Striker V

In the Meantime (Striker, Book 2)

By: Josh Vidmar

Narrated by: Patrick Boylan, Adrianna Gentile

Dive into four new original novellas in the Striker universe!

The world isn’t ending this time, so Neil Harris, the fifth superhero to bear the name Striker, can put his feet up and breathe a little easier. Even though there’s no apocalypse, there’s still plenty of work to be done, and the stakes are more personal than ever for four of Neil’s closest friends and colleagues.

"The Routine": Colonel Ray is having a light day, and may actually be able to take the afternoon off. All she has to do is make it through a couple of meetings, and she’s home free. Easy, right?

"Mi Familia": Family, friends, and food are the most important things in the life of Erica Ramirez, the vaunted Ventrica. When Erica’s friends encourage her to explore her interests and to finally live life, the past threatens to blockade the future.

"A Careful Balance": Lucian has been given the task by the most powerful beings in existences, The Fates, to keep the gods themselves in check. As he can attest, the forces of Light and Dark don’t always play kind - or fair.

"Casefile 777": At 17 years old, Tykie Georgiou has the power of luck on his side. This rare and extraordinary ability means that nearly everything works out for him. But he isn’t the only one with this power, and not everyone with it has such pure intentions.

©2018-2021 Josh Vidmar (P)2021 Josh Vidmar

Fantastic sequel with further world building

Amazing world of super humans feeling actually human. It was fun to breakaway into the other characters of this universe and get more understanding of their personalities. Looking forward to anything that comes out further expanding this story.
Beautiful performance by Patrick Boylan and Adrianna Gentile. The two played intro their rolls greatly and gave that extra little oomph to convey emotions in a story that has a lot of ties to the importance of mental health.

A superior installment in an on going series

I've already listened to the first book in the Striker series "Elements of Change"--performed by Patrick Boylan alone--& while I enjoyed that work, I think Vidmar's second book is superior to his first.

While the first book in the Striker series is an action super hero story primarily from the viewpoint of eponymous Striker, Vidmar's second work is a collection of vignettes from the viewpoints of several different superheroes (& ordinary people) in several different genres (high fantasy, detective, & slice-of-life drama all get their due). While this means that book two is not quite as funny as book one--I find Striker's sarcasm most enjoyable--I rate it as a superior work.

This audiobook also benefits from the addition of a second reader, Adrianna Gentile, who does a very fine job with each of the characters.

Finally I will note that while listening to the first audiobook would help in one's appreciation of the stories in this audiobook, it is not actually necessary. Vidmar displays a deft enough hand at world building & characterization & Boylan & Gentile are skilled enough readers that listening to the first book is not necessary so if you prefer audiobooks with multiple readers to audiobooks with a single reader, Vidmar's second book has you covered.

Adds A Lot To The Series

4.5 out of 5 stars

I read the first book in this series, Striker V: Elements of Change, a while back and I really enjoyed it. It was a book that caught me off guard and I enjoyed it from beginning to end. Now, going into this I saw that it was a collection of stories and not one story – and I still knew I was going to enjoy it. Vidmar has a way of writing stories that I can just close my eyes and enjoy.

Each story brought a nice little bit to the overarching storyline of the Striker series. There were multiple times when I was reminded of the “V (aka 5)” and what that meant for each superhero. The different storylines and different character points of view really added to the story. I was worried that it not being about Neil/Striker only it was going to be a bit flat but it was anything but.

Vidmar is able to write stories that jump off of the page. In the Meantime was no different. Each character was given their time to shine and shine they did. Combine that with the great narration by Patrick Boylan and Adrianna Gentile and it’s a story that not only flew by, but one that had me enjoying every bit and piece of it.

Wonderful romp

This sequel is a wonderful extension of a great series. Josh develops interesting characters and builds an epic world of Supers, Mythology, and Spirituality. The plot is intriguing and compelling. He balances tension and humor the way Lucien balances the Light and Dark. The allegory is relevant to our current world. Interpersonal relations hold the story together. We look forward to traveling through his world in future adventures. Let the Freak Flag Fly.