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Spectra #1
Spectra: A Cynical Superhero
Aliens, Mutants, Mythical Creatures, & Magic -- merge in this fresh take on female superheroes!
They think she's a superhero. She thinks they're delusional.
I thought I knew who I was; translator for the President of the United States, adopted daughter of a dryad, and a supernatural with the ability to manipulate reality through colors.
Then I met an angel -- an Arc warrior of the Triari Host -- and everything began to change.
Women are disappearing, strange Supes are running rampant in D.C., a sexy Demon prince is stalking me, and it seems as if everyone is after my blood. I don't know who I am anymore, but I know who I'm not; I'm not a damn superhero. No matter what anyone says.
From Amy Sumida, best-selling author of the series, Godhunter, Twilight Court, and Spellsinger -- comes an exciting new take on superheroes.
Grab a copy today and discover why cynics make the best heroes!
* * *
Spectra is a slow-building, reverse harem, fantasy, urban, paranormal romance series.
Save the world in the proper order:
Book 1: Spectra: A Cynical Superhero
Book 2: A Gray Area
Book 3: A Compression of Colors
Book 4: Blue Murder
Book 5: Code Red
Book 6: With Flying Colors
Book 7: Green With Envy
Book 8: A Silver Tongue
Book 9: A Golden Opportunity
And . . . check out the other
award-winning series:
> The Godhunter Series
> The Twilight Court Series
> The Spellsinger Series
> The Happily Harem After Series
They think she's a superhero. She thinks they're delusional.
I thought I knew who I was; translator for the President of the United States, adopted daughter of a dryad, and a supernatural with the ability to manipulate reality through colors.
Then I met an angel -- an Arc warrior of the Triari Host -- and everything began to change.
Women are disappearing, strange Supes are running rampant in D.C., a sexy Demon prince is stalking me, and it seems as if everyone is after my blood. I don't know who I am anymore, but I know who I'm not; I'm not a damn superhero. No matter what anyone says.
From Amy Sumida, best-selling author of the series, Godhunter, Twilight Court, and Spellsinger -- comes an exciting new take on superheroes.
Grab a copy today and discover why cynics make the best heroes!
* * *
Spectra is a slow-building, reverse harem, fantasy, urban, paranormal romance series.
Save the world in the proper order:
Book 1: Spectra: A Cynical Superhero
Book 2: A Gray Area
Book 3: A Compression of Colors
Book 4: Blue Murder
Book 5: Code Red
Book 6: With Flying Colors
Book 7: Green With Envy
Book 8: A Silver Tongue
Book 9: A Golden Opportunity
And . . . check out the other
award-winning series:
> The Godhunter Series
> The Twilight Court Series
> The Spellsinger Series
> The Happily Harem After Series
382 pages, ebook
First published October 31, 2018
459 people are currently reading
391 people want to read
About the author
Amy Sumida
284 books978 followersAmy Sumida is the Internationally Acclaimed author of the Award-Winning Godhunter Series, the fantasy paranormal Twilight Court Series, the Beyond the Godhunter Series, the music-oriented paranormal Spellsinger Series, the superhero Spectra Series, and several short stories. Her books have been translated into several languages, have won numerous awards, and are bestsellers. She believes in empowering women through her writing as well as providing everyone with a great escape from reality. Her stories are full of strong women and hot gods, shapeshifters, vampires, dragons, fairies, gargoyles... pretty much any type of supernatural, breathtakingly gorgeous man you can think of. Because why have normal when you could have paranormal?
Born and raised in Hawaii, Amy made a perilous journey across the ocean with six cats to settle in the beautiful state of Oregon which reminds her a lot of Hawaii but without the cockroaches or evil sand. When she isn't trying to type fast enough to get down everything the voices in her head are saying while her kitties try to sabotage her with cuteness, she enjoys painting on canvases, walls, and anything else that will sit still long enough for the paint to dry. She prefers antiques to modern furniture, tea to coffee, night to day, and Tom Hardy to Tom Hiddleston. No; Tom Hiddleston to Tom Hardy. No, wait... Tom Hardy and Tom Hiddleston to Tom Cruise. Yes, that's it.
Sign up for Amy's newsletter and get a free short story:
http://google.us11.list-manage.com/su...
The first books in her Godhunter and Twilight Court Series are free!
Join the God Squad on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/AmySumidaAut...
Dive further into the worlds of the Godhunter and the Twilight Court on Amy's website: https://amysumida.com
Amy's Imaginary Worlds, a Facebook group where you can discuss all of her books:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/15360...
