Archenemies (Renegades #2)

Synopsis

Nova's double life is about to get a lot more complicated: 
As Insomnia, she is a full-fledged member of the Renegades, a syndicate of powerful and beloved superheroes. She works with Adrian's patrol unit to protect the weak and maintain order in Gatlon City.
As Nightmare, she is an Anarchist- a group of villains who are determined to destroy the Renegades. Nova wants vengeance against the so-called heroes who once failed her when she needed the most.
But as Nova, her feelings for Adrian are deepening, despite the fact that he is the son of her sworn enemies and, unbeknownst to Nova, has some dangerous secrets of his own.
In this second installment of the Renegades trilogy, Nova, Adrian and the rest of their crew- Ruby, Oscar and Danna- are faced with escalating crime in Gatlon City, while covert weapons and conflicting missions have Nova and Adrian questioning not only their beliefs about justice but also the feelings they have for each other.
The line between good and evil has been blurred, but what's clear to them both is that too much power could mean the end of their city- and the world- as they know it.

Loved

• Ahh okay I am head over heels for this story! I read Archenemies in almost one day because I could not put it down and I just devoured it- or maybe it devoured me. I just loved every minute of it.

• I love the plot! I think it's fascinating how Nova and Adrian are both living double lives and they STILL don't know who the other is! It's frustrating, but so intriguing how the plot just keeps getting thicker and more twisted and complicated. I feel like this plot was very well developed and had me guessing throughout as the stakes keep getting higher and higher for Nova and Adrian, and Nightmare and the Sentinel.

• I love the action and intensity- it really feels like watching a superhero movie in the action scenes. I love the intensity of the fights, but it's very believable because the characters are so real. I was biting my nails at the end wondering how everything would turn out, and it did not disappoint, but did surprise me.

• I still love Adrian. So. Much. He is just the best. I love that he's not only funny and awkward, yet charming, but just good. He's very selfless and puts others ahead of him, but also isn't afraid to stand up for himself. I love how much he trusts and believes in Nova, although it's so frustrating that she's using him much of the time.

• The world building. I love this superhero world. This story set in this world is like going to a favorite restaurant and deciding to order a new dish that ends up being your new favorite. This world is familiar, but the characters and story are so fresh and original that it doesn't at all feel cliche or like we've read/seen it before. I love all the artifacts of the superheroes and their stories throughout history.

• The romance. Finally we've got some real chemistry happening in this book! I love how the romance is very slow burn and it takes a while to develop. I love Adrian and Nova's relationship in this story- their romance is so sweet, but frustrating knowing the lies they are both keeping from each other. It makes every scene with them so fascinating because of the layers of lies they are both keeping- especially Nova.

Didn't Love

• I still don't 100% love Nova. I talked about this in my review of Renegades, but I just don't agree with how Nova thinks and many of the things she does. In this book does a lot of things that hurt multiple people, and she rarely shows any regret. She is worried people will uncover her true identity, but she doesn't ever worry about how it will hurt them when they find out what she has done. It frustrates me and makes her feel not relatable- to me at least. I understand her character and background, but it surprises me how cold and guarded she still is toward the Renegades after spending so much time with them and befriending them. I also feel like Adrian deserves better- is that bad? You can hate me if you disagree. But Adrian is just so good and genuine and Nova basically uses him throughout the book and never once thinks about how much it will hurt him when he finds out who she is.

Content

• Language: 
• Occasional uses of "damn," "hell," and "ass." 
• Other curses are used from the world such as "great skies" or "sweet rot."

• Sexual content: 
• One kissing scene finally :) Descriptions of his hands on her bare waist, hands in hair, and her being draped across his lap while he's leaning over her and she's against the arm of the couch (pgs. 343, 344). Adrian thinks about it later and remembers being "electrified and overcome with sensation."

• Violence:
• One character shoots another in the head from a distance. It's especially disturbing because the characters used to be friends.
• Many bombs are used and civilians are injured, but injuries are not described.
• Some characters torture a "villain" and then a really strong character kills the villain by squeezing her head.
• A villain drags a civilian with him and holds a gun to her head to protect himself.
• A child is run clean through with a spear. When the book ends he is in critical condition, but alive.
• Lots of fighting with punching, throwing knives, throwing bodies, poisonous tentacles, etc.
• One character can use levitation and throws skeletons and tombs to fight.
• Frequent mentions of Adrian's mom's death falling off a building and Nova's parents' death by shooting.


• Other themes:
• There is some LGBTQ representation! The two main superheroes are a gay couple who adopt Adrian.

 Overall Thoughts

This was such a thrilling sequel to Renegades! Unlike some sequels, this was very fast-paced and didn't seem to lag through plot development. The plot and characters were developed, but it felt very fast-moving and exciting. There was an awesome plot twist at the end that was very well done. I had seen it coming from what I read off the back cover, but it was still an awesome twist. I loved how the layers of secrecy and deception just got deeper and deeper for Adrian and Nova and how the stakes keep getting higher, without their even knowing it. I love how their relationship develops in this book and especially how Adrian believes in Nova. I completely devoured this and I can't wait to see how the last book resolves everything!