One of my favourite reads from last year was Only A Monster, it was essentially my fantasy book catnip, it had everything:
Enemies-to-Lovers, Monster POV, Magical Underworld, Rival Monster Families with Powers, Time Travel, Heists, Enemy Soulmates & a Hot, Ruthless Monster Boy.
I was hooked and have been eagerly awaiting the sequel as it left me wanting more.
And boy did this deliver!
The story picks up with Joan in a now new timeline living her life with the knowledge of what she undid and takes off fast, throwing you into this sequel and making you hold on tight because it does not let up.
Vanessa Len has created a fantasy world that I'd love to be apart of, the set up of these Monster families and their powers continues to fascinate me and we get to explore more of this in the sequel. With this new timeline comes a host of new troubles that Joan needs to navigate whilst on the run with a new Nick who is no longer the Hero in the Monster world from a *swoon* new Aaron who doesn't remember her and is actively hunting her for the enemy.
This kept me on the edge of my seat, I loved how the story unfolded and these characters are perfection. I am in need for the next book... you can't just leave me hanging like this. What is going to happen next?!?!?!
Honestly it is a phenomenal Fantasy read, go read it and start your obsession of Monster Families, Timelines and the irresistible Aaron Oliver!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC

I hardly ever root for the blonde love interest. Blonde men in books don't do it for me. But Aaron Oliver? AARON OLIVER. I AM ROOTING FOR YOU AGAINST THE TRUE TIMELINE.

Families with the ability to time travel, but to do so they must take the equivalent time from human life. In this sequel, Joan is facing the consequences of her actions at the end of book 1. She's created a whole new timeline, and once again she has to go on the run. However this time, it's with Nick. The boy that she may be destined to be with? But in the previous timeline, he was a trained killer of monsters that murdered her whole family... In this timeline, this never happened. I really enjoyed seeing Joan and Nick's relationship in this book. BUT as an Aaron Oliver STAN, I was sad that he didn't get as much time in the limelight as book 1.

If you enjoyed the first book, you will also enjoy this sequel. It's action packed, filled with revelations and plot twists, and Len takes the reigns and runs this book wild. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I am a big fan of the MCU so having a fantasy based book with time travel and talks of timelines was super fun.

I really can't wait for book 3 to see how everything wraps up. The stakes in these books are high! And the love triangle thoroughly has me hooked.

I loved the first book in this series and was so blown away by the fact it was a debut. It was such a joy to read the sequel which was just as action packed, heart stopping and joyous as the first one. Highly recommended!!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Only a Monster is one of my favorite reads of 2022 and one of my favorite YA fantasies. It's just so authentic and soo original. I've been longing to read the sequel, and now that I read it, I'm longing for its sequel😅because this series is SO DELIGHTFULLY GOOD😍

Never a Hero takes us on a wild ride through time and a hurricane of emotions. Only Joan remembers everything that happened, and only Joan feels the same way *for both Aaron and Nick*. I felt so sorry for her; imagine living every day remembering the worst thing that had happened to you while no one else even knows that it had happened. But Joan doesn't back down. She's resourceful and just keeps going. I admire her so much for that.

This book saw more of Nick than the first one, and it was fascinating to meet his character more closely. He's moral and dependable and just a nice guy, you know? But sorry to say that he doesn't hold a candle to my Aaron. We didn't see Aaron much in the first half of the book. It makes sense but it also hurt😭😭😭 It was fascinating to see him in his Oliver-setting in his Oliver-role, and not on the run. Aaron fans, prepare to be sad and angry for our boy when the cast go to his house; that's all I'm going to say. An Aaron fan needs to be mentally prepared for that.

And the plot twists....OH MY GOODNESS!!!!!!!! So many plot twists!!!! Unpredictable! Original! Enthralling!!! I LOOOOOOOVED them all and I LOOOOOOVED this book so much. Second books in trilogies often disappoint but this one was amazing!!!!!!!!!!!! Utter perfection in character dynamics, character development, worldbuilding, and plot! This is one of the best YA fantasy books I've ever read. The prose is immersive and captivating without ever being too dense. Joan is a heroine that makes mistakes in the most relatable way. And the author has created a Joan-Aaron-Nick dynamic that doesn't feel rushed but feels inevitable.

I really LOVE this series, and Never a Hero is a beautiful perfection that is sooo addicting! Vanessa Len is an auto-buy for me. I cannot wait for more stories from her. What a compelling writing voice and magnificently intricate storytelling mind!

After the ending of Only a Monster I couldn’t wait to see what would happen…..

Joan is back but not in the true timeline and things have changed. Aaron Oliver is now an enemy and Nick is not who he used to be!

This book was full of action, drama, secrets and jaw dropping reveals!

I need to know what happens next and am praying at the altar of time that Aaron is endgame but still a happy ending for Nick!!!

Only a Monster was my favorite read of 2022. The debut YA fantasy novel was so unique, engaging and magical. The author’s world of monsters vs heroes and humans continues in book 2, Never a Hero. The below may contain spoilers for OAM (not Never a Hero) so beware if you haven’t read the first. And, if you haven’t, remedy that now so you can pick this one up on August 29th when it releases into the world but stop reading now.

Now that Joan has successfully reset the timeline and saved her family, she must face the lonely consequences of her actions. Her confidants and friends do not know her or remember their time together and what they meant to one another. When even darker threats emerge she has to figure out how to save the world from a desolate timeline and her family and loved ones. Once again thrust into the politics and ethics of monsters vs humans she must hope in the goodness in others and in herself to succeed. I won’t go more into the plot because the journey is better left to Vanessa Len’s magical writing, character development and world building.

I cannot express the joy I felt when this author sent me an arc of Never a Hero. Forever grateful to authors who are so generous and kind to their readers.

This is a 5 star read and definitely again one of my favorites of the year so far!

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Despite all of the odds, Joan achieved the impossible. She reset the timeline, saved her family – and destroyed the hero, Nick. But her success has come at a terrible cost. She alone remembers what happened. Now, Aaron, her hard-won friend – and maybe more – is an enemy, trying to kill her. And Nick, the boy she loved, is a stranger who doesn’t even know her name. Only Joan remembers that there is a ruthless and dangerous enemy still out there. When a deadly attack forces Joan back into the monster world as a fugitive, she finds herself on the run with Nick – as Aaron closes in. As the danger rises – and Nick gets perilously closer to discovering the truth of what Joan did to him – Joan discovers a secret of her own. One that threatens everyone she loves. Torn between love and family and monstrous choices, Joan must find a way to re-gather her old allies to face down the deadliest of enemies, and to save the timeline itself.

Joan is significantly more paranoid about everything now. She is also, however, more confident about the monster world - even if she is still relatively clueless about its ways and rules. I really admired Joan in this sequel. She has gone through a lot of change - and, frankly, trauma! - and yet she still remains kind and considerate. She does her very best to keep Nick safe, making him a priority over her own life on multiple occasions. Like before, I appreciated her desire to the best she could for herself and others, wanting everyone to be happy and for things to be as normal as they could be. There were many moments I just wanted to give Joan a hug and tell her it would all be okay… one day at least. Poor Joan goes through a hell of a lot in this book for sure!
Nick is significantly different to the Nick we knew in the first book. For a start, he is much softer in temperament throughout the majority of this sequel. I really liked getting to see this more bashful side of him for sure - I’d love to have a Nick like that in my life. I think he was very well written because he would seemingly get these flashes of the Nick we knew before and that would linger in his character for a time, changing him and his interactions with others slightly. Seeing him immersed in the monster world was very interesting and I am intrigued to see how his character will be approached in the next book!
Aaron is also different in this book, but then we see him become more familiar. I would have liked more of Aaron and his character in this book but the focus was more on Joan and Nick’s journey in this new timeline.

I did not know what to expect from this sequel but oh boy was it a rollercoaster! From the very beginning, I was utterly hooked and if I had more reading time, I totally would have bashed this out extremely quickly. Though, it’s a blessing in disguise that I didn’t so I could really soak in this story and appreciate it more. The plot is utterly fantastic and rather addictive! It flowed brilliantly and called on little details that I hadn’t necessarily picked up from the first book - something I adore! I love it when little easter eggs pop up and then become part of the bigger plot. The characters were great and I loved that they remained similar to before, in the first book and other timeline, yet they all had individual changes based on what shaped them in this timeline. Len has a masterful way of writing that just seems to suck me in and have me in a chokehold - not that I’m complaining! That ending had my jaw dropping in shock, in awe. So many revelations! So much tension! Aaaaa! I am so stoked for the next book - gimme gimme!

