A review by wolfmantula
Kraken Rider Z by Dyrk Ashton, David Estes

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!