The Backup Heroes

This book was brilliant and I know so many people say it but I read it in one sitting.

I was attracted by the wow cover art and title but the synopsis really caught me. The concept of a clean up crew that come in to save the day and make things right after the hero has botched it really called to the part of me that gets annoyed with traditional hero's who save the day without really having to try to hard.

I will admit that I was a little worried that the length of the book was not going to give enough time for world building, plot development and a conclusion but not only did the author manage it they paced the book perfectly. The story ebbed and flowed consistently, slowing down enough for us to get a feel for the individual characters and their motivations whilst sprinkling through the details of not just one but three separate distinct societies with their own gods, magics and norms.

This book was fun to read as a standalone but after I finished as satisfied as I was with the ending I can't help but hope there is more to come in this world and that this was a captivating start to a series.

I received an arc of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a really unique concept for the scifi genre, I really enjoyed the way the characters were written and how everything worked in the universe. The concept was everything that I was looking for and glad I got to go on this journey with them. Quinn Thomas has a great way of telling the story and was excited for more from the author.

The Backup Heroes offers a fresh twist on the hero trope, following a crew that steps in when other champions fail. With high-stakes decisions and emotional conflicts, the story explores loyalty, sacrifice, and the cost of saving worlds. Though it leaves some details vague, the fast-paced action and dynamic characters make it an engaging read.

Really well-written book! The characters are vibrant and relatable and Thomas' world building is easy to follow and engaging. Fingers crossed this is the first book in a long series!

I truly really enjoyed this book. It felt like a warm hug between found family while watching guardians of the galaxy and eating popcorn. I hope that made sense, because it was funny and hopefully and I loved all the characters

I had a LOT of fun with this, I really enjoyed it and found it hard to put down once I started.

Action packed and brimming with charm, it reminded me a lot of Joss Whedon’s Firefly and MCU’s Guardians of the galaxy. The pacing in some places makes it a 4 star rather than 5 but still a great experience overall.

It’s quirky, fun and a really entertaining read. Highly recommend!

I saw the cover of this book and originally thought it was middle-grade, however the description totally hooked me! The cover on the Ereader version with the paper dragon is so beautiful.

The tags for the book included "humor and satire" and there is nothing better than a fantasy that makes you laugh. And trust me- this one did!

I was a little worried that I was going to be totally lost because the prologue throws a lot at you at once but as soon as you start the first chapter, everything makes senese. The characters all have their own unique personalities and goals. My favorite character was for sure Surrah!

I hope this book turns into a series because I would love to learn more about each character! I read this in just a few sittings!

Thank you NetGalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review!

(this book is not yet listed on GoodReads)

I was provided an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review of this book.

I don’t know if I’ve ever read a book that just throws you into the story like this one does! It was almost like the author was trying to introduce you to an alien world that you don’t know anything about…oh wait…that’s exactly what she’s doing!

You’re along for the ride with the crew of the Jaratah. They are who gets called in to save a world from the Fallen after that world’s hero has failed. The crew is absolutely brimming with personality. There’s some witty dialog here, but the story itself seemed to take a little bit for me to fully catch on, but once you start to get adapted to the world, everything clicks. There’s even a fun little magic system in play here!

One thing that bugged me, is that I couldn’t tell if this was sci-fi or fantasy. I don’t know if the Jaratah sails the seas, or soars through the cosmos. Maybe it does both? That question isn’t very important at all at the end of the day. This was just a really fun read that never overstayed its welcome. Highly recommend this one!

I loved this book. This is a great, well-paced story. I loved the characters and the banter between them. The writing is very sharp, and I found myself re-reading some passages because of the great writing. I also loved the curses; very inventive. The magic system was also very good as was the world-building. This book was captivating from beginning to end and I hope that Quinn Thomas writes more books about this universe. Thank you to Netgalley and Ebbing Neptune Publishing for the advance reader copy.

This is such a unique story I loved it! It's cozy, fun and heartwarming with funny moments and endearing characters

This is an irreverently funny and action-packed adventure that will keep you turning the pages!

Follow the crew of the Jaratah, a ragtag group of heroes who are the last chance for those lucky enough to be visited by them.

Appearing only when a world's own hero has failed, these DAM (Disaster Aversion and Mitigation) specialists work to save as many innocents as possible whilst eradicating the universe of the monsters known as the 'Endless'.

But what happens if the local inhabitants are bigots and don't want to speak with outsiders?
What if those that the crew are trying to save refuse to speak with anyone female?
What happens when the newest member of the crew defies orders because of a promise made to a local child?

Only reading onwards will answer these questions and take you on a fun and thought-provoking journey you won't want to miss!


*I received an advance reader copy for free, and I'm voluntarily leaving a review*

For the first several chapters I had very little clue what was going on or who was who. The story felt like it started in the middle or like the world building had already been done but it all started to come together about midway through when all the threads started to pull tighter, helping to make sense of what we'd read previously. It was quite clever really.
The characters at first didn't speak to me but by the end I was really rooting for them and was pleased with their progression. Overall it was a good short read.