A Superhero Called Doberman

The Superhero Doberman, #1

by

John and Shami Stovall

A super origin story for this new superhero series!

A Superhero Called Doberman is the first book in John and Shami Stovall’s The Superhero Doberman series featuring an alternate world where everyone born in the last 30 years has a superpower, superheroes are licensed and closely monitored, and vigilantism is strictly prohibited. Leon Lewis’s omega-trait is enhanced vision, but he is also the victim of a family curse known as the Visage of Anubis, which transforms him into the physical embodiment of the seven-foot-tall, jackal-headed, ancient Egyptian god of death. When in his Anubis form, Leon has greater strength and speed but also the ability to sense how close someone is to their death. However, it also curses any relationships Leon has, and anyone he’s ever gotten close to dies. 

Set in Sacramento, California, Leon’s hometown has experienced a recent upturn in the kidnapping of young women and some men. When Rachel Anderson, his next-door neighbor, is targeted by the Kings in Yellow, the gang behind the kidnappings, Leon takes on a protective role. But as the gang members don’t recognize his Anubis guise, they dub him the “Doberman” instead. 

Leon is such a great guy, and despite his superpowers, he gets tongue-tied in Rachel’s presence. It was so tragic that with the danger the curse poses to anyone he gets close to always on his mind, he’s deliberately isolated himself from others. He works as an Uber driver and Door Dasher to make ends meet, but sadly for the short intervals of human contact the jobs also provide. His loneliness is almost palpable. He manages his feelings with a quick wit and laugh-out-loud commentary, a trait not completely appreciated by the official superhero in the neighborhood, Steelant. I had so many feelings as they became friends. 

The plot hits the ground running, with an early confrontation with a couple of the Kings in Yellow as they try to snatch Rachel, and the pace continues throughout with many well-choreographed fight scenes. Not only does the story have the emotional feels, but there is quite a lot of action, plot twists, and a big misunderstanding. 

I recommend A SUPERHERO CALLED DOBERMAN to readers of action/adventure and superhero tales. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy from the author through Goddess Fish Promotions Book Tours.