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Daybreak Colony #2
Daybreak Sentinel
A desolate landscape. A found colony. A boy without a past.
Who is Ren Arlo?
Anikka has survived her first six months on Daybreak and made the harsh planet her home. She knows how to avoid megawings and eats slasherfins for breakfast. She even has BB again, the integrated AI who doesn't remember trying to kill her at all. But just surviving isn't enough anymore. Anikka made a promise to herself and to the colonists that she would find them and keep them alive through Daybreak's energy storm.
She and BB set off to find the missing colony, heading into parts of Daybreak they've never explored before. But when they finally find them, they aren't as lively as she and BB had hoped. Anikka can revive exactly one of them, and she picks Dr. Carver, the one who has the best chance to help her save the others. Except the labels were wrong. Now she's stuck with Ren Arlo, a random electro-tech who has nothing to do with Dr. Carver. Or does he? He must have been in Dr. Carver's place for a reason, even if he can't remember it. Anikka races to find out why Ren is important and if he can help her save the others before the next energy storm breaks them all.
Who is Ren Arlo?
Anikka has survived her first six months on Daybreak and made the harsh planet her home. She knows how to avoid megawings and eats slasherfins for breakfast. She even has BB again, the integrated AI who doesn't remember trying to kill her at all. But just surviving isn't enough anymore. Anikka made a promise to herself and to the colonists that she would find them and keep them alive through Daybreak's energy storm.
She and BB set off to find the missing colony, heading into parts of Daybreak they've never explored before. But when they finally find them, they aren't as lively as she and BB had hoped. Anikka can revive exactly one of them, and she picks Dr. Carver, the one who has the best chance to help her save the others. Except the labels were wrong. Now she's stuck with Ren Arlo, a random electro-tech who has nothing to do with Dr. Carver. Or does he? He must have been in Dr. Carver's place for a reason, even if he can't remember it. Anikka races to find out why Ren is important and if he can help her save the others before the next energy storm breaks them all.
378 pages, Hardcover
Published June 21, 2023
8 people are currently reading
18 people want to read
About the author
Kendra Merritt
24 books80 followersBooks have been Kendra’s escape for as long as she can remember. She used to hide fantasy novels behind her government textbook in high school, and she wrote most of her first novel during a semester of college algebra.
Older and wiser now (but just as nerdy) Kendra writes retellings of fairytales with main characters who have disabilities. If she isn’t writing, she’s reading, and if she isn’t reading, she’s playing video games.
Kendra lives in Denver with her very tall husband, their book loving progeny, and a lazy black monster masquerading as a service dog.
Older and wiser now (but just as nerdy) Kendra writes retellings of fairytales with main characters who have disabilities. If she isn’t writing, she’s reading, and if she isn’t reading, she’s playing video games.
Kendra lives in Denver with her very tall husband, their book loving progeny, and a lazy black monster masquerading as a service dog.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
May 17, 2024
Overall Rating : A
"If you never risk anything, you never gain anything."
Annika has survived Daybreaks animals, an evil AI, and lethal storms. Now it's time to find the colonists and wake them up. Only, when she wakes up the one person who could help them - astrophysicist Dr Carver - it turns out it's a boy named Ren Arlo. He has no idea why he was in the doctor's cryo pod or where the he's at. But he's ready and willing to help, and be the friend Annika needs to get everything right again.
I am absolutely in love with this series. It scratched everything in my brain and left me wanting more. Annika was a badass as usual, combined with BB's humor and Ren's companionship it was the perfect trio.
Plot was spot on and rigged with tension. Dealing with Annika's PTSD and Ren's confusion and memory loss along with the ticking time-bomb that is Daybreak. I hope that there's more to the story, but am satisfied if there isn't.
"If you never risk anything, you never gain anything."
Annika has survived Daybreaks animals, an evil AI, and lethal storms. Now it's time to find the colonists and wake them up. Only, when she wakes up the one person who could help them - astrophysicist Dr Carver - it turns out it's a boy named Ren Arlo. He has no idea why he was in the doctor's cryo pod or where the he's at. But he's ready and willing to help, and be the friend Annika needs to get everything right again.
I am absolutely in love with this series. It scratched everything in my brain and left me wanting more. Annika was a badass as usual, combined with BB's humor and Ren's companionship it was the perfect trio.
Plot was spot on and rigged with tension. Dealing with Annika's PTSD and Ren's confusion and memory loss along with the ticking time-bomb that is Daybreak. I hope that there's more to the story, but am satisfied if there isn't.
June 22, 2023
***I received an advance copy in exchange for an honest review***
I love Kendra Merritt’s “Mishap’s Heroes” series and enjoyed Surviving Daybreak, and I was so happy to be able to review the second book of the duology.
This is the second and concluding book following Anikka, a colonist to the planet Daybreak whose transport crash landed on a planet that hadn’t been surveyed properly. There are periodic electrical storms that wipe out all non-optic electronics and can kill people and animals from Earth. In the first book we followed Anikka’s journey just to survive the planet stranded and alone. In this second book, we find her trying to find and save the original settlers.
I liked the addition of Ren’s character and it was nice that he was a likable person who respected Anikka. Bringing in another person helped us see how Anikka interacted with other people and it brought her insecurities out. I would get a bit frustrated with her at times, but it was for things I would get frustrated with an actual person in real life about. Eventually her withholding of her feelings/information in order to protect herself or others is dealt with in a way that helped me move past this problem. (It’s a personal pet peeve but makes sense for her character.)
Anikka gets to build herself a hover bike and meets new fauna (I love the crabby guys) and there is a climax where the fate of all the colonists is on the line. It’s nice to see Anikka come into her own and the way she eventually needs to deal with everyone helps show her growth as a person. I’m sad that this is the end for her story and would actually love to visit Daybreak some more if Merritt ever decides to return here.
I love Kendra Merritt’s “Mishap’s Heroes” series and enjoyed Surviving Daybreak, and I was so happy to be able to review the second book of the duology.
This is the second and concluding book following Anikka, a colonist to the planet Daybreak whose transport crash landed on a planet that hadn’t been surveyed properly. There are periodic electrical storms that wipe out all non-optic electronics and can kill people and animals from Earth. In the first book we followed Anikka’s journey just to survive the planet stranded and alone. In this second book, we find her trying to find and save the original settlers.
I liked the addition of Ren’s character and it was nice that he was a likable person who respected Anikka. Bringing in another person helped us see how Anikka interacted with other people and it brought her insecurities out. I would get a bit frustrated with her at times, but it was for things I would get frustrated with an actual person in real life about. Eventually her withholding of her feelings/information in order to protect herself or others is dealt with in a way that helped me move past this problem. (It’s a personal pet peeve but makes sense for her character.)
Anikka gets to build herself a hover bike and meets new fauna (I love the crabby guys) and there is a climax where the fate of all the colonists is on the line. It’s nice to see Anikka come into her own and the way she eventually needs to deal with everyone helps show her growth as a person. I’m sad that this is the end for her story and would actually love to visit Daybreak some more if Merritt ever decides to return here.
July 1, 2023
Well that was a freaking RIDE. I love this duology and I'm upset that it's only a duology. I want to live on Daybreak forever through all the adventures. I want Annika and Ren to live happy ever after together. That's the one thing I was only partially upset by (though that's waaay to strong a word for what I feel about this, it's a minute gripe and even that's too strong because I love their friendship so so so much) but I would have liked a bit of acknowledgement that being ace doesn't preclude you from being in love or having a relationship and I wished there had been a revelation for Annika about that. Maybe one day if we get a third book Kendra could delve into that more. As a romantic ace myself, I'd like to see more of that represented in books.
But enough about the minutia this was amazing, even better than the first and I absolutely ADORED the first book. I loved the addition of Ren. I loved the discussion of PTSD. I loved the new additions to Daybreak's fauna and the problems that erupted and how they were solved. I just have no real complaints overall. This was fantastic. Everyone needs to read these books.
But enough about the minutia this was amazing, even better than the first and I absolutely ADORED the first book. I loved the addition of Ren. I loved the discussion of PTSD. I loved the new additions to Daybreak's fauna and the problems that erupted and how they were solved. I just have no real complaints overall. This was fantastic. Everyone needs to read these books.
August 15, 2024
This was great, just as good as book one. Now we have added another character and the plot thickens. So good. Writing is good and story is still really well done like the first, I was rooting for the fmc. I liked the friendships that develop and the solution for the other humans to remain on the world was so well done and thought out. I did not see the twist with ren, so good! I hope there are more books in the future. This a great example how book one was so good but book 2 is even better, with the author moving the plot forward and even more worldbuilding. Some of the creatures!! this was a fun!
June 30, 2023
This was a fantastic follow up to Surviving Daybreak. All my favorite elements from the first book were present, along with some additions that were truly enjoyable. The shift in dynamic for Anikka of going from being the only human to having Ren along for the ride was so fun. The entire book was simply another fun read. Escapism at its finest. While I really enjoyed the book, I am sad that it the conclusion to the Daybreak Colony books. Maybe the author will decide to revisit Daybreak someday.
August 6, 2023
Another amazing story
Annika saves the day again, while staying true to herself and her friendships.
I absolutely loved reading this book, and highly recommend the series, as well as all of the authors' other works.
Annika saves the day again, while staying true to herself and her friendships.
I absolutely loved reading this book, and highly recommend the series, as well as all of the authors' other works.
January 8, 2024
I was so invested in the characters after book one. I wasn’t sure book 2 would be as good- but it definitely was. It took me time to warm up to the new characters introduced, but the twists made this book for me. It was such a good wrap up.
June 21, 2023
This book is amazing. I could not put it down. The writing is impeccable and the story is fantastic. I cannot recommend it more.
October 7, 2023
The second in the Daybreak Colony series. I still love BB, but am so happy other humans enter the picture. More adventures, more danger, and more challenges for our hero Annika.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 10, 2025
world building can be beautiful
Adventure, suspense, action, and some of the most beautiful descriptions of an alien environment that I have ever seen. Highly recommended.
Adventure, suspense, action, and some of the most beautiful descriptions of an alien environment that I have ever seen. Highly recommended.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews