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Places of Power #2
Negative Film
Second book in the Star Places of Power series. The raids happen at night. Searches by the police are regular, tearing homes apart down to the nails, the officer's intentions a mystery. This time, it's not SC they are trying to find, but someone else entirely. Nothing will stop them, even if it means traveling halfway across the globe to chase a centuries old myth of a rare power. Join SC and his friends as they discover the police's intentions and attempt to thwart their plans. But with a new villain in town, and Darian missing, can they be successful? Should they fail, the enemy will become more powerful than they can imagine. And if they succeed, they'll unearth secrets best left hidden by time.
338 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 21, 2019
475 people are currently reading
237 people want to read
About the author
Leo Petracci
23 books91 followersLeonard Petracci is a recent graduate of Georgia Institute of Technology currently living in Los Angeles. In his spare time you can find him hiking, at the beach, or enjoying the outdoors.
Feel free to direct any questions or comments to his reddit account, LeoDuhVinci, or his gmail, leonardpetracci@gmail.com
Visit his blog at https://www.leonardpetracci.com
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
September 25, 2024
Another good superhero book, yay.
TL; DR: Another great addition to the Places of Power world and another solid superhero story that builds nicely on the last book.
It really is nice to just enjoy the whole story of something. I don’t have to think too much while reading this series, which isn’t an insult in the slightest. It’s become a rather relaxing and thoroughly enjoyable experience to journey into Petracci’s world and it’s more of the same from the last book.
Characters: The fan favorites return, with new characters to bolster the cast size and the new villain is awesome, really. I enjoyed getting to know each of the characters and it was a lot more enjoyable in this book with the various introductions. Petracci is refining his craft and I found even the previously known characters more believable and real, though there still are the telltale “what the hell are you reacting like that for” pieces, but they are fewer and far between.
Setting: Much more diverse than last time. The expansion of the story world into the Amazon and Houston and so many dang places was impressive. Even just the difference between the rainforest and “city” was well-done, which seems obvious, but I could enjoy both as separate entities without feeling like I was just dropped into one from the other.
Story: Another good one and remarkably unique actually. I appreciated SC being tempered by someone else and showcasing some real flaws of character. It doesn’t feel like the author is forgiving the behavior either, rather he’s using it as warnings or foreshadowing.
Writing: It’s gotten better. I’m actually really enjoying the way Petracci writes more and more. He’s doing such a good job of laying out the various pieces of the story and making sure it all fits. I don’t mind his cliffhangers either because I don’t feel like I’m being teased, more like I’m just waiting for the next chapter.
I don’t know where else to put this, but I’ve realized recently how much categories and lists just make me happy; first Ordinary Monsters, now this, I’m beside myself with joy that I can put a bunch of powers into lists and slot them into nice little bullet points in my head, especially with everything so well-laid out. The creativity in everything involved is a wonder and I’m so glad to continue reading this.
4.3 🌟
TL; DR: Another great addition to the Places of Power world and another solid superhero story that builds nicely on the last book.
It really is nice to just enjoy the whole story of something. I don’t have to think too much while reading this series, which isn’t an insult in the slightest. It’s become a rather relaxing and thoroughly enjoyable experience to journey into Petracci’s world and it’s more of the same from the last book.
Characters: The fan favorites return, with new characters to bolster the cast size and the new villain is awesome, really. I enjoyed getting to know each of the characters and it was a lot more enjoyable in this book with the various introductions. Petracci is refining his craft and I found even the previously known characters more believable and real, though there still are the telltale “what the hell are you reacting like that for” pieces, but they are fewer and far between.
Setting: Much more diverse than last time. The expansion of the story world into the Amazon and Houston and so many dang places was impressive. Even just the difference between the rainforest and “city” was well-done, which seems obvious, but I could enjoy both as separate entities without feeling like I was just dropped into one from the other.
Story: Another good one and remarkably unique actually. I appreciated SC being tempered by someone else and showcasing some real flaws of character. It doesn’t feel like the author is forgiving the behavior either, rather he’s using it as warnings or foreshadowing.
Writing: It’s gotten better. I’m actually really enjoying the way Petracci writes more and more. He’s doing such a good job of laying out the various pieces of the story and making sure it all fits. I don’t mind his cliffhangers either because I don’t feel like I’m being teased, more like I’m just waiting for the next chapter.
I don’t know where else to put this, but I’ve realized recently how much categories and lists just make me happy; first Ordinary Monsters, now this, I’m beside myself with joy that I can put a bunch of powers into lists and slot them into nice little bullet points in my head, especially with everything so well-laid out. The creativity in everything involved is a wonder and I’m so glad to continue reading this.
4.3 🌟
May 13, 2019
Cool sequel of a fantastic teenage adventure.
January 23, 2022
Finished it in 24hrs so I'd say it was pretty good
April 3, 2019
Great story. I am looking forward to Book 3. I rated this 4 stars, however, because the editing is possibly the worst I've ever seen. This was true in Book 1 as well. Each book has numerous typos and grammatical errors that at times make it difficult to read, from simple things like using 'than' instead of 'then' to sentences with words out of order that make you wonder what is being said. Given an new editor, this storyline ranks up with any sci-fi/fantasy series I've read.
October 25, 2020
Good story, but the proofreading is awful.
The storyline was engaging. However there are many missed words, articles, pronouns, and many wrong words which sound like the book had been dictated and the dictation program had heard the wrong word. This made reading the book painful at times.
The storyline was engaging. However there are many missed words, articles, pronouns, and many wrong words which sound like the book had been dictated and the dictation program had heard the wrong word. This made reading the book painful at times.
April 18, 2024
The writing is just so bad.
April 18, 2025
Though it doesn’t reinvent the wheel of superhero storytelling, I still thoroughly enjoyed this installment for a few key reasons.
First, the shift in location. Moving the story from an American city to the Amazonian Rainforest was a bold choice. While the prose didn’t quite bring the setting to life in a way that fully transported my imagination, the portrayal of Amazonian culture more than made up for it. The larger elements—like the various tribes encountered and the lore surrounding superpowers—were well done, but it was the smaller details that truly stood out. The jungle guides’ abilities, the super-powered hotel services, and the unique ways power functions within this part of South America showcased Petracci’s deep passion for the world he’s building—as all great writers should.
Second, we finally start seeing elements originally alluded to in Forgotten Pages, the prequel novella for this series. While some connections are made here, the characters from the novella still haven’t had a meaningful impact on the main narrative. I suspect this will change as the series progresses, but my growing impatience compels me to point it out.
Lastly, the scope of the story has dramatically expanded. What started as a group of super-powered teens taking down a prison school and its ruthless principal now feels like something much larger. The stakes have officially been raised, making me even more eager for what’s to come.
A richer world, heightened stakes, and a clear evolution in storytelling—definitely a step up from its predecessor. Count me in for the next one.
First, the shift in location. Moving the story from an American city to the Amazonian Rainforest was a bold choice. While the prose didn’t quite bring the setting to life in a way that fully transported my imagination, the portrayal of Amazonian culture more than made up for it. The larger elements—like the various tribes encountered and the lore surrounding superpowers—were well done, but it was the smaller details that truly stood out. The jungle guides’ abilities, the super-powered hotel services, and the unique ways power functions within this part of South America showcased Petracci’s deep passion for the world he’s building—as all great writers should.
Second, we finally start seeing elements originally alluded to in Forgotten Pages, the prequel novella for this series. While some connections are made here, the characters from the novella still haven’t had a meaningful impact on the main narrative. I suspect this will change as the series progresses, but my growing impatience compels me to point it out.
Lastly, the scope of the story has dramatically expanded. What started as a group of super-powered teens taking down a prison school and its ruthless principal now feels like something much larger. The stakes have officially been raised, making me even more eager for what’s to come.
A richer world, heightened stakes, and a clear evolution in storytelling—definitely a step up from its predecessor. Count me in for the next one.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews