Mamma knows best...

Several years after the end of Heroine Worship, Bea Tanaka is now 22 years old and working full time at a bookstore with her best friend, Leah. But she still wants to be a full-fledged member of her sister's superheroine team, kicking ass and taking names as demonic events occur all around San Francisco. She's resentful of her older sister constantly denying her wish, even though Bea has powerful superpowers of her own. But after Bea saves the day against a demon-possessed sculpture, she's promoted to Superheroine Probationary Intern.


Desperate to prove herself, Bea gets sucked into a mysterious voice claiming to be her mother, who passed ten years ago. A Bea follows the clues, she becomes more and more convinced that rescuing her mother could set right everything that's been wrong with her life and save the city in the process.
Family drama at it's best

This series has always been great at the twisty, bittersweet, complex drama between friends and family, and this book is no different. As Bea comes into her own as a young woman and struggles to find meaning as an adult, she comes head to head with her over-protective older sister who can't quite see her as more than a bratty teenager. Evie has her own surprise issues (no spoilers!) that come up near the end, and some of the fights between the two get intense. As Leah points out at one point: these two never fight over pizza toppings, no, they go straight for the deep cuts. But at the same there's a real warmth and love between the sisters that is constant through all their troubles and makes you know they're going to make it. Eventually. If they could just both calm down for two seconds...


It's not just sisterly drama that Bea has to navigate, but also her new and growing feelings for childhood friend Sam, and the way those feelings change the three-best-friends dynamic between her, Leah, and Sam. I loved Bea/Sam. They had a very sweet, supportive, genuine connection before the romance came in, and that never left as their feelings changed. He was just so....ugh healthy and sweet and I want one. This book had plenty of drama going on and I'm really glad that the romance drama didn't take center stage. (Like, it was still there, but it was obviously work-through-able and it was the least of the many dramas going on, which is exactly how I like my romance.)


Maladaptive coping techniques

One of the central themes in this book is grief and woah boy does it go in heavy on that subject for being such a lighthearted comedy in tone. It colors most of Bea and Evie's fights, and it especially comes into play once Bea starts chasing more information about her mother's death. Her search and the forces guiding it lead her to some do some questionable things, in a downward slide that starts slow and picks up speed. Her flirt with the dark side is extremely well handled and believable, and it's frankly heartbreaking near the end when she's at her most desperate. Her belief in what she's doing and the emotions behind her decisions are obviously wrong, but there's a tragic beauty in the way it's set up and the utter understandabilty of her journey. There's not a lot of grey morality here, there's just "I see you going down a wrong path and I'm helpless to stop you." But, like, with a lot of glitter.


Look, this is my pet peeve area and I just have to get it out of my system

I have ADHD. I was diagnosed in high school and my management of things has been extremely variable over the years. And pretty soon into this book I started thinking "Bea has ADHD." Not just ADHD, but my ADHD. She lost focus in the middle of conversations. Her thought process led to her saying random non sequiturs at random. She couldn't hold down a relationship because of boredom. She was impulsive. She changed her life's ambition every couple of years. SHE HYPERFOCUSED. She was interest-motivated instead of reward-motivated at a lot of points. I related so fucking hard to so many parts of her mindset and I was so fucking excited to see an ADHD heroine in something that wasn't straight-up contemporary. I even text searched all the reviews on goodreads to see if someone else had mentioned it, but when I got nada I started to get apprehensive.


And, yup, sure enough, it's never mentioned in the book. At the end, all of (what I would call) her ADHD symptoms are kind of vaguely attributed to not processing her mother's death fully. Which, okay, to be fair, could be true. I'm not a psychologist; I don't know everything. Or anything. But I harbor a secret hope that when she goes to therapy, someone will tell her "you have trust issues AND adhd." (After all, the only person saying it was all grief was Bea, and she's not a psychologist, either.)


Oh well, it was still a great book and I'm off to read A Duke by Default, which does have an explicitly ADHD character. Wish me luck.


Will I read this author again? Of course.

Will I continue this series? It's called Unsung Heroine, it's out July 2, 2019, and IT'S SAPPHIC!

to be posted 6/28

With this book I have now read the Heroine's Complex trilogy. I've had real mixed feelings about the previous two books (you can search for my reviews on my blog) but I am so happy to note that this is the strongest book of the series (and it will be a continuing series, according to Ms. Kuhn).

