5 things we need to know after reading Marissa Meyer’s Archenemies

“Archenemies,the second book in Marissa Meyer’s dystopian, superhero-focused Renegades series, ups the stakes for almost everyone. But where do we go from here?

Archenemies, the second book in Marissa Meyer’s dystopian, superhero-focused Renegades series, changes the game. Supposed heroes make dark choices. Alleged villains turn out to have softer sides. Nova’s resolve to destroy the superhero team she’s been sent to infiltrate by her villainous family weakens. And her secret is closer than ever to being exposed.

Archenemies is a fast-paced, exhilarating read that focuses a lot more on relationships rather than the world-building of the first book. This makes a certain amount of sense, as we needed to see Nova build real and realistic relationships with her Renegade friends in order for the threat of her villain connections being revealed to have real emotional stakes.

How everyone will react when they learn that Nova is not only not a fan of the Renegades, but that she’s also supervillain Ace Anarchy’s niece? That she has been sent to infiltrate their headquarters in order to bring down the organization – and probably get some of them killed? That everything she’s told them has been a lie?

These aren’t the only things we have questions about either. Here are five questions from Archenemies we desperately need answered – and preferably ASAP.

Is Max alive?

The end of the novel heavily implies that Max, a young boy with the particularly dangerous ability of power absorption, has been killed. (And that his death is in large part Nova’s fault.) Yet, we also don’t get a direct confirmation of this assumption at any point, nor do we see a body. You never know. In fact, in a story about superheroes, it’s almost always safe to assume you don’t know, and that some magic or heretofore unknown ability has or will save Max.

His unique ability was such a key feature of taking down Ace Anarchy the first time that it’s hard to believe that he wouldn’t somehow be involved in doing so again. Plus, he’s a little kid. These novels haven’t shied away from depicting violence, even when it’s directed towards the good guys, but killing a kid that we’ve actually gotten to know seems as though it would be a particularly cruel twist.

What does the future of Adrian and Nova’s relationship hold?

The slow burn romance between Adrian and Nova continues adorably in this book, and the two manage to finally go on a couple of dates together. Of course, Nova’s busy trying to convince herself that she’s using Adrian solely for his identity and connections, but it seems obvious that he means more to her than she wants him to. This tension between them is extremely well done – well, except for one thing. For Nova’s schemes to work, Adrian often has to be incredibly dumb.

Seriously, we’re really meant to believe he just accepted that he passed out while kissing someone simply because he was tired? Or that he wouldn’t notice the things that have gone missing at headquarters and in his own home? Frankly, Adrian has to not notice a lot of stuff, and there’s so much here that it’s hard to believe that he could ever trust – or even want to try – someone who’s mislead him in so many ways. (No matter how genuine her feelings turn out to be.)

Furthermore, is Nova capable of admitting that she was wrong about her uncle and his cause? Throughout both Renegades and Archenemies, we’ve seen Nova question her devotion to the Anarchists, particularly as she’s gotten to really know Adrian and the other members of her Renegade team. Does she love him enough to sacrifice the revenge she’s spent her life working toward? And does he care about her enough to forgive the gigantic betrayal/revelation we all know is coming in the next book?

Is anyone going to notice Danna is missing?

It certainly seems that Danna has figured out the secret of Nova’s double life. Her growing suspicion about Nova’s activities – thanks to her teammate’s strident opposition to the Agent N chemical and sympathy toward Anarchists in general – are pretty much confirmed once Danna uses her ability to transform into a swarm of butterflies to follow her home. (We don’t know what exactly she saw, but since Nova’s got multiple Anarchists living with her at present, it’s probably enough.) Unfortunately for Danna, however, Nova realizes what’s happening in time to catch the spying insects, preventing her Renegade teammate from returning to human form and spilling all her secrets.

This is a gutsy twist, given that it’s making Nova actively culpable in hurting one of her friends. (Danna is, for all intents and purposes, now her prisoner.) It’s also wild, since one has to assume that eventually some other member of their team will notice when they never see her again. How long can she keep this up? And what will happen once Danna gets free?

What is Ace Anarchy’s endgame?

The final moments of Archenemies set up a tantalizing showdown for the final novel in the Renegades trilogy. Dreaded supervillain Ace Anarchy is alive, has his power-boosting helmet back and access to the dangerous chemical agent that removes the superpowers of prodigies. (And all thanks to his loyal niece, Nova.) So…now what? What’s the next step in his plan, both in terms of Gatlon City and his ongoing battle against the Renegades? Is he more interested in overthrowing the newly established social order or getting revenge against those he blames for the fact that he’s spent years in hiding, weakened and in pain? And even if he gets his wish and neutralizes the Renegades entirely, what then?

We’ve spent so much time in the Renegades series hearing stories and legends about this infamous supervillain. And even though he actually appeared as a character in Archenemies, we still now very little about Ace Anarchy as a person. Here’s hoping that in the finale of this trilogy, we can learn more about who he really is and his motivations for being so bad.

Who are the real good guys here?

Yes, Nova’s insistence that the Renegades aren’t the virtuous heroes they pretend to be can get old after a certain point. (It feels like she says it every other chapter.) But she’s also not wrong. Even the Renegades who mean well are uncomfortably willing to do almost anything in the name of justice or a more secure society. And that’s not even counting the people like Frostbite and her team who are willing to torture or even kill the villains they encounter. No, the Renegades are far from perfect, and the story makes a point acknowledges them as such.

And the villains aren’t all bad, either. Honey and Leroy are certainly guilty of monstrous acts, but they also clearly care about Nova and one another. They’ve even charming in their own ways, and it’s easy to understand many of their actions as simply trying to survive.

Now with the introduction of Agent N, a chemical that permanently strips prodigies of their abilities, the lines between right and wrong are even more blurred. Who gets to decide who deserves to have special abilities? Is it right to take them away from someone with no discussion or trial? And since Nova stole the serum so the Anarchists could use it as a weapon, everyone’s suddenly at risk. But should anyone use it, even with the best of intentions? The debates surrounding Agent N were some of the most compelling moments in Archenemies and it seems certain that the discussions – and stakes – will only become more complicated heading into the series’ endgame.

Archenemies is available wherever books are sold.