Protect the world. Preserve peace. Guard the secrets.
For centuries, Hunters have worked from the shadows to protect the world against Rev’ers. Ordinary people would call them demons but the Hunters knew these creatures for what they were. They weren’t possessed by devils, nor were they demons spat out of hell. They were just creatures from a world not found in any science books. No one on Earth knew of their existence, and the Hunters kept the balance.
In a few short weeks, that balance will be destroyed.
When Rev’ers go haywire and cause unpredictable destruction, Mafuyu, a Hunter, is tasked with protecting Mirai, an ex-Hunter that has left the organization for reasons not widely known, from Bezaleel. Legend has it that this First-Level Rev’er killed hundreds of men before he disappeared without a trace. Years later, he has resurfaced again.
Mirai knows all about Bezaleel and First-Levels, but he’s been running from a dark and dangerous past. He fears that if the First-Levels get to him, then history will repeat itself. Then all of the effort he’s put in to guard crucial secrets, all of the sacrifices he’s made, will have been in vain.
As the Hunters discover why their world has been tipped into sudden, unmanageable chaos, about Bezaleel and the Rev’ers, Mirai’s past unravels and reveals a world that no one, least of all Mafuyu, ever knew existed.
My Thoughts
“Sometimes, fear can be more detrimental than the danger itself.”
Daybreak, A.J. Navab
I was given a free copy of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Daybreak is a standalone urban fantasy story set in Japan that focuses on a secret group of demon hunters called Rev’er Hunters. It follows the lead protagonists as they figure out the sudden suspicious nature of the Rev’ers in their world, and discover that humans aren’t the only ones existing in the universe. This book reminded me a little bit of the Shadowhunter Chronicles mixed with the complexities of interdimensional planes like in the DC Comics tv shows and Rick and Morty. It was a real thrill to see all these elements come together and unfold into one great story, and I could also totally see this book as a great anime.
Plot-wise, it was very straightforward. It started off a bit slow as it slowly introduces the readers to the world’s background and lore, and the characters’ history and quirks. It wasn’t only until that I got to the middle part of the book that primarily focused on one of the main characters’ flashbacks that I got more invested into the story, and things were started to pick up from that point onwards. The battle scenes packed a lot of punch, and complimented the world and characters greatly. Although, I’ve always been not a fan of a lot of talk in between fighting characters, so that was a bad point for me just based on my personal taste. The progression of the book really followed the typical flow of a great story-telling, and I liked how clean, simple, and heartwarming the ending was.
The world-building was great. I liked the familiarity of the Japanese culture was mixed with the author’s own world. It just really gave off huge manga/anime vibes just by the worlds alone. The magic system and lore in this book were a bit confusing at first, but once you get past it, it’s actually pretty well-done. I always adore magic systems that have a huge drawback towards the yielders if used in excessive amounts, so I’m giving some brownie points there.
The dynamic between the characters were amazing, and it was something that totally gave the story even more power. It was such an experience seeing everyone interact with one another, especially Mafuyu and Mirai, and develop bonds amongst them. The multi-POV storyline was also a great help in knowing much more about the characters. Mirai, by far, is my most favorite character in this book, and I both got happy and sad at the journey he had to take.
Over-all, it is a really great debut novel for a budding new author. There were a few misses for me, but the great points were more than enough to make up for it. I could really recommend this to anyone who wants to read a non-traditional urban fantasy novel that they could consume in one sitting.
My Rating
About The Author
AJ Navab is obsessed with writing action-packed fantasy fiction stories. Born in 1996, she is the only child of her loving Indian parents and currently lives in the United Arab Emirates. She first began penning her stories at the age of seven. After earning a degree in journalism, she worked in the industry as a writer and sub-editor before realizing she has more fun writing her own stories and sharing her imagination with the world. When she isn’t furiously scribbling out a new adventure, she spends her time binge watching anime, painting and traveling.
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