Video: Class Heroes Book Series Trailer

Stephen Henning has created four new short films to promote his Class Heroes YA series about teenaged twins who gain superpowers in an accident.

I've read and reviewed all of the books so far (A Class Apart, What Happened in Witches Wood, London Belongs to the Alchemist and the novella Where's Lolly).  You can buy the books via Amazon, the first one is free.  Just a warning, the third book ends on a cliffhanger.

The first of the videos is now up on youtube and gives a general introduction to the series and each of the books:



The other three videos will come out over the next three weeks and introduce each of the protagonists: Sam (Samantha), James and Lolly.

This isn't the first set of videos the author has created, he's done a series of fake news reports surrounding the events of the books, which you can also find on his youtube channel, White Hat Films.

Here's the synopsis for book 1, A Class Apart:

Teenage twins James and Samantha Blake are caught up in a seemingly random terrorist bombing while on a school trip. Many of their friends are killed. When the twins wake up in hospital, their lives have changed forever.

The doctors are amazed at the speed with which James and Sam recover from their injuries and, when the twins begin to exhibit extraordinary powers, it is obvious that something incredible has happened.

As James and Sam attempt to overcome their fears and embrace their new abilities, a series of murders and disappearances start plaguing the hospital. The twins aren't the only ones with special abilities and it becomes apparent that someone is coming for them.

Will James and Sam be able to survive the nightmare into which they have been plunged? Who, or what, is behind the murders at the hospital? And was that terrorist incident quite so random after all?

Book Review: London Belongs to the Alchemist by Stephen Henning

Pros: fast paced, multiple plotlines, real consequences for decisions, lots of plot twists

Cons:

For Parents: kissing, drug use (with consequences), bullying, gun violence, rioting

Sam and James are back in London returning to school for the first time since the bus bombing that gave them their powers and killed several of their classmates.  They’re coerced into attending a party run by the Alchemist, who hands out a new drug called Super D and falls for Sam.  Back at school the twins face bullying and their world is turned upside down when Lolly Rosewood comes calling.

This book has a bit of everything: drugs, guns, first love, grounding, bullying, and more.  It stays age appropriate, though things get bloodier than I’d expected.  Seeing the characters make difficult decisions and then deal with the consequences keeps things real.

Everything’s fast paced and several plotlines interweave to create a complex story where it’s hard to guess what’s going to happen next.

Lolly’s plot arc was very surprising, both in how she was treated by others and also in her personal growth by the end of the story.

This is the 4th book in the Class Heroes series, but not the last, as there are aspects of the story left open at the end of this novel.

Novella Review: Where’s Lolly? by Stephen Henning

This is a novella that takes place after Class Heroes book 2, What Happened in Witches Wood.  While it is possible to read this without reading the 2 novels that precede it, this novella does somewhat spoil aspects of the second book’s ending. 

The story focuses on Lolly Rosewood, on the run from the police, in London, looking for help after the events of book 2.  The story’s fast paced, and involves lying, sex and bad decisions.

Due to her loss of powers, Lolly’s more sympathetic here than in the novels, though she does make choices that make you forget how young she is.

It’s a fun, quick read.  And while you can read it as a stand-alone, those who have read the novels will obviously get more out of it.

Get a Class Heroes eNovella Free today!

Class Heroes is a series by Steve Henning, and while this novella takes place after books 1 and 2, it's self contained and can be read without knowing what's happened in those stories.

Synopsis:

Lolly is on the run. She has arrived in London, penniless, alone and – worse still – she has lost her fearsome superpowers.

She is being hunted by the police and the Security Service. She has no friends and very few people who would want to help her. She needs money and a place to lie low, while she formulates a plan to rescue Sir Michael Rosewood, her father. He is being held prisoner by the British Government at a secret location.

There is one person who may just agree to help Lolly. An old friend of her father. However, time is running out because the Security Service are hot on her trail...







I've read the first two books and they're quite fun.  This novella is on my to be read pile.  Here's where you can get the eNovella, today*, for free:

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Amazon Australia

Amazon Canada

* At the time of posting all the links had the book listed for free.  Check before buying to confirm that's still the case.

Book Review: What Happened in Witches Wood by Stephen Henning

Pros: interesting characters, compelling story, quick pacing 

Cons: Stannard asks others to do illegal things

For Parents: no sexual content or swearing, a decent amount of violence (shootings, beatings, attacks using superpowers - deaths, when they happen, are off page)

What Happened in Witches Wood is the second book in the Class Heroes trilogy.  If you don't want spoilers, check out my review of book 1, A Class Apart.  The author has also done some creative news reports that act as a prequel for this book.  You can learn about ghost sightings in Witches Wood, and about earning money as a drug test subject for G-Netik.

Fourteen year old twins Sam and James are living with their mom at their Grandparent's farm after their hosptial stay in London.  Their dad's censure on using powers doesn't hold up under his absence and the twin's boredom, and so Sam uses her superpowers to run into town.  She witnesses a pair of men rob the post office and can't let them get away.  Her decision puts her in the path of Sir Michael Rosewood, millionnaire and CEO of G-Netik, a local genetics laboratory.  He's also the father of a creepy young woman named Lolly, whom the kids saw in London in connection to their bombed school bus.

Meanwhile, the woods outside their house plays host to various ghost hunters, looking for the ghost of their dead aunt.  A girl who looks a lot like Sam.

Told in a series of very short chapters, this book hooks you and never lets you go.  Jumping between viewpoints allows you to know what everyone's doing and thinking while making the plot speed by. 

The characters were interesting.  A few times I wished the twins would figure something out faster, but then I would remind myself that they're 14 and wouldn't necessarily see the connects the way an adult would.  And they solved Katie's mystery before me, so...  

I was amazed by the complexity of Sir Michael's opperation and how quickly he arranges things with the twins.  His powers were creepy, and make it understandable why those without powers would fear those with them.

There's a decent amount of violence in the book, mostly dealing with superpowers (people being beaten up, fire, telepathy).  While there are accounts of death, the death scene itself is always off page.

My only major complaint with the book was that Detective Inspector Stannard keeps asking other people to do dangerous and illegal things to further her investigation.  Considering she's supposed to be on the side of justice, her putting other people's lives on the line for evidence she can't even use (at least not in court) was surprising, and made me question her motives.

While tying up most of the loose ends, the book did leave a few things open for a third volume.

Free Kindle ebooks: Class Heroes

Author Stephen Henning is letting readers get their hands on both of his books, A Class Apart and What Happened in Witches Wood for free on February 5th and 6th.  This only applies to the Amazon kindle editions, but if you don't have a kindle you can still read the books on other devices that allow apps.  The links are to the US editions, but this offer includes the UK editions as well.  I believe Canadian accounts can still get the US book from that site, but I know they've made some changes so don't quote me on that.

I read and really enjoyed A Class Apart, and What Happened in Witches Wood is on my soon to be read pile.

Here's the synopsis for book one, to whet your appetite.

Teenage twins James and Samantha Blake are caught up in a seemingly random terrorist bombing while on a school trip. Many of their friends are killed. When the twins wake up in hospital, their lives have changed forever.

The doctors are amazed at the speed with which James and Sam recover from their injuries and, when the twins begin to exhibit extraordinary powers, it is obvious that something incredible has happened.

As James and Sam attempt to overcome their fears and embrace their new abilities, a series of murders and disappearances start plaguing the hospital. The twins aren't the only ones with special abilities and it becomes apparent that someone is coming for them.

Will James and Sam be able to survive the nightmare into which they have been plunged? Who, or what, is behind the murders at the hospital? And was that terrorist incident quite so random after all?