up close, Lucas is left wondering about the line between good and evil. And eventually, he must decide whether to take a stand against the one man who loves him in order to defend a world that desperately needs him.

Genres: Young Adult, Superheroes, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Adventure, Coming Of Age, Fiction

224 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Tom Sniegoski is the name under which Thomas E. Sniegoski publishes some YA and comics.

Reviews

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lucas Moore was living a normal life working at the local car garage and getting to see his mother, who he loved more than life itself, at the diner across the street. When his deadbeat dad Clayton Hartwell appears to him telling him that he is the Superhero known as the Raptor and that he needed him to continue his legacy, Lucas's mother dies in a horrific accident at the trailer park where they live. Lucas goes with his father to learn his trade. As he sees the Raptor up close, can Lucas be the hero that Seraph City needs or is he being trained to be a cold-blooded killer? Read on and find out for yourself.

This was a pretty good Superhero read that I got for a $1 at a Liquidation store. It was also by an author who wrote the Fallen Mini-series for ABC Family now FreeForm. If you like Superhero stories, definitely check this one out. It is available at your local library and wherever books are sold.

[Winterking · Rating 3 out of 5]

First off, yes I enjoyed this book. Though I did have many issues with it. I love superhero stories. The idea of someone donning a costume to fight a villain is right up my alley. This particular story is obviously for a younger audience. When I purchased this I did not know this. It was a blind by online. When it arrived I was a bit surprised by the small size. Then again intrigued because I knew it would be a quick read and possibly the first in a series. Well it was a quick read, in fact so quick that much was sacrificed to make it quick.
I found it really had to get behind the main character Lucas. A high school dropout who does have a bit of a rough go in life, or at least the life he’s thrust into, yet he seems to get just what he wants. From jobs to, getting drunk in the local bar all the while he is clearly underage. He has a not so great relationship with his mother, yet it doesn’t ever show it being bad. I mean she has a drinking problem that leads her to being sad and remorseful at the life she has provided her only child. He has a home, food and obviously love, yet he selfishly doesn’t care whatsoever about.
Nothing is really delved into here. Before you know it something else happens and it’s onto the next incident without really feeling the impact of the last. Lucas has an anger issue that never gets attention or resolution, yet he is to be our next superhero? He is constantly making poor choices in his life, yet having undergone some physical fight training and spending a little time with his deadbeat millionaire father, he can now make perfect choices where he has some brief conflictions about. In his bad choices he holds absolutely no reservations or doubt, though clearly they are very bad decisions.
The story did follow the usual formula. Hell I even spotted the ending a mile away, though how his father departs did surprise me. That and only that I did not see coming at all. Everything else sadly we’ve been there done that in stories like this.
With more story and deeper character development, I believe this would have at least moved from a 3 star to a 4 star. Unfortunately, it barely makes the 3 and this do to it being a superhero tale. It did have battles, and that was the plus for me. Clayton Hartwell for me was the best character as the Raptor and Lucas’s father. He was flawed and deeply disturbed and he brought some depth to this rather vanilla story.
I can’t recommend this book other than to someone young and just starting to get into reading. It’s a very easy read.
I know I seem to be ripping into this book pretty good, though I did, like I said earlier, enjoyed it for what it was. The core story could have really been fantastic and very insightful to the perils of taking on the mantle of a superhero, or super-villain to that matter. There were glimpses of this happening that quickly fizzled into oblivion.
The final dig I will make at this story is the choice of hero title Lucas makes at the end. Sorry but I felt it was totally lame.

[Jennifer Wardrip · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reviewed by LadyJay for TeensReadToo.com

Seraph City is crumbling. Masked criminals are running rampant, wreaking havoc on innocent people. Superheroes are few and far between, especially since the Raptor hung up his cape.

18-year-old Lucas Moore is far removed from this life. Lucas, a high school drop-out, is content working as an auto mechanic at Big Lou's Gas Up and Go, but there is much more in store for this young man.

A wealthy billionaire, Clayton Hartwell, reveals himself to Lucas as his biological father. Lucas is stunned that after eighteen years his father would finally attempt to track him down, let alone him being THE Clayton Hartwell. Hartwell also reveals a secret - a secret that leads to a legacy - a legacy that Lucas will be forced to accept, whether he likes it or not.

