Boots - Book Three of the League of Secret Heroes series

And so we come to the third, and final, book in the "League of Secret Heroes" trilogy.  I really don't understand this hesitancy of publishers these days to have a continuing series.  It seems pretty much every new series that comes out lasts only three books, with very few new series going beyond that.  If, like back in the day, all three books came out at once, as a "breeder" set as they have come to be known, in order to test the waters, that would be one thing.  But where only one book comes out a year, and after three books, the story is done and no more, it is a little disappointing.  Here, you grow to like the characters, you enjoy the stories, and you want to see what's going to happen next - but instead, it's "oh, here's these great three stories, and now that you know the characters and like them, we're done and moving on to the next series...."  But, it is what it is, so I guess I should just enjoy what I do have and be thankful we get some great stories for the short time they are here.

Boots is the conclusion to the League of Secret Heroes story, the follow-up to Cape and Mask (and, thus, completing the costume).  Kate Hannigan wraps up the series nicely with a story that once again mixes fiction with the real world and real characters.  This time around, Mae, Josie, and Akiko - otherwise known as the Violet Vortex, the Emerald Shield, and the Orange Inferno: the Infinity Trinity! - team up with some of history's most famous female war pilots to go overseas and rescue Zenobia and the multitude of other heroes who have been kidnapped and held captive by the evil Metallic Falcon.  But when the Falcon manages to remove the Infinity Trinity's powers, Mae, Josie, and Akiko are left with the all important question - what can three young girls without any super powers do to help save the world?

Hannigan's story provides readers with a lesson in what it means to be courageous, what it means to overcome one's fears, and what it means to rise above adversity and all odds to fulfill your dreams and accomplish your goals.  While the fictional tale of super heroes and villains and big "in the sky" battles may not be real, the historical realities of women in the war effort and the discrimination against not only women, but in particular women of color, during World War II are actual facts carefully woven into the story.  Willa Brown, Janet Harmon, the WASPs and Jane Baessler were all real life heroes who, in their own way, brought about change in the real world and the way women in the military were viewed back in the first half of the 20th century, and Hannigan flawlessly weaves these women into the story as they aid the Infinity Trinity in their mission to save the heroes of the world.

Once again, the book is interspersed with pages of comic art pages that provide visual storytelling, as drawn by artist Patrick Spaziante.  The pages are beautifully drawn, and quite frankly, I'd love nothing more than to see Hannigan and Spaziante continue telling stories of these three young heroes in comic book format (perhaps a series of graphic novels that let's readers enjoy tales of Violet Vortex, Emerald Shield, and Orange Inferno AFTER defeating the villainy of Metallic Falcon?).  

This three-book series has been a pretty fun read, and it's a shame that there won't be any more books in this series - but I guess, as the saying goes, all good things must come to an end.  I would recommend this series to those who enjoy children's series books, super heroes, and/or comic books.

RATING:  8 scratchy pieces of material out of 10 for a fun mix of super heroes, historical fiction, and big battles that make reading this book "super" enjoyable!