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leeleet's review
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
2.75
There were great action scenes in this novel but it dragged so much. This book was way too long and I got bored several times. By the end I was skimming to just get to the end. There were a lot of details about the magic system but I have no idea what this world looks like. I have no idea of the world and kingdoms around Tosh or their level of tech. It feels like it’s pretty high though but the authors barely focused on the world. I liked Jessup and Zee but I could not make sense of the decisions that were made at certain times. After everything he goes through as a murfolk, the fact that he doesn’t once think about all the other murfolk laboring under lifelong indentured servitude or forced to hide what they are pissed me off. He even got several boons from the king at the end and he didn’t even think to at least say treat my people better. I won’t be continuing this series.
andypeloquinauthor's review against another edition
5.0
TL;DR Version: A wonderfully fresh, upbeat, and enjoyable entrant into the world of progression fantasy. Compelling yet easy reading from start to finish.
Full Review:
I got my hands on an ARC copy of this book, and I’m so glad I did. After immensely enjoying a few progression fantasy staples—including Cradle, Iron Prince, and Bastion—Kraken Rider Z felt like a fun and fresh addition to the genre.
The concept is established effectively and thoroughly within the opening chapters. A world where the bond between dragons and their human riders bestows upon both immense powers and continent-shattering abilities, and where every young man and woman dreams of growing up to become a dragon-rider.
For young Zee Tarrow, there are two significant deterrents: first, it’s rare for the poor to have access to the prestigious Academy, much less come close to dragons; and second, he’s far too sickly and weak to be a warrior or knight.
But all that changes when he discovers a strange-looking creature stranded on the beach. Rescuing the odd little thing, he finds himself beginning on a journey that will lead him to being something different—and possibly even greater—than a dragon rider.
He will be a KRAKEN RIDER.
The Characters:
Zee Tarrow is everything you’d expect from a progression fantasy hero. Driven, determined, and relentless, you can feel his desire to grow stronger and will let nothing stand in his way.
But where he differs as a character is in his temperament. Though he’s lived a hard life—serving aboard a ship as little more than a hull-scrubber, beaten, and abused—it hasn’t soured his spirit or left him bitter. He’s relentlessly upbeat and positive, a trait that I absolutely admire and very much appreciate.
Tonally, though the book has the potential to go dark, it always stays optimistic and “bright”. Zee never lets his hard life or the abuse he’s suffered to drag on him. It’s simply a motivator to challenge him to do better and become more, but his spirit is wonderfully free of shadows. In a genre often consumed by brooding heroes and a more “grimdark” flavor, it’s a refreshing addition.
Zee’s kraken, Jessup, is an absolute delight. And not just the ridiculously amusing—and appropriate—name. From the first moment we see him as a baby kraken first learning to swim and talk with Zee, he’s the most adorable thing ever. Baby dragons, move over; baby krakens are where it’s at now!
And as he grows, he never stops being the Jessup we meet in the beginning, even through all his ordeals. He develops his own unique, wonderfully complex personality, but he’s always there as Zee’s best friend, companion, emotional support, and comedic foil.
The World:
The world is basically what you’d expect when you mash up the “dragon rider” concept with progression fantasy.
The Academy is where all young prospective dragons and their human riders go to train. Interestingly, the dragons are also undergoing a lot of the military-style physical and magical conditioning that their human counterparts go through, even before they’re bonded. I found that a wonderfully unique twist on the dragon rider trope. While the dragons are still innately powerful creatures, they have to develop their abilities just like the human riders. This increases the “leveling up” feel nicely.
Most of the world we see is confined to Zee’s little city, the ship he sails on, and the island where the Academy is housed. There’s not a whole lot of complicated worldbuilding to get lost in, which makes it an easy, straightforward read. However, everywhere we visit in the world feels nicely fleshed out and real. In that sense, it’s as well-developed as a doorstopper epic with hundreds of pages of setting descriptions.
Final Thoughts:
My previous dalliances in the progression fantasy genre have given me an appreciation for the structure and near-obsessive focus on training. And, like so many of its predecessors—including Iron Prince, Cradle, and Bastion—Kraken Rider Z takes a familiar and enjoyable concept and does something unique with it.
Zee and Jessup are a pairing that had me hooked from their first interactions, and kept me fascinated with their strange abilities, unlimited potential, but most of all, their optimistic and cheerful natures in a world filled with so many selfish and self-centered people.
There is no doubt in my mind that Kraken Rider Z has firmly established itself as one of the best entrants in the progression fantasy genre, and one I look forward to reading for as many books as Dyrk and David intend to write.
Full Review:
I got my hands on an ARC copy of this book, and I’m so glad I did. After immensely enjoying a few progression fantasy staples—including Cradle, Iron Prince, and Bastion—Kraken Rider Z felt like a fun and fresh addition to the genre.
The concept is established effectively and thoroughly within the opening chapters. A world where the bond between dragons and their human riders bestows upon both immense powers and continent-shattering abilities, and where every young man and woman dreams of growing up to become a dragon-rider.
For young Zee Tarrow, there are two significant deterrents: first, it’s rare for the poor to have access to the prestigious Academy, much less come close to dragons; and second, he’s far too sickly and weak to be a warrior or knight.
But all that changes when he discovers a strange-looking creature stranded on the beach. Rescuing the odd little thing, he finds himself beginning on a journey that will lead him to being something different—and possibly even greater—than a dragon rider.
He will be a KRAKEN RIDER.
The Characters:
Zee Tarrow is everything you’d expect from a progression fantasy hero. Driven, determined, and relentless, you can feel his desire to grow stronger and will let nothing stand in his way.
But where he differs as a character is in his temperament. Though he’s lived a hard life—serving aboard a ship as little more than a hull-scrubber, beaten, and abused—it hasn’t soured his spirit or left him bitter. He’s relentlessly upbeat and positive, a trait that I absolutely admire and very much appreciate.
Tonally, though the book has the potential to go dark, it always stays optimistic and “bright”. Zee never lets his hard life or the abuse he’s suffered to drag on him. It’s simply a motivator to challenge him to do better and become more, but his spirit is wonderfully free of shadows. In a genre often consumed by brooding heroes and a more “grimdark” flavor, it’s a refreshing addition.
Zee’s kraken, Jessup, is an absolute delight. And not just the ridiculously amusing—and appropriate—name. From the first moment we see him as a baby kraken first learning to swim and talk with Zee, he’s the most adorable thing ever. Baby dragons, move over; baby krakens are where it’s at now!
And as he grows, he never stops being the Jessup we meet in the beginning, even through all his ordeals. He develops his own unique, wonderfully complex personality, but he’s always there as Zee’s best friend, companion, emotional support, and comedic foil.
The World:
The world is basically what you’d expect when you mash up the “dragon rider” concept with progression fantasy.
The Academy is where all young prospective dragons and their human riders go to train. Interestingly, the dragons are also undergoing a lot of the military-style physical and magical conditioning that their human counterparts go through, even before they’re bonded. I found that a wonderfully unique twist on the dragon rider trope. While the dragons are still innately powerful creatures, they have to develop their abilities just like the human riders. This increases the “leveling up” feel nicely.
Most of the world we see is confined to Zee’s little city, the ship he sails on, and the island where the Academy is housed. There’s not a whole lot of complicated worldbuilding to get lost in, which makes it an easy, straightforward read. However, everywhere we visit in the world feels nicely fleshed out and real. In that sense, it’s as well-developed as a doorstopper epic with hundreds of pages of setting descriptions.
Final Thoughts:
My previous dalliances in the progression fantasy genre have given me an appreciation for the structure and near-obsessive focus on training. And, like so many of its predecessors—including Iron Prince, Cradle, and Bastion—Kraken Rider Z takes a familiar and enjoyable concept and does something unique with it.