Check out the new Godhunter Store on Cafe Press, with all kinds of items featuring quotes and art from The Godhunter Series:
http://www.cafepress.com/godhunter
Born and raised in Hawaii, Amy made a perilous journey across the ocean with six cats to settle in the beautiful state of Oregon which reminds her a lot of Hawaii but without the cockroaches or evil sand. When she isn't trying to type fast enough to get down everything the voices in her head are saying while her kitties try to sabotage her with cuteness, she enjoys painting on canvases, walls, and anything else that will sit still long enough for the paint to dry. She prefers antiques to modern furniture, tea to coffee, night to day, and Tom Hardy to Tom Hiddleston. No; Tom Hiddleston to Tom Hardy. No, wait... Tom Hardy and Tom Hiddleston to Tom Cruise. Yes, that's it.
Sign up for Amy's newsletter and get a free short story:
http://google.us11.list-manage.com/su...
The first books in her Godhunter and Twilight Court Series are free!
Join the God Squad on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/AmySumidaAut...
Dive further into the worlds of the Godhunter and the Twilight Court on Amy's website: https://amysumida.com
Amy's Imaginary Worlds, a Facebook group where you can discuss all of her books:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/15360...
Check out the new Godhunter Store on Cafe Press, with all kinds of items featuring quotes and art from The Godhunter Series:
http://www.cafepress.com/godhunter
Ratings & Reviews
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews
April 18, 2019
Rating: 2 stars
I did not like it for mainly three reasons:
1. The blurb.
2. The writing.
3. The main character.
After more than thirty books, you would expect Amy Sumida's work would get better written and better period. Quite the contrary.
I have read a handful of her books and while I might not have enjoyed all of them, I have always thought that her writing and editing were pretty on point. Her stories were fluid, easy to read and get pulled into. Until Spectra.
Spectra was not easy to read. The blurb was mostly misleading and the expectations were badly placed. The writing and the plot were messy and the cynicism was far from sufficient to be in the title.
Perhaps it's just me but when I am sold cynicism, I am expecting some sarcasm, derision and lots of giggles from my part. Spectra was not funny, simply borderline obnoxious with an annoyingly uptight heroine.
I am not a fan of Sumida when it comes to her heroines. Except for her Spellsinger series where I fell head over heels with the main character, I usually tend to not care for them. I came to tolerate Vervain after about a dozen books and Seren never pulled any of my heart strings.
Amara is kind of the same. She has an awesome power that makes no sense whatsoever to me but she is boring. Too fine and proper, no sense of humor and no charisma. She is not cynical, she's barely a realist, and she talks too much.
I might not have enjoyed the book but I am thinking of reading the next one as I am really curious on how it is going to evolve. The story can only get better from there.
I did not like it for mainly three reasons:
1. The blurb.
2. The writing.
3. The main character.
After more than thirty books, you would expect Amy Sumida's work would get better written and better period. Quite the contrary.
I have read a handful of her books and while I might not have enjoyed all of them, I have always thought that her writing and editing were pretty on point. Her stories were fluid, easy to read and get pulled into. Until Spectra.
Spectra was not easy to read. The blurb was mostly misleading and the expectations were badly placed. The writing and the plot were messy and the cynicism was far from sufficient to be in the title.
Perhaps it's just me but when I am sold cynicism, I am expecting some sarcasm, derision and lots of giggles from my part. Spectra was not funny, simply borderline obnoxious with an annoyingly uptight heroine.
I am not a fan of Sumida when it comes to her heroines. Except for her Spellsinger series where I fell head over heels with the main character, I usually tend to not care for them. I came to tolerate Vervain after about a dozen books and Seren never pulled any of my heart strings.
Amara is kind of the same. She has an awesome power that makes no sense whatsoever to me but she is boring. Too fine and proper, no sense of humor and no charisma. She is not cynical, she's barely a realist, and she talks too much.
I might not have enjoyed the book but I am thinking of reading the next one as I am really curious on how it is going to evolve. The story can only get better from there.
April 30, 2020
This wasn't quite like what i thought it'd be. I liked the idea around the world and the characters were cool. I think I need to spend more time in the world to really get a good feel. I liked the idea of the Tirari and the serum was great. I will read more and hopefully start getting used to all the weird and wonderful parts of this world.
Want to read
April 11, 2020🎁 FREE on Amazon today (10/30/2019)! 🎁
January 9, 2021
The first time I tried to read this I had to stop because I didn't like the heroine. Two years after that I don't dislike her but I don't love her.
November 2, 2018
Decent start, but I really did. Not. Like. The. Heroine. At. All...
Ok, how to start this...
I’ve put off writing this ( even though it was driving me crazy to get it off my mind, soo I could move on) because even though I can’t I really know Ms.Sumida very well,I do like her and respect her work.... a lot... deep sigh,and I’ve read just about everything she’s written soo when I don’t like/love some thing she’s written,it feels weird to be saying one minute how much you LOVE their work and are really excited for more and then when it gets here...... Well you don’t love it like you had thought or hoped you would.... it’s disappointing for you but also uncomfortable as well,I had considered trying to skip my venting my disappointment soo I could skip this uncomfortable moment but when I saw this book had only 5 star ⭐️ reviews with little to say ,well I couldn’t keep my mouth shut... I LOVE 💕 the Godhunter and Spellsinger series,Twilight Court took a while to grow on me and while I hope Amara will as well I don’t have hope of that at this moment in time ...
Ok, Amara ( whom I loathed for most of the story ...
Amara is bold and brash,quick tempered and smart,loyal but kind only when it serves her it felt.... Cynical ? O yes ! Very very much soo... Now that’s nota surprise, I know we are told this from the very get go,heck it’s even on the cover.... yeah, but I found Amara cynical to the point point of being harsh and harsh to be point of being well rather Hard at times ... there’s not many soft edges with Amara,at least if there are we don’t get to see them ... sadly there’s no lead up here to the main plot of the story ( I’ll try not put out any spoilers ⚠️ 🚨 but I can’t be sure) once minute she’s leaving work and the next we’re diving into where the driving force will lead us... we don’t really get a chance to know Amara aside from this ,no build up to what a “normal day in the life of “ is like ,all we see is she goes to work and loves her job ... that’s it...
Amara is what I’d call a 100% “N.I.M.B.Y.” ( Not in my back yard) at first, as in if it’s not happening to me I don’t care... unless it’s happening directly in front of her ,like say a a woman being assaulted in a alley in the way home from work ,Amara doesn’t seem to care and is very derisive and harsh towards those who do... very much soo...
Now at first I tried to over look how harsh almost hard Amara was towards others,others she kept a low,low opinion of just because she didn’t understand their “Need” to help others and make their world a better place.... yet Amara is quick to put others in their place when she feels she’s being judged for being a “supernatural “.... hypocritical much ?
I thought soo,even when these same ppl she’s spent years and years judging soo harshly and mentally putting them down jump to her help and safety the moment she needs them,she’s slow almost to the point of unwilling at times to change her p.o.v. on them... especially Davorin,who’s wanted her for years even though she’s been nothing but derisive and dismissive towards him... poor guy... Even when she finally lets herself just how wrong about him she is,she holds back because she doesn’t really want to see there’s more to him...That’s the crux of the story almost, here’s a woman who can see soo much around her almost no one else can with auras and colors ,colors and things most of us are blind to ,but Amara lets preconceive notion‘s and narrow mindedness blind her to what’s going on around her and runs thru most of the story not seeing hat right in front of her because she’d rather rely on her own harsh judgements and hear say, than common sense,facts and good heartfelt intuition..... while I did start to like a bit as the story wore on calling ppl “darling” didn’t lessen her harshness or help some parts of the story make sense...
Like say the “romance” portion of the story...
For me this sooo soo WAS NOT a romance...
There quickly ends up being three males competing for Amara’s fickle affections, one who’s been wanting her for years ( but was judged too harshly to have a chance), one sent to protect her but acts like a cross between Spock and Sheldon from (Big Bang Theory) soo it’s hard to know what he wants romantically and the third is a sexy stranger who’s been stalking Amara fir weeks w/out her knowledge.....
Guess who our winner is ? The weird thing is she’s barely if rarely alone with any of them and no relationship is built before on if picked. One heated kiss or two and the expectations of others and their practically living together and she’s giving a rather blasé kiss off to the others .... well blasé to one and is almost callous to the other.... no relationship building, nothing ... just we seem to have chemistry and your hot and I’ve saved your life soo why not..... huh ?
Soo for me Amara became a hypocritical know it all with a romance that really wasn’t and both she and it seemed woefully underdeveloped.... Ms. Sumida a better then this ...
The first Spellsinger deserved five stars ⭐️, this does not.
Ok, how to start this...
I’ve put off writing this ( even though it was driving me crazy to get it off my mind, soo I could move on) because even though I can’t I really know Ms.Sumida very well,I do like her and respect her work.... a lot... deep sigh,and I’ve read just about everything she’s written soo when I don’t like/love some thing she’s written,it feels weird to be saying one minute how much you LOVE their work and are really excited for more and then when it gets here...... Well you don’t love it like you had thought or hoped you would.... it’s disappointing for you but also uncomfortable as well,I had considered trying to skip my venting my disappointment soo I could skip this uncomfortable moment but when I saw this book had only 5 star ⭐️ reviews with little to say ,well I couldn’t keep my mouth shut... I LOVE 💕 the Godhunter and Spellsinger series,Twilight Court took a while to grow on me and while I hope Amara will as well I don’t have hope of that at this moment in time ...
