Phenomenal Girl 5 by AJ Menden
Lainey Livingston otherwise known as Phenomenal Girl 5, has been working towards joining the Elite Hands of Justice, prime superhero crime fighting team to Megalopolis for years. She’s now been approved to join, and like all new members, she must train with the legendary Reincarnist, Robert Elliot before joining the EHJ’s ranks full-time. An apocalypse prophesy involving the villain The Dragon, magic training with the Reincarnist, and falling in love keep Lainey very busy.
Lainey’s training time is cut short when Robert reincarnates and effectively becomes a stranger again. When he reincarnates, he gets a cellular reboot and comes back as a new 20-year old man, not guaranteed to retain his knowledge and memories from previous selves.
I enjoyed this, the superhero world was fun and drew me in. The consequences and effects of Robert’s reincarnation and the mix of action and romance made for a good read.
4/5
Love Spell/Shomi, 2008, 978-0505527868
(thanks again bookwyrmknits for my copy)
cover blurb:
Lainey Livingston has just been made a member of the Elite Hands of Justice, the world’s premiere cadre of superheroes. Her work with the Red Knights and the Power Squad was impressive; all her senses are extraordinary, and her great strength and ability to fly are equally remarkable. But no one gets a free pass to active duty, and Lainey’s next test is going to be her hardest. She’s to train with the Reincarnist.
Robert Elliot, the Reincarnist. A magician who has lived multiple lifetimes, he’s the smartest man in the world – and Lainey’s last obstacle. He was personally responsible for seeing Pushstar wash out. But his eyes are the softest, kindest that Lainey has ever seen, and he’s just the sort to knock her for a loop. Lesson #1: Romantic entanglements among crime fighters are super exploitable, and falling in love with a man who “can’t die” is like waving a red flag at a bull. Especially when the most fiendish plot ever is about to break over Megalopolis like a wave of fire.
Three sisters, Lily, Rose and the eldest, Ivy, live in an alternate regency England called Altania. Ivy’s father is not well, affected by something magical he was working on years ago. While she cannot practice magic, Ivy studies the texts in hopes of finding something to help her father, while keeping an eye on the family’s ever dwindling money. There are shoutouts to Pride and Prejudice; marriageable income is of course important – Mrs. Lockwell says:
I stumbled into the genre for the first time about a year ago when I randomly picked up MJ Putney’s Stolen Magic at the library. The cover art got my attention. The book blurb sounded appealing enough (18th century England, magical people known as Guardians), so I decided to try it.
