I loved Dreadnought so this book was something I was really looking forward to, but unfortunately for me it didn't live up to the hype I'd given it and wasn't as good as the first instalment in this series.

Some aspects of Sovereign were a rehash of Dreadnought which lowered my rating as I think this could've been improved upon. I wasn't completely convinced by the romantic elements of this book and think that there could've been a better buildup and transition from them being interested in each other to getting together.

I did however enjoy that even though this is an alternate universe, it was an allegory and many elements of it and what it means to be trans were woven throughout.

If this series is continued then I'll definitely be back to finish it as the rep of a trans superhero is incredible.

I am beyond disappointed in this. I had been so enthusiastic about the first and recommended it to a large amount of people. This is a sequel misses the mark. Lots of action but emotionally empty. Clarity issues within the plot and the author's use of the r-word don't help.

DREADNOUGHT was one of my favorite superhero books and I still recommend it all the time. I had really high expectations for the sequel, and while I enjoyed it, it didn't blow me away the same way. I do want to go back and re-read it with normal expectations!

I did like the way there was a conference to meet all the other superheroes, and a super villain that brought movies like The Incredibles and Desipcable Me to mind!

Sovereign is the second book in the Nemesis series by April Daniels. I highly recommend reading this series in order, as character and story development in the first book, Dreadnought, is vital to fully enjoying this book. Since I enjoyed the first book so much, I do not think it will be a chore for any that need to go read, or reread, that first.

Only nine months after her debut as the fourth superhero to fight under the name Dreadnought, Danny Tozer is already a scarred veteran. Protecting a city the size of New Port is a team-sized job and she's doing it alone. Between her newfound celebrity and her demanding cape duties, Dreadnought is stretched thin, and it's only going to get worse. When she crosses a newly discovered supervillain, Dreadnought comes under attack from all quarters. From her troubled family life to her disintegrating friendship with Calamity, there's no trick too dirty and no lever too cruel for this villain to use against her. She might be hard to kill, but there's more than one way to destroy a hero. Before the war is over, Dreadnought will be forced to confront parts of herself she never wanted to acknowledge. And behind it all, an old enemy waits in the wings to unleash a plot that will scar the world forever.

Sovereign is a complex and thought provoking book with character development that is impactful and sometimes as painful as the physical battles the characters undergo. Danny is still struggling with the changes of becoming Dreadnought and the devastating battles fought in the first book. She needs to deal with the physical and emotional scars while trying to fight crime , keep her promises, get free from her parents, and deal with the social complications of her life. Despite the powers and her intelligence, Danny is still young and reeling from abuse and betrayals, mistakes and assumptions are made making matters worse. I really enjoyed seeing Danny, Doc Impossible, Calamity, and the rest of the group come into their own and fight for what they think is right while trying to stick to their codes. I was floored by the honesty and raw truth of the characters- and how real the confusion, doubt, and complexity of their thoughts and emotions were. It is hard to get the balance of growth, feels, and action right- and this book hit it perfectly.

Sovereign is a book that I put off reading for far too long. I loved the first book so much that I was worried it would not meet my high hopes, thankfully that worry was unfounded. However, my worry of wanting more right now from the author was well founded. I am hooked and want more. I highly recommend Dreadnought and Sovereign to readers from middle school age right on up to adults. The only people I think would not enjoy it are those with something against the LGBT community, and they might need to read it the most.

In this sequel to Dreadnought, Danielle is working hard as the new hero in town but between kicking butt and maintaining her reputation with the press; and without even being fully licensed due to her age, she is feeling the strain. But Dreadnought is needed now more than ever as a worldwide threat lingers on the horizon.

I can't quite put my foot on what it is but this is not as enjoyable as the first book. Don't get me wrong, this is still a well-written superhero story with high stakes and plenty of thrilling action; by no means a bad book. A teenager dealing with the harsh realities of being a superhero AND transgender AND some topical threats to humanity deserves this darker tone. But in comparison to the first, the darkness is unpleasant instead of intriguing or compelling. I want to like this more than I do. If you ware interested in following Dreadnought's next steps as she develops as a hero, this entry is just ok. 3.5 out of 5.

Did not read.

First of all, I finished Dreadnought but I didn't like where the story will go on. Thank you publisher for this book because I just clicked it before seeing the what is it all about in the first book. Anyways, it is not that I hate the concept. It is not my cup of tea,.

Okay. You know what, I didn't actually think April Daniels could top "Dreadnought", because I thought it was basically a perfect book. But, it happened. "Sovereign" was impeccably done, and everything I loved about the first book, was brought back ten fold into this, and more. I believe that throughout my read of this novel, I felt every emotion imaginable. I laughed, I cried (a lot more than I expected), I squealed and swooned, I screamed in frustration (mainly at Graywytch), and I was in awe of the brilliant action and clever techno-science stuff (I am great at descriptive words as you can see). I thought this book was infinitely clever and well paced, it blended emotion, action, romance, humour and social commentary in the most balanced way, and with a lot of care. I could feel how passionate the author was and is about her story and her characters, and it rubbed off. I WILL FIGHT FOR DANIELLE/DREADNOUGHT FOREVER! This book is a super empowering read, with great representation (yes!) and I will recommend it to anyone and everyone! More please!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Diversion Books, for a copy in exchange my honest opinion.

Speaking of honesty, I should have reviewed this book a long time ago and I feel really bad for not doing this sooner. The epub copy that I received from NetGalley expired and was archived before I got a chance to finish it so I had to get a copy for myself. It was not the book’s fault for my not reading it sooner and quicker. So let’s get to my review.

This book wasn’t as enjoyable for me as I was hoping, but it wasn’t bad.