Ok, Amara ( whom I loathed for most of the story ...
Amara is bold and brash,quick tempered and smart,loyal but kind only when it serves her it felt.... Cynical ? O yes ! Very very much soo... Now that’s nota surprise, I know we are told this from the very get go,heck it’s even on the cover.... yeah, but I found Amara cynical to the point point of being harsh and harsh to be point of being well rather Hard at times ... there’s not many soft edges with Amara,at least if there are we don’t get to see them ... sadly there’s no lead up here to the main plot of the story ( I’ll try not put out any spoilers ⚠️ 🚨 but I can’t be sure) once minute she’s leaving work and the next we’re diving into where the driving force will lead us... we don’t really get a chance to know Amara aside from this ,no build up to what a “normal day in the life of “ is like ,all we see is she goes to work and loves her job ... that’s it...
Amara is what I’d call a 100% “N.I.M.B.Y.” ( Not in my back yard) at first, as in if it’s not happening to me I don’t care... unless it’s happening directly in front of her ,like say a a woman being assaulted in a alley in the way home from work ,Amara doesn’t seem to care and is very derisive and harsh towards those who do... very much soo...
Now at first I tried to over look how harsh almost hard Amara was towards others,others she kept a low,low opinion of just because she didn’t understand their “Need” to help others and make their world a better place.... yet Amara is quick to put others in their place when she feels she’s being judged for being a “supernatural “.... hypocritical much ?
I thought soo,even when these same ppl she’s spent years and years judging soo harshly and mentally putting them down jump to her help and safety the moment she needs them,she’s slow almost to the point of unwilling at times to change her p.o.v. on them... especially Davorin,who’s wanted her for years even though she’s been nothing but derisive and dismissive towards him... poor guy... Even when she finally lets herself just how wrong about him she is,she holds back because she doesn’t really want to see there’s more to him...That’s the crux of the story almost, here’s a woman who can see soo much around her almost no one else can with auras and colors ,colors and things most of us are blind to ,but Amara lets preconceive notion‘s and narrow mindedness blind her to what’s going on around her and runs thru most of the story not seeing hat right in front of her because she’d rather rely on her own harsh judgements and hear say, than common sense,facts and good heartfelt intuition..... while I did start to like a bit as the story wore on calling ppl “darling” didn’t lessen her harshness or help some parts of the story make sense...
Like say the “romance” portion of the story...
For me this sooo soo WAS NOT a romance...
There quickly ends up being three males competing for Amara’s fickle affections, one who’s been wanting her for years ( but was judged too harshly to have a chance), one sent to protect her but acts like a cross between Spock and Sheldon from (Big Bang Theory) soo it’s hard to know what he wants romantically and the third is a sexy stranger who’s been stalking Amara fir weeks w/out her knowledge.....
Guess who our winner is ? The weird thing is she’s barely if rarely alone with any of them and no relationship is built before on if picked. One heated kiss or two and the expectations of others and their practically living together and she’s giving a rather blasé kiss off to the others .... well blasé to one and is almost callous to the other.... no relationship building, nothing ... just we seem to have chemistry and your hot and I’ve saved your life soo why not..... huh ?
Soo for me Amara became a hypocritical know it all with a romance that really wasn’t and both she and it seemed woefully underdeveloped.... Ms. Sumida a better then this ...
The first Spellsinger deserved five stars ⭐️, this does not.
April 1, 2020
Something new
I loved a new character skillset. Characters and world building is also worthwhile . Story was well thought out. A worthwhile read, I got the next .
I loved a new character skillset. Characters and world building is also worthwhile . Story was well thought out. A worthwhile read, I got the next .
September 6, 2025
Hooked me with some funny one liners in the beginning. Got weirdly patriotic in a USA post 9/11 way about half way through and DNF’d around 80% for Islamophobia
November 12, 2018
Oh
Oh man another book to get mad at because it ended!!!! This book is amazing and I couldn't put it down!!
Oh man another book to get mad at because it ended!!!! This book is amazing and I couldn't put it down!!
November 6, 2018
Amy you have done it again!
I predict another favourite series to follow swap may happen again as this series progresses. I enjoyed yet another new Amy take on supes that was well written and ensnaring (in a positive but my cleaning did not get done until this novel was finished way) . Looking forward to see what happens next!