Overall, Never a Hero is stunning sequel that absolutely blows your mind!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Thank you again to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for an advanced copy of this book. Review will be live on my blog on release day.

**ARC received from NetGalley with thanks**

Oh wow. Oh my gosh. What a strong debut trilogy this is turning out to be for Vanessa Len! I really enjoyed Only a monster but it feels like she’s REALLY getting into her stride in the second book here. The world building has been done, the core characters introduced, so she can just let rip. This truly is Joan’s story of identity, heritage, belonging, the impact of choice/turning points in life, being in between (cultures, homes, developmental stages, needs of the individual vs community, relationships too I guess), who we are at different points in our lives, how experiences even between generations resonate within us. In a way these are kind of YA staples, but explored in such a rich, nuanced and I feel fresh way it just about blew my mind. I adored the use of time travel as a concept to study these issues and bring them to life. We continue to follow Joan getting to grips with her identity as a monster and how she reconciles that with her beliefs and values. The bond and love she feels for both Nick Ward, the hunky football captain and at times a little less gripping to me human hero she unmade at the end of the first book, and Aaron Oliver, the beguilingly damaged and imperfect heir of a monster empire. How would it be to interact and walk alongside people with whom you have very rich and intense history when they no longer remember and know you? I mean, heartbreaking stuff. This is a very plot heavy book on the vibes—plot spectrum but don’t let that stop you. I tend to vibes as a reader in the main, and this scratched that itch well enough too. The narrative tension in building the plot was pretty consistently excellent. There was maybe one point post middleish book when my attention was at risk of wavering (I wish I could remember where exactly), might have been a me issue. But the pacing just yanked me right back in and continued to grip me to the end. I adored being transported in time and getting to see the different iterations of locations and people and style of dress, cars, buildings, the lot across ages. I mean yes, the cost of travelling is.. considerable 😱 but it had to be done. We end on a mighty cliffhanger scene with a lot of momentous revelations. I was both relieved to get to pause for breath but also riveted waiting for the next instalment. Whenever that may come. I won’t forget this one in a hurry. Unless I get remade in the meanwhile, of course.

This couldn't quite live up to Only a monster, which was a 5 Stars read for me. And here is why:

Plot: While we are thrown back into the monster World fast enough, and I love the dynamic of Joan being on the run, it dragged on forever. I loved the gang coming back together but it took forever for them to figure it what to even do.
The ending felt like a little plot-holey. If the king knew what Elenor was doing the whole time why didn't he stop her sooner, why didn't he bring back up? Why would Nick prefer to make all humans suffer and die instead of just Joan. (This feels so uncharacteristic and plot devicey)

Romance: Nick is really dull, and I've seen no one ship Nick and Joan, so I'm sure the author must know, so dragging on the love triangle was... a choice.
Aaron feels super underdevolped in this. Besides him being entertaining with his witty and sarcastic commentary in Only a monster, Len built amazing tension between him and Joan. You can barely feel any of that tension in the sequal.
I think this could've easily been prevented by giving them a moment like a dance at the masquerade ball, or giving him his memories back somehow because him not having them feels like the reason for the lack of tension (and why would there be any when he doesn't know/ remember her)
Anyway really thought he would get his memories back, he didn't, kinda disappointed, hoped this will be fixed in the next book, so we'll get the Only a monster dynamic back.

Overall I still enjoyed the book, mostly because I was looking so much forward to it. I hope the last one will be delivering on the romance more.

Where do I even begin with my review? Like I said above, I am quite obsessed with Only A Monster to the point where I have multiple copies, including the stunning Fairyloot edition. When I got the ARC of Never A Hero, I was a little nervous to start reading it. My expectations for it were pretty high, considering that book 1 is one of my favourite fantasy books of all time. But Never A Hero, in a word, is incredible. This book is not suffering from the so-called ‘second book syndrome’. It picks up perfectly from where we left off, showing us how Joan is dealing with the repercussions of the events that took place in book 1.

