I went into this without a lot of expectations, but I was very surprised. Yes, it is a romance, but it plays a bit with the expectations while still delivering a happy ending. But the surprising part is the take on superheroes—essentially enslaved by constant need for rescues, driven by a society that is dependent on the heroes to avoid fixing the society that puts its own citizens in danger. Wow. This idea is original, as far as I know. There is occasionally some "hero fatigue" in SF or fantasy, but not like this. The only similar thing I can think of is the comic Nexus (see [book:Nexus Archives, Vol. 1|135757]) from the 1980s.

Yeah, so a full extra star for making me think new thoughts about superheroes.

I absolutely love Winter's writing style, and have eagerly added almost every book they've written to my TBR.
I never quite knew which direction the story was going to take, which was SO much fun. I loved the characters, and the relationships between them - these were explored well. I usually dislike books that are heavy in the dialogue (This can feel far too "tell me" vs "show me"), but I found this actually added a positive element to the book.

There are a lot of really heavy topics covered throughout (racism, csa, suicide, slavery), but covers them in a way that leaves you feeling a more thorough understanding of how handling these topics can impact a person - and the level of responsibility that comes with it.

The pacing did feel fairly slow in places, which did detract from the incredible writing, so despite how much I loved this overall, it's not quite a five star for me.

I picked this up after reading another series by this author for the first time recently and being very impressed with how engaging her writing is. The storyline was again very unique and well written, and some of the scenes had me laughing out loud. The two main characters had great chemistry, which is why (without wanting to give any spoilers) I was slightly disappointed and surprised by the ending. Still a very enjoyable read though.

An interesting take on the traditional superhero world. Bits of dark and character flaws only increased my interest.

Winter's writing style is sharp and fast-paced, with well-developed characters that draw you in and keep you engaged.

This book was not at all what I was expecting. I knew that the writing was going to be good, because Lee Winter is a fantastic storyteller, but the direction that she took this story was still unexpected. She really took the superhero genre and turned it on its head. I haven't read many superhero books, but I've watched enough movies to know how they tend to go. Lee Winter really took us deeper into the minds of these superheroes (or Guardians in our case). This was definitely the most interesting part of this book. I was so interested in the story of the Guardians and their life on earth, I just found it so intriguing. I'm reluctant to call this book dark (because it wasn't exactly so), but this definitely felt reflective and deeper than I expected. It also felt like a very fresh and unique take which I really enjoyed.

I definitely was expecting this to be a romance. I didn't read any reviews before reading this, and maybe if I had I would have checked this expectation. While the story is still good and the characters were great, I was really looking for a romance where there wasn't really one. I mean, there was a relationship of sorts that was emotional, touching and erotic at points, it didn't feel like the focus of the story. Shattergirl and Lena became much better people and learnt more about themselves with each other, and I think that was much more the focus than the romance. This was still very captivating to read.

This book was very dialogue heavy, but I loved it. I really fell into the scenes between Shattergirl and Lena, they were just so expertly crafted. In this way, I guess I wasn't too disappointed by the lack of romance because their relationship was still super engaging and really perfect for these characters.

➥ 5 Stars *:･ﾟ✧

"More," Lena said, before groaning in frustration. "Stop holding back I won't break. I'm Silver. I beat your kind. Start treating me like it."

Nyah's breathing became harsh and unsteady, her breasts and hips pushing hard into her back, flattening her onto the sleeping bag.

"You didn't beat me, though," a taunting voice next to her ear said.

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You know a book is good when your only complaint is that you wish it were longer. Like I've mentioned previously, I noticed that this has been a book that few Winter lovers have actually enjoyed, but that could not be less applicable to me.

This book did for me what every Winter book does: it left my heart aching with adoration for endearing, relatable, real characters, and left me eyes widened from the ingenious uniqueness and plot trajectory. I love knowing that there is no such things as plot holes in a Winter novel. And, sue me, I love when every single string gets tied together into the happily ever after bow at the end.

This is a bit of a funkier book - I've never read a 'superhero(ine)' book before. But, I've found that with Winter novels, you've just got to go with the flow and enjoy the ride because it's going to be fucking good regardless.

➥ Nyah (h) is so fine don't even talk to me. I imagined her as the woman on the cover of The Unbroken because whew 😦. She's intelligent, strong, hot and most importantly, good-hearted. I really loved her as a character and the way she interacted with Lena was just *chef's kiss*.

"I don't even know who Silver is beyond some myth. But Lena Martin's someone worth knowing. Worth sharing my bed. She's so much more than a tracker."

➥ Lena (h) has my whole heart too. I just have this weakness for smart, strong women sent on brutal missions that make them reach their emotional breaking point. Her backstory is heartbreaking, her intelligence and capability is (so sexy), but her vulnerability is what really gets me. Upon reaching her breaking point, we see her in shambles and she's left with self-hatred and a feeling of helplessness. Of defeat. It rips your heart out, but seeing how she's able to open up to Nyah is everything. Also, even though we're told she didn't do well in school, her she reeks of desperation for academic validation and it's all a little bit too relatable. And yeah, she's hot too.

"I've tracked down almost seventy of your people over the years," Lena said. "Many of them -men and women- have wanted to fuck over the great Silver for beating them...or just fuck her."
Nyah's breath hitched.
Lena lifted her fingers to her own shirt and began to slowly unbutton it. "They may have wanted me, but they can't have me. Not one single Guardian gets to touch Silver." She unhooked her bra and flung it to the ground. "No one gets to have me - except you."