I predict another favourite series to follow swap may happen again as this series progresses. I enjoyed yet another new Amy take on supes that was well written and ensnaring (in a positive but my cleaning did not get done until this novel was finished way) . Looking forward to see what happens next!
November 7, 2018
So good! I didn’t know what to expect going in to this book. I love the author, but I generally don’t read anything about superheroes. I loved the book! The author did a fantastic job. I really hope that this turns into a series. I really want to know what happens next!
November 2, 2018
Another great book!
Another great book from Amy Sumida. I can't wait to see how this story goes. If you haven't read any of her series of books 📚 there all awesome. I'm loving all of these new characters in this new series. I think it'd be great as a reverse harem novel like a slow burn one. But that's just my opinion. And in this reader's other opinion as a reader u can't miss one this book. Like I said Amy you've done it again. I'm know waiting for the next book in your Godhunter series.
Another great book from Amy Sumida. I can't wait to see how this story goes. If you haven't read any of her series of books 📚 there all awesome. I'm loving all of these new characters in this new series. I think it'd be great as a reverse harem novel like a slow burn one. But that's just my opinion. And in this reader's other opinion as a reader u can't miss one this book. Like I said Amy you've done it again. I'm know waiting for the next book in your Godhunter series.
November 2, 2018
Love love love
This was such a breath of fresh air for Amy I’m so use to her creating these big magical mythical worlds that it was nice for her to make something little closer to real magical beings or evolved angels and demons love it it’s so much different than her usually and i loved it can wait till the next one
This was such a breath of fresh air for Amy I’m so use to her creating these big magical mythical worlds that it was nice for her to make something little closer to real magical beings or evolved angels and demons love it it’s so much different than her usually and i loved it can wait till the next one
November 1, 2018
Wow
I always think that I can’t possibly love Amy Sumida’s next book as much as her last. She blew me away with this story and I am anxiously waiting for her next book.
I always think that I can’t possibly love Amy Sumida’s next book as much as her last. She blew me away with this story and I am anxiously waiting for her next book.
January 13, 2020
I was a little unsure about trying this book, but when I saw it on a recommendation list - and considering that it is a KU title, I decided to take the plunge and explore this new world. And boy am I glad I did!
This book is a little bit of everything, rolled into a pretty batter and sprinkled liberally with romance and mystery. We've got Aliens, mutants and myths - all of which fall under the umbrella of the Supernatural. Those aliens? They are where our Angel and Demon legends come from, but they are far from alone. There are also tree people, blood suckers, stone men and even those that can affect the weather.... just to name a few. It's a mishmash of extremes and extremely well done, pulling mythos and urban legends into a tale that strikes at the wanna-be Superhero in all of us... and ends on an Avenger'esque note.
Pros:
~Very well written.
~Refreshingly Original Concept.
~I love the characters, ALL of them.
~The blurb mentions that this will be a RH, and though this first book does not in any way indicate that, we still meet the ones that will probably be in the harem. I hope. PLEASE, PLEASE!
President Colton... can we please have a President like him? Seriously?
~And on that note.... can he please be in the Harem?
~The Supermarket. So clever.
~Some parts are flat out LOL.
Cons:
~Minor editing errors, does not detract from story.
~Some of the names are a little 'too' on the nose... not the Superhero names, but the character names. Lt. Colonel Jack O'Neal... really?
Perspective:
~First Person, Single POV
Ending Type:
~Episodic
Rating:
~R (but still classy)
Romantic Dynamic:
~Unsure of final outcome, but THIS book is M/F
Character Age Range:
~34+ (but age does not really matter here)
This book is a little bit of everything, rolled into a pretty batter and sprinkled liberally with romance and mystery. We've got Aliens, mutants and myths - all of which fall under the umbrella of the Supernatural. Those aliens? They are where our Angel and Demon legends come from, but they are far from alone. There are also tree people, blood suckers, stone men and even those that can affect the weather.... just to name a few. It's a mishmash of extremes and extremely well done, pulling mythos and urban legends into a tale that strikes at the wanna-be Superhero in all of us... and ends on an Avenger'esque note.
Pros:
~Very well written.
~Refreshingly Original Concept.
~I love the characters, ALL of them.
~The blurb mentions that this will be a RH, and though this first book does not in any way indicate that, we still meet the ones that will probably be in the harem. I hope. PLEASE, PLEASE!
President Colton... can we please have a President like him? Seriously?
~And on that note.... can he please be in the Harem?
~The Supermarket. So clever.
~Some parts are flat out LOL.
