SYNOPSIS
John Carver has three rules: Don't drink in the daytime, don't gamble when the luck has gone, and don't talk to the dead people who come to visit.
It has been almost five years since the incident in Kabul. Since the magic stirred within him and the stories began. Fleeing the army, running from the whispers, the guilt, and the fear he was losing his mind, Carver fell into addiction, dragging himself through life one day at a time.
Desperation has pulled him back to Afganistan, back to the heat, the dust, and the truth he worked so hard to avoid. But there are others, obsessed with power and forbidden magics, who will stop at nothing to learn the truth of his gifts. Abducted and chained, Carver must break more than his own rules if he is to harness this power and survive.
REVIEW
This is a tale about demons of the past that follow you, discovering a part of what makes the characters who they are and a journey of survival in a place that is unfamiliar and scary.
Even though this set against the backdrop of Afganistan, the truly shocking thing is how humans react to power. It doesn't matter the type of power that it could be as long as there is a chance of being able to hold it for yourself. It is realistic which makes it almost haunting.
What I found to be interesting is how much suspense that this book keeps you in. Just when you think that the plot is meant to move in a certain direction, it twists it into something new and shocking. You don't really know what is meant to happen until the final moment. Carver's visitors help to add to this tension and how this might change how he reacts to the situations that he is presented with.
Mackenzie's story within the book has a fascinating way of highlighting how deeply disturbing the villain truly is. You can't help but cheer on Mackenzie to get through all the horrors and be able to overcome her own traumas.
Even though this is not a genre that I would usually read, I did find some elements of this book quite compelling. It has a little bit for everyone in terms of what they like, making this book great in its own right.
RATING: **** (FOUR STARS)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Graham Austin-King was born in the south of England and weaned on broken swords and half-forgotten spells. A shortage of these forced him to consume fantasy novels at an ever-increasing rate, turning to computers and tabletop gaming between meals.
He experimented with writing at the beginning of an education that meandered through journalism, international relations, and law. To this day he is committed to never allowing those first efforts to reach public eyes.
After spending a decade in Canada, learning what 'cold' really means, and being horrified by poutine, he settled once again in the UK with a seemingly endless horde of children.
To date, he is the author of five novels, drawing on a foundation of literary influences ranging from David Eddings to Clive Barker.
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