I have always been a fan of comic book lore, so I was glad that I got my hands on LEGACY. It is your basic good versus evil story, with a few twists and turns thrown in for good measure. The superheroes are trying to overthrow the bad guys, but eventually, that line becomes blurred.

Where does good stop and evil start? Why would someone cross that line? All of these questions are answered, and so much more. The ending left me wanting more, so I hope that many sequels will follow!

[Tweller83 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don't judge a book by it's cover. This one is action packed and suspenseful with moral issues too. Loved it.

[Dana]

My Review
I Received an ARC from NetGalley. Book comes out September 6th 2022
I enjoyed this book once I got past the lengthy descriptions that threatened to bore me to tears. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate the setting of the scene as well as knowing what the characters wore. I just thought it was a little much. Reader, be warned this is a slow-burn romance so you will be waiting a while before Henri and Nico move beyond the attraction they both felt upon meeting.I adored the side characters. They made for some truly funny moments in the story. Hartridge & Casas were fabulous bosses. The way they treated their staff had me cheering. May I never meet a Lord Ockley in my life. He was much too annoying. Nico and Henri were sweet together, though I wished Henri would’ve talked to Nico about his fears and worries instead of running away. I felt like hitting him more than once, but like I said, great story.It was the first time I’ve read an M/M historical but it wouldn’t be the last.Would I read more from Joshua Ian? Yes. Would I continue the series? Without a doubt. I want to see who would be the next couple.

Until next time peace and happy reading.

[Me Meshelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not really a paranormal, but a story of Adam MacHeth and his waking dreams of the future that have saved the lives of his people, family. More Political than Romantic. This is a hard book for me to review because it dragged with all the Political talk. Plus was confusing at times not only with the storyline, but with people with similar names. The author even explains this at the beginning of the story, still didn't help. Little romantic interaction between the two until later and then it's a rough road.
More on intrigue, some suspense, nasty villains, heavy on political, light on romance, lovemaking outside of marriage. Not one of my favorites. To political and I just couldn't get into and follow.

[Annarella · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable and entertaining LGBT+ historical romance set in the Victorian period. It's well developed, I rooted for the character and the story kept me reading.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a fan of historical romance novels, this one was actually pretty good. I loved the fact that the author gave prior knowledge about some of the history invoked in this novel and gave an explanation about a few character’s names. This helped out a lot.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you #NetGalley for the preview of Rebellions Fire. This was a great book, although the verbiage is a little basic. I enjoyed the story and will definitely search for the series and the rest of the novels. The book definitely left me wanting more.

[K. Thielen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent action-adventure story that will appeal to superhero fans, as well as graphic novel readers. When Lucas meets his father, billionaire Clayton Hartwell, he is reluctant to have any kind of relationship with him. When a catastrophic event changes Lucas' mind, he agrees to train to replace his father, who is dying, as Raptor, superhero of Seraph City. The training puts a new spin on how Lucas feels about his dad and he starts to question his dad's methods and motives. When some others validate his feelings, Lucas must spring into action.[return][return]Some talk of drinking too much at the beginning of the story, but after that there are no references to alcohol, drugs or sex. There is some vivid description of violence as the story progresses.

Booktalk Notes:

The book is about a boy, 18-year-old Lucas Moore, a high school drop out in a small town who decided that whether he graduated or not he was going to end up working as a mechanic in the garage at Big Lou's Gas Up and Go. His philosophy - why bother with the school. He's sort of a conflicted character. He's not upset with his current standing in life or with his mother who keeps apologizing about leaving Seraph City (the big city) and leading him instead into what she considered a sort of dead-end. He doesn't seem to have a lot of friends, but he seems mostly happy. One day, an older man meets Lucas as he shows up late to open the garage. He tells Lucas that he is his father, Clayton Hartwell, billionaire of Seraph City. He tells him that he is dying and he needs Lucas's help. This makes Lucas furious. Eventually, through a series of unwelcome meetings, Hartwell reveals that his alter ego is Raptor, the superhero of Seraph City who fights crime and stomps out evil and that as his son, he has a duty to take over for him since he is dying. Lucas still rebukes his request. Soon afterwards, evil strikes Lucas' trailer park, and when he can do nothing to stop it, he finally agrees to train to take his father's place as the Raptor. Through this training, Lucas starts to see something in his father that he doesn't like - something that just doesn't make sense. When he meets some others who validate his fears, Lucas must make some important decisions.

