Book picks similar to
The Beginning of the End by Paul Phipps


superhero
superheroes-villains
sci-fi
5-star

Hush Money


Susan Bischoff - 2010
    Talents are people born with supernatural powers, feared by the population at large. Possession of an “unregistered ability” has become illegal, and those who are discovered are forcibly removed to government-run research facilities. For Talents, keeping their secret is the most important thing in their lives. For some, that need for secrecy begins to define who they are.That’s how it is for Joss, a high school girl who does everything in her power to go unnoticed. She's incredibly bright, but strives to maintain grades that are good yet not too good. She doesn't participate in school activities, keeps quiet in class, eats by herself. Despite her longtime crush on Dylan, she wouldn't even think about trying to talk to him. Joss doesn't make friends of any kind, because friends can draw attention, friends can make you slip up, friends can make things complicated.When new girl, Kat, steps in to rescue Joss from an uncomfortable situation with Marco, the class jerk, she doesn’t realize what she’s getting into, and it blows up in her face. Joss finds herself torn between a desire to do the right thing, to find some way to help a girl who was kind to her; and her need to mind her own business and fade into. For the first time, Joss begins to question the way she operates, and starts to long for connections with other people--especially a connection with Dylan, who's finally starting to talk to her.But what's up with Dylan's sudden interest? As Marco’s best friend, can he be trusted at all?It's bad enough when a girl's got to worry about friends, boys, over-protective dads, and shoes that pinch, but when you throw in blackmail, government agents with guns, and really annoying little sisters...that's just about too much to handle, even for a girl with an ass-kicking superpower.

Towers: The Exigency Chronicles:Book 1


Terry Schott - 2020
    

One Nation Under Gods


Reeshi Ray - 2018
    When the smoke cleared the United States was a memory, conquered by a race unlike the world had ever seen. They are the Specials—a godlike race gifted with powers so cataclysmic that the human survivors of the war had no choice but to surrender to their invincible overlords. But Houston Holt doesn't surrender. A war veteran turned underworld fixer, Houston spends his nights evading the regime's secret police, building his criminal empire brick by brick in his relentless quest to escape the human slums. But one night, Houston steals a truck from the wrong people and sets off a chain reaction of mayhem that engulfs the empire. Because the truck contains a shocking secret—a secret of such fabled power that the Specials will unleash their most savage killers to hunt it down. Enter a world of immortals, assassins, and rogues in One Nation Under Gods—an epic adventure that combines the best of science fiction, superhero lore, and fantasy into a non-stop thrill ride.

And It Arose from the Deepest Black (John Black Book 2)


Keith Soares - 2016
    I’ve killed, and not just by accident. I’ve started to wonder if my powers make me dangerous, or if it’s the other way around. I don’t want to be a killer like Sol, be another bad guy, but I can feel myself turning.What choice do I have?There are other monsters besides just me, some human, some not. Big things that came out of the water, destroying everything in their path. Creatures from the bottom of the sea, or maybe outer space — it doesn’t matter, because they’re coming.What choice do I have but kill?

Renegades


Marissa Meyer - 2017
    Extraordinary Powers. She wants vengeance. He wants justice.The Renegades are a syndicate of prodigies — humans with extraordinary abilities — who emerged from the ruins of a crumbled society and established peace and order where chaos reigned. As champions of justice, they remain a symbol of hope and courage to everyone... except the villains they once overthrew.Nova has a reason to hate the Renegades, and she is on a mission for vengeance. As she gets closer to her target, she meets Adrian, a Renegade boy who believes in justice — and in Nova. But Nova's allegiance is to a villain who has the power to end them both.

The Second Super


Logan Rutherford - 2015
    All the worlds military cannot stop him, no matter what they throw his way. Until, with the whole world watching, Kane surprises himself by flying up to catch someone the supervillain has thrown off a building. The second superhuman is born. With no idea of the extent or magnitude of his powers, Kane has a long way to go before becoming the first superhero. He must stay one step ahead of both Richter and the rest of the world while he figures out how to take down his nemesis. Time is running out though, and Richter will do whatever it takes to make sure he's Earth's only superhuman.

The Dark Roads


Wayne Lemmons - 2016
     A group of men including Richie, Buddy, and the unlikely Elvis resolve that times are way too hot in Miami, Florida and decide to trek out, on their own, as far to the north as they can make it. Richie, who is the leader of their faction, suggests Alaska as the most favorable destination and the journey begins. They find themselves navigating the U.S. and Canadian Highways through long and lonely nights, sleeping in underground dwellings to avoid the deadly radiation of the daylight hours. Throughout their travels they scavenge limited supplies in department stores and gas stations in order to sate thirst, hunger, and the need for ammunition to protect against the looming threat of human nature. As the three life-long friends make their way toward Alaska, they encounter new friends in the form of a strong, but damaged, woman who will hold them even closer together, a young girl and her substitute father, and an improbable stray cat. They find grave dangers in the forms of a loving father and his two seemingly innocent daughters, groups of cannibals and the people trying to avoid them, and a lack of easily procured supplies that have met the same fate as the charred plants and animals of the globe. The sun, though the most obvious hazard to their journey, is seemingly the easiest to overcome. Only determination, cunning, and loyalty to each other can ensure their survival in this savage existence.