Cons:
~Minor editing errors, does not detract from story.
~Some of the names are a little 'too' on the nose... not the Superhero names, but the character names. Lt. Colonel Jack O'Neal... really?
Perspective:
~First Person, Single POV
Ending Type:
~Episodic
Rating:
~R (but still classy)
Romantic Dynamic:
~Unsure of final outcome, but THIS book is M/F
Character Age Range:
~34+ (but age does not really matter here)
May 18, 2023
Color me surprised 🌈
** Cliffhanger-ish Warning! ** Wow! I am somewhere between tickled pink and a little red. This book is brimming with fast-paced action, laugh-out-loud moments, political intrigue, delicious snark, and a dash of romance. There's a beautiful mix of supernaturals, aliens, and "evolved" humans in this boldly drawn world where fantasy and science fiction blend together. (Yes, the puns are flowing like liquid gold!). I laughed, I cried, I splooshed.
There's an intense plot with a couple of twists, too! I just wish the blurb made it more transparent that the reverse harem romance will take some time, and it doesn't happen by the end of this book.
Amara is a fascinating main character, even though she is so cynical at times that it makes her seem a bit dense. I get it, life has been harsh, but come on! A lot of people in this colorful community love her. Having said that, Amara has more than one super power. She can see and manipulate colors, and she can speak, read, and understand any language with just a little study. Both are abilities that I would like to have! I love the reluctant superhero aspect, and how funny she is as she resists her fate.
This story's plot kept me interested even when I wanted to reach into the book and slap somebody. There's so much going on, so many wonderfully quirky characters, and a fabulous new world! I am so going to read the next book.
Several typos, but nothing was distracting me from the action!
** Cliffhanger-ish Warning! ** Wow! I am somewhere between tickled pink and a little red. This book is brimming with fast-paced action, laugh-out-loud moments, political intrigue, delicious snark, and a dash of romance. There's a beautiful mix of supernaturals, aliens, and "evolved" humans in this boldly drawn world where fantasy and science fiction blend together. (Yes, the puns are flowing like liquid gold!). I laughed, I cried, I splooshed.
There's an intense plot with a couple of twists, too! I just wish the blurb made it more transparent that the reverse harem romance will take some time, and it doesn't happen by the end of this book.
Amara is a fascinating main character, even though she is so cynical at times that it makes her seem a bit dense. I get it, life has been harsh, but come on! A lot of people in this colorful community love her. Having said that, Amara has more than one super power. She can see and manipulate colors, and she can speak, read, and understand any language with just a little study. Both are abilities that I would like to have! I love the reluctant superhero aspect, and how funny she is as she resists her fate.
This story's plot kept me interested even when I wanted to reach into the book and slap somebody. There's so much going on, so many wonderfully quirky characters, and a fabulous new world! I am so going to read the next book.
Several typos, but nothing was distracting me from the action!
July 21, 2022
For the first time ever I read a RH with this kind of start for the building of the harem. It was unique but unique doesn't automatically mean that it's good.
Usually in rh books where the guys aren't friends before or where polygamy isn't a norm, the harem forms because she loves multiple guys but can't choose just one to be with because she loves or likes all of them equally. However in this book (and it continues later in the second book) she chooses one guy and even emphasizes it to the other guys that she CHOSE this one guy to be with and that they have to deal with it. This make it seem that the MC loves/likes one guy more than the rest and I don't think it's a good start for a harem because how are they going to feel like equal members of the harem later?
And I LOVE a good slowburn but there has to be at least some chemistry between the other guys, instead I am in the middle of the second book and it feels flat and a bit boring - like she already found her one and only and isn't looking for anything else. To be honest the relationship between her and the guy she chose was also a bit rushed with no real relationship building, felt very instalust-y for me.
I love the idea of this book, it was funny with an amazing world building. But at times the MC seemed a bit annoying - while I think the author was trying to portray her as a witty with don't-mess-with-me attitude, sometimes the mc jokes and lines made no sense and instead made the character seem a bit cringy.
Usually in rh books where the guys aren't friends before or where polygamy isn't a norm, the harem forms because she loves multiple guys but can't choose just one to be with because she loves or likes all of them equally. However in this book (and it continues later in the second book) she chooses one guy and even emphasizes it to the other guys that she CHOSE this one guy to be with and that they have to deal with it. This make it seem that the MC loves/likes one guy more than the rest and I don't think it's a good start for a harem because how are they going to feel like equal members of the harem later?
And I LOVE a good slowburn but there has to be at least some chemistry between the other guys, instead I am in the middle of the second book and it feels flat and a bit boring - like she already found her one and only and isn't looking for anything else. To be honest the relationship between her and the guy she chose was also a bit rushed with no real relationship building, felt very instalust-y for me.
