Cirrus@Austlit

'The Zeroes are in disarray. One of them has vanished into thin air. One of them is in prison. The rest of them are on the most wanted list. And something big is brewing. Time is running out for the Zeroes, but they must learn to trust each other again and combine their powers for good—to avert the looming disaster.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'The second book in the unputdownable, action-packed Zeroes series from New York Times bestselling authors.

'Every power has a dark side. Keep the secret. Use your power for good. Keep out of trouble. Stick together. Or things will fall apart.

'It's the holiday season, but the celebration at the Zeroes's underground nightclub is blown apart when two strangers with new powers take to the dance floor. The Zeroes pursue them, only to discover that they're fleeing an even more sinister power-wielder, Swarm. The Zeroes must learn all they can about this dangerous new player if they are to stay safe.

'Meanwhile each of the Zeroes also has their own issues to deal with. Bellwether's confidence is challenged, and Mob questions the nature of her power. Crash's conscience gets a workout, and Anon and Scam face harsh truths about belonging. And it's up to Flicker to pick up the reins and lead the Zeroes into a terrifying showdown.

'A terrific sequel with a cracking pace that raises the stakes in this brilliant and unique superheroes series.' (Publication summary)

'On a far, frozen desert world, Muir the pilot discovers an ancient artefact in the ice. She sees a mermaid at first, but later comes to wonder if it is Ningyo, a fish god from her homeland in Japan. A god that brings misfortune and storm. A god that—by all means possible—should be returned to the sea. The rest of Base Station Un see something else. Bayoumi the lab rat sees Sekhmet the lioness goddess, daughter of the sun god. Partholon the creep finds in its shape a ‘good, old-fashioned cruxifix’. But all of them want to possess it. All of them want it for themselves.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

The Zeroes are teenagers, all born in the year 2000, and all with a superpower that they barely comprehend: weaponised charisma, the ability to see only through others's eyes, power over crowds, destructive interactions with technology.

The series begins after the splintering of the Zeroes, and follows their reconciliation when a member of their group is involved in a bank robbery.

'Don't call them heroes. But these six Californian teens have powers that set them apart.

'Ethan aka Scam has a voice inside him that'll say whatever people want to hear, whether it's true or not. Which is handy, except when it isn't - like when the voice starts gabbing in the middle of a bank robbery. The only people who can help are the other Zeroes, who aren't exactly best friends these days.

'Enter Nate, aka Bellwether, the group's 'glorious leader.' After Scam's SOS, he pulls the scattered Zeroes back together. But when the rescue blows up in their faces, the Zeroes find themselves propelled into whirlwind encounters with ever more dangerous criminals. At the heart of the chaos they find Kelsie, who can take a crowd in the palm of her hand and tame it or let it loose as she pleases.

'Filled with high-stakes action and drama, Zeroes unites three powerhouse authors for the opening instalment of a thrilling new series.' (Publication summary)

Set in the same universe as Bad Power, Kaneko is a reporter whose boss has sent her out to make a story out of the nutcases who call the paper to say they have secret powers. Some of them say they were indigo children, meant to be the next wave of human evolution. If so, evolution hasn’t worked out for most of them very well. Kaneko has, however, a superpower of her own - a tenacity that leads to discoveries (Lois Tilton, Locus Online).