Bea Tanaka is the little sister to Evie Tanaka, the sometimes partner, sometimes sidekick to superhero Aveda Jupiter. Bea is just beginning to discover that she might have superhero powers of her own - the ability to plant suggestions in other people's minds (think Jedi mind tricks). And along with these powers are visions of her and Evie's mother who has been presumed dead for some time.

Bea wants desperately to join forces with her sister and Aveda and become a member of the superhero team to help stave off the demons from the portal that is sometimes open over San Francisco. But Aveda and Evie can't see Bea as anything more than Evie's little sister - one who needs protecting rather than as a protector. On her own then, Bea follows her mother into the portal and the realm of the demons where she hopes she can help her mother return to San Francisco.

One of the things I liked so much about this book was the plotting. We have here a well-thought-out story: device, contrivance, character, motivation, conflict, sub-plots, surprise, resolution. I didn't feel that way about the previous book, which felt more like a character story with the plot being secondary.

I really liked getting to know more about demon portal. This being the prime source of conflict for the series it was nice to have it come into play in a big way. Bea's description of the portal to Evie and Aveda is so concise and easy to understand that I smiled and noted in my kindle "brilliant."

The previous two books were marred, in my opinion, by graphic sex scenes that felt out-of-place - something from an erotic romance rather than a YA sci-fi/fantasy novel. There is still some sex here, for those who want it, but it's much more subtle (with only one word standing out as inappropriate in the context and a little jarring).

It's great to finish the trilogy on an up note and definitely makes one want to continue reading the series.

Looking for a good book? <em>Heroine's Journey</em> by Sarah Kuhn concludes the Heroine's Complex trilogy with a strong story and characters that will make you believe in superheroes in San Francisco.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

Like the previous books, this one combines action, romance, and character development. I fell in love with Bea's outward sass and humor and inner angst and darkness. The friends-to-lovers romance was a mix of heartfelt and steamy; Sam made for a compelling love interest and supporting character, especially given his fleshed out family background. I personally related to it a lot as an Asian American.

A welcome addition to the series. I hope that that this is not (as I had been told) the final book in the series but only of the first arc.

Yep, definitely still not a teen book, although the cover does a good approximation of a teenish sort of cover. Don't be trucked. This is an adult book all the way.

This time the book is being told by Bea, Evie's little sister and one of the found family of Evie who has powers, but isn't an official 'super hero' yet. She's trying though.

Of course, as usual there's a new demon threat on the horizon. This time it may or may not have anything to do with the portal in the Pussy Queen store. and now there's a lot of 'interesting' things goin on at the book store where Bea works, It's Lit.

We get to meet Sam and Leah, Bea's best friends, as well as Pancake (a dog). Sam and Bea's story was okay, and I really liked Leah's story, but, I wanted to see more of it instead of hear about it. I felt the same about the Rose/Lucy story too. I just wish that we'd actually gotten to see their whole story. We know so, so much about everyone from Sam to Bea to Evie, Aveda, and most of the other characters, but, we only seem to have been told (not shown) stuff about Leah/Rose/Lucy/Nicole. It's annoying, and mars an otherwise amazing series of books.

I think that this book did take me a little time to get into this one than the previous ones because at the start Bea just really annoyed me, but, by the end I think I definitely liked her more.

I hope there might be another one (after all it is listed as a series, heh), but, if not, this one (and the previous two) were great rides.

I was given this ARC by Netgalley on behalf of Berkley Publishing Group.

The Heroine Complex series is one I definitely don't recommend enough. I'm going to change that, because these books are amazing, and you should all be reading them. These are the superhero books that I would want to live in - with awesome women supporting each other, great representation, fun plots and even a touch of romance! HEROINE'S JOURNEY is no different - this time starring Bea, Evie's little sister, we get another strong, complex lead character who definitely isn't defined by any one characteristic (like the streaks of color in her hair).

One thing that really sucked me in was the super emotional nature of the mystery. Bea's powers are mental, so it makes sense that this book would tug at the heartstrings a little more than the previous books, rather than be a bunch of ass-kicking (though there's time for that too). All in all, it really grabbed me and made me want to keep reading, to find out what was happening. I also loved the romance Bea has - super sexy and also adorable at the same time.

