The battle of Riptide

Gr 3-6-Rumors are flying across the Big Blue that Finnivus is threatening to take over the entire ocean in the second title (Razorbill, 2011) in the series by E. J. Altbacker. Gray, a giant shark, realizes that he must save the day when his family is threatened and other shark clans or shivers are destroyed by Finnivus. Gray must first train with Takiza, a wise fighting fish, in order to mentally and physically be ready for the challenge. Finnivus may be spoiled and power hungry, but many follow him out of fear and loyalty to his father. There are battles fought between shark armadas and clandestine alliances, but it comes down to whether Gray can accomplish his mission and fight along with his allies to defeat Finnivus. Joshua Swanson expressively narrates all the unusual characters with diverse voices, including Australian and gangster accents. This action-packed adventure is full of interesting characters and humor in a unique underwater world.-Teresa Wittmann, Westgate Elementary, Edmonds, WA (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Shark Wars (2011), unite in the sequel to battle an army of shark invaders from the far end of the Big Blue. Having learned that he's not fat (or "big-cartilaged," as he prefers to put it) but a supersized prehistoric Megalodon, young Gray is propelled into playing a leading role in repelling a disciplined force of shark troops from Indi, led by King Finnivus, a spoiled and vicious brat with visions of world conquest. Fortunately, Gray is being tutored in martial "Shar-kata" by Takiza, an ancient and bad-tempered betta (Siamese fighting fish). He also finds common purpose with other "shivers" (the basic shark communal unit--though more open-minded shivers admit other species too) and discovers unexpected allies who arrive (thanks to Takiza's ability to span entire oceans with magical speed) in the nick of time to turn the tide of the climactic battle. When Gray cries, or pants with exhaustion, the overall anthropomorphic conceit wears thin, but Altbacker expends some effort concocting his undersea setting and fills out the finny cast with familiar martial-artsstyle character types. A sure draw for the Kung-Fu Panda crowd, high on body count but low on gory details, it doesn't take itself too seriously and is fully sequel-enabled. (Animal fantasy. 10-12)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.