I know your jaw unhinged after reading that. But just in general, Winter's relationship and character development is just unmatched. One thing I love about her work is how much the characters talk . You'd be surprised how many books lack sufficient substantial dialogue, but Winter brings it to the table every damn time. Both of these women talk and talk and talk, and I loved it.

Even during the sex scene(s), the inclusion of dialogue just heightens the authenticity and the tension between the characters - too good.

And just to talk again about Lena's character, I just feel it's so easy to feel for her.

Nyah's book snapped shut again and she peered at Lena over it. "How long have you been a tracker?" she suddenly asked.
"Five years."
"Are you any good at it?"
"The best."


The way you can just tell her sadness and pride are competing in responding to Nyah, the way she's wanted for so long to be able to answer that question with satisfaction, but now, it means little to her, and she feels as though the build-up to it was meaningless.

Lastly, (view spoiler) Winter is so good at writing aggressive attraction that I almost wish we'd remained in the bickering 'enemies' stage just a little longer, but I do believe she wrote a shorter book to participate in the creation of this series. It's times like this were you wish Winter's work was more globally appreciated just for the possibility of hopping on ao3 and feeding my brain more of these two together. Another Winter success, what's new?

Thank you Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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As the top tracker in the business Leah's ability to manipulate her targets (rogue guardians) has put her in many a tough situation, but she always comes out on top. Until that is she is sent after Shattergirl, aka Nyah. A master manipulator is faced against probably the most intelligent being on Earth. Their sparks are instantaneous and it was enthralling watching the two butt heads as they slowly found common ground. Nyah wants nothing of the commons' (humans) world and while at first Leah believes she is simply being ungrateful she comes to learn a lot of dark truths hidden by flashy lies, lies spun by the leader of the guardians himself to save face.
This book deals with A LOT of heavy subjects such as suicide, racism, slavery and indentured servitude, genocide, child sexual abuse, but it handles them in such a way as not to completely overwhelm the character. Instead it leaves you thinking and coming to understand the weight of responsibility, fame, infamy, and duty. Especially when you don't ask for any of that.
I cannot recommend this book enough, it is absolutely beautiful.

The unexpected superhero book, let’s just say I wasn't expecting this book to be what it was.
It was originally released a couple of years ago with a different cover. I must admit I judged that one by the cover and decided it would probably be a YA/NA superhero story even though it is written by Lee Winter, that just isn't for me. When the reviews came in the first time I knew I was wrong but I just couldn't get myself to read the book.
This new cover prompted me to give it a go though. I'm glad I did. It's nothing like I expected it to be, in a good way.

I can't divulge much about the story without spoiling so I'll just mention a couple of things. This superhero, Shattergirl, is very much a woman. She's of a humanoid alien race that came to earth a century ago, at which time they were made into guardians. Silver is an elite tracker of wayward guardians. She's tasked to get the elusive Shattergirl to come to the centurion celebration. instead of some cut-and-dry superhero story, we get the story filled with social commentary and just two women, Nyah and Lena, crossing paths with each other when they must needed it. The adversaries strike up a very believable friendship. The character growth is very nicely done by Winter.

The social commentary, the bleak outlook on how we treat our planet and the people rings a bit too true. This superhero book isn't one suited for escapism to some faraway place with great sci-fi works building. It's very much about the current state of our planet and its people. I thought this was interesting, and depressing, sure. That's just the way the world is, isn't it? Ylva (the publisher) has some other books set in this world that are written by different writers. I'd very much like it if Winter would write a Shattered part 2 of sorts. However much I liked the way this story turned out, I feel like there is another good book in there.

This book had a lot of potential that I, unfortunately, feel it did not quite live up to. The world presented is interesting: Earth, mostly as we know it, however in the 1910s (I believe 1914) a species of aliens landed on Earth, seeking asylum and refuge, and in turn offering their protection and some futuristic tech to the people of Earth. They eventually agree to be governed by a group of humans ho will ensure that their promise is kept. However, some of these Guardians are beginning to have mental breakdowns or dying, and the public must not be made aware of this.

The downfall from this book comes, I believe, in the pacing and that it chooses to focus on the wrong things. The first 50% of this book is steeped in arguments between Lena and Shattergirl that are barely disguised metaphors for how minorities are treated in the current day. The book meanders until about the 80% point, and then the plot is concluded by very quickly snapping through some "plot twists" and hasty adjustments to the status quo.

I really wish this book had focused on the wrongs of the current foundation governing the guardians and fighting back against them and the public perception. As it is, those things were touched on, but barely. Perhaps I expected the wrong thing out of this book, but that is the direction I wish it had taken. Lena was also a deeply unlikeable person, and while I like unlikable protagonists, they have to grow throughout the course of the book and be willing to change their ways. Lena made surface level changes but not much beyond that.

I was also uncomfortable with one specific point in this book that seemed to be based in uncomfortable racial stereotypes. Shattergirl (SPOILER) can read minds. When she is fighting a Somali pirate at one point, she reads that his thought is "I kill you!" Why? Why would he be thinking in broken English, rather than his native language?

I do think this book has things in it that many will love, but it just wasn't for me despite the interesting world building and set up that it had.

This was an amazing book. I loved the character story, and I loved the world-building in the book. The diversity in the book is spot on, and definitely a large part of why the book will be becoming part of my classroom library. Overall, this is a great book.