Dustin Archibald has created a unique superhero in the Asha Anderson series. Asha is a young lady who takes the bad things that have happened to her and makes something good out of them. I was able to have the author as a guest on my podcast, and adored his story so much I had to purchase!
When I bought the first book, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I knew it would be a superhero story, but at the same time I didn’t know much else. I absolutely fell in love with the characters. Asha is such a fun character, and has 2 really great friends. She gets injured in the same accident that kills her mom, which ends up giving her some unique abilities.
Of course, she denies the abilities at first, because she doesn’t want to end up like the town’s superhero, as he was the one she blames for her mom’s death.
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Book One: Asha Anderson & The Dragon
The first book in the series introduces Asha, and gives the reader her “origin story.” Every superhero has one, and this one is awesome. Asha is traveling to Ascension’s Cross with her mom for her birthday. When The Dragon attacks, Asha’s mom tries to rescue a child from a burning building, and dies in the process. The explosion that killed her mom gives Asha some amazing abilities: Speed, Strength and Endurance.
I don’t blame Asha for wanting to ignore her abilities. Every time she uses them, she’s reminded of how her mom died. She’s angry and lost, and dealing with a father who is absent for most of the time. So when The Dragon attacks again, Asha has to choose whether to fight back, or give in.
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Book Two: Asha Anderson & The Way Station
Asha’s story continues with The Way Station. She’s learning about her new abilities, and along with her friends Mick and Lily, she has started to learn about life without her mom. When earthquakes start hitting all over Ascension’s Cross, Asha, along with her friends, have to find out what’s going on, and, stop a new evil that is attempting to ruin life in their favorite city.
For this review, I’m using a new setup for my book reviews. Instead of my typical “this is what I liked, this is what I didn’t,” I’m going to answer some questions that I’ve come up with for my various book reviews. Ready? Here we go:
Trigger Warnings
On the whole, I didn’t notice many trigger warnings, but anyone who has lost a parent at a young age could be triggered by Asha’s experience. Her grief and her father’s grief are palpable through all of book one, and especially during Asha’s learning about her abilities. She knows how she got them, and they’re connected to her mother’s death. I can understand why that could be difficult for some people.
Most Relatable Character
Lily, for me, was the most relatable. She was so wonderfully human. She was also a big book nerd, which for me, was amazing. I loved her desire to do well in school, and her studying all the time was awesome. I’ve always wanted to be like that.
Book to Television or Movie?
I’d love to see the Asha Anderson series in a television show. While both books would make amazing movies on their own, a television show would give the option for really building the characters, and allowing for cliffhanger endings. I would wish for J.J. Abrams to produce/direct. His job on both Alias and Lost were amazing, and he loves his cliffhanger endings.
My Favorite Character
Elizabeth is such a fun character. She runs a small antique shop, and is so bohemian. I’m Boho myself, so getting to spend time with her through Asha’s experience is super fun!
My Overall Opinion of The Asha Anderson Series
I absolutely loved both books! When I finished book one, I immediately hurried to Kindle to buy book two. The author may or may not have also received angry tweets from me that Book Three isn’t available yet. He said a couple months, so trust me, it’s on my list!
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What did you think of my review of The Asha Anderson Series? Do you think you’ll check the books out? I hope you do, especially if you have teenaged children.
I think the superhero aspect is amazing, and the fact that Asha is a teenager, also trying to navigate a new high school in a new town, can be uplifting for those kids who maybe don’t feel like they fit in.
I got a little bit of Harry Potter vibes, not because the stories are in ANY way similar, but because of the dynamic between Asha, Lily and Mack. They each have personalities that made me think of Harry, Ron and Hermione.
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I hope you get a chance to read these amazing books, because they are so worth your time! They’re not too expensive on Kindle, either, so they’re easy to add to your book collection. I’m so thrilled that I got to read these, and I look forward to beginning the series over when book 3 arrives on my Kindle! Let me know below if you’ve read the books, or if you plan to! I’d love to get your opinion as well, to see if it’s the same as mine.
Until Next Time, Friends!
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