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Blaze of Glory #1
Blaze of Glory
Saving the world is easy for a superhero—unless you’re a fraud. Jo Tanis is a superhero, fighting evil on the city streets, using her ability to feed off electromagnetic energy and fire off charges—and it’s all just a show. The Agency captures her and others like her when their powers begin to manifest, pitting them against each other in staged, gladiatorial fights. An explosive implant on the back of her neck assures she’ll keep right on smiling for the camera and beating up the bad guys. When Earth comes under attack, suddenly the show becomes deadly real. Unable to deal with a real alien, the “supers” are falling in droves. Millions of innocent civilians are going to die…unless Jo can cobble together a team from among the fake heroes and villains the Agency enslaved. Including Hunter, who not only promises to show her how to deactivate the implants, but seems to know more than he should about how the mysterious Agency operates. Forcing a rag-tag bunch of former enemies to work together is the least of Jo’s problems. The trick is determining if Hunter is friend or foe—and becoming the hero everyone thought she was before the world is destroyed for real. Contains superhero in-jokes, Canadiana and large alien craft shaped like avocados. Really.
211 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 4, 2010
10 people are currently reading
591 people want to read
About the author
Sheryl Nantus
60 books370 followersSheryl Nantus is an award-winning romance writer published by Entangled, St. Martin's, and Harlequin's Carina Press.
When she's not writing about hunky heroes, she is sipping tea, playing board games and writing haiku.
A total fangirl at heart, she met her husband through an online fanfiction community and currently lives in Pennsylvania.
When she's not writing about hunky heroes, she is sipping tea, playing board games and writing haiku.
A total fangirl at heart, she met her husband through an online fanfiction community and currently lives in Pennsylvania.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
August 15, 2024
3 Stars for Blaze of Glory (audiobook) by Sheryl Nantus read by Emma Love.
I think the premise was interesting for me but there was to much talking about being superheroes and not enough action.
I think the premise was interesting for me but there was to much talking about being superheroes and not enough action.
November 25, 2011
This superhero novel starts with a good premise: supers are real, but unbeknownst to the public, the heavily televised battles between "superheroes" and "supervillains" are as fake as WWF wrestling. All the supers are actors (though their powers are real), and unwilling ones, as a sinister government agency known simply as "The Agency" has captured each and every one, put a bomb in their heads, and makes them play their public roles or else.
Then an alien invasion fleet arrives. The aliens are superpowered warriors who want to fight Earth's supers, unaware that all the battles they've been watching on TV have been staged.
The main character, Jo Tanis, aka "Surf," decides to lead the survivors of the initial assault in a mission to save the Earth for real, despite the betrayal and compulsory service they have been subjected to in the past.
The story is fast-paced and entertaining, with a fairly original premise for a superhero novel that isn't just reworking themes from similar novels.
I have to ding it a couple of stars for some weaknesses in characterization and worldbuilding, though. The characters were a bit too repetitive in their hand gestures and emotiveness, and too many of them were flat, especially the so-called villains, distinguished only by their quirks ("Meltdown" is a fat, middle-aged guy who likes porn, "Mayday" is an old lady who hates swearing, Peter and David and most of the others were essentially interchangeable). I also couldn't buy that every single country is in on the whole "Capture all supers and make them fight staged battles" scheme and all had essentially identical Agencies working in concert. And all the supers' willingness to work with the people who'd put bombs in their skulls and deprived them of their civil rights didn't seem believable to me.
Blaze of Glory basically suffers from the problem a lot of superhero novels do, which is that you're naturally more inclined to take a story seriously when it's a novel and not a comic book, but a lot of superhero tropes don't work if you spend too much time thinking about them. I think this would have actually been better as a comic book, but as a book it was a fun, light read.
Then an alien invasion fleet arrives. The aliens are superpowered warriors who want to fight Earth's supers, unaware that all the battles they've been watching on TV have been staged.
The main character, Jo Tanis, aka "Surf," decides to lead the survivors of the initial assault in a mission to save the Earth for real, despite the betrayal and compulsory service they have been subjected to in the past.
The story is fast-paced and entertaining, with a fairly original premise for a superhero novel that isn't just reworking themes from similar novels.