[Liviania · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've been on a comic book inspired YA kick. I have HERO by Perry Moore, the Hottie series by Jonathon Bernstein, DULL BOY by Sarah Cross, and I'm probably forgetting a few. (Any suggestions to assauge my craving?) From the above list, LEGACY most closely resembles HERO. There's an emphasis of the father-son relationship and a questioning of superhero idols. Aside from that, they don't have much in common.

Thomas E. Sniegoski started his career in comics, and it shows. He's familiar with the tropes and uses one of my least favorite - the disposable woman. (LEGACY, specifically, is an instance of Doomed Hometown, which is far preferable to Women in Refrigerators. Please not that the Women in Refrigerators site is not appropriate for children as it catalogues "superheroines who have been either depowered, raped, or cut up and stuck in the refrigerator.") Lucas Moore's mom raised him alone, working as a waitress. One day a man shows up at his job, claiming to be his father - billionaire Clayton Hartwell and superhero Raptor. Pretty soon, Raptor's enemies have killed Lucas's mother and neighbors. Lucas is inspired to defeat those responsible for his mother's death, but other than that he shows no signs of grief and barely thinks about her.

But the plot does move quickly, which is essential in a short novel like LEGACY. Lucas encounters a former protege of Raptor and begins to realize that his dying father is concealing dark secrets. Sniegoski develops an entertaining origin for Lucas, and I like his helpers - a teenaged girl and a crippled old man. I'd be enthusiastically recommending it to comic book fans if it weren't for that pesky use of a hated trope.

Sniegoski is also the author of the FALLEN quartet, which is currently being rereleased. (The second omnibus will be available July 20th.) I haven't read these since they were first released in 2003-4, but I remember liking them. Fans of fallen angel books like HUSH, HUSH may enjoy this guy-oriented series.

[Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

The basic story was only about three stars worth of originality and substance, but I found myself unwilling to put the book down, as it rushed toward a conclusion. You could sort of see the ending coming, but the details were as powerful as they were horrifying, and I kept wanting to see what would happen next.
So, as a page-turning adventure story, it was a great success.

"Legacy" takes place in a world of superheroes. Lucas is a teen, growing up in a trailer park with his alcoholic mother. He has dropped out of high school to work as a mechanic, and has no other goals for his life. Then, a man shows up, claiming to be his father...and also claiming to be a famous superhero. Things get weirder and wilder after that, as the reader gradually learns what is really going on, and the truth of the famous Raptor's heroic legacy.

This is a bit grimmer than some of the other superhero fiction out there. It reminded me a bit of the Wild Cards series, by George R. R. Martin, but for a younger audience. I can't say that it was great literature, but what made it work for me was the interaction between the superheroes and supervillains and the "real" world of normal people. If you have sufficient power, it would be easy to see "normal" people as lesser beings. That concept has been explored by writers looking at it from the viewpoint of a Superman-like character, but this is one of the few times it's been taken from the level of a world's Batman-equivalent.

[Alexis Neal · Rating 3 out of 5]

An excerpt from a new review posted on Children's Books and Reviews:

This is a classic superhero story. I’m not saying it will become a classic; it’s simply not that memorable. But it has all the classic superhero ingredients. A young slacker (Green Hornet); the onset of inexplicable physical changes (Spider-man); a long-lost father who reveals the hero’s true identity (Superman); a billionaire with a secret (Batman); a jaded superhero who’s willing to use questionable means to achieve his supposedly ‘good’ ends (Watchmen); a superhero with severe physical limitations (X-Men); flying suits (Iron Man); botched science experiments (The Hulk); super powers (pretty much all of them); crime syndicates (ditto) . . . this reads like an amalgam of tried-and-true superhero stereotypes. [...]

Fortunately, these clichés are popular because they work. While this is by no means a terribly original work of fiction, it likely ticks enough of the superhero boxes to hold the attention of fans of the genre—particularly those who might previously have avoided traditional novels in favor of the more accessible and visually stimulating graphic novel.

Full review available here.

[Jessie Quinn · Rating 2 out of 5]

About a year ago, I managed to buy the ARC of this book (despite the fact that it says "advanced reader's copy - not for sale" in big red letters on the front cover) without realizing it was an ARC for $3. While I was excited to read a young adults book about super heroes, I really only bought it because the cover looked cool. Don't worry, I know should stop judging books by their covers.