My biggest complaint is similar to my complaint about HEROINE WORSHIP. I didn't love Bea's narration. She's smart, but she's a bit young and immature. She felt at times even younger than her supposed early twenties age. This led to the book having a somewhat young adult feel to it at times. But, also like with HEROINE WORSHIP, because HEROINE'S JOURNEY is narrated by a character who previously had not been the center of the action, it would be very easy to pick up this one independently of the other two. I don't recommend that you do that, because all three are spectacular, but you could!

Luckily, HEROINE'S JOURNEY isn't the last we've seen of these amazing super-powered women. While HEROINE'S JOURNEY does a good job of not leaving loose ends, I know I'd love to read more. So, I was happy to see there's going to be at least three more novels and a e-novella in the Heroine Complex series! I know I'm very excited and can't wait to see what Bea, Evie and Aveda get up to next.

When I realized this was the third book in the series I sped read my way through book one before tackling this book. Having read this one, I would say you don't have to read the first two books, but they will definitely lend some insight into this book.

The third book in Sarah Kuhn's trilogy is narrated by the younger sister of Evie Tanaka, Bea. Bea is a teenager, with some anger problems, but after her mother died and her father bailed it all seems reasonable. Bea is a foul mouthed genius with a heart. There is still a ton of superheroing to accomplish in this book, and as Bea becomes convinced she should be a superhero with her sister and Aveda Jupiter we see her in action for real.
I loved getting more of an insight into Bea's world including her friends outside of the Heroine Headquarters. Bea, Evie, and Aveda's stories as Asian superheroines is magical and exciting while being important and crucial at a time when the need for diversity cannot be understated.

Heroine's Journey is the third installment in author Sarah Kuhn's smart, sexy, action packed Heroine Complex series. For those who read the first two books in the series, Heroine's Journey takes a leap (4 years) into the future from where Heroine Worship left off. In the Heroine Complex series, Asian-American superheroines Evie Tanaka and Aveda Jupiter must protect demon-infested San Francisco from perilous threats while dealing with their own tumultuous lives and relationships.

13 years ago, a Demon Queen named Shasta attempted to invade and take over this realm. She sent a group of special demons with super powers into the world where they all died. When they died, they released their powers which ended up in those like Evie, Aveda, and Beatrice (Bea) Tanaka. As we open the story, Bea, who is now 22-years of age, is eager to join Evie and Aveda as being a trio of badass superheroines. If only her over protective sister would just say yes! After years of being told no by Evie, Bea walked away from working with the dynamic duo.

Today, Bea works at a bookstore called "It's Lit" as a worker bee reshelving books, slinging coffee, and being the resident bouncer putting the fear into anyone who steps out of line. Bea admits that she hasn't exactly had the most stellar record when it comes to her future. She dropped out of college, she's no longer Nate's apprentice which she was really good at & she's become a cartoon character in a state of goth rebellion. Bea has not one superpowers, but two. The ability to shift people's mental states, and Bea's scream which hasn't been tested or used since she helped defeat Shasta years before.

Bea is still considered to be the impulsive, tempestuous teenager who gets bored way too easily by her sister and Aveda, especially when she has so much potential to be or do anything she wants. Bea uses her powers to calm her workplace of the more difficult customers. Of course, she's really not supposed to be using her powers for this sort of thing, but hey, who is going to complain? Especially since her own sister believes she is a huge disappointment for not taking advantage of her intelligence and skills.

The positives in her life go by the name of Sam Fujikawa, her fierce academic rival who is one of the Hunky Hot Calendar Models, and an artist. Bea and Sam have had a competition about everything, and I do mean everything since they were in grade school. They even keep running tabulations as a way to keep things interesting. Her best friend is Leah Kim, who also works in the bookstore, and who is looking for a bit of romance, without Bea pushing someone in her path.

After helping Evie and Aveda end a particularly odd demon attack, Bea is finally allowed to be a superhero-in-training, with Aveda as her self-appointed mentor. But being a superhero isn’t everything she’s dreamed it would be. Then the strangeness begins. Bea believes she is hearing the voice of a woman who has been dead for 10 years. A woman who was her everything, and who stood as her best friend while Evie was busy doing other things. This is where the relationship issues between Bea and Evie are really exposed.

I don't think I am spoiling anything by saying that Evie picked up the mantle that was left behind by both of their parents. One who ran away to find himself, the other because of a devastating illness. She tried her best to raise Bea, do well in school, while also helping out her best friend Annie Chang aka Aveda Jupiter when they both found out they had powers. She also made sure that Bea had food on the table when she was hungry. One thing she never had a moment was is to let go of all the emotions that took a toll on her life.

Bea never fully accepted the loss, which leads to all sorts of bad mistakes when she starts using her recently upgraded powers as though she was Obi Wan talking to the evil empires storm troopers. I dare say that she has mommy issues that really needed to be resolved way before this point. But, I digress. As Bea goes on her own tangent, it once again leaves Evie and Aveda to help pick up their little gremlin and ensure she doesn't go all evil incarnate as she once did; briefly. I am ok with the relationship with Sam and Bea. I think that there might have been too much sexual situations, but I am usually in the minority when it comes to my likes and dislikes on that subject.

One last comment; NO, this is not the final installment in the series. The author emphatically states that there will be more adventures from Evie, Aveda and Bea in the future. So, until then, I do recommend that you read these books as they were released and try not to just jump into any one book. There are wonderful secondary characters that you will fall in love with, especially Rose, Shruti, Scott Cameron, and Nate Jones.

This is the third book in the Heroine Complex series, centered on three female Asian superheroes in San Francisco. While you could perhaps read this book as a standalone, don’t. Go back and read the first two – they are excellent!

It’s been a few years since the last book, and Bea is now in her twenties. After repeatedly being denied a chance to join her sister Evie and her best friend Aveda’s super hero team, Bea’s pulled away from most of the daily grind of HQ and now works at a book shop. After helping Evie and Aveda end a particularly odd demon attack, Bea is finally allowed to be a superhero-in-training, with Aveda as her self-appointed mentor. But being a superhero isn’t everything she’s dreamed it would be, and she starts fearing that Evie’s criticism of her – that she flits around to whatever’s shiny, abandoning whatever she’s currently doing – has more merit than she wants to admit. The demon attacks this time seem different, and Bea soon becomes convinced that their mother, supposedly dead for a decade, is alive and trapped in a demon dimension.

“I’d just proved myself as a badass superheroine and totally slayed some giant stone monsters, hadn’t I? What was a little family drama compared to that?”


Bea and Evie’s relationship is complicated. After their mom’s death, their dad left, leaving twenty-something Evie to raise tween Bea by herself while also going through graduate school. Evie – partly because of her emotion-fuelled fire powers and partly because she was too busy with school, work, and Bea – never had the full-on breakdown Bea had, going from queen bee to goth, with only her friend Sam staying by her side, mostly because he was the only one who didn’t seem to pity her. When Bea suddenly starts receiving Otherworldy messages from her mom, she’s convinced it’s the way to fix things – the empty hole that she’s felt has been missing in herself, and everything that’s gone wrong between her and Evie.

“You said you were dumb enough to have hope. Bea, I … I don’t think that’s dumb. I love that so many times, you choose hope. Even when it’s not the obvious choice, even when the odds are stacked against it. I love that you can find that hope.”


I think one of my main issues with the book is that it rubs places I’m especially raw – I lost my mom when I was around the same age as Bea. She strikes me as very young and very self-centered at the start of the book. It’s kinda weird, because it was what I was really worried about with Aveda’s novel, but I found her a lot more sympathetic from the get-go than Bea. She’s also ridiculously impulsive and gets bored quickly, dropping her new interests (and relationships) as quickly as she picks them up. What I loved about her, though, is her hopefulness, her habit of making posterboards covered in glitter to convince Evie of things, and the obvious love she has for her friends and family. To me, this book felt darker than the first two. Though it’s still chock full of humor (alas, though, no cupcake demons), much of it focuses on pretty heavy topics, like the fraught relationship between the sisters, which Bea attributes to their mom’s death. On top of that, Bea’s superhero power – being able to influence the feelings of people around her – has had a sudden and unexpected upgrade. Now, she can implant thoughts into other people’s heads, Jedi-style – and with that comes even more ethical concerns. Bea doesn’t always make the best choices, which was extremely relatable for me. What child – even an adult child – wouldn’t do anything within their power to get their mom back?

As always, the secondary characters were excellent, and many of them (Shruti, Rose, etc) were ones we’d seen before. While I liked Bea’s love interest, for me at least, the romance seemed more secondary to the main plot than it had been in previous books. I still enjoyed it thoroughly, as well as the peaks we got of the couples from the previous books. Though the villain is pretty predictable, the plot is inventive and just delightful.

Overall, I’m delighted that, at the end of this trilogy, it’s circled back around to one of the defining conflicts of the first book – Evie and Bea’s relationship. I was so pleased to find out that there will be more books in the series, and I’ll definitely be picking them up!

I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Fun, fantastical world infused with humor, heart and action!

Nothing like jumping into a series at the very last book, but that is exactly what I did with Heroine’s Journey. For most series, that would be disastrous, BUT for Heroine Complex, jumping in at Heroine’s Journey just made me want to one click the first two book in this series immediately! To say I enjoyed it would be an understatement.

I found Heroine’s Journey to be bundle of snarky, quirky, action intense FUN! Don’t get me wrong, for all that fun to work Kuhn rocked character development, strong world building and plot and also heartfelt moments that instantly connected and engaged me, the reader. My only regret was not seizing this series from the start. I highly recommend this gem of a read and series.


I received this ARC copy of Heroine's Journey from Berkley Publishing Group - Daw. This is my honest and voluntary review. Heroine's Journey is set for publication July 3, 2018.

My Rating: 5 stars
Written by: Sarah Kuhn
Series: Heroine Complex
Sequence in Series: Book 3
Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: DAW
Publication Date: July 3, 2018
ISBN-10: 0756414415
ISBN-13: 978-0756414412
Genre: Scifi | Fantasy | Romantic Comedy

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Heroines-Journ...
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hero...
Itunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/hero...

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Sorry, Evie and Aveda. Bea is my favorite now. The following review is spoiler-free.

Heroine’s Journey, the third book in Sarah Kuhn’s Heroine Complex series, centers around Beatrice Tanaka – the spontaneous and keenly observant younger sister of one of San Francisco’s superheroes. Bea’s sister Evie and Evie’s long-time friend Aveda are a known duo in the fight to protect the city from demons and the portals that allow those demons to cause fear and destruction.

Even though she’s 22 and has exhibited strong emotional projecting powers, the dynamic duo isn’t quite ready to allow Bea to officially become a superheroine in her own right. When a mysterious being starts communicating with Bea, she takes the initiative to become a hero like she’s always wanted. But the path is not that easy.

Often as series progress they can lose the magic they started with or be packed with so many expectations that the ending disappoints. Neither is the case here. It helps that each book in this trilogy can be read as a standalone, but Heroine’s Journey may also be the best one yet.

Author Sarah Kuhn keeps things fun in the midst of an emotional journey with witty metaphors and a conversational tone. At times the story is obvious as to where it’s going but it’s still interesting to watch it all develop. Ultimately it’s a tale of letting go of the past, finding hope for the future, and figuring out who you are along the way.

Like the other Heroine Complex books, Heroine’s Journey radiates a certain awareness. Kuhn even directly addresses the Asian girl with colorful hair trope that’s used to indicate “this one is different” not only by making her main character comment on it but by having this colorful-haired young woman want to be accepted more than wanting to be set apart. And yes, the book is aptly named as a heroine’s journey in the storytelling sense takes place too.

This story takes on so many different kinds of relationships from parental to nemesis. It has romance and action. There’s introspection and sisterhood. And by the end I found myself tearing up – not for any one particular event but for the feeling that’s deep-seeded in the pages. Heroine’s Journey lets you know you’re not alone – that if you feel like you’re not yet the super-awesome version of yourself you think you’re supposed to be by now, we’re all figuring it out and making it up as we go.

Bea is such a wonderfully complex heroine and Heroine’s Journey is a compelling, page-turner with a strong emotional core. If some some swearing and a few fairly explicit sexual situations don’t give you pause, consider this urban supernatural mystery fantasy for your to-read pile.

Heroine’s Journey by Sarah Kuhn is out now in paperback and ebook.

The publisher provided FANgirl Blog a copy of this book. As usual all opinions are my own.

Curious about the other books in this series? Check out my Heroine Complex and Heroine Worship reviews.

Heroine’s Journey is a blast to read. It’s a fast-paced, action-packed adventure coupled with a journey of growth. Add in a vibrant cast of characters, a steamy romance, wonderful friendships, a scene-stealing dog, and a to-die-for bookstore and it’s easy to see why I didn’t want to put this book down.

It’s been four years since readers last visited Jupiter/Tanaka, Inc. and the superhero duo of Aveda Jupiter and Evie Tanaka is a well-oiled machine that works for everyone. Everyone except Beatrice Tanaka, that is. Bea is desperate to convince her sister to let her become a superhero, but she’s blocked at every turn. Until Bea finds herself at the center of a new wave of demonic activity, one far different and more personal than anything she and her loved ones have ever seen.

Bea is easy to adore. She’s brilliant, bold, and a butt-kicking heroine in her own right. I loved how fast her mind moved and could understand how her brain jumped from one thing to another. But beneath her lively exterior is a young woman still feeling the pain of her mother’s death. There’s a hole in Bea she cannot seem to fill and that just broke my heart. Heroine’s Journey is an apt title because a lot of the book is Bea struggling to come into her own and defining what exactly that means. Bea is a wonderfully flawed heroine and I loved that she made mistakes because her imperfections were relatable. I was rooting for her every step of the way which is part of the reason I was glued to the book. Another reason was Bea’s friendships with Leah and Sam. Leah is an amazing best friend, a smart, creative, kind person who supports Bea but doesn’t hesitate to warn her when she’s going down a potentially dangerous path. And Sam… How best to describe Sam? He’s a sexy-as-hell mechanic with charm to spare, but there’s so much more beneath the surface. He’s as quick-minded as Bea and I absolutely adored their ongoing competition. But few people besides Bea see beneath the surface of Sam and I really enjoyed watching the layers being peeled back and exposing his vulnerabilities. He and Bea have some deliciously hot sexual tension brewing, but whether or not anything comes of it I’ll leave readers to discover.

Heroine’s Journey is the third book in the Heroine Complex series and if you’re new to the series (and don’t mind spoilers) you can dive in here. Returning fans of the Tanaka/Jupiter crowd will be delighted to revisit favorite characters and see how their lives have grown over the past four years. I loved seeing more of my favorite characters from Heroine Complex and Heroine Worship and I really enjoyed seeing a different side of the dynamics between our three superhero leads. Bea’s relationship with Evie is central to the story and the love and frustration on both sisters’ sides gave emotional heft to the book. And for some fun, Aveda’s self-appointed role as Bea’s mentor made me grin (I have a huge soft spot for Aveda).

I focused a lot on the characters of Heroine’s Journey because Sarah Kuhn’s talent for creating such amazing characters is what sticks with me the most. But it’d be remiss of me not to mention the action, danger, and mystery in the story. As with the first two Heroine Complex books, the fight scenes and the mystery of the demonic attacks are quirky, interesting, and exciting. Ms. Kuhn is brilliant at balancing popcorn thrills with more weighty storylines and I loved every bit of it. Heroine’s Journey is an engrossing story that blends the real and the fantastical perfectly. I loved every bit of it and I hope to see lots more of Bea, Sam, Leah, Evie, Nate, Aveda, Scott, Lucy, Rose, and Shruti in the future!

The final book in this arc of the San Francisco set Heroine series is narrated in first person by exuberantly foulmouthed Bea Tanaka, younger sister to Evie, who with Aveda Jupiter are local superheroes fighting to free The City from its demon portal problem.


Bea has been bouncing from one pursuit to another, her relationships lasting even less time. It doesn’t help that her deadbeat dad turns up after years away, just in time to upset everyone. Now Bea is convinced that her life will be perfect if she becomes a superheroine with Evie and Aveda, and is furious when they point out that she seems to follow every new shiny idea without ever settling to one.

On the other hand, she is smart, determined, and her ability to vaguely influence thoughts does come in handy, especially after some creepy gigantic demon things suddenly start stomping threateningly at a local beach park. Bea is admitted as a superheroine trainee at the same time as her powers begin to ramp up exponentially . . . and she gets a hint that Evie’s and her mother, dead since Bea was twelve, might actually be caught in some demon dimension, and is trying to reach her!

I loved Bea’s voice, but what I really enjoyed were her awesome friends, beginning with her bestie Sam, with whom she has been competing academically since they were kids. Sam is super good-looking, and also bounces from one relationship to another, which is one of the reasons their friendship is so strong.

But what happens when the old competition develops a spark of you-know-what? Bea’s other bestie, Leah, calls it like it is, highly entertained when Bea stops her ears and claims no way.

Interspersed between these high octane scenes of relationship discovery are intense scenes dealing with the fallout of abandonment. Meanwhile the stakes keep rising, weird stuff keeps happening until the usual hilarious and yet tense climax, bringing this first arc to a close.

I liked this book best of the three. The emotional tension line was as involving as the magical one, and I found Bea’s voice the most fun of the three books. At the end readers are promised more from these delightful characters in a series that is diversity friendly, featuring Asian superheroines.

I was so excited when I was approved for this book! I binge-read the first two books last year and I adored them; I mean, what more could you want in a series? Demon cupcakes, possessed wedding dresses, evil unicorns, hot romance, Asian-American female superheroes, amazing friendships, found family, I could go on honestly, but I'll stop.

Heroine's Journey is, perhaps, my favorite book in the series (so far! the series was recently expanded from a trilogy to 6 books and a bonus novella!!). I really related to Bea and her struggle to be taken seriously by the people in her life and also her self discovery as she tries to find what she's passionate about. She's really the character I didn't know I needed, honestly.

Also, one of the main things that made this THE book in the series for me was..........the romance. Bea and Sam have a childhood rivals-to-best-friends-to-lovers trope and I loved it! Their relationship was so cute and supportive, as well as hot.

The characters were amazing, of course. One of my favorite scenes was when the older gang get really protective of Bea in front of Sam; it was the best thing ever, honestly, I laughed. Also, the casual diversity! Besides the main characters from the first two books, Sam is Japanese-American and Leah is half-black and half-Korean (I believe? Sorry it's been a bit since I've read the book) and wlw (sorry I cannot remember so please correct me if I'm wrong!). Bea is also bi, I believe, and none of this made to be a big deal!

Apparently, people dislike the fact that Bea fits into the Asian-character-must-have-colorful-hair trope but actually if you read the book, you get to see Bea call out this trope. Yes, this is an overused trope that shouldn't define Asian characters, but that's the thing; Bea chose to dye her hair. She didn't do it to be ~rebellious or to be seen a certain way. She just wanted to dye her hair different colors, and it in no way reflects on any of her character. And honestly it's badass on her, like look at her on the cover and tell me you would not dye your hair like that if you could. I know I would.

Heroine's Journey is a great conclusion to the first half of this series. It ties everything up as well as opens new plotlines for the future. The relationships, romantic and platonic and family, were portrayed so well; you can't help but be enamored by them all, with Aveda and Evie's protectiveness, Nate and Scott's support, Leah and Sam and Bea's, well their everything. You'll fall in love with this series, if you haven't already, and if you haven't started the series, you need to pick it up today.

Bea is my favorite POV so far. I loved how impulsive she can be, and I love how she doesn’t hold anything in and get all angsty, which is how one would expect her to act. She doesn’t. If she’s pissed, she tells you (in a very long winded way) just what you did wrong. She was refreshing. She’s what drove my love for her close friendships with Leah and Sam, because that was a solid friendship all the way ’round.

And speaking of Sam! I adored how sweet and gentle he was while Bea was spazzing out. He’s a darling and I loved him and his charming smoldering self!

Basically, I loved Heroine’s Journey!

Heroine’s Journey didn’t disappoint me in any way. This book was as awesome as I was hoping it would be. In fact, it far surpassed my expectations. The story basically followed Bea on her quest to become a superhero like her sister. It was easy to get drawn into the story, because right from the start, there was this perfect balance between supernatural, superhero, mystery, and even some romantic elements. This book accomplished all of that with the same charm and whit that made the last two books so enjoyable. Needless to say, I was hooked.

One of the most appealing aspects of this series has always been the characters. They made the story, and it was no different in this book. There was a lot of character development done for Evie, Nate, Aveda, and of course, Bea. Heroine’s Journey is best described as a journey. It was as much a book about self-discovery as it was about being a superhero and what that really meant to Bea. It all tied together. In that way, Kuhn nailed the human aspect behind the capes and signature costumes—behind the superpowers and crime fighting.

I'm glad that there was finally a story from Bea's perspective, because it's by far my favorite of the series. One reason was that it delved more into the complicated relationship she had with her older sister, Evie. It was something that was always present in the stories, but it was from everyone else's perspective except for Bea. Bea and Evie had their share of issues. There was everything from communication shortfalls, misunderstandings, and some issues caused by outside factors. And I liked the fact that Heroine’s Journey centered on that and expanded on what was already established. I also liked how the conflicts were handled, because Kuhn didn’t shy away from writing difficult, messy, and emotional conversations. And it was great.

The secondary characters—like Rose, Leah, Shruti, Lucy, and others—were also cool. They weren’t just part of the background. I liked them mostly because they were so individual and interesting. They felt like proper characters with personality and backstories separate from that of the main character.

And while I was happy with how Heroine’s Journey ended, there were some lingering mysteries and potential for other stories. All in all, Heroine’s Journey was a fantastic read. Kuhn is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors, and I look forward to reading whatever she writes next. And if you enjoyed any of the books in this series, then Heroine's Journey is a must read.

Disclaimer: this copy of the book was provided by DAW via NetGalley for free in exchange for an honest review, thank you!

"The third book in the smart, snarky, and action-packed Heroine series completes the "Heroic Trio" as Bea Tanaka joins her sister, Evie, and diva Aveda Jupiter in their quest to free San Francisco from its demon portal problem.

If there's one thing Beatrice Tanaka never wanted to be, it's normal. But somehow, her life has unfolded as a series of "should haves." Her powers of emotional projection should have made her one of the most formidable superheroes of all time. And she should have been allowed to join her older sister Evie as a full-fledged protector of San Francisco, pulverizing the city's plethora of demon threats.

But Evie and her superheroing partner, Aveda Jupiter, insist on seeing Bea as the impulsive, tempestuous teenager she used to be--even though she's now a responsible adult. And that means Bea is currently living a thoroughly normal life. She works as a bookstore lackey, hangs out with best friends Sam Fujikawa and Leah Kim, and calms her workplace's more difficult customers. Sure, she's not technically supposed to be playing with people's mental states. But given the mundanity of her existence, who can blame her?

When a mysterious being starts communicating with Bea, hinting at an evil that's about to overtake the city, she seizes the opportunity, hoping to turn her "should haves" into the fabulous heroic life she's always wanted. But gaining that life may mean sacrificing everything--and everyone--she holds dear..."

Have they thought of calling on Buffy Summers?

It’s so hard to believe this is the end of the series. I’m sitting in a puddle of my own, happy tears. What a fantastic finale! If you don’t yet know about this series, it follows three Asian-American superheroines as they protect San Fransisco from a plague of mysterious demons (who tend to inhabit things such as cupcakes or porcelain unicorns) and has the best character growth you will ever read. If you want strong women in your books, I don’t think I’ve read anyone stronger or more complex than Evie, Adveda, and Bea.

Heroine’s Journey might be the best in the series. Granted, it’s a little less chaotic than the first book (no cupcake demons here!) and less laugh out loud, but the focus was on Bea and I loved it. I loved seeing the other beloved characters through her eyes. I loved her relationship with Sam (SAM! Mr. Beaucoup Fromage! My new Book Boyfriend, swoon). I loved seeing her grow.

All in all, I don’t want this series to end. I know the Heroic Trio trilogy is now closed, but I’m hoping to see my favorite girls again sometime soon. An outstanding end to a fantastic trilogy - and I can't wait to see what happens next!

Somehow this series keeps getting MORE delightful! Which is why I’m so glad the adventures will be continuing!

Baby sister Bea comes into her own in this third HEROINE book, and it’s as exciting a ride as ever. What I really love, though, is how Kuhn imbues her books simultaneously with great humor and real, raw emotion. Thar takes real skill. There’s a light-heartedness to it, but also a genuine recognition of the mental and emotional struggles so many young women face while navigating through life. And then she amps it all up with superpowers, demonic forces, and rampaging architecturali features.

Absolutely wonderful. Read it!