Author: Tera Lynn Childs
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult
Published on: June 7, 2016 by Sourcebooks Fire
Revenge is easy, but justice is worth fighting for...
Kenna is tired of being lied to-and hunted by the very allies she once trusted. Unearthing the dark secrets of the superhero world has not only endangered her life, now her boyfriend faces execution for crimes he didn't commit and her mother is being held captive in a secret governmental prison.
Kenna is determined to stand up for what's right and save those she loves from unspeakable fates. It's time for the betrayal to end. It's time for the real criminals to face justice.
But the truth is even more terrifying than Kenna could imagine. A conspiracy threatens the fate of heroes, villains, and all of humanity. If Kenna's going to survive, she must draw on her deepest strength: her resilience. Because when Kenna's pushed to the limit, she doesn't break down. She fights back.
This is it, the conclusion of protagonist Kenna Swift’s story. She’s a science intern living among supers—people with special powers. Kenna used to work for Heroes at a secret lab, until she made a shocking discovery. The Heroes weren’t who they pretended to be. After they kidnapped her mother, Kenna joined forces with a team of Villains.
At the end of Powerless, two of Kenna’s friends fell into Hero hands. One of them is Draven, leader of a small group of Villains. He has the power of mind manipulation. Draven and his team were trying to rescue one of their friends. A bunch of heroes were secretly torturing this guy. Draven and Kenna found him, but the former sacrificed his freedom so that everyone else could escape. The other teammate who was captured is Rebel Malone, Kenna’s best friend. She’s not only a Hero…she’s the daughter of Rex Malone, president of the Superhero League. Rebel was never fooled by their smoke and mirrors. Rex managed to brainwash her, though, and now she’s unrecognizable.
Kenna found out something about herself near the end of the previous book. It turns out she’s not a regular human, as everyone thought. Jeanine, Kenna’s mother, had been giving her a power-immunity serum since she was little. The shots not only protected Kenna from all abilities: they hid her own power. The effects faded after Jeanine was captured, which meant Kenna eventually ran out of serum. Kenna was incredulous to find she’s not just a super, but a Villain. That means one of her parents was a Villain.
Unfortunately, Kenna is going to be left with questions. During an attempt to rescue Draven and Rebel at a trial, they find Jeanine as well. The escape does not go well. Jeanine gives her own life to save Kenna’s. She leaves a few instructions, though. Kenna and her friends must find a colleague of Jeanine’s. He’ll help them thwart the Heroes’ agenda. Jeanine also makes a stunning revelation to Kenna. There was a cover-up years ago. As Kenna witnessed that event, she believed it had been real.
Kenna and her group are forced to go on the run for most of the book. They’re being pursued by Heroes. As they move from one place to the next, they find out more about the agenda. Riley (Rebel’s brother, who unlike her worshipped Heroes) tells them about a secret project after hearing Kenna speak about it. They learn that Rex Malone has a plan that will sway all supers to his will if successful. This world-domination scheme made him sound a bit like some James Bond megalomaniac. The threat was real, though. Kenna and her friends were significantly outnumbered by Rex’s forces.
Relentless was a thrilling book. I liked it a little more than Powerless. It wasn’t bad, but with break-in after break-in it felt a tad repetitive. The book’s concept is also intriguing and fresh. A world of supers where Heroes are bad and Villains are good? It may sound cliche, but I enjoyed it. The only drawback is that the books still leave a lot of questions. It’s never explained why some supers are born Heroes and other Villains. Why did they branch that way after their creation? Also, it’s not clear whether the world is aware that supers exist. There are lots of them, so there should have been sightings already. Despite this, the Hero Agenda duology was solid. It left a bit to be desired, but overall it was better than a few other superhero fiction novels I've read.
My rating: ★★★ 1/2
3.5 stars - It's pretty good!
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