Vanessa Len’s writing in this book is absolutely stunning and takes you right back to the world of the Monsters and time travel. Joan is still reeling from the timeline reset and suffers from nightmares of a timeline that no longer exists. Reading from her perspective is honestly the best part of this book. I love seeing her thought process and how she plans things out. Honestly, she might be one of the cleverest protagonists that I have read about. Her growth in book 2 was incredible and I can’t wait to see what the final book brings for her.

Nick in this timeline is not the boy we know. He is kinder, much softer but there are hints of his previous self showing through. Aaron starts off as an opponent, but eventually becomes an ally. He is his same self though, except without the memories of book 1 Aaron. The love triangle between these three is done perfectly and though this book made me root for Nick just a little, I am always going to be an Aaron girlie through and through.

I wish I could talk about the plot and all the crazy things that happen. But I won’t spoil you. That is something you need to experience for yourself. You will literally be flipping the pages with bated breath, wanting to know what happens. The pacing is perfection and the action literally does not stop and goes on and on. I literally finished this book in a single sitting, without even moving.

Never A Hero is the perfect sequel and an action packed fantasy that will keep you on your toes as you read through, trying to see what happens to all the characters. I loved the twist ending and I cannot wait to see what the final book will bring us!

I put off writing this review for weeks for one simple reason: I don’t really know what to say. It’s always easier to write reviews for books I didn’t like but when I truly loved a book? It’s somehow so much harder. I cannot find the words except for “it was so good, I loved it, please read it”. Even though that is exactly what I want to say over and over again.

But I shall try and put into words my feelings. So, what did I love?

1) The pace of the story. We get thrown right into it, and it feels like not much time has passed since the end of Only A Monster. Right from the very beginning there is tension and action and fighting, running, fear. And it doesn’t really change throughout the whole book, there is always so much happening, the characters never really getting a break. While the characters would definitely deserve a break, it was exciting for me that they didn’t get one. I could not stop reading.

2) Joan and her family. I love Joan. She’s smart and resourceful, trying to do what’s right but allowing herself to be selfish. After everything that happened in the first book, after Joan destroyed the boy she loved to save her family, changing the timeline, she is the only one really remembering it (except for some of the Lius, who remember bits and pieces). She basically has the burden of all that knowledge and all that pain on her shoulders, she is traumatized and feels guilty, but also relieved and because of that more guilty. She is a jumble of emotions coming together in a body that has to function despite everything. And I truly loved how that was written. Her trauma really comes through, but also the way she pushes it aside, not ready to deal with it, instead hurrying from danger to danger.
I also loved seeing more of Joan’s family’s past and present. I like Ruth and liked seeing her back and out and about. But I really liked finally seeing more of Joan’s history and how her family works and discovering more about her powers.

3) Aaron. Listen, I love him. He is precious, desperate for someone to actually see him and his potential, and I love him.

4) I still love the time travel and how it works and why it makes the time travellers monstrous. It’s such an interesting concept and time as a currency makes so much sense.

5) London as a setting. It felt both incredibly real and unreal at the same time. Real because of all the descriptions and the atmosphere created. Unreal because of all the magical changes that felt like running through a video game world. But it fit perfectly together.

There was just one thing I was annoyed with and that was Nick. While I do like him with Joan, he’s just so good. He’s the embodiment of good. And that this was mentioned at every turn was repetitive and annoying. I just couldn’t get warm with his character.

But Never a Hero was such an amazing book with a devastating ending that makes me want to read book 3 immediately, even though Never a Hero is not even out yet. This whole series is such a wild ride of action, grief, mysteries and monstrosities and I am here for every single thing of it. Never a Hero is an exciting, great sequel and to everyone who liked Only a Monster a definitive must-read.

This is the sequel to one of my favorite books from last year, and I’m always a little hesitant going in to sequels because I often find them disappointing compared to the first book. Vanessa Len, however, have managed to get the sequel very intriguing with just the right amount of recaps from book one for this to be really good.

In this book we follow Joan after the events of Only a Monster where she successfully changed the timeline to save her family, but her success has come with a great cost. Her friend doesn’t remember her anymore, and no one but her remembers the old timeline.

It was quite a long time since I read the first book in the series and I realized when I started reading that I didn’t quite remember what had happened. But I think that also worked out for the better since no one but Joan remembers the events of the last book either. That means that we get to remember at the same rate as everyone else. And I feel like this would have been a less satisfying read had I re-read the previous book. Mostly because there were times when Joans memory wasn’t all that clear either and she spend a lot of time trying to figure out why certain places felt familiar. And had I know from the start why, I know I’d been annoyed by having to wait for someone else to catch up. So, for me, this sequel came at the right time where the previous book was just hazy enough in my mind that everything clicked together like a satisfying puzzle in my mind as I was reading.

I think the plot was really interesting and allowed for more exploration of this very interesting world. Joan’s unique powers get a lot more attention here and we follow Joan on the journey to figure out what her powers are and why she can undo things and most of all why her powers are deemed forbidden. It’s full of action and always new twists and turns that keep the reader’s attention from beginning to end.

The writing is easy and fast and fit the genre well and I find that it has the right balance between explanatory details and fast paced action. I love this world and I always feel like I know enough to follow along, but it never gets boring and too much.

I think there’s really just one thing that annoyed me while reading, and it’s the fact that we’re having a bit of “conflict due to lack of talking” in this book. The two main characters here, Nick and Joan, used to know one another. One’s the hero, the other’s the Monster, but Nick doesn’t remember any of what happened before. He doesn’t know who he was and what he did or what Joan did. Joan does, and when the details of the past timeline starts to unravel before them, Joan fails to tell Nick the truth. There’s reason for it in the book, but I don’t buy it. She allows for a bigger conflict because she doesn’t tell him everything. And that annoys me so much. I hate when things would probably just be better if people had a normal conversation. And I suppose I’m not a huge fan of the almost love triangle of this series either, but that’ll slide for now.

A clear 5/5 stars and a series I highly recommend.

After finishing "Only A Monster" recently, I was absolutely hooked by the world Vanessa Len created and couldn't wait to read the second book in her Monsters series.

"Never A Hero" pretty much begins where "Only A Monster" ended - Joan and everyone else we met is in this new/original timeline, and no one except Joan and Jamie (in bits and pieces) remembers what happened in the first book. Which basically means Aaron doesn't know Joan, they never had their cute little moments, and he is working with the enemy - and oh my god, the angst in this book was everything, and there weren't even that many scenes with Aaron for like, over half of the book, I think. Instead, we spent lots of time with Nick and Joan, which was fine, and it's not that I dislike Nick, and I do feel sorry for him, but if you compare him to Aaron, he is just pretty boring (sorry).

I really liked that we saw Joan struggling with what happened in the first book. That girl definitely gets thrown into too many situations where everything she can do/choose is a bad choice, but that's actually what I love so much about this series. All of the characters feel so real, and I understand everyone's point of view, and I just really like how all of them are written, even the villains.

The plot was - as in the first book - really fast-paced, and London is also a great setting, and I love that we saw even more of the Monster families that live in the city. We learn more about Joan's powers, and there were a few questions left open in the first book that we get some answers to - this book is really just an exceptionally well-written second book. Sometimes second books in a trilogy can feel a bit lackluster in comparison to the surrounding books, and I feel a bit lost and don't know where the story is supposed to go, but that was definitely not the case with "Never A Hero".

The only thing in the writing itself I disliked a bit was how often it was mentioned how handsome and charismatic Nick and Aaron are. It felt very repetitive to mention it in half of the chapters because I get it, Joan thinks both boys are good-looking. Maybe that only bothered me so much because I read the second book pretty soon after the first, so it was still fresh in my mind that Joan already described Nick and Aaron the same way a lot in the first book. And in the grand scheme of things, it's a really small thing that bothered me, and actually, I wouldn't even necessarily say bothered me, it was just something I saw and then couldn't unsee, you know?

But overall, "Never A Hero" was a great sequel, and after that cliffhanger, I truly can't wait for the third book. I need it asap (which is not happening because "Never A Hero" isn't even out yet, but one can dream, okay?).

After the ending of the first book and Joan's first adventure in the monsters' world everything seems to be normal again. The timeline is fixed, Joan's family is alive and she's the only one who remember what happened. Not only she unmade the hero, but now Nick is back in her life and school as another typical student.
When Joan and Nick are attacked and thrown in the future, they have to fend themselves and fight against a more terrible enemy, bent into rewriting the whole timeline. Again.
Struggling with her guilt and memories of her Nick, with her being part of both monsters'and humans' families and their contradictions, Joan has to find allies soon and stop another power hungry Monster.

Never the Hero comes back to the monsters' world with even more adventures, secrets, rollercoaster moments and hidden truths, while Joan and the reader with her, goes deeper and deeper in this reality, between past, present and future and lost timelines, new families and their Powers.

Brilliant, engaging and with a cliffhanger that will leave you breathless. I can't wait to hug my copy!

Pros:

- The novel takes readers on an exciting journey through the realms of time travel and emotion. The gripping complexities gradually unfold, keeping the reader engaged from start to finish.

- Joan is a likeable heroine (most of the time). Her courageous nature and unwavering determination to save her family and friends from impending disaster make her a relatable central figure.

- The romance elements are skillfully woven into the narrative without overpowering the main plot. Joan's relationship with Nick feels authentic but doesn't overshadow the main story.

Cons

- The narrative takes a while to get going which may test the patience of readers seeking immediate action and excitement. Some may find the initial chapters slow to unfold. I almost DNF'd at 30% but am glad I stuck with it.

- The intricacies of time travel can be confusing at times, requiring readers to pay close attention to understand the underlying logic and sometimes doesn't make sense at all.

- The more pedantic readers amongst us (me included) will likely notice some plot holes or inconsistencies in the narrative.

- The Secondary Character Development is a bit lacking.

- Joan needs to wake up and realise that Aaron > Nick in every single way. I really hope Nick isn't endgame because he is dull as dishwater.

What a book! I loved it so so much!
You could really feel Joans hurt with both Aaron and Nick not remembering her.
I found a mistake in the book though, there was written NIC once instead of NICK.
I was hoping for a bit more Aaron Oliver, or at least more of the love triangle between the three of them.

I love how the groups does everything together, how they blindly follow Joan from time to time.
The plottwist though, I did not saw that comming.

I need the 3rd book now!

I hugely enjoyed 'ONly a Monster', and raved about it to everyone.I thought that in Vanessa Len, we finally had an author, who could write funny fantasy YA novels-while there are well written YA fantasy novels, none of them manage humour. I read 'Only a Monster' again, before starting 'Never a hero', and it was just as charming and fun as the first read. I could not be more disappointed with the absolute mess that is 'Never a hero'. Firstly, every third sentence ( and I’m not exaggerating one bit) is Joan swooning over how handsome Nick is. I get it, teenagers are swoony, but to this extent? And she gushes about him all the time, to the extent that I couldn’t help wondering if Nick is Vanessa Len writing about her own teenage crush. Every third thought is variations of NIck's unbelievable good looks -running away from people who want to kill them, trying to hide, eating a meal. The plot went absolutely nowhere, and is completely forgettable. The first book benefited from the banter between Aaron Oliver and Joan, which is completely missing from this one,and no attempts at levity are made at all. It makes for a very boring book, particularly when the time jumps and action don't really seem to advance the plot forward,and seem inserted merely so she can hit her pages target. I don't think I'm even going to bother reading the third book. I'll just stick to my Harry Potter when I want funny and entertaining YA fantasy!

Vanessa clearly does not suffer from the dreaded second book syndrome!

Only a Monster was a surprise favourite of mine last year, I got it as part of a subscription box without really knowing much about it but I ended up reading it in 2 days & it blew me away, so Never A Hero was at the top of my 2023 anticipated releases & it did not disappoint!

Following on from the events of Monster, Never A Hero picks up the pace & increases the stakes straight away! I was immediately reinvested in Joan’s life, how the alternate timeline looked & the repercussions of the ending to Monster. The plot was engaging, fast paced & in my opinion stronger than Monster, the complexity of the world Len set up really paid off in this book & I cannot wait to see where it takes us in book 3!

Never a Hero ends on a really really great cliffhanger, there’s a lot of foreshadowing in the book leading up to it, but it will leave you desperately wishing book 3 was already out!

I think the only thing that slightly frustrates me about this book (because it actually doesn’t really), is the romance! I really love romance & Len writes tension/yearning/slow burn incredibly well, but I am just not a huge fan of will they/won’t they, soulmates, multiple love interests etc etc., but I reckon all that will be resolved in book 3 & I trust Vanessa to get even my cold cyclical heart on side!

Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton and Netgalley for the opportunity to review this ARC.

Thank you so much, NetGalley, Hodder & Stoughton, Hodderscape for the chance to read the amazing sequel of Only a monster by Vanessa Len!

Joan was able to achieve the impossible: restart the timeline and save her family by unmaking the hero, Nick. Now, though, she's the only one who remembers everything that happened and Nick is only the new boy at her school, while Aaron is the enemy. When Joan and Nick got caught by monsters and they are wrenched into the future, they have to deal with impossible choices and difficult explanations. How to trust someone who wanted to kill you in the past timeline, but also was your greatest love? How to trust Aaron again? And how to understand what's really happening to them all and why Joan has an impossible and dangerous power? Between secrets and truths, Nick, Joan and Aaron are forced to deal with dangerous powers, kidnappings, hidden truths and lost families, while trying to save themselves and everyone they love.

I absolutely loved coming back to the monsters world created by Vanessa Len. This book is unputdownable, brilliant and so filled with actions, plot twists that will leave you breathless until the very end. And after that. With Never a Hero, Joan and Nick are gripped again by dangers, monsters and horrible truths, while Joan tries to hide what she did to Nick to save her family and she's conflicted between her two halves, the monster and the human one. The reader will find again wonderful characters like Jamie and Tom, Ruth, while encountering others and changed one. In this book the stakes are even higher than the previous one, because Joan and her allies have to face a more deadly enemy, who threatens to remake the whole timeline for their own gains and it was so incredible being able to witness new powers and families, with their tattoos and necklaces or braceles, their symbols, new allies and new enemies, while Joan tries to understand her power and what it means for her and everyone else.
It's romantic and brilliant, funny and dangerous and this adventure left me breathless. I can't wait to read the next book!

Only A Monster ended so conclusively, I was surprised to find it was a trilogy at first, but also, thank goodness it was not because I had some serious questions. I needed more and Len answered. Not only has Never A Hero explained many questions and created many more (I need the final book right now please) but it felt like a prime example of how to write a stunning sequel.

🗡️Some Only A Monster spoilers ahead. 🗡️

We start Never A Hero with Joan, plodding through the next school year. Her family, Aaron (her enemy turned close friend) and Nick (it's complicated), have all forgotten the battles they faced together, the lives lost and saved. My heart ached for her. Yet, we soon discover that messing with the timeline had an impact that continues to ripple and whoever made the hero, hasn’t finished puppeteering their story yet.

Like, Only A Monster the writing is fast-paced and easy to consume, we immediately jump into the action. Joan finds herself in a strange parallel reality when she must escape danger with Nick from none other than Aaron and other unknown forces closing in. Jumping around time, I continued to be impressed with all the little contextual details that inferred the setting and added depth to the characters and histories. The barges and markets for example! Also, the way they play detective to understand the new time they’ve landed in and how they react to a new area of history (or the future). It all builds on the idea of the ‘monsters’.

In Only A Monster the book was brought down slightly but it lacked an exploration into the use of the term ‘monster’ but Never A Hero took it everywhere I hoped it would go. Helped by an already established background on the characters set up in book one, we see a Nick that’s new to this hidden world once again and challenges Joan’s (whose still relatively new herself) initial assumptions while they both discover what it means to be a ‘monster’ and a ‘hero’ together. Cue lots and lots of grey areas.

If you loved the first, you’ll love the sequel. Plus, there were tons of little details that weaved the two books together and I can’t wait to see how it all ties in with the third. Please make 2024 come faster, it's uncomfortable having to sit at the edge of my seat for so long!

ARC sent by the publisher -Hodder & Stoughton- for review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the opportunity.