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Shark Wars #2
The Battle of Riptide
Ever since Gray, Barkley, and their friends defeated Goblin, an infamous great white, at Tuna Run, life in the Big Blue has become murkier than ever for this young shiver of sharks. Food is scarce. Enemies lurk in every shadow. And Gray still doesn't know what has become of his family - of his mother, Sandy, and the rest of his Coral Reef shiver. Everywhere they swim, currents seem to whisper of a growing threat . . . of a shark who will stop at nothing until he has seized control of the entire ocean.
Now Gray must train with Takiza Jaelynn Betta vam Delacrest Waveland ka Boom Boom, a wise and mysterious fighting fish who has promised to teach his young apprentice the ways of the ocean and the secret of what it means to be a great warrior. That is, if Gray can learn to believe in himself, find the courage to trust his heart, and grow big enough to fight back!
Now Gray must train with Takiza Jaelynn Betta vam Delacrest Waveland ka Boom Boom, a wise and mysterious fighting fish who has promised to teach his young apprentice the ways of the ocean and the secret of what it means to be a great warrior. That is, if Gray can learn to believe in himself, find the courage to trust his heart, and grow big enough to fight back!
242 pages, Hardcover
First published December 13, 2011
33 people are currently reading
211 people want to read
About the author
E.J. Altbacker
8 books52 followersEJ Altbacker is an Emmy nominated screenwriter whose credits include such television shows as Spooksville, Green Lantern: The Animated Series, Ben 10, Spider-Man, Jay Jay the Jet Plane, Mucha Lucha and others. He holds an MFA in screenwriting from the American Film Institute and an undergraduate degree from the University of Notre Dame.
Handy Andy Saves the World is his first book since the six book Shark Wars series. He is currently working on his next book as well as writing on the Lego Nexo Knights and the upcoming Justice League Action shows (and another couple secret projects he can't talk about yet, which is killing him). EJ lives in Hermosa Beach, California, and enjoys biking and plodding (his word for jogging as he's pretty slow) by the shore.
Handy Andy Saves the World is his first book since the six book Shark Wars series. He is currently working on his next book as well as writing on the Lego Nexo Knights and the upcoming Justice League Action shows (and another couple secret projects he can't talk about yet, which is killing him). EJ lives in Hermosa Beach, California, and enjoys biking and plodding (his word for jogging as he's pretty slow) by the shore.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
January 23, 2015
As someone who thought the first Shark Wars book had its fair share of storytelling problems (if still a very breezy read and definitely is right for the audience it seeks out), this one is a great deal better and fixes a lot of the problems that the first book had and neatly ties up a lot of the loose ends left scattered in the ending of the very first book. I ended up devouring this book in one sitting after slogging a bit through its predecessor.
The plot goes like this: Indi Shiver, a shiver of sharks that both wear armor and tattoo themselves with sea urchin ink, is being run by a power-hungry tiger shark named Finnivus who wants to rule the entire ocean, and will slaughter any fin that stands (err, swims) in his way. Already he has slain dozens of sharks and ate their carcasses for dinner. Who can stand up to this brute? Why, none other than our loveable team of misfits, the Rogue Shiver and their leader, Gray, the big-cartilaged dope with a heart of gold. Can Gray both fend off this threat and find the whereabouts of his mother?
The first thing it does fix in comparison to the first book is the fact that Gray, while still possessing his main character faults from the first book (he's still whiny, eats a lot, is "big-cartilaged", and makes mistakes by looking for the easy way out), manages to be a lot more likeable this time around. He and the rest of Rogue Shiver are growing as characters and you start to empathize with him and his friends, especially the newer friends he makes from Auzy-Auzy Shiver, a lot more.
The second main thing that The Battle of Riptide does better than the first one is the main villain of this book. While the first book's two rival shark shivers (Goblin Shiver and Razor Shiver) basically read as a gang of thugs and weren't terribly exciting, the Indi Shiver and the crazed self-proclaimed shark emperor Finnivus who gleefully eats the heads of his conquered rivals is a huge improvement. His scenes are a lovely balance of ridiculous and creepy. I had the most fun reading about both him and life in the Indi Shiver court as several of the sharks under his command are either starting to have their doubts about his leadership or are vying for better positions in the Shiver through grovelling or subterfuge.
In a way, this book is a lot grimmer than the first one. There are a lot more named character deaths this time around (without spoiling too much, a good number of the threats in the first book are completely wiped out by the new bad guy and there is a pretty grisly betrayal) and the threat to the main characters is a lot more bleak. In a way, it works, and there are still lighter moments and silly moments to keep it from getting too dark. It's just something to keep in mind when comparing it to the first book.
There are some things that I did not enjoy, though. Most of it having to do with Takiza, the betta fish that comes across as being too much of a deux ex machina at times like he did in the first book. He hints at a prophecy and then eludes any questions of said prophecy. He knows of things that can instantly save the day. He can perform superhuman (err, superfish) feats of strength.