I have to ding it a couple of stars for some weaknesses in characterization and worldbuilding, though. The characters were a bit too repetitive in their hand gestures and emotiveness, and too many of them were flat, especially the so-called villains, distinguished only by their quirks ("Meltdown" is a fat, middle-aged guy who likes porn, "Mayday" is an old lady who hates swearing, Peter and David and most of the others were essentially interchangeable). I also couldn't buy that every single country is in on the whole "Capture all supers and make them fight staged battles" scheme and all had essentially identical Agencies working in concert. And all the supers' willingness to work with the people who'd put bombs in their skulls and deprived them of their civil rights didn't seem believable to me.
Blaze of Glory basically suffers from the problem a lot of superhero novels do, which is that you're naturally more inclined to take a story seriously when it's a novel and not a comic book, but a lot of superhero tropes don't work if you spend too much time thinking about them. I think this would have actually been better as a comic book, but as a book it was a fun, light read.
January 29, 2013
Pros: very interesting premise, fun characters, partly set in Toronto
Cons: characters learn things remarkably fast (eg: new aspects of their powers), don't study the NYC attack to learn about the aliens, just try same techniques
When Jo Tanis, aka Surf, and her sidekick Metal Mike, are called by the Agency to help fight aliens over New York City they know something is wrong. First, they weren't scheduled for a fight today and second, A-List supers are dying. This isn't a staged fight but Jo heads out because defying the Agency would force Mike, who's also her Guardian, to detonate the bomb in the back of her neck.
One of the few survivors of the battle, Jo heads home to Toronto and forms an underground team of supers to take care of the aliens and stop the Agency's control of supers around the world.
The story is told from Jo's point of view, with occasional flashbacks to explain her relationship with Metal Mike. She's a feisty woman with the power to control electromagnetic waves, giving her the ability to fly and shoot lightning bolts.
The team she puts together is formed of those who answer her call for aid and consists of one villain who can melt things, a telepath, a guardian with inside Agency information and a guy who can control animals. It's impressive what the team accomplishes considering their powers aren't formidable. The animal talker especially surprised me, showing significantly more versatility than expected from such a 'lame' power.
The characters have incompatible personalities, making for some fun dialogue and scenes. Their villain likes porn and coarse language, the telepath doesn't like crass behaviour. And Jo's stuck in the middle trying to make things work.
Jo's a strong character, who shows weaknesses at the appropriate times (ie, when her team can't see her break down). She's not given time to mourn the loss of those who die in the NYC attack and given little time to rest before getting right back out there. This made her feel genuine. She asks for help when she needs it but maintains control of the group through tough talk and leadership skills.
I loved the set-up that the superhero battles were all manufactured for TV, with the populace believing they're real. I can definitely see a government agency contacting people who develop superpowers and not giving them the chance to say no to joining the program. This also causes Jo problems as she has to explain to her former friends what happened to her, what the battles really were and why she couldn't contact them after her powers developed.
There's a minor romantic thread running through the book. I was afraid the author would take things too fast, given the events in Jo's recent past, but she didn't, which I was thankful for. I suspect the romance elements will be stronger in the second book of the series.
As for the problems the book has, the alien plot gets solved rather... easily all things considered. There are some good fight scenes, but the ultimate resolution is pretty cliche.
Jo, who had just started training how to carry someone when flying, manages to carry 4 people, without any practice. Her jump in skill is testament to her determination, but also felt somewhat fake given she's never managed to carry 1 person before, let alone more.
I'd expected them to research the NYC battle before facing the aliens again, trying to learn what the other supers did and what powers / defences the aliens have. Nope. They just ran back into battle with the aliens, trying a lot of the same things and hoping they'd work this time.
Ultimately, I loved seeing Toronto featured in a science fiction book and thought the story was a lot of fun, flaws notwithstanding.
Cons: characters learn things remarkably fast (eg: new aspects of their powers), don't study the NYC attack to learn about the aliens, just try same techniques
When Jo Tanis, aka Surf, and her sidekick Metal Mike, are called by the Agency to help fight aliens over New York City they know something is wrong. First, they weren't scheduled for a fight today and second, A-List supers are dying. This isn't a staged fight but Jo heads out because defying the Agency would force Mike, who's also her Guardian, to detonate the bomb in the back of her neck.
One of the few survivors of the battle, Jo heads home to Toronto and forms an underground team of supers to take care of the aliens and stop the Agency's control of supers around the world.
The story is told from Jo's point of view, with occasional flashbacks to explain her relationship with Metal Mike. She's a feisty woman with the power to control electromagnetic waves, giving her the ability to fly and shoot lightning bolts.
The team she puts together is formed of those who answer her call for aid and consists of one villain who can melt things, a telepath, a guardian with inside Agency information and a guy who can control animals. It's impressive what the team accomplishes considering their powers aren't formidable. The animal talker especially surprised me, showing significantly more versatility than expected from such a 'lame' power.
The characters have incompatible personalities, making for some fun dialogue and scenes. Their villain likes porn and coarse language, the telepath doesn't like crass behaviour. And Jo's stuck in the middle trying to make things work.
Jo's a strong character, who shows weaknesses at the appropriate times (ie, when her team can't see her break down). She's not given time to mourn the loss of those who die in the NYC attack and given little time to rest before getting right back out there. This made her feel genuine. She asks for help when she needs it but maintains control of the group through tough talk and leadership skills.
I loved the set-up that the superhero battles were all manufactured for TV, with the populace believing they're real. I can definitely see a government agency contacting people who develop superpowers and not giving them the chance to say no to joining the program. This also causes Jo problems as she has to explain to her former friends what happened to her, what the battles really were and why she couldn't contact them after her powers developed.
There's a minor romantic thread running through the book. I was afraid the author would take things too fast, given the events in Jo's recent past, but she didn't, which I was thankful for. I suspect the romance elements will be stronger in the second book of the series.
As for the problems the book has, the alien plot gets solved rather... easily all things considered. There are some good fight scenes, but the ultimate resolution is pretty cliche.
Jo, who had just started training how to carry someone when flying, manages to carry 4 people, without any practice. Her jump in skill is testament to her determination, but also felt somewhat fake given she's never managed to carry 1 person before, let alone more.
I'd expected them to research the NYC battle before facing the aliens again, trying to learn what the other supers did and what powers / defences the aliens have. Nope. They just ran back into battle with the aliens, trying a lot of the same things and hoping they'd work this time.
Ultimately, I loved seeing Toronto featured in a science fiction book and thought the story was a lot of fun, flaws notwithstanding.
April 2, 2012
This book is good clean fun. It doesn't bother itself with explaining too much - you're in a world with humanoid DBZ-esque aliens and people with super powers, the rules and technicalities of which are rarely explained. You just gotta go with it. It wasn't anything deep, complex or even that original, but I was never bored. I also liked Jo Tanis quite a bit. She's not some perky teenager, she's experienced and capable and people follow her because of that, not because she has some indeterminable charisma. Everything about this book is very grounded despite the out-there circumstances. There are a lot of characters, but Nantus gives them just enough to care about them, or at the very least, enough understanding as to why Jo cares about them. I thought the ever-present nature of Jo's late mentor and lover, Mike, through flashbacks and occassionally dazed hallucinations was clever.
Everything is quick and straightforward, making the pacing good but the overall emotional effect watered-down, which is why this doesn't have more stars. Not to mention some of the dialogue is friggin' cheesy. But as a simple, pulpy action story, its perfectly enjoyable.
(Won this book through First Reads giveaway)
Everything is quick and straightforward, making the pacing good but the overall emotional effect watered-down, which is why this doesn't have more stars. Not to mention some of the dialogue is friggin' cheesy. But as a simple, pulpy action story, its perfectly enjoyable.
(Won this book through First Reads giveaway)
July 15, 2013
This was pretty good. The concept is ordinary people who experience some cataclysmic event and wake up some some type of superpower. They are then kidnapped and enslaved by "The Agency." The Agency stages fake fights between the "heroes" and "villains."
I really liked Jo. She's strong, capable. The flashbacks with Mike provided good background. Not much by way of romance in this book (hints), but the groundwork is there for in the future. I liked the cast of characters and look forward to more.
I really liked Jo. She's strong, capable. The flashbacks with Mike provided good background. Not much by way of romance in this book (hints), but the groundwork is there for in the future. I liked the cast of characters and look forward to more.