I did not enjoy that we only got subtle clues as to what happened in the previous book, but I am grateful for getting some reminders instead of none. I was not a fan of Danny/Dreadnought this book. Her self-deprecating personality made it really hard for me to feel any empathy towards her. Also, I wasn’t a big fan of the plot. It seemed kind of scattered to me. I was also waiting for some big reveal because at the end of the book description it says “And behind it all, an old enemy waits in the wings, ready to unleash a plot that will scar the world forever.” Writing this review, I understand now (I think) who the old enemy is and what they did to scar the world, but that character was not “in the wings” in my opinion. The last thing I wasn’t a fan of was the romance between Danny/Dreadnought and Sarah/Calamity. My feelings toward their romance isn’t stemmed from homophobia before anyone makes false claims; to me, it just felt like their romance was forced. I didn’t get the feeling from the first book that they would have a fling yet apparently they had feelings for each other since the first book. It’s great seeing more diversity in books, especially when I can relate to how Calamity/Sarah was feeling, I just wished the relationship happened more naturally.

Overall, I think this book was alright. I think I may have enjoyed it more when I was a young teenager. The third book (if there is even going to be a third book) has the potential for greatness since Danny did some growing up in the final chapter. So if there is going to be a third book I will probably read it.

I was unable to review this book because of a conflict in my schedule. Sorry for any inconvenience this has caused the publisher or the author of the work. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to review for you and I look forward to reviewing for you in the future.

Much like the previous installment, this book does contain transphobia and some body horror, so be warned! ANYWAY! I'm so happy I got to read this sequel so soon after reading the first because I really love Danny. I just want her to be happy. Which she does get to be at some point in this book, even though when reading it, it really seems like she never will be. BUT I PROMISE SHE WILL EVENTUALLY!!!!!! She also teams up with a super cool NB hero as well! As far as sequels go, this one was pretty damn fun and does a decent job in continuing to build up the world of superheroes and metahumans that Danny lives in, and saves. Even thought the plot felt a bit like a rehash of the first, the writing and dialogue and characters were fun enough to make up for it. I was really sad when it ended. I WANTED MORE. I hope there's another book in the pipeline....

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I really enjoyed the teamwork in this book. Danielle faces a lot of personal challenges alongside the threats from super villains and family drama. I definitely recommend this series.

Sovereign was good, but not as good as the first book Dreadnought for me. I’m not sure if it was the particular mood I was in the first couple of days I read this, but Danni really, really annoyed me. She just became extremely arrogant in this book about her abilities (which yes are amazing, but she’s still only starting out and I didn’t like how she talked to others around her, not to mention the policemen and stuff just doing their job. She basically seemed to treat everyone but Calamity as an idiot).

The first half of this book was a three-star read for me but the second half was a four-star. Things really heated up - I also felt like everything moved way faster in this book, there was no time to breathe but I liked it - and Danni was really challenges as Dreadnought and really made her realise she’s not the best things since sliced bread just because she can fly.

The villain bit near the very end of this book was so terrifying but I also loved how it all worked out. I also like that Danni is going to be seeing a therapist and needs time to process what she’s done, and what she saw. I feel like this isn’t something that’s every touched upon in superhero stories - at the end go the day, they’re mostly human and need to take care of mental health just as much as their physical health!

The trans rep and LGTBQIA, diverse rep in this book was great as always (as far as I could tell anyways as a straight, cis, white woman) and I’m not sure if there’s another book coming but if there is, I will definitely be reading it!

An impeccable sequel full of characters you loved in book one and new characters that you can slowly learn to adore. Danny remains, as ever, a fierce heroin forced to deal with complex issues of self worth, the push to make ever more morally questionable decisions, and the concept of a found family in her own life. She reaches incredible highs and navigates dark lows as she faces a villain all-too reminiscent of a current day threat. The bow on top of this superhero drama full of diverse characters at every turn is a story with heart and a romance worthy of its build-up. Superb in every way.

Dreadnought is an amazing story about a young girl who gained superpowers that also helped her to express her truest self!

In this sequel, Sovereign, we find Danielle - Dreadnought - Battling more supervillains, teaming up with more superheroes, and butting heads with the awful Graywytch.

(- As a side tangent on Graywytch - her cruelty and refusal to accept or respect Danny's identity makes Graywytch one of the hardest characters to read about - I'm not sure I've ever disliked a character quite as much as her with the exception of Prefessor Umbridge from Harry Potter... Yes. Graywytch is on THAT level.)

Overall, I think this series needs to be at every library and in every YA department - tackling themes on gender and sex identity, first loves, self-confidence, and family tension, while the story is set in a fantasy world with superheroes like Dreadnought, Danny faces some conflicts that I think are quite relatable to LGBT youth.

I absolutely love the writing style of this author, and I adore the characters!
A truly unique gem, and one that deserves more attention, I eagerly await the next installment of the Nemesis Series!

In this second book in the series, Danielle, as Dreadnaought, has learned that there is a lot of politics and paperwork and dealing with authority when you are a superhero who is not yet an adult. A new supervillain who calls himself Sovereign has appeared and it is up to Danny to stop him. She fights evil and her own demons as well.

Well I had a major delay getting this book done and reviewed. I really enjoyed the first one, but for some reason this one did not get me excited the same.
The plot still had lots of energy but I felt myself losing interest. I think It was the age of the characters that got me this time around. The way they talk and act is so far off from someone who is fifteen. I think had she aged them to seventeen the characters would have felt more relatable.
My other issue was Danny's anger issues. I felt like they were built up through the whole story but slapped into this tiny paragraph about how she was overcoming them. I wanted a little more detail about how she was overcoming it and what the repercussions of her actions were.
All and all it was still and okay read but suffered from the second book blues.

2.5 stars