ARCHENEMIES by Marissa Meyer

Disclosure: I received a review copy of Archenemies from Pansing Books, a regional distributor, in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Archenemies (Renegades #2) by Marissa Meyer • contains 474 pages • published November 15, 2018 by Macmillan Children's Books, Pan Macmillan • classified as Fantasy, Dystopian, Young Adult • obtained through Pansing Books • read as paperback • shelve on Goodreads

Synopsis:

Time is running out.
Together, they can save the world.
But they are each other’s worst nightmare.
Nova’s double life is about to get a lot more complicated:

As Insomnia, she is a fully-fledged member of the Renegades, a syndicate of powerful and beloved superheroes.
As Nightmare, she is an Anarchist - a group of of villains who are determined to destroy the Renegades. Nova wants vengeance against the so-called heroes who once failed her when she needed them most.

But as Nova, her feelings for Adrian are deepening, despite the fact that he is a Renegade and the son of her sworn enemies and, unbeknownst to Nova, he has some dangerous secrets of his own.

The line between good and evil has been blurred, but too much power could mean the end of their city – and the world – as they know it.

When Renegades came out last year, I liked it but didn’t love it. At the same time though, I thought this new series had potential and was excited to continue reading. Now I’m happy to report that Archenemies lived up to those expectations. It’s everything I hoped for and more!

With Archenemies, the Renegades series really took off. While the first book focussed a lot on the world building and establishing the various characters, the second book was filled with action. There were further expansions of the characters and their worlds, of course, but tensions and conflicts were at the core of Archenemies. These finally drew me completely into the series.

What made this a standout sequel to me is that it delivered in developing the story. It’s not a placeholder while we wait for the next book. Originally, Renegades was supposed to be a duology and it’s only later that the expansion to a trilogy was announced. In this case, I’m glad with this decision. I love the characters, be they the “good” guys, the villains or antagonists. Somehow I’ve become sympathetic to all their causes and am curious who will triumph in the end and how.

Another aspect of Archenemies that I enjoyed was the depth. The motivation of Nova and Adrian were laid out for readers in a way that made me consider their thought processes. I liked that neither of them believe in absolutes, seeing morality on a grey scale. They’re willing to question everything but also fiercely throw themselves into their causes. It’s for them that I can’t wait for the sequel. After all, given their world views, nothing is set in stone and anything can happen.