The Strain, Book Two: The Fall


David Lapham - 2015
    A small force is humanity's only chance: an alcoholic, a doctor, a pawnbroker, an exterminator, and a criminal. Can they prevent the Master from covering the world in darkness? Adapting from the best-selling trilogy of novels by filmmaker Guillermo del Toro and novelist Chuck Hogan, Eisner Award-winning writer David Lapham (Stray Bullets) and artist Mike Huddleston (Butcher Baker, The Coffin) visualize a compelling world in this tragic apocalyptic adventure. This collection includes issues #1-#9 of the acclaimed series and a short story featured in Dark Horse Presents that follows the travails of an aged luchador, the Silver Angel, written and illustrated by Lapham.

Apocalypse Library: The Ultimate Collection of World-Ending Horror


Iain Rob Wright - 2017
    Save over 50% compared to buying the titles separately. What would you do if the world ended? Could you trust your neighbours? Your family? Yourself? Step into the apocalypse with 9 full-length novels by British horror master Iain Rob Wright. From Flesh-eating zombies to world-ending experiments, this collection has the apocalypse in all flavors. Get a quick peek at the books included below. Ravaged World Trilogy 1. Sea Sick - Something man-made and evil has escaped aboard the luxury cruise liner, The Spirit of Kirkpatrick. There's nowhere to escape in the middle of the ocean. 2. Ravage - Everyone seems to be getting sick. Then they change. Follow Rick's journey as he struggles to survive at a hilltop amusement park during the end of the world. 3. Savage - Conclusion to the epic story beginning with Sea Sick and ending with a fight for humanity's survival at a fortified pier. Hell on Earth Saga 4. The Gates - All over the world strange gates have appeared, and something awful is about to come through. 5. Legion - The world is at war and the enemy is getting stronger. Humanity must win or become extinct. The Final Winter 6. The Final Winter - It's snowing all over the world. Something evil lurks in the cold, something ancient. Something unimaginable. Tar 7. Tar - In the Australian outback, a science experiment goes awry. Now the world is disappearing and time is about to run out. 2389 8. 2389 - Communication has just been lost with humanity's biggest amusement park, built on the moon. Someone needs to go up there and check things out. Animal Kingdom 9. Animal Kingdom - The animals have changed. No longer are they willing to be pets or dinner. Now we are the pets. We are the dinner. Humanity just fell to the bottom of the food chain. "Iain Rob Wright scares the Hell out of me." - Jack Kilborn, author of Origin and Afraid. "Iain Rob Wright is sick and twist." - David Moody, author of the Autumn series.

The Tide Series Box Set (The Tide #1-4)


Anthony J. Melchiorri - 2018
    A devastating bioweapon will change the face and fate of humanity as we know it. Captain Dominic Holland leads a crew of skilled covert operatives and scientific personnel aboard a clandestine ship dedicated to fighting chemical and biological warfare. Their missions have taken them across the world to combat sinister plots and dangerous adversaries. But their next assignment is more dangerous than any they faced before. Far off the eastern coast of the United States, intelligence officers discover a covert laboratory on an abandoned oil rig with unspeakable horrors. Twisted creatures wash ashore across the country. Hospitals are overrun by patients suffering from an incurable disease with terrifying symptoms. Dom and his team may be the only ones equipped to find out why. They embark on a globe-trotting race to unravel the apocalyptic mystery behind the bioweapon destroying civilization. But will their efforts be enough to turn the tide—or is humanity’s fate already sealed?

The Rules of Supervillainy


C.T. Phipps - 2015
    Supervillains, heroes, and monsters are a common part of the world he inhabits. Yet, after the death of his hometown's resident superhero, he gains the amazing gift of the late champion's magical cloak. Deciding he prefers to be rich rather than good, Gary embarks on a career as Merciless: The Supervillain Without Mercy. But is he evil enough to be a villain in America's most crime-ridden city? Gary soon finds himself surrounded by a host of the worst of Falconcrest City's toughest criminals. Supported by his long-suffering wife, his ex-girlfriend turned professional henchwoman, and a has-been evil mastermind, Gary may end up being not the hero they want but the villain they need.

This Mortal Coil


Emily Suvada - 2017
    Her father was the world's leading geneticist, and humanity's best hope of beating a devastating virus. Then, hidden beneath Cole's genehacked enhancements she finds a message of hope: Lachlan created a vaccine.Only she can find and decrypt it, if she can unravel the clues he left for her. The closer she gets, the more she finds herself at risk from Cartaxus, a shadowy organization with a stranglehold on the world's genetic tech. But it's too late to turn back.There are three billion lives at stake, two people who can save them, and one final secret that Cat must unlock. A secret that will change everything.

Injustice: Gods Among Us: Year Two Annual


Tom Taylor - 2014
    How can it continue? Then, as the resistance in Gotham City digs in, Commissioner Gordon works with his daughter Barbara for the first time. But their time together is running out! This is the second annual of the Injustice comic series, taking place before issue eight and the seven month timeskip.

Nighthawks


Jeremy Flagg - 2016
     Conthan’s only talents are sarcasm and art. That is, until he learns he’s a Child of Nostradamus with the ability to teleport. When his newfound powers kill a Marine, he finds himself hunted by the military’s elite. He is not the only one in danger. Conthan discovers his future entwined with a warden bent on corrupting imprisoned Children. As he unravels a conspiracy about to destroy the country, will he sacrifice his humanity to become a hero? Fans of X-Men & X-Force will love this fast-paced introduction to the Children of Nostradamus Universe.

The Seven


Sean Patrick Little - 2009
    As a result of the experiments, each of the seven is imbued with the potential for a different superhuman ability. As they near adulthood, the experiment finally begins to show results, but the effects are worse than any of them could have predicted. When an attempt to escape the lab goes horribly awry, the seven are forced to face down the paramilitary army of the syndicate that funded the experiment that created them, or lose the only family they have left: Each other.