I love the idea of this book, it was funny with an amazing world building. But at times the MC seemed a bit annoying - while I think the author was trying to portray her as a witty with don't-mess-with-me attitude, sometimes the mc jokes and lines made no sense and instead made the character seem a bit cringy.
June 7, 2023
I love this take on a supernatural world and I love main heroines abilities. It's refreshing to find an imaginative world that has not been overused by multitude of authors. World is more or less well built, but as it is supposed to be on Earth in our times, author could leave a lot unexplained as it is already known to reader. Authors take on "angels" and "demons " was something I haven't encountered before, so it was really nice, big stars for that. The actual story. Well, main heroine is a bit of a special snowflake in the sense how everything revolves around her and her abilities, but her personality is down to earth, so relatable. No big stupid decisions to truly annoy me either.
Overall, it was an interesting and lovely read. It did not leave life changing impression on me and I suspect it will be quite forgettable in a long run, so that's my reasons for withholding the 5th star. Those are very personal reasons I use for rating books, so I can quickly tell from my lists. Let that not hold you back from picking this book up. Its good and worth recommendations.
Overall, it was an interesting and lovely read. It did not leave life changing impression on me and I suspect it will be quite forgettable in a long run, so that's my reasons for withholding the 5th star. Those are very personal reasons I use for rating books, so I can quickly tell from my lists. Let that not hold you back from picking this book up. Its good and worth recommendations.
June 5, 2020
It started out great! Intriguing even, all that Alien, transformed, etc. Triari and Bleiten conflict, etc
November 2, 2018
Right off the bat there’s a trigger warning because every superhero ever needs a crime to stop. Didn’t like the MC, too stiff and stubborn. So this one is angels and demons but they’re aliens. If this a stand-alone then not RH.
I struggled with this one until about 40%. Too many titles and feels more like a military theme. I shudder to think how many times the words president and agent pop up.
I felt sorry for Arc he didn’t seem to know what was going on and had a sweet clueless innocence about him. Dav was fun, sweet and protective. Mal was my favourite the darker one of the bunch. From the blood scene to the end I enjoyed the story. A little disappointed she’s a one man woman but wrapped up nicely and does have a smut scene so yay.
I struggled with this one until about 40%. Too many titles and feels more like a military theme. I shudder to think how many times the words president and agent pop up.
I felt sorry for Arc he didn’t seem to know what was going on and had a sweet clueless innocence about him. Dav was fun, sweet and protective. Mal was my favourite the darker one of the bunch. From the blood scene to the end I enjoyed the story. A little disappointed she’s a one man woman but wrapped up nicely and does have a smut scene so yay.
February 8, 2019
Having read other books by this author, I'm confused with the editing on this one: semi-colons exploded throughout the entire book, incorrectly used in place of commas and in dialog. Grammar nerds will find this terribly distracting, I know I did. I usually read at least a book per day, but Spectra was spread over two weeks, as my inner geek got frustrated. That said, I found Amara to have very interesting personality--reserved and standoffish, as well as intelligent and droll. The storyline was outrageously entertaining for me with some delightful characters and love interests. I will definitely start on the next story, but I suspect I will be mentally be correcting semi-colon use as I read.
July 25, 2020
Amara (Spectra) can see a person colors and she can control those colors as well as use them as a defense against them. She wasn't trying to be a hero but when she saw something happening she would step in. Her life gets turned upside down when an angel named Kyrian talks to her. She finds out that her dad had alot of secrets and one of them has to do with the Amaranthine Elixir. Her and those around her are led to believe that King Lucifer and his people want the elixir but not everything is what it seem. Malik and him soldiers you're trying to prove that. Someone else is behind the scenes trying to cause mayhem. This book is interesting and the twist Angels and demons being aliens is something else. I am ready for book 2.
March 14, 2023
Good
This was an pretty good book. Its a mix between fantasy and sci fi with a teeny bit of politics. We have different worlds and different types of "supes". Our heroine lives in the supemarket in the United States but she is technically from another world. The writing is very well done and I enjoyed the storyline. Sexy times don't start until the end when the main plots are finished. There is plenty of sexual tension throughout though which gives us insight into who will likely end up making her harem in the coming books. Rated R for sex scenes and some language (very little).
This was an pretty good book. Its a mix between fantasy and sci fi with a teeny bit of politics. We have different worlds and different types of "supes". Our heroine lives in the supemarket in the United States but she is technically from another world. The writing is very well done and I enjoyed the storyline. Sexy times don't start until the end when the main plots are finished. There is plenty of sexual tension throughout though which gives us insight into who will likely end up making her harem in the coming books. Rated R for sex scenes and some language (very little).
