"D'mok Revival: Awakening" by Michael Zummo brings us to a war-torn time. Millenia ago, a warmongering group known as the Nukari totally did away with the space exploring D'mar race. Not even the specially gifted warriors, D'mok, could help keep their people from total destruction. Now the Nukari have set sights on a new human coalition, ready to destroy them as they did the D'mar. Attacking first a space station leaving only one man named Rhysus alive they thought it would be an easy path of destruction. But D'mok like powers have come to life in Rhysus even as he mourns his family he knows he must find help to master his new abilities. There is one D'mar known alive and Rhysus seeks him out so that they can try to find a way to stop the next attack.

For me this book took a little bit of warming up to really get into it. Once I did, however, I was hooked on it and really enjoyed the story. Some of the front end is heavily loaded with a lot of details that you need for the flow of the story, but that is where I was sticking a bit and wondering if it was going to pick up. It did and once it did the story did not slow back down. Rhysus is a character that you feel for, when he loses his whole family and then finds out he has these ancient powers. I cannot imagine having to deal with all of that at once, but he manages it with a fair amount of aplomb. This is the first book in the series and I am looking forward to seeing what else Michael Zummo will bring us with his next book in the series.

"Awakening" is the most interesting and incredible tale I have read for a while. Menkary has been in a hospital for three years, after his race and family were exterminated right in front of him. Dealing with that is quite traumatic, but when this nightmare replays itself most nights in his sleep, he can concentrate on other things. What things might he need to pay attention to? Well, the Nukari have been absent for some time, since they almost destroyed the majority of the races in the universe. But the attack on Menkary’s race has just happened and that might mean they are back. Nukari are very cautious and quiet, but when they attack they destroy everything in their path. No one knows why. The only hope lies in a race of warriors called The D’mok Warriors who have special powers and train for the sole purpose of defending the universe. But this was so long time ago that now no one knows where the warriors are. Menkary needs to find allies to help against the ever present fear of an attack. He is in charge of finding others with the needed powers and bringing them back to be trained by his mentor, Osuto. Osuto is the only one left who was trained in the original group by their founder, D’mok. It is on his recruiting trips that Menkary has many surprises and many opportunities to practice his powers. Still obtaining one recruit per trip isn’t a very fast way to build a force, so will they be ready when the enemy attacks as they most certainly will?

"Awakening" has lots of action, with many different races—all with their own characteristics. It makes for a great tale—one I think it would do very well if turned into a movie or a game. I enjoyed reading this book, from the first page to the last.I love the characters and the fun action in the book. I recommend it to pre-teens, young adults, and adults who love fantasy and Sci-Fi works.

"D'mok Revival: Awakening" is the story of Commander Rhysus Mencari, a newly awakened member who survived the invasion of the Nukari in which his wife and small son were killed. The shock of the incident awakened latent powers in Mencari which signified that he was a descendant of the D'mar culture. When the planet D'mar was under attack by the Nukari centuries ago, many of its inhabitants fled to other worlds, and their descendants have begun to manifest their abilities now that the Nukari have renewed their plans for conquest. Mencari is assigned to a derelict mining satellite station where he is trained by Osuto, a D'mok warrior who teaches him how to harness and control his abilities. When he is sent to a space station on a parts-gathering errand, Mencari begins a series of adventures wherein he gathers firemarbles and other items and meets with other D'mar descendants, who join forces with him and the Coalition.

Michael Zummo's science fiction tale is filled with action and adventure. Watching Mencari assemble his team is a lot of fun, from the geeky Toriko and her robot dog, Spark, to the ancient D'mar Siegie, whose awakening through an infusion process left her with a crystalline body. The quests and challenges they pursue are endlessly inventive and entertaining as well. There are strange creatures throughout "D'mok Revival: Awakening," many of which are hybrids of plant, animal and humans, and strange new planets to discover. By the end of the book, Mencari's crew appear like people you've got to know fairly well and, if you are like me, you'll be looking forward to reading about more of their adventures.