Supernova by Marissa Meyer

Supernova (Renegades #3) by Marissa Meyer, 552 p.

"The epic conclusion to Marissa Meyer's thrilling Renegades Trilogy finds Nova and Adrian fighting to keep their identities secret. While the battle rages on between their alter egos and their allies, there is a darker threat shrouding Gatlon City.

The Renegades' worst enemy is back among them, threatening to reclaim Gatlon City. Nova and Adrian must brave lies and betrayal to protect those they love. Their greatest fears are about to come to life, and unless they can bridge the divide between heroes and villains, they stand to lose everything. Including each other.

Intrigue and action will leave readers on edge until the final, shocking secrets are revealed."--Goodreads blurb

I enjoyed this teen series more than I thought I would. It's a fun world to take yourself to, with heroes and villains living side-by-side with everyone else. The suspense was great in this last book and the conclusion was tidy. 

 

Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo

Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo, 422 pages

"The capital has fallen.

The Darkling rules Ravka from his shadow throne.

Now the nation's fate rests with a broken Sun Summoner, a disgraced tracker, and the shattered remnants of a once-great magical army.

Deep in an ancient network of tunnels and caverns, a weakened Alina must submit to the dubious protection of the Apparat and the zealots who worship her as a Saint. Yet her plans lie elsewhere, with the hunt for the elusive firebird and the hope that an outlaw prince still survives.

Alina will have to forge new alliances and put aside old rivalries as she and Mal race to find the last of Morozova's amplifiers. But as she begins to unravel the Darkling's secrets, she reveals a past that will forever alter her understanding of the bond they share and the power she wields. The firebird is the one thing that stands between Ravka and destruction—and claiming it could cost Alina the very future she’s fighting for."

Great close to a great series. I've now read quite a few of Bardugo's books, and her world building and story telling is superb. I've come to love Nikolai and maybe even Zoya. Maybe. Many highs and lows to this story that will keep you reading. I'm sad it's over.

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

Shadow and Bone (The Shadow and Bone Trilogy #1) by Leigh Bardugo ; narrated by Lauren Fortgang

"Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one lonely refugee.

Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life—a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling.

Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha . . . and the secrets of her heart."

Great start to a series I'm looking forward to finishing. Great story line with twists and turns that make you want to keep reading. I'd read stories in this universe before so I was familiar with the magic, but I still think it's an original magical world. I listened to this on audiobook, and the narrator, Lauren Fortgang, did a good job with the various voices. Not a lot of variations in her voice like with some narrators, but she did a good enough job that I wanted to keep listening. 

Urban Enemies edited by Joseph Nassise

Urban Enemies: Stories from the Villains of Your Favorite Urban Fantasy Series edited by Joseph Nassise --- 432 pages

Villains from seventeen best-selling urban fantasy series get their turn to shine (darkly) in this anthology of short stories edited by Joseph Nassise, a companion to his other recent anthology, Urban Allies.

Featured authors include Jim Butcher (The Dresden Files), Kelley Armstrong (Cainsville), Seanan McGuire (October Daye), Kevin Hearne (The Iron Druid Chronicles), Jonathan Maberry (Joe Ledger), Lilith Saintcrow (Jill Kismet), Carrie Vaughn (Kitty Norville), Joseph Nassise (Templar Chronicles), Domino Finn (Black Magic Outlaw), Steven Savile (Glasstown), Caitlin Kittredge (Hellhound Chronicles), Jeffrey Somers (The Ustari Cycle), Sam Witt (Pitchfork County), Craig Schaefer (Daniel Faust), Jon F. Mertz  (Lawson Vampire), Faith Hunter (Jane Yellowrock), and Diana Pharaoh Francis (Horngate Witches).

The quality of the writing varies, with Jim Butcher at the head of the pack.

Click HERE to read the review from Publisher's Weekly.

Click HERE to read the review from All Things Urban Fantasy.

Click HERE to read the review from RT Book Reviews.

Click HERE to read the review from Elitist Book Reviews.

Sidekicked by John David Anderson

Sidekicked by John David Anderson-373 pages

I started reading this for last month's challenge, which was superheroes, but didn't finish it. It also happens to be a one word title, so it counts for this month's challenge. I enjoyed reading this book and it is a clever story about superheroes and sidekicks in a fictitious town called Justicia. Plot twists abound and it is fun to read. Overall, I enjoyed Sidekicked.