That, and the plot is very predictable. But then again, sharks aren't known for their nuance. And I realize that I'm not the target audience in saying this.
It's not a classic and its not subtle, but it's not aiming to be either one of those things.
Overall, this book would definitely be a good book for any young shark lover that has started reading novels. It's a shame that the first book of the series is a lot weaker overall in comparison to the second one. There are moments in the book that are perhaps too silly, but it shouldn't deter its reading audience from fully enjoying this and anticipating the next books in this series.
The plot goes like this: Indi Shiver, a shiver of sharks that both wear armor and tattoo themselves with sea urchin ink, is being run by a power-hungry tiger shark named Finnivus who wants to rule the entire ocean, and will slaughter any fin that stands (err, swims) in his way. Already he has slain dozens of sharks and ate their carcasses for dinner. Who can stand up to this brute? Why, none other than our loveable team of misfits, the Rogue Shiver and their leader, Gray, the big-cartilaged dope with a heart of gold. Can Gray both fend off this threat and find the whereabouts of his mother?
The first thing it does fix in comparison to the first book is the fact that Gray, while still possessing his main character faults from the first book (he's still whiny, eats a lot, is "big-cartilaged", and makes mistakes by looking for the easy way out), manages to be a lot more likeable this time around. He and the rest of Rogue Shiver are growing as characters and you start to empathize with him and his friends, especially the newer friends he makes from Auzy-Auzy Shiver, a lot more.
The second main thing that The Battle of Riptide does better than the first one is the main villain of this book. While the first book's two rival shark shivers (Goblin Shiver and Razor Shiver) basically read as a gang of thugs and weren't terribly exciting, the Indi Shiver and the crazed self-proclaimed shark emperor Finnivus who gleefully eats the heads of his conquered rivals is a huge improvement. His scenes are a lovely balance of ridiculous and creepy. I had the most fun reading about both him and life in the Indi Shiver court as several of the sharks under his command are either starting to have their doubts about his leadership or are vying for better positions in the Shiver through grovelling or subterfuge.
In a way, this book is a lot grimmer than the first one. There are a lot more named character deaths this time around (without spoiling too much, a good number of the threats in the first book are completely wiped out by the new bad guy and there is a pretty grisly betrayal) and the threat to the main characters is a lot more bleak. In a way, it works, and there are still lighter moments and silly moments to keep it from getting too dark. It's just something to keep in mind when comparing it to the first book.
There are some things that I did not enjoy, though. Most of it having to do with Takiza, the betta fish that comes across as being too much of a deux ex machina at times like he did in the first book. He hints at a prophecy and then eludes any questions of said prophecy. He knows of things that can instantly save the day. He can perform superhuman (err, superfish) feats of strength.
That, and the plot is very predictable. But then again, sharks aren't known for their nuance. And I realize that I'm not the target audience in saying this.
It's not a classic and its not subtle, but it's not aiming to be either one of those things.
Overall, this book would definitely be a good book for any young shark lover that has started reading novels. It's a shame that the first book of the series is a lot weaker overall in comparison to the second one. There are moments in the book that are perhaps too silly, but it shouldn't deter its reading audience from fully enjoying this and anticipating the next books in this series.
May 15, 2019
This book did not disappoint. It takes the already excellent story in new directions and introduces a lot of new concepts, while retaining all the good qualities of the original book. For starters, the world building is still excellent. The author has so many creative ideas and concepts that the world truly feels alive, but doesn't add so much detail that you get confused.
Second, the characters. Velenka in particular is an excellently written anti-hero. She does a lot of bad things, but her seemingly endless clever plans and concealed ambitions make you want to root for her anyway. Meanwhile, Gray and his friends are still likable and well written characters, and the new side characters, such as Lochlan and the rest of AuzyAuzy shiver, are some of my favorite characters in this entire series, particularly Jaunt, who is so bursting with personality that she's impossible not to love.
The plot is really good as well. The stakes are a lot higher than they were in the first book, and this leads to some excellent action scenes. I do feel like some of the subplots could have used a little more development, and occasionally, they can cause the story to drag a little bit.
However, that's just a minor gripe of mine. Overall, this is a very good book and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a good, fun read.
Second, the characters. Velenka in particular is an excellently written anti-hero. She does a lot of bad things, but her seemingly endless clever plans and concealed ambitions make you want to root for her anyway. Meanwhile, Gray and his friends are still likable and well written characters, and the new side characters, such as Lochlan and the rest of AuzyAuzy shiver, are some of my favorite characters in this entire series, particularly Jaunt, who is so bursting with personality that she's impossible not to love.
The plot is really good as well. The stakes are a lot higher than they were in the first book, and this leads to some excellent action scenes. I do feel like some of the subplots could have used a little more development, and occasionally, they can cause the story to drag a little bit.
However, that's just a minor gripe of mine. Overall, this is a very good book and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a good, fun read.
