How to Defeat a Hero

A Novel (The Henchman's Survival Guide, Book 2)

By: J Bennett

Narrated by: Amanda L. Gregory

Length: 11 hrs and 51 mins

Publisher's summary

When the threat of cancellation looms, this newly minted henchman needs to think outside the evil box.

Through guile, moxie, and a smidge of betrayal, Alice has earned her spot as a henchman for The Professor, one of the biggest vils in town. This should be the role of a lifetime, but for Alice, it's merely a means to the paycheck she so desperately needs.

When Alice learns The Professor's show is in danger of cancellation, it's time to bend the rules. Alice's plan is big, bold, and seriously dangerous. In this semi-reality town, the consequences if she fails could be all too real. It'll be a miracle if she can pull it off...and that's assuming she can trust her conniving fellow henchmen.

How to Defeat a Hero takes listeners back to the gilded, futuristic world of Big Little City, where every hero and villain is the star of their own show...literally. As Alice tries to survive the "Fame Game", she discovers that it isn't so easy to separate fact from fiction or to keep her secret henchman life from poisoning her real one.

Also, what's she going to do about the hunky hero who knows her true identity?

Join J Bennett for this fast-paced, fresh story set in a world where good ratings might just be worth killing for.

©2020 Endeavor Reads (P)2020 Endeavor Reads

Unique concept, love this series!

Love the idea of Semi-Reality; and the struggle of what is real and what is not that Alice faces. The slippery slope she confronts as she compromises her beliefs to reach her goals is the real battle in these books! Also fascinated by how the author takes current culture and advances it to absurd but disturbingly plausible extremes. Purchasing the third (and final 😭) book as soon as I post this!

An enjoyable read or listen.

I enjoy this story a lot and I am looking forward to the final book in the series. The characters are for the most part are well developed and relate able.

a good second book

if you have read book one and are thinking about getting booked too I strongly suggest that you do so. I think the credit was well spent.

Well this one had a few stumbling blocks in my opinion... but the concept still was solid and kept me listening.
minor spoilers to follow do not continue reading if you intend to get this book, which I very much obviously think you should!!


So, here's a little critique to the author even though I don't believe she will read it, having so many reviews, lol
and even if she does the third book is wrote and I don't think she can change anything at this point so consider this just ranting a bit....

I must say I am so over the doctor's son, the boy needs professional help not just a friend's shoulder to cry on... it is very obvious he is still disconnected from reality and doesn't know how to cope, needing professional help.

A lot of points the book seemed like our hero/sidekick villainous suddenly regressed to a tween... it may have been more apt to set her as a teenager and not a college student since her emotional level seems to be that of a confused 15-16-year-old, not a twenty year old adult.

BUT, as I am a man I don't believe I'm fit to judge properly the mind and emotional state of a girl. In the society you created it is very possible that the emotional and intellectual level is a lot lower than it should be for a college student.

I truly hope the pharmacists son comes back in book 3 and gets a more active role such as a planner behind the hero giving her the dirt and low down on her opponents.... I will see because I'm about ready to start the next book!

A big kudos to the author, nine times out of 10 it feels like I'm listening to a detailed old X-Men comic, or silver age Spider-Man with all the emotional baggage and difficulties the heroes had to go through....

Your dis-utopian reality star world has been fun to get into.