Day of the Destroyer: A Just Cause Universe Novel, Volume 3

By: Ian Thomas Healy

Narrated by: Leslie Howard

Length: 9 hrs and 25 mins

Publisher's Summary

A City in Darkness - Four Lost Souls Seeking a Light - July 13, 1977 - The lives of four super-powered people become irrevocably intertwined when the lights go out in New York City, plunging their world into chaos. The superheroes of Just Cause, grown soft and complacent without any supervillains to challenge them, must overcome their personal demons as well as uphold the law in a lawless land of rioters, arson, and murder. Lurking in the darkness, like evil incarnate, is the one thing that could bring the world's greatest superheroes to their knees: the force of anarchy and vengeance known as Destroyer.

©2013 Ian Thomas Healy (P)2017 Ian Thomas Healy

If Garth Ennis wrote a comic book novel . . .

This book seems to be the step-child of Garth Ennis' The Boys. Insofar that the heroes are not all that heroic and are not the paragons of virtue and justice that they are made out to be, and the villain may actually be more in touch with his own identity than the heroes are. My first line meant no disrespect, just that it has that feel that just because you wear spandex it doesn't mean you are perfect.

I was slightly taken aback at all the sex in this book, and honestly found it hard to believe that a rape victim (Gretchen) would act in the manner that this one did so soon after the crime had been perpetrated on her,

Still, the book is full of action and great (imperfect) characters; I haven't read the other books in the series, but this looks to be a prequel, so I will have to check them out as well. Imp was possibly the best part of this book, she had a cool power and was funny in spots. Howard's narration was good and moved the story along. I personally felt that he made the heroes more vulnerable, an let you feel their unrequited desires.

If this is a series, then I will have to check it out. So, should you.

Even though I did receive a promo code for this review it in no way influenced my considerations of the material, and in fact, inspired me to be more honest. In fact, getting a code generally makes me harsher as a reviewer as I am more often concerned what someone like Me will decide based on my review.


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Delving into the history of Just Cause

As a warning this book does open with a rape very early, and that rape does drive much of the story. If that is an issue, then this book should possibly be avoided. Which would be a shame, because it is a enjoyable book and a great entry into the Just Cause history and universe.

Unlike the first two books, which focus on Mustang Sally, book three steps back to the silver age of Just Cause, to the 1970's, when they were on top of the world. It tells in detail some of the history only briefly touched on in some of the other books. Despite it being a prequel and some of the information not being known there is still a lot of tension and excitement in the telling.

The blurb states "The lives of four super-powered people become irrevocably intertwined when the lights go out in New York City, plunging their world into chaos." yet this event doesn't actually occur until well into the book - past halfway. The first half is setting up the various characters - existing Just Cause members, new members, someone searching to join JC, and the villain of the piece.

Like her work on the other books narration by Leslie Howard is really enjoyable. She is well paced, giving emphasis where required and matching her reading pace with the mood of the story. She provides voices, accents, emotions etc to all the characters, really bringing them off the page. I would not hesitate to pick up another book read by her.

I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher.

Best Just Cause Book Thus Far

This is easily the best book in the series up to this point. It's a leap back in time and depicts the events that have been referenced in the previous books with excellent continuity coupled detailed and graphic descriptions of the happenings.

Great prequel to the previous Just Cause stories.

A well developed origin story of Just Cause's main antagonist. The historical accuracy of the setting (1970s) made me reminisce of my days reading silver age comics in that decade.

Explains a lot

Volume 3 takes us back to the beginning of Just Cause. Explains where and why their biggest enemy is who he is and gives a backdrop for the early heroes. Good narration!

“I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher.”

pretty good follow up to book 2

I was given this free review copy audio book at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

I started this series with book 2, but I thought that didn't seem to matter much with this book or book 2. I didn't feel like I was missing things from a previous books at all. There was good action and humor throughout. The narration was good, too. All in all, a fun and entertaining experience.

Great Prequel

Day of the Destroyer is a great prequel. It is interesting to read how Destroyer began. I actually feel bad for him at some points. I enjoyed all of the characters new and old. I took 2 stars off the story because of the unnecessary and out of place sex scenes that did nothing to advance the story. I get that it takes place in the 70's but it could be tones down a little. Also I did not like how one of the characters was raped and then a few days later is throwing herself at and having sex with a guy she just met. I understand she is grateful to this guy for helping her in a time of need however she was a virgin when she was raped so it is extremely uncharacteristic of her to be promiscuous. I would seriously recommend the author re-write her part to show how a real rape victim would behave. Other than that The narration is great with good pacing and easy to understand character voices. I look forward to more in the series.

Super addition to the series

Wow, I just loved this book. This is book three and so far the previous books have followed the hero Mustang Sally. We have been introduced to most of the characters in passing and know the circumstance but this book follows Sally's mother Pony girl and her team mates as they battle Destroyer. The story is told by multiple characters but each plays important roles in the out come. I think this is a great addition to the series because there was so more than what we had all ready learned. The story fleshed out the background story to the characters. The characters once again were well developed and the author has you caring about what happened to them in just a few pages and with plenty of ups and downs, twists and action it had me hooked until the very end. Can't wait to start the next book.
With most of the super villains dead or in jail the Just Cause super hero team have become complacent and are know how more for great parties rather than saving the day. So they are not prepared for a power cut that plunges the whole city into darkness. Looting and lawlessness breaks out, can Pony girl and her fellow hero's get it under control of has all the partying left even them venerable? At the same time a teenage girls powers emerges when she is distressed with disastrous consequences, she makes her way the Just Cause headquarters seeking help, with the FBI hot on her trail. A teenage boy fed up with being bullied is pushed over the edge and he has the technological knowledge to make a bad and dangerous situation even worse.
I like the narrator. She does a great job and gives each character there own voice which helps bring the story alive. She is the same narrator for the previous books but not once did I picture the original characters.
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

A tale from Just Cause's history

Despite having enjoyed the previous two books in this series, I must admit to being little skeptical about this installment due to it being a prequel, the main timeline had been progressing nicely and the incidents in this book had generally been covered when talking about the history of that current group. Luckily, my skepticism was unfounded and the author provided us with numerous interesting characters who really brought this story we had already heard about to life.

This book is set back in the 70's and provides details of a blackout suffered by New York and the origin of the baddie that has probably been the toughest adversary of Just Cause through several incarnations of the team, the Destroyer, a technical prodigy who is probably best described as a psychotic teenage version of Tony Stark. Besides the events involving him, the author also does a good job of showing how a superhero team deals with the different attitudes and expectations in a time with distinctly different attitudes from what we have now.

This narrator has done a good job overall with this series and mostly did so again, one nagging annoyance was the weird habit of reading the time that started each chapter as 9 o'clock am etc. rather than simply 9 o'clock or 9 am, it is only a little issue but it did grate slightly.

Overall, this was another strong entry in the Just Cause universe, but I would probably recommend the other two more highly than this one, with volume 2 being particularly strong.

[Note - I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.]