September 7, 2010
If you love rollicking kick-arse tea-drinking superheroes who not only partake in a battle of powers but wits, this one will press all the right buttons. Well done, Sheryl, you've delivered another highly engaging, entertaining read.
July 10, 2020
Superheroes and supervillains battle each other on reality TV programs (probably on the E! Channel). It's fun and it's good for ratings. But when an alien spacecraft is spotted hovering over Manhattan, it's time to turn off the TV and get serious.
April 25, 2024
This was a quite different style of story than I was expecting when I started it. The characters are flawed more than in your typical superhero adventure and the drama comes more from the human nature of the characters and the organisation they work under than the primary threat of the aliens.
However, it's both gripping and intriguing to see the characters come into their own and I'm definitely looking forward to the other books in the series!
However, it's both gripping and intriguing to see the characters come into their own and I'm definitely looking forward to the other books in the series!
June 27, 2025
3.7⭐️
It was a short interesting read , but at one point I mentally changed age of our main character group to an (early)new adult based on character’s interaction and resolution of the main problem.
It was a short interesting read , but at one point I mentally changed age of our main character group to an (early)new adult based on character’s interaction and resolution of the main problem.
June 19, 2023
Superheros bs aliens, huh? Somehow I didn't think it would all wrap up so neatly in one book.
July 26, 2023
I enjoyed the reluctant super hero team that decided to take on the alien invaders. Definitely not super deep but it was an enjoyable read.
October 4, 2023
Quirky, and fun. Almost like a marvel story, with an actual plot that is feasible and not absolutely retarded.
January 29, 2023
Loved the premise, the overall storyline was very clever and allowed for a lot of action as well as personal character growth. However I felt there was too many characters to try and follow which left each character with a shallow amount of depth? The ending for me felt unrealistic and a bit too easy of a wrap up.
September 7, 2016
I needed an easy, fun read and found this in my Kindle from ages ago, so I decided to give it a re-read and found I liked it more than I remembered.
Blaze of Glory follows Jo, aka "Surf", a second-string "superhero". The superheroes of this world are indeed super-powered... but their battles are all staged by the Agency, which controls the supers with explosive implants in their necks that they will detonate if the supers don't do what they are told. It's all a big entertainment scam.
Unfortunately, an alien civilization (that reads like a strange cross between Star Trek's Klingons and Galaxy Quest's Thermians) sees transmissions of the fights, thinks they are real, and comes to Earth to fight the supers, who are completely out of their league and are pretty much massacred. Jo escapes, builds a ragtag team out of a small group of oddball survivors, and manages to save the day.
There's not a whole lot here that hasn't been done before, but that's okay. Jo is a solid, sympathetic protagonist, and the secondary characters are well-drawn, have distinctive voices and personalities, and make a good supporting cast for the most part.
The heroes get incredibly lucky a few times (there is an explanation for this, sort of, but I don't fully buy it given the scale) and there were some things that could have used some more fleshing out, but overall this is an easy and fun read.
Blaze of Glory follows Jo, aka "Surf", a second-string "superhero". The superheroes of this world are indeed super-powered... but their battles are all staged by the Agency, which controls the supers with explosive implants in their necks that they will detonate if the supers don't do what they are told. It's all a big entertainment scam.
Unfortunately, an alien civilization (that reads like a strange cross between Star Trek's Klingons and Galaxy Quest's Thermians) sees transmissions of the fights, thinks they are real, and comes to Earth to fight the supers, who are completely out of their league and are pretty much massacred. Jo escapes, builds a ragtag team out of a small group of oddball survivors, and manages to save the day.
There's not a whole lot here that hasn't been done before, but that's okay. Jo is a solid, sympathetic protagonist, and the secondary characters are well-drawn, have distinctive voices and personalities, and make a good supporting cast for the most part.
The heroes get incredibly lucky a few times (there is an explanation for this, sort of, but I don't fully buy it given the scale) and there were some things that could have used some more fleshing out, but overall this is an easy and fun read.
October 28, 2014
Hmm, tricky... I think I give this a tentative 3.5 stars. I enjoyed it a lot but I think the pace flagged in places and could have been tighter than it was.
