He wanted to be a good man. Instead he became a hero.Twenty years ago, Serenity City’s great Triumvirate of heroes – Achilles, the Banshee, and Pendragon – maintained a golden age of peace and prosperity. Then, in an instant, it all went wrong. The city’s mightiest champion, Achilles, lost his mind during a showdown with the enigmatic supervillain Thanatos and went on a rampage across the city, … rampage across the city, leaving the Banshee dead and a swath of destruction in his wake before Pendragon could stop him.
Today, as Achilles rots in solitary confinement, Victoria Westerdale investigates a new mystery. Why are young and forgotten heroes disappearing off the streets? Why doesn’t anybody else care? And how is it tied in to those infamous events that brought the city’s greatest heroes to ruin?
And what’s going to happen to them all after Achilles escapes?
The first of a new wave of superhero novels! Coming soon:
- Hollow City from Dragon Award nominee Kai Wai Cheah
- The Phoenix Ring from Jon Mollison
- Gemini Man from J.D. Cowan
- Atlantean Archons from Richard W Watts
more
This remarkable debut novel takes the superhero genre in new and unexpected directions, with some incredible plot twists that you won’t see coming. But despite it’s fresh take, it remains true to the awe and fun that make the superhero genre super.
People keep trying to give us “realistic superheroes.”
I think the trend may have started with “Watchmen,” which frankly told me more of what was in the soul of Alan Moore than said anything about the superhero genre. A better example (I’m told) is Kurt Busiek’s Astro City, which addresses themes such as a man who becomes a superhero to find redemption, or even the legalities of X-Ray vision and super senses.
Here’s the successor.
For those of you who long for the days when comic books were actually entertaining, and the most angst you were subjected to was the occasional Spider Man nervous breakdown, welcome to Heroes Fall, Serenity City, book 1, by Morgon Newquist.
We open with The Rampage, a mission where Superman, Batman and …. Iron Fist, I guess…. goes horribly, horribly wrong. One is murdered, the other goes mad, and only one is left standing.
Sounds like fun … except this isn’t a comic book crossover. This is Morgon’s new world of heroes and villains. The heroes are Achilles, Pendragon and Banshee. And an epic battle of massive destruction throughout the city
90% of the story focuses on Victory Westerdale. She doesn’t want to be a superhero, just a simple, straightforward hero who saves people and goes back to the daily nine to five. Victory’s powers are like Jessica Jones, if the latter weren’t a raving bitch. It’s mostly a mystery set in a new and improved Astro City. And I can’t say a whole heck of a lot without spoiling it, so I won’t.
I like the breakdown of the superhero class structure. No, we’re not going into class warfare here, merely a practical approach to superheroes. DC and Marvel comics are truly unrealistic — that only one superhero (Booster Gold, IIRC) — seems to be offered or has desires for fame and notoriety. In the world of Serenity City, everyone wants to climb the hero totem pole. It’s a competitive culture for the next brand endorsement, coming with a good paycheck. And there are some of those heroes who are Iron Man narcissistic and some who are simply saving people and heroing, and taking cash because they’ll take all the help they can get. Of course, this environment means that no one really teams up, but considering how many times the JSA and the JLA have broken up, is anyone surprised when heroes can’t get along?
The villain of the piece … there are two. They’re both fairly well developed, though one has barely any screen time. If you’re wondering how that happens, it’s largely because of the quality of the “evil plan.” One is a narrative underdog, and the other is a cunning master manipulator. One comes off as David Tennant’s Kilgrave, and the other is trying to do “good” for noble reasons, but has all the skills and talents of Richard III, or the MCU’s Civil War villain. It’s a bit of a train wreck, with a moral quandary that had only one solution.
At the end of the day, fans of the superhero genre should recognize the occasional tip of the hat to everything from The Dark Knight to Astro City to Green Hornet. That would be a spoiler if you could get the permutations right. We have Alfred with superpowers. A character named Ash who I suspect could be played by Bruce Campbell. A healer hero named Panacea (yes, really). A hero lawyer with the ability to cloud men’s minds. And oh dear me, we’re going to have a realistic portrayl of what it would be like as a superhero, only none of this grim and gritty Alan Moore BS? Be still my heart.
Also acknowledging that Batman basically has a superpower. Long story. But the description of the bat cave here will have you playing the Danny Elfman score from the Batman film in head.
Of course, Morgon gets her martial arts right. If she didn’t, I think everyone who knows her would worry. And she does a good job of playing superhero chess — how does Y superhero use X powers against Z and Z’s powers. Even the execution of powers are well thought out.
Also, Morgon has a degree in Latin, so expect a ton of quotes and references from … everyone. Peter Pan, The Aenid, The Illiad, The Odyssey, Greek myth, Roman myth, a few other myths. I do so enjoy it when the authors I read actively read other people …. and steal from them. It warms my heart. You get little bits like “He is Lancelot, not Arthur. Byt even Lancelot is better than Mordred.”
And the moral of the story, as it usually is in classical mythology — Pride kills.
Just get Heroes Fall: Heroes Unleashed Book 1, today. If you like superheroes, you’ll enjoy it. If you like “literature,” you’ll enjoy it. Or fight scenes. Or action pieces. Or mysteries. Or Scifi. Or Fantasy.
Yeah. It’s just plain fun.
Heroes Fall is a terrific story that grabbed me from the beginning and never let go. Along with characters that are well rounded and wonderfully crafted comes a story that is unique as well as captivating. Ms Newquist manages to touch on the difference between doing what is right and what is best. As a Prime (one of the heroes) Victoria is a relatable character that despite the circumstances always rises above them …
In a media that (like Hollywood) seems to dish out subpar material for a quick “Ching Ching” of the register, Heroes Fall is a standout that does not disappoint …
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review
She has no need for a cape or a super name to be a hero. She does her best to help those teens who needs her help the most. Soon some of the teens were disappearing and she may need to go back to her super hero life to save them. She did not want to go back but she will do anything to save them. Can she find them? Can she save them? Follow her adventures
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Heroes Fall is book one in the Serenity City series. Morgon Newquist has created a unique tale of superheroes which is very refreshing. Heroes Fall is well written with interesting characters, of individual growth and discovery, adventure, intrigue that is a very enjoyable read. I think this is a series to keep an eye on. It will be interesting to see where this series is headed. Received a copy from Booksprout and this is my voluntary and honest review.
A triumvirate of Super Heroes, fighting together against evil. What could have caused one to look, and act, insane while attacking another? This is a tale where a number of the population are born with one or more “special gifts”. Not all work on the right side of the law, and not all of those without special gifts are tolerant of those that do have gifts. Especially when they initially develop their gifts when they are children and can be dangerous until they can control their gifts.
We also meet Victoria who once required extensive training to control her gift. After losing both her parents, where could she go? Is there a place made especially for primes learning about their powers and how to control them? Do we ever find out why two super heroes who had been best friends fought so viciously that they tore down a good section of the city?
This is not just a book about humans with super powers. It is also about love and loss, people who give of themselves to keep others safe and other people that prey on folks. There are the good and the evil. There are some that are loyal almost to a fault. One thing I can say about this book is that even as much as I read, I could not have guessed what was going to happen next, nor how it would end! If you want a book that will keep you from getting your chores done over the weekend or keep you up for 36 hours straight because you couldn’t put it down, you have found that book!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.