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Book Review: Thunder Kraken (Kraken Rider Z #2) by David Estes and Dyrk Ashton

January 8, 2025 by Andy Peloquin Leave a Comment

Rating: 8.75/10

TL;DR Review: Bigger, better, brighter, and more enjoyable. Another epic installment of one of my all-time favorite progression fantasy series.

Synopsis:

Zee Tarrow’s dreams are finally coming true.

While the road to acceptance into Triumf’s Citadel Academy has been filled with pain, suffering, and more joy and surprises than Zee could’ve possibly imagined, now is his time to shine. After all, he’s the first kraken rider in more than a thousand years! Who could possibly defeat him? Except now he must be separated from his best and most loyal friend, the kraken, Jessup, as they both must complete basic training individually in order to pass and become full-fledged cadets.

Easy, right?

Not so much. Rival flights will stop at nothing to defeat or even destroy them, but Zee and Jessup will face far graver danger from mysterious powers who despise them simply for existing. Assassination attempts, monsters of the deep, and the challenges of rising from the sea to live in a world that prefers dry land will thwart them at every turn.

All the while, an evil deadlier than the most powerful dragonrider to ever exist lurks in the shadows, waiting for the perfect moment to come forth and destroy…

If Zee and Jessup are to survive much less thrive, they must forge new friendships, overcome the odds stacked against them, and, above all else, continue to progress their power to levels that haven’t been witnessed in a millennium.

Full Review:

Zee and Jessup ride again—but this time, they don’t adventure alone!

As we dive into the first pages of Thunder Kraken, Zee and Jessup return to the Triumf’s Citadel Academy following their first battle with the Wraith King more determined than ever to progress and advance their magical abilities. Which is perfect, because they and all the other “minnies” are going to be taking part in an academy-wide competition.

But there’s a twist: every minny needs a flight, a company of five to train alongside. And aside from each other, Zee and Jessup don’t really have any friends.

Yet.

Both kraken and murman approach the challenge with their usual positive mindset, and though things get off to a bit of a rocky start, it is inevitable that they will make friends and gather their own crew.

This book feels a great deal like a fantasy version of My Hero Academia, and I say that in the best way possible. The school-wide competition gives each of the recruits a chance to showcase their powers, and it’s Zee’s personality (like Izuku’s) that draws people to him. Even those who are afraid of him as a murman and outsider will be unable to resist his magnetism, his optimistic personality, and his can-do approach to every challenge.

This team-building story has all the emotional highs and lows I could have asked for, with each of his fellow recruits—and soon-to-be-friends—struggling with their own difficulties, issues, burdens, and secrets. One by one, as they open up to each other, they become stronger and more tightly bonding. It hits that “found family” vibe hard and I absolutely loved the progression of the characters coming together.

Jessup’s story is less front-and-center than in Kraken Rider Z, but no less entertaining. The mighty kraken has to build his own flight of dragons, which he does in his usual cheerful way. He is the definition of a friendly giant, a powerhouse who will take on all challengers—sometimes in fours or fives—and walk away the victor. But he’s always there when Zee needs moral support, a joke or a laugh, or a reminder to work hard and grow.

Together, they advance through the competition to…well, you’ll have to read that for yourself!

The story keeps growing around them, too. We’ve already gotten hints of the dark power they’ll one day face, and now it becomes a more immediate threat and concern as Zee and Jessup are both haunted by nightmares. There are also dark secrets to be discovered, lost marvels to be found, treachery to arise at the worst possible time, and so much more.

Thunder Kraken takes everything I loved about Kraken Rider Z and dials it up a notch. It’s bigger, bolder, more exciting, and gives us a broader cast of characters to follow along into future adventures. I can’t wait to see what comes next for Zee, Jessup, and their dragon and humans friends!

Filed Under: Progression Tagged With: Book Review, Fantasy, Fantasy Books, Progression fantasy, Self Published

About Andy Peloquin

I am, first and foremost, a storyteller and an artist--words are my palette. Fantasy and science fiction are my genres of choice, and I love to explore the darker side of human nature through the filter of heroes, villains, and everything in between. I'm also a freelance writer, a book lover, and a guy who just loves to meet new people and spend hours talking about my fascination for the worlds I encounter in the pages of fantasy and sci-fi novels.
Speculative fiction provides us with an escape, a way to forget about our mundane problems and step into worlds where anything is possible. It transcends age, gender, religion, race, or lifestyle--it is our way of believing what cannot be, delving into the unknowable, and discovering hidden truths about ourselves and our world in a brand-new way. Fiction at its very best!

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