My appreciation of a novel can be made or broken on the strength of the characters and I'm happy to say that I liked the variety of personalities here. The focus is very much on Jo Tanis and that meant the secondary characters didn't all get a chance to shine with everything going on, but they showed definite promise that they could grow in the later novels. As for Jo... I found her an okay character and by the end I could comfortably see her taking a leadership role, though I was disappointed at how superficial her thoughts about Mike seemed to be considering how close they'd supposedly been. She cried a few times and then it was all brushed under the carpet in the rush to save the world.
The alien invasion story is a comic book staple and since I've been reading those since I was a girl I can hardly fault this novel for running with the same theme. Towards the end I did find that it became a little bit fuzzy on explanations , but I guess from the character point of view they wouldn't know either or probably care.
I think I'm going to read the second one now so I can see the aftermath and how the supers, and everyone else, deals with things.
My appreciation of a novel can be made or broken on the strength of the characters and I'm happy to say that I liked the variety of personalities here. The focus is very much on Jo Tanis and that meant the secondary characters didn't all get a chance to shine with everything going on, but they showed definite promise that they could grow in the later novels. As for Jo... I found her an okay character and by the end I could comfortably see her taking a leadership role, though I was disappointed at how superficial her thoughts about Mike seemed to be considering how close they'd supposedly been. She cried a few times and then it was all brushed under the carpet in the rush to save the world.
The alien invasion story is a comic book staple and since I've been reading those since I was a girl I can hardly fault this novel for running with the same theme. Towards the end I did find that it became a little bit fuzzy on explanations , but I guess from the character point of view they wouldn't know either or probably care.
I think I'm going to read the second one now so I can see the aftermath and how the supers, and everyone else, deals with things.
June 8, 2015
Jo is a super her power is gathering energy from objects and transforming it into electricity which she can shoot from her hands or user to fly. She and others like her waged mock battles as eye-candy for the media. The battles were all for entertainment purposes until one day a race of aliens came to earth and the fight suddenly became real. Jo became the self-appointed leader in an unplanned war to become real heroes and save the world. This book started out slow but picked up the pace quickly it was well crafted and a good read. If you like comic books, superheroes, and science fiction then this book is for you. I would highly recommend checking this one out.
September 25, 2012
Interesting premise: superheroes and villains fight rigged battles until some aliens come to Earth and they need to save the world for real. Likeable main character and a fast-moving plot. The flashbacks revealing Jo and Mike's relationship were especially well-done.
Quibble: I would've liked to have seen more of the aliens' culture.
Quibble: I would've liked to have seen more of the aliens' culture.
January 18, 2013
The writing flowed nicely and the characters weren't too bad, but the plot was a little disappointing. I wished for more overall story-wise. It never seemed to dare to get too involved with any of the plot points, just lightly skimming over everything. I think there was more eating sandwiches than action scenes. Not good for a super hero type story.
October 29, 2014
Fast paced urban fantasy tale. Our world, with 'super' heroes added.
Enjoyed the tale, lots of action, and good closure on this story but also manages to open up a wider world to explore for rest of series. Very light on the romance, which also promises bigger things to come in rest of series.
Had me rooting for the good guys (and some of the bad guys)
Enjoyed the tale, lots of action, and good closure on this story but also manages to open up a wider world to explore for rest of series. Very light on the romance, which also promises bigger things to come in rest of series.
Had me rooting for the good guys (and some of the bad guys)
May 22, 2011
I quite enjoyed this, the pacing seemed a little slow at some points, though that could have been my mood when reading. But I loved the concept of the superhero reality TV and loved what Nantus did with it. I am so eager to read the next one.
September 13, 2012
This book was free on my nook. I got it for some light reading not expecting too much from it. I really enjoyed it and was excited to see that there are 2 more books after it. Great "superhero" story. The plot is light and a bit expected but the characters were enjoyable.
August 24, 2012
Fun read with engaging characters and a not too far out there plot considering "reality" TV these days!
September 12, 2012
This was good, fun, light reading. I felt emotions and enjoyed the ride.
October 8, 2012
I enjoyed this story of super heroes who played heroes until they had to really become them.
October 22, 2012
A great, quick read and a not so typical superhero origin story. Perfect when all you want is some good old fashioned action/adventure.
April 27, 2013
I don't read books when the story starts dropping the F bomb first chapter.
September 16, 2013
It's a good read, but too shoooooort T_T
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews