The Strikers
by B.K. Cain
Genre: Fantasy
ISBN: 9798990006904
Print Length: 519 pages
Reviewed by Chelsey Tucker
Fast, fun, and full of nail-biting action
Alder Morthenstar defeated Kagai the first time around, but she knew it wasn’t over. She prophesied the second coming of this evil and that her heir would have to defeat the heir of Kagai.
To help, she hid clues across the country for others to discover who the heir may be when the time comes. This 200-year-old prophecy sparks the formation of the “Strikers,” a group of four Jelani, two Ashan, and a human child. They will have to be cunning and brave to solve the puzzles and dodge Kagai’s grasp.
From a Jelani city, Princess Athela and Prince Laith along with their bodyguards Marc and Rane came into the capital city of Two Falls to run errands as a punishment dealt to Athela by her mother (the Queen). Unexpectedly, they came across a young Ashan man named Tarr who “was standing in the center square of Two Falls right on the heart stone. Beside a wolf.” A white wolf to be exact, just like the prophecy stated. This is where the Strikers begin to take form. It’s not long before Si, a boy about ten, joins the group with Morthenstar’s sword. Their last companion, Archer, is a unique-looking Ashan gifted in gab and getting out of tight spots.
When the Jelani come across Tarr, he has just arrived in Two Falls after being forced out of his tribe for a year after being unclaimed during the Choosing. Ashans typically live in tribes within the forest to the North of Two Falls. They are vegetarians who live within the trees and are very community-oriented people.
“Thievery was an unknown concept to the Ashans of his tribe—what one owned, the entire tribe owned. If one did not have enough food, the rest of the tribe supplied one with food.”
To their benefit, Ashans have six fingers on each of their hands that aid in effortlessly scaling large trees. However, this sixth finger and their comfort traveling within the trees causes some to discriminate and generate ignorant stereotypes. To no one’s surprise, the Ashan people are instantly targeted by Kagain guards the moment Kagai takes control of the country.
The Strikers has immersive worldbuilding that provides a good balance between backstory and action. The explanations of how the different races live along with their intertwining lore are intriguing, and each detail serves a specific purpose within the story. The set-up to the world is thorough and evenly dispersed throughout this first book of a trilogy.
As the story progresses, the relationships among the Strikers continue to deepen. Even though this is an action and adventure-type story, there are many important life lessons that are explored. With books being a recurring theme, it is only fitting that one of the biggest lessons within The Strikers is to not judge a book by its cover.
Fantasy lovers of all ages will find The Strikers charming, and most will get sucked in from the first page. This book is an emotional rollercoaster with moments of joy, grief, suspense, and intensity that will entrench you in a fantastical world.
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