Legacy is not a particularly good book; I only decided to finish it because it was so short to begin with. It's aimed at younger teens and tweens - though I think the thirteen-year-old me would have been disappointed too. There was a painful amount of "telling, not showing." Almost everything from the characters to the setting to the plot lacks some much needed development. I'd like to think adding about 100-200 pages to this book would improve it, because the story felt too rushed.

That being said, there are some moments where the writing exceeds expectations (in particular, the first dream sequence and yes, you read that right, there was a well-written dream sequence in this book), and I'll admit some of the twists are clever and unexpected. While reading it, I could see the potential of the story, but Sniegoski's lazy writing really dragged Legacy down.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a graphic novel minus the graphics, packed with blockbuster action scenes, and reluctant heroism from a young protagonist who possess the power to fight the villains of his generation.

Lucas Moore is just another ordinary guy, until his unknown father shows up, leaving him the legacy of taking over the role of Raptor--- his father's alter ego, the superhero who protects Seraph City from crime. When Lucas' mother died in a violent attack, he was forced to embrace his legacy. But what is he to do when he discovers that the superhero he is emulating is also the criminal behind the death of his mother, and possibly other people's as well? The conflict of the story intensifies with Lucas' discovery that the Raptor is stricken with a contorted sense of justice.

With a fast-paced short story like this, the adventure is over all too soon. With the few pages it has, however, it manages to resolve all its issues and lay a good foundation for whatever Lucas intends to do as The Red Talon, the new superhero of Seraph City. Lucas could very well be the YA version of Batman, and Seraph is his Gotham.

[bookaholiclover · Rating 5 out of 5]

Legacy

When I first saw this book and saw that the author was Thomas I just directly grabbed the book and started reading the synopsis of at the back part of the book. When I read it I was amazed, hey this was something new? I said in my head. Superheroes, amazing, and plus he's my dad more and more amazing.


Summary:

When you think this is your whole life, think again

Lucas just wanted and lived like an ordinary boy, though he dropped out of school thinking well he couldn't learn as much as he learned outside working ends up working for Big Lou's Auto Body shop. Living with his working mom who works across a diner nearby his work area, she blames herself of not giving him the life and maybe everything that she should give him.

Then one day a black mustang arrived, Lucas thinking it was something big now had just been dropped the bomb that he didn't want to happen.

"I'm your father." says the Raptor.

[P.M. · Rating 1 out of 5]

Lucas Moore, at only 17, is working on a dead end life. He has dropped out of school and is becoming a drunk. All of that changes when his billionaire father arrives and reveals that he is the superhero, the Raptor. Since he is dying, he wants Lucas to take up his mantle and keep Seraph City crime free. Lucas wants no part of who he considers to be a dead-beat dad but Fate seems to intervene when bad guys attack the trailer park where Lucas lives with his alcoholic mother. Now Lucas is ready to train to become the next superhero. I was very disappointed with this book as I really liked the author's Fallen series. His theme about how far one should go to defeat evil was interesting but the characters were really lacking. I found it hard to believe that the Raptor would actually commit the crimes that Lucas discovered he had. And I really didn't like Lucas either. This book really had nothing; it felt like a comic book.

[Rosa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lucas finds out that his father is wealthy billionaire Clayton Hartwell, who by night is the superhero Raptor. Clayton is getting on in age and looking for a replacement. When Lucas' mother is murdered by the Science Club, he decides to try and take up the mantel of the Raptor to take revenge, however there may be more to what is going on then meets the eye.

My only complaint about this novel is that it's so short. They could have explored and gone further into several different elements of the story. The author really had the opportunity to explore good and evil and the shades of gray that exist in between them. ***Spoiler*** He also could have spent more time going into the Raptor's mental state and the explanation of his past and what exactly happened with his other children. This was an enjoyable book but it could have been better.

[Diane Ferbrache · Rating 3 out of 5]

Do you know kids who read nothing but graphic novels or comic books? Do you want to introduce them to prose novels? This is the one. It's as exciting as a great "superhero" comic but written in prose form.

Lucas has lived with his mother in a trailer park in Perdition. He's never met his father, so when billionare Clayton Hartwell shows up claiming to be Lucas' father, he has some questions. Then the trailer park is attacked, his mother is killed, Lucas amazingly escapes unhurt and Hartwell reveals that he is really the superhero (The Raptor). That's when things really get interesting. Lucas is tapped to be The Raptor's successor, but very soon he discovers that things might not be as they seem.

This is a page-turner with some graphic violence (much like modern comics), but no profanity or sex. It should be a big hit with graphic novel lovers from middle school on up.

[Danielle Larca · Rating 1 out of 5]

Lucas Moore never knew much about his father. So when he shows up unexpectedly one day and reveals that he is Raptor, the superhero responsible for keeping Seraph City safe, Lucas is skeptical to say the least. But soon his trailer park is blown to smithereens and he loses something very important to him. His father wants him to carry on his legacy and now Lucas has the perfect motivation. Except, the more Lucas finds out about his father, the more he's not sure whether his dad is truly a hero or if he's become one of the villains.

Legacy is a fast-paced, plot driven novel that came off as incredibly generic and cliche. All of the characters are one-dimensional and I found myself skimming most parts just to be done with the book. I wouldn't have even finished reading it, but I was judging it for the Garden State Teen Book Awards ballot and figured I should give it a fair shot.

[M 1Mylin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Legacy is about Lucas Moore,an 18 years old and a high-school dropout,who works in a garage by day and gets drunk at night. His trailer-home life with his mother is interrupted when his billionaire biological father, arrives on the scene. His dad is not normal because he has an alternate identity as a superhero crime fighter Raptor,he wants to pass his legacy onto his son. A stunning tragic twist convinces Lucas to join Raptor and clean up crime-infested Seraph City. Multiple broad action scenes stir readers’ imaginations. Unfortunately, characters fall into categories of either good guy or bad guy, and the plot ends with a poor ending. But alongside good guys battling bad guys is the theme of heroes not measuring up to their image. Teenage boys will relate to Lucas as he struggles to live up to larger-than-life expectations.

[Alex Cybulski · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun one. Very very quick read, and surprisingly adult considering the thickness, but it was a decent superhero coming of age story. My biggest issue is that due to the quick nature of the story, the characters don't really get a huge amount of development. All the hints and signs are there for the personalities and interactions, but it is implied far more often than shown - something that did take away from the story. It was also a bit more explicitly 'Batman' than I would have liked...original concepts are fun.

For all that though, I certainly enjoyed reading it - even if it took me little more than a couple hours.

[Jax · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a little too fast paced for me and seemed to imitate the style of a comic book a bit too well. There were times that serious moments were quickly looked over which didn't add much to the characters' depth and overall interest in the story. However, I thought it was interesting that they tried to make a superhero portrayed as a villian, although I feel like the pace was too rushed to truly get a deep understanding about the importance of heroism. That's probably why I didn't enjoy the book too very much. Overall, it was okay but not interesting enough for me to read the book in one sitting.

[Lauren · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had high hopes for this book, but it turned out to be a stereotype. A old hero is looking for a replacement, finds one, and then the protege discovers that the old hero is crazy. Then the young hero must choose his own path. This plot line works great in some books, but in this one it made the whole book flat. Furthermore, there was no character depth. They were all one-dimensional cliches. This is book is fine if you need to kill a couple of hours on a rainy Saturday, but even then it may not be worth your time.

[Kong · Rating 4 out of 5]

what i like about this book is that they talking about superpower and it talking about how it would take to be a superhero you have to no fear anything kill the enemie to save the good people. and this book also talking about some secret that lucas have to find it. beuase lucas never knew taht his father have like 20 son and daughter.

[Rob Germana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got to meet the author at the Boston ComicCon, which is where I picked up this book. He noted that this was one of his favorites. I thoroughly enjoyed it. An interesting look into the rigors of being a superhero, and how a person might be effected by all that they are witness to. Good action, well paced and worth the read if you want an interesting take on the life of a superhero.

[Stephanie]

This book wasn't too bad for a change from non fiction. Lucas is pushed beyond limits to prove himself and provide safety to not only himself but others as well.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fine, but definitely not a must-read.

[Coyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good, quick read, if a bit predictable at times.

[James McCann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good superhero tale for reluctant readers interested in a fast-paced action tale. You don't necessarily have to be into superheroes, as it has great characters and lots of mystery.