Review: Strike: Dawn Of The Daybreaker

Title: Strike: Dawn of the Daybreaker

Series: The STRIKE Trilogy Book 2

Author: Charlie Wood

Publisher: Createspace

Published: October 9, 2012

Genre: Young Adult

Format: Paperback

Pages: 211

Source: Received from author

Read: March 13-23 2013

My Rating: 3 Stars

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Goodreads Synopsis:

It has been seven months since Tobin Lloyd became the superhero known as “Strike,” and the city of Boston, Massachusetts has never been safer. Yes, it turns out Tobin is pretty good at this superhero-stuff…even if he has to balance it with hanging out with friends, doing homework, and trying to graduate from high school.

However, a threat is looming that Tobin is unaware of: the red giant named Rigel—the last follower of the super-villain Vincent Harris—is still alive, and he is plotting to continue Vincent’s invasion and enslavement of the planet Earth. To do so, he is searching for a bizarre creature known as “The Daybreaker,” a super-villain so powerful that no one on Earth (or Capricious) will be able to stop it.

Will Tobin and his friends—Orion, Keplar, and Scatterbolt—discover Rigel’s plan before it is too late? Exactly who is this Daybreaker, and where did he come from? And even if the heroes succeed, will anything ever be the same again?

Featuring new characters, new locations, and new revelations, STRIKE: DAWN OF THE DAYBREAKER is the thrilling sequel to the young adult fantasy novel STRIKE: THE HERO FROM THE SKY.

Tobin Lloyd’s adventures are about to continue…whether he is ready for them or not

Melissa's Musings:

Tobin's adventures pick up 7 months from where he left off. He's still trying to find a balance between normal life and that of a superhero, and it's definitely a challenge for him.

This book is full of action and cool stunts, and quip filled dialogue. While the action is full, as are the twists and turns to keep things interesting, I have to say that for me, this book suffered a bit of the sophomore slump. 

Yes, there's action, yes there are twists and turns, but it feels like the author was struggling a bit in this middle book of the trilogy, leaving the really juicy dialogue and descriptions for the last book in the series. Some of the descriptions are repetitive in spots, and some of the sequences just seem a little too formal, they don't mesh with the flow you might expect.

In other spots, some of the action sequences in particular, I could really imagine the scenes as they were happening. At a few points I found myself thinking that this set of books with some polishing would make a really neat superhero franchise.

There are a few elements that I really liked. For instance, the introduction of Adrianna as a love interest for Tobin. She's supposed to be on the opposing team, but then she ends up helping Tobin out a few times as well. The love interest element is simple, and not overdone, which is great.

I also like the attention to some of the smaller details such as the Chrono Key. I really like the fact that this super hero gadget allows the user to travel through time, but only into the past, because the future hasn't happpened yet and is constantly changing with every decision that's made. Often times, stories with elements of time travel can account for suspected futures, but it makes a person wonder what they're really based on and what shaped these futures. The past has already happened, so you have a solid base to go back to, and as a reader you (usually) know what has happened so it's easier to navigate through than imagined futures might be.

That's not to say that I don't like stories with future time travel, I just think that the author made a wise choice in making it so that the Chrono Key can only take someone into the past.

The copy that I have has a different cover than the one posted here, and  I have to say I like the cover on my copy better. The cover pictured above is just cold and a bit stiff. The one I've got is more vibrant and colorful which is why I enjoy it more.

The story is solid and sets up well with an enticing cliffhanger that makes you wonder just how it's all going to turn out in the end. I'd recommend this for anyone who likes stories about superheroes.