Zee and Jessup are a pairing that had me hooked from their first interactions, and kept me fascinated with their strange abilities, unlimited potential, but most of all, their optimistic and cheerful natures in a world filled with so many selfish and self-centered people.
There is no doubt in my mind that Kraken Rider Z has firmly established itself as one of the best entrants in the progression fantasy genre, and one I look forward to reading for as many books as Dyrk and David intend to write.
pmiller1208's review
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
bward2795's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Lighthearted and fun, but the book has some glaring flaws in my opinion. Some plot devices do not make much sense at all, but I will not spoil them. The biggest problem I had with the book though is that it spends a lot of time on training and meditating to become stronger, instead of growing through experiences. In the way this is done, it removes any possibility of tension for most of the book.
I loved the beginning, and the final battle was great, but the middle of the book really drags on for way too long without any interesting plot points or lasting consequences.
I loved the beginning, and the final battle was great, but the middle of the book really drags on for way too long without any interesting plot points or lasting consequences.
jedidiah_blake's review
adventurous
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
yourewelcome's review against another edition
3.0
Was a good read enjoyed the relationship between Zee and jessop but did not enjoy how long the training section and the power up
wolfmantula's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
Kraken Rider Z is a rip-roaring progression fantasy with unforgettable characters and tantalizing views.
I just want to start off by saying that the cover by Daniel Kamarudin and the design by STK Kreations is absolutely stunning! The story is split into four parts and what I liked about splitting it into parts was that each author was able to take turns putting in their own style to the story. It was a great collaboration and honestly so much fun to read, it reminded me a lot of Paternus in the way that it felt because of Dyrk’s uncanny way of telling such a fun and light hearted story with some edge. I haven’t read anything from David Estes until now, and will add his stuff to my TBR, but based on what he’s previously written and how this story develops, he brought a bit more of a serious tone while still keeping that light hearted feel to it.
How can you not have fun reading something that has Krakens, Dragons and pirates, as well as characters named after authors and reviewers we know and love. Seeing each name pop up was really fun and exciting to see, and I love that it wasn’t hidden or letters mixed up to make you guess, it was straight forward, in your face! That’s not good enough? How about TALKING dragons & krakens! Yes, they speak literally and telepathically. I also liked that there were different types of dragons rather than just different colors of them, even though there were also different colored ones as well, and I also liked that the Gods names were an amalgamation of Roman & Greek mythological gods, that was a nice touch.
“Reach deeper than you could possibly imagine. Farther than you ever have before.
Only at the moment of most dire need will more power come to you. The greatest potential lies with those closest to defeat. The most high will be those with the noblest intent, perhaps most aligned to the divine will of Zhera herself.”
Maybe I should talk about the main characters, Zee and Jessup, just a little bit. First off, love the name Jessup for some reason and every time I had to say his name, I just giggled. But anyways, both of them were fantastic and so lovable, which made seeing their growth so much better from getting to see them start off in the beginning at such a young age and to see them both blossom to young adults. Though I do wish there was a little more touched on in those in between years. While the time jump was definitely needed and we got bits and pieces throughout the rest of the story, I felt like it took some good backstory away from the characters that could’ve shown more of their growth. The side characters that we meet were also great, one in particular I thought I wasn’t going to like very much, but ended up liking quite a bit. Oh, and Midge, I love Midge! Everyone is going to love Midge!
I’m docking this half a point for no Clash of the Titans reference, I mean, how do you have a book about a Kraken and nobody has a “RELEASE THE KRAKEN” line in there!?!? Lol. Just kidding, I would never dock for something like that, but I was really hoping for that Easter egg… maybe book 2. I liked the progression rankings and that there are levels to each so it’s not as if it is just go from one to the next, but because there are so many, I did feel like the progression side of the story did move rather quickly at times. Since this is a trilogy, it does need to move quicker than the way Cradle, which is a 12 book series, moved. Maybe fewer classes and levels would’ve made it work better and not feel so fast moving, regardless of that, this was still absolutely enjoyable and I cannot wait until it’s release so I can hear Tim Gerard Reynolds voice these characters!
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