March 28, 2020
Free Kindle Read.
I'm not a super hero person, but I am in a huge reading funk, and this seemed just ridiculous enough to pull me out of it. I liked the idea of the Supermarket, and I even liked Amara's back story and spunk. But I didn't appreciate her preachy moments and the Yale thing seemed weird, and forced. Also, there was a lot of eye rolling throughout the book. In the end, it did its job of entertaining me and pulling me out of this quarantine-induced anxiety for a little bit, so I forgave any typos and ridiculous dialogue.
I'm not a super hero person, but I am in a huge reading funk, and this seemed just ridiculous enough to pull me out of it. I liked the idea of the Supermarket, and I even liked Amara's back story and spunk. But I didn't appreciate her preachy moments and the Yale thing seemed weird, and forced. Also, there was a lot of eye rolling throughout the book. In the end, it did its job of entertaining me and pulling me out of this quarantine-induced anxiety for a little bit, so I forgave any typos and ridiculous dialogue.
April 19, 2020
Good starter!
This was a good book, it started off with the right amount of action and information so that you get a feel for the characters. It was a little rushed in places as you got to know LITERALLY everyone in the first few chapters, but then there was a slow down to actually advance the story. I will say it was a little drawn out on some parts, closer to the end. You know that the whole thing ended well but you're still reading, why? It was almost like the beginning of a second book but it wasn't, you're still reading the first.
This was a good book, it started off with the right amount of action and information so that you get a feel for the characters. It was a little rushed in places as you got to know LITERALLY everyone in the first few chapters, but then there was a slow down to actually advance the story. I will say it was a little drawn out on some parts, closer to the end. You know that the whole thing ended well but you're still reading, why? It was almost like the beginning of a second book but it wasn't, you're still reading the first.
July 25, 2025
Overall, it was a good read. The world building was good (didn’t feel as info was being taken for granted or very confused), but to me her powers do not make a lot of sense (even if I find them very cool) and I hated that they presented 3 possible candidates of the harem (which I believe they’ll eventually join) and she’s attracted to all of them but one of them it’s special and her attraction is stronger, not different but more ardently and I feel that’s a huge mistake when it comes to having so many relationship, they deserve better.
February 27, 2021
Intriguing
What an intriguing concept for a book. Superheroes meet aliens meet president. Spectra doesn't want to be a superhero. She has a job she loves. While translating for the President, she gets involved in a conflict between 2 alien races. This book is urban fantasy meets science fiction with a very cool main female character. I enjoyed it tremendously. Definitely going to read the next book in this series.
What an intriguing concept for a book. Superheroes meet aliens meet president. Spectra doesn't want to be a superhero. She has a job she loves. While translating for the President, she gets involved in a conflict between 2 alien races. This book is urban fantasy meets science fiction with a very cool main female character. I enjoyed it tremendously. Definitely going to read the next book in this series.
December 7, 2018
Excellent start of a new series
Spectra is an excellent start of a new series by Amy Sumida. I love her other series and was unsure about the premise but the story quickly captured my attention and had me rushing to the end to find out what happens next. Can't wait for the next one!!
Spectra is an excellent start of a new series by Amy Sumida. I love her other series and was unsure about the premise but the story quickly captured my attention and had me rushing to the end to find out what happens next. Can't wait for the next one!!
January 25, 2019
Another win
Amy Sumida has done it again! She's created another amazing, imaginative world with a host of colorful (haha), engaging characters. The book sucks you in, leaving you wanting more and more. This is the second series of hers I've started and have loved. I look forward to seeing what adventures await Amara and her squad.
Amy Sumida has done it again! She's created another amazing, imaginative world with a host of colorful (haha), engaging characters. The book sucks you in, leaving you wanting more and more. This is the second series of hers I've started and have loved. I look forward to seeing what adventures await Amara and her squad.
January 30, 2019
Love 👌🏻
Amy Sumida did it again, she has a special talent writing RH. Her other series are some of my favorites and I decided to give Spectra a chance. I was not disappointed.
It is a slow burn RH so it’s going to take time but that’s what I like about Amy’s book. She don’t really know until you read it. I can’t wait to see what happens next.
Amy Sumida did it again, she has a special talent writing RH. Her other series are some of my favorites and I decided to give Spectra a chance. I was not disappointed.
It is a slow burn RH so it’s going to take time but that’s what I like about Amy’s book. She don’t really know until you read it. I can’t wait to see what happens next.
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