4⭐️

Wow, that ending, i need the next book immediately.

There was a slow start, but once you hit the 50% mark questions, start being answered, and you really can't put it down. It was interesting to learn more about how time travel works and what the main arc for the trilogy actually is.

One of my favourite parts of this series is how the author puts you into the different time periods they travel to. They do a great job of immersing you in both the times and the monster world of markets selling contraband tech.

I do wish Joan knew a little more about things in this one. We repeat situations and conversations from the first book because of the timeline switch, and it made the first half of the book drag a little. And as our villain says, it makes Joan predictable

I will say there was not enough aaron in this, but it looks like there will be plenty in the next one. He's one of the most complex characters in the series, and I loved getting to see more of his sensitive side through his past.

Overall, I really enjoyed it, and I'm sad to have to wait so long for the final book. I received an advance review copy of this book, and this review represents my honest opinion. Thank you to netgalley, the author, and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

I have just finished this book and all I can say is wow! I was so gripped at the end and only wish I could talk about it without spoiling it. It has been so good to revisit Joan's world... a world of monsters, humans and time travel.

I thoroughly enjoyed the first book, but the complexity of the story in this one kept me gripped from the 2nd chapter.

Seeing the changes that have taken place to this timeline due to Joan's actions in book one, how her relationships have changed. What impact does a change truly make?

The ending of this had a brilliant twist I did not see coming and I need book 3 now please. I would love to share more details on this book - but I can't without spoiling it. Please read the monster series! A real gem of a book.

This is a delayed review for the wonderful @vanessalenwrites, I was kindly sent the e arc on netgalley from hodderscape. Thank you so much!

Only a Monster was one of my absolute favorite reads of 2022, so of course I was gasping at the bit for an ARC of the sequel, especially after the absolutely STUNNING reversal that was the ending of book 1!

Never a Hero picks up a few scenes off from the last and we are bombarded with the difference a day, a wish, an unraveling of a person makes. This is a new world, made in Joan’s image, but on the edges creeps danger… this new world isn’t safe from disaster!

Book 2 lives up to the promise of the first and I’m thrilled to read this story’s conclusion ! Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

*Never a Hero* is a solid follow-up to *Only a Monster*. Vanessa Len dives deeper into Joan's internal struggle as she navigates her monstrous heritage while trying to stay true to her human side. The time travel elements are still exciting, but the focus shifts more towards Joan's relationships with the other characters, especially Nick and Aaron. There are some great moments of tension and action, though the pacing slows down at times. The moral grey areas and tough choices Joan faces are compelling, but some twists feel a bit predictable. Overall, it's an engaging read that builds well on the first book, setting up a promising finale.

Such an amazing book!!!!

Joan has achieved the impossible.

She reset the timeline, saved her family - and destroyed the hero.

But success has come at a terrible cost. She alone remembers what happened. Aaron, her hard-won friend - and maybe more - is now her enemy. And Nick, the boy she loved, doesn't even know her name.

Then an attack forces Joan back into the monster world as a fugitive, where she discovers a secret that threatens everyone she loves.

Now Joan must re-gather her allies to face down a deadly enemy, and save the timeline itself . . .

Never a hero was an enjoyable, strong sequel which continued to develop the unique monster world from Vanessa Len. Similar to the first book, there were points in the novel which felt quite slow and it is still the novelty of the concept of monsters and time which kept me reading forward to see where things go. Len is also an exceptional world builder - much needed to compliment plots as complicated as time travel! I look forward to reading the next book to find out how this wraps up for Joan, Nick and Aaron.

Absolutely amazing read. Loved the setting, the world building, the monsters and their abilities and the drama between the characters. It was a pleasant surprise, this book, and I look forward reading more by this author.

What a cracking series. So greatful for an advanced copy. From start to finish you are hooked. I loved that it carried straight on from Only a monster.. a must read for fantasy readers.

I adored Only a Monster and so was waiting eagerly for this sequel and it didn’t disappoint!

The monster family lore and mythology is as fascinating and engaging as ever and I loved finding out more about the different kinds of magic each monster family carries. The worldbuilding feels really believable and yet keeps me wanting to know more constantly – I want every detail of who can do what! We do get some new perspectives on time travel and the morality involved in monster-magic, focused more on brain/will manipulation rather than life-stealing this time round. And there is a pervasive theme about consequences, seen and unexpected, of one’s actions.

Joan is still a very empathetic main character but I am getting a little bit tired of the soulmates storyline she has going on with Nick and would much rather have had more Aaron – he and Joan have such great chemistry together – but this is definitely a personal preference and not a criticism of the book.

This was one of those read-all-nighter, down-in-one books for me and I audibly groaned when it ended on a cliffhanger and a frantic Google proved that Book 3 isn’t out yet. This whole series is packed with suspense and intrigue, complicated relationships and grey morality, and I am very here for it.

Having been utterly hooked in for the second time in a row, I am waiting breathlessly to be swept away by Only a Monster book 3… and I’ll be right back here to tell you more!

This is YA fantasy and is the second book in what I believe is a trilogy.

Changing the timeline in book 1 has consequences- people are brought together who are meant to have a connection but there are also people missing. And that may just be an indicator of a much bigger problem, which our FMC is going to have to try and work with the 2 MMCs to resolve.

I think I liked this better than the first book. The world in this series is really interesting, and how the magic system works is pretty unique- I wish that was explored and explained more! But this is much more character based, and the internal struggles the FMC has with who she is (half monster, half hero). She has to pick a side - and not choosing isn't really an option.

The ending of the book means I'm definitely interested in seeing where book 3 goes!

3.5 stars, rounded up

This was one of my favourite books of 2023. It was the best feeling being able to come back into the world of London and monsters. Since reading I have re read this multiple times. The best part about reading this book was knowing I was unraveling the joys of time travel, which isn’t always explored much in novels. This was incredibly fun and I had the best time. I miss Joan, Aaron and Nick already and I’m incredibly excited to see where book 3 goes!! Also the new characters that were introduced were super interesting. The ending blew my mind!! 5/5 stars

This is time travel done right! So many other books and movies with time travel have a point, where the concept just breaks when one thinks to much about it. Not never a hero!
A beautiful story with a thrilling ending, making me want to jump right into the next installment of the series!

Band zwei hat mir sehr gefallen. Ich muss sagen, Band 1 hat mich von der Dynamik mehr mitgerissen und ich bin auch ganz klar Team Aaron und nicht Team Nick aber trotzdem wurde auch Band zwei keinen Moment langweilig und viele Fragen wurden geklärt und Band zwei endet mit SO VIEL neuen Fragen und Vorfreude auf Band 3. Alle die Band 1 geliebt, gelebt und gemocht haben, sollten auch Band zwei lesen. Wer Band 1 nicht gelesen hat, sollte dies schnell tun und gleich Band zwei lesen.

After the end of volume one, I was very excited to see what would happen next in volume two. I was also excited to see what role time travel would play here again. I really like the cover and there are a few small details that you discover while reading. Vanessa Len has a great writing style. This is easy to read, exciting and emotional. I couldn't put the book down and all in all I liked the book a bit better than volume one. It definitely wasn't a typical intermediate volume to bridge volume three. I love books with the theme of time travel and Vanessa Len does that well here. The plot is exciting, action-packed and you can't help but root for the characters. I absolutely didn't see the end coming and I'm excited to see what happens next in volume three.

Since (almost) all of the characters can no longer remember the events of volume one, at times it was like getting to know everyone again. I definitely had a favorite in book one but after book two I have absolutely no idea whether I like Nick or Aaron better. They both just have something and they harmonize perfectly with Joan. Joan develops well in volume two, finding her way better and better in the world of monsters. Nevertheless, she also retains her good side and sees some things from a completely different perspective. The interaction between the individual characters is described very well here and I was able to empathize with their respective actions and behaviors.

“Never a hero” is a very successful sequel that I can recommend to everyone. But after this nasty cliffhanger, I can hardly wait to hold volume three in my hands. I have a clear reading recommendation.

Monsters with morals might be my new favourite genre! I love a good hero story, but these are refreshing and so much fun! I wasn't sure what to expect with the first of this duology, but the second instalment far outdid it's predecessor. I loved watching Joan and co dive further into the world. I loved the small details that foreshadowed what would come to pass by the end. The motives of some of the characters are slightly fluid and the granny reminds me a bit of my own 🤭

After reading book one I was so thrilled to be offered an Arc of book two. This sequel didn’t fall foul of any book 2 problems, and in fact I think I might have enjoyed it even more than Book 1. Without giving spoilers, this continues the brilliant character arc, and really goes into the emotions and turmoils felt by our MCs. Honestly I think I’d read another 10 books in this series, I do hope we see lots more from Vanessa!

A fantastic follow up to Only a Monster! So many twists and turns. Len has such a fast paced and easy writing style that I could not put this down. Never a hero follows on soon after the first book but Joan is now struggling to move on from the events in Only a Monster. We're once again emerged in the monster realm. But this time she's on the run with Nick and it's Aaron on her tail!
The different time periods are so vivid! I keep thinking how amazing this would be as a TV series! The world only expands and it's so rich with history and interesting characters. Len has pulled off what many other authors have tried with multiple timelines, and time jumping with finesse. It was a tension filled delight!
The romantic tension between Joan and Nick and Aaron is so captivating. I love them all. Joan really comes into her own and whilst there's still so much for her to learn about this world, I love how smart Joan is.
This story has fated mates, enemies to lovers, time travel, morally grey characters. Now get me the final book! I'll be waiting eagerly for the 3rd installment and I'd definitely recommend. 4.5 stars

After 3 months I finally finished this book! What a reading slump!!

I really enjoyed this book and I'm so glad I got to experience it. It was fun and tense the whole way through but I loved the slower and more emotional moments. You can see the characters trauma and how the whole story continued on perfectly.

I absolutely adore this series so much. Only a monster was such a great start and that ending just left me reeling, and this sequel did not disappoint. The writing, the characters, the action - they all really made up such a great fantasy story.

SPOILERS

It hurt so much to see that Joan was missing Aaron, and having to see Nick around all the time knowing that they don’t know the truth of what happened. This was very much a whirlwind and I had questions throughout all of it of what was actually happening. The ending yet again blew my mind and I can’t wait for the third instalment.

I loved going more in depth in the monster world and seeing how all the families interact and finally finding out more about what Joan actually is. Nick I’m very much on the fence about at the moment because I don’t know if he will betray them all, but at the same time it would make sense that he would want to stop monsters. I have my own theory about what could happen.

I have to say I was waiting and waiting for Aaron to come back into it and I really hope we see more romance between him & Joan in the 3rd book.

Overall such a great read and I can’t wait to continue with this series

Ah Joan, you've done it again.

The events of book one have lasting consequences for Joan here in book two.

There are things only she can remember and relationships that will play out differently because of her actions at the end of book one.

I enjoyed this sequel, I was never quite sure where it was going but was happily along for the ride. Nick and Aaron are here again and how Joan feels about them both is a complicated area.

The end ramps up to another exciting conclusion and I'm looking forward to the final book in the trilogy. I do wish that this had felt less like a sequel film where the favourite scenes from book one featured again with slight variations.
That said, I'm confident that book three can bring us home strong.

My thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.