One of my favorite books of 2022 was Only A Monster. I got an eARC and was interested because of the title but didn’t expect it to be that great. And then the long wait began for the sequel! I was lucky enough to got an eARC again so today I can share my review with you all. Never a Hero releases at the end of August so this is the perfect time to preorder it ;). Let’s jump in!
This sequel to the contemporary fantasy Only a Monster will take Joan deeper into the monster world, where treacherous secrets and even more danger await.
Despite all of the odds, Joan achieved the impossible. She reset the timeline, saved her family – and destroyed the hero, Nick.
But her success has come at a terrible cost.
She alone remembers what happened. Now, Aaron, her hard-won friend – and maybe more – is an enemy, trying to kill her. And Nick, the boy she loved, is a stranger who doesn’t even know her name. Only Joan remembers that there is a ruthless and dangerous enemy still out there.
When a deadly attack forces Joan back into the monster world as a fugitive, she finds herself on the run with Nick – as Aaron closes in.
As the danger rises – and Nick gets perilously closer to discovering the truth of what Joan did to him – Joan discovers a secret of her own. One that threatens everyone she loves.
Torn between love and family and monstrous choices, Joan must find a way to re-gather her old allies to face down the deadliest of enemies, and to save the timeline itself.
Vanessa Len’s stunning Only a Monster trilogy continues with this second instalment, a thrilling journey where a secret past threatens to unravel everyone's future.
Never a Hero (Monsters, #2) by Vanessa Len
Published by HarperCollins on 29/08/2023
Pages: 528
Goodreads
Never A Hero starts not too long after the events of Only A Monster. Joan starts to come to terms with what happened but is also haunted by her choices and memories. I loved that there were actual consequences and that Joan showed trauma. There are too many books where everyone goes on with their life like nothing happens and that is just so unrealistic.
The book started a bit slow compared to what I remembered from the first book. However I was drawn in again and especially around the 60% mark it started to get difficult to put the book down. The last 20% or so was even better and I just wanted to keep on reading and reading. And now I need to next book haha. Just like the first book we got a pretty mindblowing ending, although this one was less surprising.
A big part of this book was Joan convincing people of something they had done or said in the previous timeline. This made for some really emotional moments. And while I do think the first half of the book was a bit slow, I also think that made for a bigger payoff in the end. We’re learning more about the world and meet some new families with powers we hadn’t seen before. I always love that.
My favorite characters were back and they had some great moments. In my review of Only A Monster I said I didn’t think my ship would be endgame but after this book I’m feeling a bit more hopeful. Even though there are big hints that point the other way I’m holding out hope!
Wow wow wow, that ending!! I need the next book right now. Expected publication is 2024…. It better be summer ‘24 (or earlier of course!) because I can’t wait another year and a half like I did last time. Just like Only A Monster there is an ending you probably won’t see coming and leaves you thinking about it long after closing your book. Like I said, I need the sequel as soon as possible!
This series has quickly become one of my favorites and I hope it finds all the readers. It isn’t talked about nearly enough in my opinion. So hopefully this is another reminder for you to pick up the series!