September 25, 2019
This novel is part of a series I am reading with my boys. They seem to enjoy the series, but I feel like it's unnecessarily intense (at times, unnecessarily violent) and has a confusing number of characters with similar sounding names. So I think they would give it four stars, but since this review is just mine, I give it two. I'm doomed to keep reading it though, because they really like it. Here's hoping the next one is a little less bloodthirsty.
February 27, 2019
A young shark by the name of Gray made his own clan of sharks away from his home waters. He ended up out finding a rival shiver(shark clan). His shiver, the Rough Shiver, competed and fought the enemies and made more alliances. The book’s rapid changes and events are what stuck out to me while reading.
April 17, 2020
The book was about how gray learns new war tactics and takes down a big shiver (kingdom) in the war. I rely liked how it would keep you on your toes. The ecsitment of the war is so good I stayed up till 12pm reading.
May 18, 2023
This book had even more conniving and evil themes than the first book. I still think these storylines may be a bit inappropriate for kids. Just because they're sharks doesn't mean their killings of each other are justified or ok for kids to internalize as moral/just.
August 18, 2017
This book is awesome because its about sharks fighting each other for certain reason. Its a great to read when your in elementary school.
February 9, 2018
very nice like the first one
March 14, 2018
Shark Wars was an interesting book, but it was suspiciously like Warriors....
September 13, 2018
I think this is a good book because it’s interesting and fun I especially like when they went on a spy mission. And there was also the armada they have deal with
September 17, 2019
It's cool
October 28, 2019
pretty good book
August 19, 2020
it was a good book
July 1, 2021
This one was way different than the first one because there were more battle and it was more stressful. I would definitely read this super action movie.
May 20, 2025
Read because James asked. Quick juvenile adventure read. Not terrible, lots of oceany sounding made up words to describe things in the story to make it more believable as a world. Fast paced.
May 25, 2014
This book I am currently reading is really intense and exciting all at the same time except with a lot of action in it. Although this book has a little to much talk and less action it is still good. In this book there is a new Shark who wants to rule the Big Blue his name is Finnivus and is worst of the worst shark you ever met. Velenka a mako shark Joined Finnivus. Meanwhile back with Gray Takiza the mystical fighting fish is training Gray to fight like a true warrior. Oynx saved Gray from getting caught from Finnivus and the indi shiver.
Oynx and Barkley are thinking to save Whalem one of Finnivus's best fighters from being prisoner. Later on some sharks came back with a prisoner that only Velenka knew who it was Ripper. Finnivus was confused once the sharks said what his name was then a huge conversation started.
Oynx and Barkley are thinking to save Whalem one of Finnivus's best fighters from being prisoner. Later on some sharks came back with a prisoner that only Velenka knew who it was Ripper. Finnivus was confused once the sharks said what his name was then a huge conversation started.
March 21, 2014
This book I am currently reading is really intense and exciting all at the same time except with a lot of action in it. Although this book has a little to much talk and less action it is still good. In this book there is a new Shark who wants to rule the Big Blue his name is Finnivus and is worst of the worst shark you ever met. Velenka a mako shark Joined Finnivus. Meanwhile back with Gray Takiza the mystical fighting fish is training Gray to fight like a true warrior. Oynx saved Gray from getting caught and .
December 6, 2016
This book was even better than the first one. It was packed full of action, maybe a little too much action. The book was good,but it could use more context and detail rather than action. It was interesting in a sense that it made the good guys look bad. It is almost as if the shark wants to die, because ha is always in danger. It is a very gullible story and a very easy read. These books might be a little addictive, depending on what you like. I spent almost all day Monday reading this fantastic book.
January 31, 2016
Book #2 picks up right where #1 leaves off. Gray & friends are trying to stay away from Goblin Shiver. Unfortunately, there's trouble coming for them when spoiled brat Finnivus comes to their area & begins to takeover the entire big blue. Gray begins training with Takiza, the fighting betta fish, in order to prepare for the coming fight. Lochlan, son of the king of the Auzy Auzy shiver, joins forces with the other shivers to finally defeat Finnivus. A fabulous adventure for younger readers.
October 12, 2017
Ever sense grey and Barkley left the goblin homewaters things have been getting tough. However he meets up with his freinds and try’s to defeat goblin. All the while vennika is trying to do the same thing and take over the shiver.
August 4, 2011
I received this with the first book as an arc and just loved the characters and story. Great series for kids can't wait for the next book.
October 1, 2012
"My favorite part was when Gray ."
December 3, 2012
I like the book so far since I like sharks I would need to read this book.
January 9, 2014
I loved this book and will check out the next book in the series next time I'm in the library.
May 25, 2014
Fun read-aloud. On to book #3.
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May 31, 2014I thought it was a really good book so far!!!!! I wish it could have been more adventurous.
August 1, 2016
this is not as good as book one
April 5, 2017
Gray and Barkley swim,fish are whispering of a growing threat,a shark named Finnivus.This group and their group leader named Blue keeps himself alive and his group.However,they struggle when they're being hunted down one by one.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews