I just realized I never reviewed this here. My Goodreads review said I wanted more action and it was a little slow. I have been scared of the third book ever since and haven't read it yet lol

More in-depth review coming to my blog soon.

I read this book with my partner as we had started renegades together and we both loved it so much! This was such a fun read! I loved that my partner isn't a reader but couldn't put this down. The character development and world-building were absolutely A1 for me. I enjoyed the suspense and the tension building. Always guessing or wondering if their secret identities would be revealed. Call me a cornball but it reminded me of Romeo and Juliet a bit. Not to mention it was DEF an enemies to lovers book which is a weakness trope of mine. There was found family here who'd do anything for one another, chemistry that had me swoon, and a story that had me on my toes. I love how fast pace the book was and how morally grey Nova was. It definitely explores heroes who have evil motives and villains that have good ones. It reminds me that the hero and the villain are the same the difference is the POV of the person telling the story. 10/10 100% recommend.

an interesting follow up to the first book. It has better character arcs than the first but still felt long. I feel like how I view the entire trilogy is almost entirely up to the third book since there has been so much buildup. The characters still feel very young to me although they are dealing with very adult situations (non sexual but death and the like).

After reading Renegades, I had a vague idea where the story would go but really didn't see the need for 3 books. I hoped Archenemies would change that opinion and unfortunately it just didn't.

Following the events of the first book, Archenemies opens with Nova working as a part of Adrian's Renegades patrol team to take down the bad guys, all while secretly helping her uncle try to bring them down. Cool. So I'm expecting that this will be about her going deeper under cover, maybe getting caught as the big cliffhanger at the end?

Instead, I read a romance?

So the whole Nova/Adrian relationship started in Renegades but was pretty low-key, though I had a feeling it would come back (why else include it?). I didn't expect Meyer to use the bulk of book 2 to focus on them awkwardly shifting from friends to a couple. While they have one cringey scene after another, I'm slowly losing interest in the background story, which is what the entire plot with Ace has become by the halfway mark in Archenemies.

It didn't help that the characters all fell flat. Quite literally, flat. What I once thought was a solid cast of characters with room for growth turned into a cast of one-dimensional characters defined by one act or their powers. The protagonists didn't have the defined motive that would make me cheer them on. The antagonists didn't really. . . antagonize. Days after finishing it, I couldn't tell you anything about the characters beyond their powers. Nothing stuck.

The only characterization that I thought really came through was this idea of challenging what's good and evil. Nova and Adrian are forced to consider both sides of the story rather accepting a singular answer to everything. Good intentions don't always mean the right decision and Meyer really showed that.

But the characters and the surrounding story still fell flat.

I just felt like there wasn't enough plot to make this a trilogy! Renegades was drawn out but I enjoyed it more, I think, because it also involved a lot of world-building to get on the page and for a first book I tend to expect that. So I was cool with it, enjoyed it even, and saw the potential for a stellar sequel. But the characters? Bland, one-note, and all-together just. . . well, MEH. I liked Nova and Adrian, and even the others, in Renegades but they flatlined here and I honestly don't feel super eager to read the last book. Granted, I'm already 2 in so I likely will but it's not high on the list.

Archenemies felt like a step down from Renegades and I wish the series had been a duology rather than a trilogy. Perhaps that would have fixed some of the issues. I'll certainly be lowering my expectations for the last book.

This book gave me everything I've been waiting a year for and more.

The development of the plot and story line was epic. In a way, I really enjoyed how subtle the development was because it pulled you deep into their world so that when the climax occurred, you were already sucked so deep into everything.

I can't say much more about everything since I don't want to give away any spoilers if you haven't read the first (which you totally should...)

The ONLY issue I had with it, was that the beginning seemed quite slow with developing Nova and Adrian. You didn't see Nova in her "house" until halfway through the book, and I'm still DYING to get more info on Nova and how she actually lives outside of headquarters.

Overall, this book was an epic sequel to one of my favorites and is definitely something everyone and anyone should be picking up.

I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
Archenemies had promise. After the end of Renegades (check out my review of that book here), I had such high hopes that this book would be action-packed and would keep me at the end of my seat. Unfortunately, Archenemies was more of what Renegades was, a foundation-building info-dump wit not a lot of action. I’m not saying that I hated Archenemies, just that I was disappointed that there was even less action than there was in Renegades.
Other than the fact that this book is just more development and brick-laying, I enjoyed seeing Nova and the other characters grow and look forward to the final book (which better just be constant fighting).

Archenemies is the second installment in author Marissa Meyer's Renegades trilogy. The story revolves around and alternates between two main characters: Adrian Everhart (Sketch) and Nova McLean (Insomnia). In Gatlon City, there are two factions of heroes and superheroes. There are the Renegades, and the Anarchists. After the first installment in this series, the Anarchists are feeling the pain of losing, while the Renegades are collectively working towards something even more shocking.

For Nova McLain who goes by both Insomnia and Nightmare, her world revolves around one thing; getting revenge on the Renegades who didn't do anything to save her family. Nova unwittingly has become something of a hero to the Renegades by removing a dangerous threat. Nova has quite a bit to handle in this installment. She has to try get back Ace's helmet; she has to discover a way to counter act the Renegades new weapon; and she has to find a way to gain revenge on the Sentinel her personal archnemesis.

For Adrian, who also goes by Sentinel, his goal has been to find those responsible for killing his mother, while keeping his secret identity and the tattoos he has created on his body from being revealed. The curious thing about the story is that Adrian's Sentinel persona is now thought of as dangerous as the Anarchists, while Nova is a heroine. Funny how that works when you fight and help save people's lives but don't go by the Renegades rules.

I would say that Meyer ups her game in this installment. Meyer jumps right into the action from the first page, and doesn't let up until the final chapter. While the story adds yet another new villain, it also adds an element to the story that really gets you thinking as a reader. How far would the government, or in this case, the Renegades go in order to keep the peace and remove anyone who steps out of line even a little bit?

There is an old adage that says there's no good or bad, black or white. Not until you add the human element and free choice into the equation. Are the Anarchists all bad? Some are, yes. Are the Renegades all good? No way, Jose, especially Genissa and her squad. The back and forth between Adrian and Nova has really gone to another level but I really can't see how it can endure what comes next. I do have a questions about Nova, her fathers bracelet, and her apparent connection to Ace's helmet. I would have loved to see more of Hawthorne. This is a villain who really gives Doctor Octopus (Spider Man) a run for his money. The ending has all but assured that I will read the third and final installment.

When I initially heard that the Renegades series was going to be turned into a trilogy, I was hesitant. As a general rule, I don’t like it when a series is extended, and was worried that Archenemies would suffer from “second book syndrome”. Fortunately for me, and all of Marissa Meyers’ fans, ARCHENEMIES WAS FREAKING AWESOME. (Maybe not the most elegant way to phrase my review, but it gets the point across)

Let’s start with Adrian – one of the sweetest cinnamon rolls currently in the YA world. As expected, he has continued to be a little bit of a rebel, while maintaining his moral compass. Though he is a bit blinded by the role of his dads in the Renegades infrastructure, he has the purest of intentions. I genuinely can’t imagine a single reader finishing this book without falling in love with him just a little bit.

Now, on to Nova. I will admit, I still don’t connect with her nearly as much as Adrian. I understand and appreciate her loyalty to Ace Anarchy and the remaining Anarchists, but I also want her to realize that the people she considers her enemy, don’t have to be enemies. To me, she seems like a pretty black and white character despite her emotional entanglements, and I found myself wanting to shake her on more than one occasion. Because I didn’t love or connect with her as a MC, I was unable to rate the book 5 stars.

What I really enjoyed about this sequel was the glimpse we got into the personal lives of some of the Renegades and Anarchists. As a reader, I really learned more about not only Nova’s allies, but Adrian’s dads and brother. Speaking of his brother: Max is hands down my favorite character in this series. Both times I teared up while reading, Max was the reason. May I PLEASE have him as a little brother? Please?

My Takeaway: Forewarning, this one does end on a bit of a cliffhanger. Though it does still have me thinking, it isn’t a cliffhanger that will torment me over the next year. I enjoyed the deeper look at all players involved, and can’t wait to see how things turn out in book three!