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A review by justgeekingby
The Backup Superhero: Book One in The Backup Superhero Series by Kayla Hicks, Kayla Hicks
3.0
Originally posted on Just Geeking by.
The BackUp Superhero is a novella and therefore, it’s a quick and easy read. It was an enjoyable and an interesting take on the superhero genre which picks up on some of the inherent flaws of the genre, namely the huge issue of accountability and the destruction of property that superheroes often leave in their way. In Hicks’ superhero world, superheroes enjoy a celebrity status, with Level A superheroes at the top and Level D at the bottom. To become a superhero you must go through rigorous training and if you become injured at any point you have to start all over again. At the end of the training, if successful, heroes are placed into a Level and each Level “knows their place”.
Level D’s place is to stay out of the way, help out as much as they can, and never ever get in the spotlight. As the title of the book suggests, they are “the backup”. Like all systems it’s hugely broken and there’s a lot more happening beneath the surface which is what the book is about. The plot is interesting, and the protagonist, Tanser girl, is likeable, as is the barkeeper Frank. I couldn’t stand the other level D superhero, Dwighter, who was extremely irritating throughout.
I personally favour novels over novellas, and that certainly did affect how much I enjoyed The BackUp Superhero. While I enjoyed the story, I felt like I was just getting the first part of a novel rather than a complete novella, or even a complete short story. The way the novella end felt a little incomplete to me, with one event being concluded while the wider story arc was only just beginning. Just as I was getting into the story, it abruptly ended. Despite my preference for novels, this isn’t my first time reading fiction in an episodic format, and in this case it felt like the end of a chapter rather than the end of a novella.
The BackUp Superhero is an interesting and enjoyable start to The BackUp Superhero series, however, for me personally the emphasis there is on the start. Thankfully book two is already available to read so if you loved book one you can head straight onto book two to continue the story. Both books are available to read on Kindle Unlimited. While The BackUp Superhero had some intriguing world-building, it just didn’t quite get there for me in terms of plot and characters. For readers looking for a fun quick read it’s right on track, but for readers who prefer a bit more of a meatier read, like myself, you might find it not quite your thing.
For more of my reviews please visit my blog!
The BackUp Superhero is a novella and therefore, it’s a quick and easy read. It was an enjoyable and an interesting take on the superhero genre which picks up on some of the inherent flaws of the genre, namely the huge issue of accountability and the destruction of property that superheroes often leave in their way. In Hicks’ superhero world, superheroes enjoy a celebrity status, with Level A superheroes at the top and Level D at the bottom. To become a superhero you must go through rigorous training and if you become injured at any point you have to start all over again. At the end of the training, if successful, heroes are placed into a Level and each Level “knows their place”.
Level D’s place is to stay out of the way, help out as much as they can, and never ever get in the spotlight. As the title of the book suggests, they are “the backup”. Like all systems it’s hugely broken and there’s a lot more happening beneath the surface which is what the book is about. The plot is interesting, and the protagonist, Tanser girl, is likeable, as is the barkeeper Frank. I couldn’t stand the other level D superhero, Dwighter, who was extremely irritating throughout.
I personally favour novels over novellas, and that certainly did affect how much I enjoyed The BackUp Superhero. While I enjoyed the story, I felt like I was just getting the first part of a novel rather than a complete novella, or even a complete short story. The way the novella end felt a little incomplete to me, with one event being concluded while the wider story arc was only just beginning. Just as I was getting into the story, it abruptly ended. Despite my preference for novels, this isn’t my first time reading fiction in an episodic format, and in this case it felt like the end of a chapter rather than the end of a novella.
The BackUp Superhero is an interesting and enjoyable start to The BackUp Superhero series, however, for me personally the emphasis there is on the start. Thankfully book two is already available to read so if you loved book one you can head straight onto book two to continue the story. Both books are available to read on Kindle Unlimited. While The BackUp Superhero had some intriguing world-building, it just didn’t quite get there for me in terms of plot and characters. For readers looking for a fun quick read it’s right on track, but for readers who prefer a bit more of a meatier read, like myself, you might find it not quite your thing.
For more of my reviews please visit my blog!