Review by Clorinda Donovan -- The Hand Bringer
-
austenfan
- Posts: 325
- Joined: 26 Feb 2019, 17:58
- Currently Reading:
- Bookshelf Size: 155
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-clorinda-donovan.html
- Latest Review: Please Don't Tell Cooper He's A Dog by Michelle Lander Feinberg
Review by Clorinda Donovan -- The Hand Bringer
[Following is a volunteer review of "The Hand Bringer" by Christopher J. Penington.]
Peter Hadrian is a police officer. He is attacked by a vampire while investigating a murder, and everything changes for Peter after this violent encounter. Luke, a fellow officer of Peter, is the one to find him unconscious, but what looks like a typical homicide quickly morphs into a threat to the entire world. Now Peter and Luke are en route to the fifteenth century to a time of knights on horses, Turks, and Vlad Dracula. With the impending threat of a vampiric epidemic, will these two friends be the saviors of the world, or will they hasten its destruction? Find out all this and much more in The Hand Bringer by Cristopher J. Penington.
Due to a failed marriage and a murdered child, Peter Hadrian is cynical to a fault. He embarks on an incredible journey to save the world. I liked the main protagonist (Peter) most; his character seemed heroic in a rational way. He was relatable, and his personality was utterly believable. Even though his cynicism is at an all-time high, Peter hopes to use a time machine to one day save his son. Since all incredible things have a high price, he must make things right at another time. Luke was another wonderfully designed personality with a quick wit and fantastic vocabulary; he was my second favorite. Boriana was another strong female character who was feminine, mysterious, and frightening. I recommend this book to all fantasy readers, but if you are averse to a little blood, guts, and vulgarities, then this is not your book.
The Hand Bringer is not your usual vampire tale. It was historically accurate about Vlad Dracula, albeit he never turned into a vampire, but there was a deluge of other small facts artfully added into the narrative. For example, Cristopher described two hierarchy vampires awakening; he tactfully mentions how they were wearing purple garments. For all those who do not know, the color purple was challenging to make, so in ancient times, only royals or nobles would wear the color. I liked Luke very much; he was hilarious, and his banter with another character named Bat was terrific. The following is an example of the satire that Luke would use. “Some people deal with tragedy and move on.” “Oh, yes.” Luke nodded. “They call those people sociopaths.” Also, Vlad Dracula was an actual person who fought the Turks and was then commonly known as Vlad the Impaler. Many things are historically accurate in the book. The author mentioned how he had Romanian friends who assisted him with historical details. This book was a riveting read, and I was always interested in the plot.
In addition to a few mildly graphic sexual descriptions, vulgar language, and violence, there were a few gory scenes. It is a mature read. All fantasy readers will enjoy this story, although I have an aversion to gore in books I will give a full rating to this one. It was a fantastic plot that never seemed cliché. There was an abundance of well-developed characters, who were all unique. The flow of the story was engaging, and the scenes changed at just the right moments. Furthermore, The Hand Bringer had a conclusive ending, which was quite remarkable considering all the uproar at the end of the book.
The book was well edited. I found very few mistakes, which I will mention privately. I feel that the story deserves a 4 out of 4 stars rating. It may be that the author is a vampire himself as there is a blurry youthful photograph of him at the end of the book. By his admission, Cristopher is around seventy years old. So readers beware!
******
The Hand Bringer
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Peter Hadrian is a police officer. He is attacked by a vampire while investigating a murder, and everything changes for Peter after this violent encounter. Luke, a fellow officer of Peter, is the one to find him unconscious, but what looks like a typical homicide quickly morphs into a threat to the entire world. Now Peter and Luke are en route to the fifteenth century to a time of knights on horses, Turks, and Vlad Dracula. With the impending threat of a vampiric epidemic, will these two friends be the saviors of the world, or will they hasten its destruction? Find out all this and much more in The Hand Bringer by Cristopher J. Penington.
Due to a failed marriage and a murdered child, Peter Hadrian is cynical to a fault. He embarks on an incredible journey to save the world. I liked the main protagonist (Peter) most; his character seemed heroic in a rational way. He was relatable, and his personality was utterly believable. Even though his cynicism is at an all-time high, Peter hopes to use a time machine to one day save his son. Since all incredible things have a high price, he must make things right at another time. Luke was another wonderfully designed personality with a quick wit and fantastic vocabulary; he was my second favorite. Boriana was another strong female character who was feminine, mysterious, and frightening. I recommend this book to all fantasy readers, but if you are averse to a little blood, guts, and vulgarities, then this is not your book.
The Hand Bringer is not your usual vampire tale. It was historically accurate about Vlad Dracula, albeit he never turned into a vampire, but there was a deluge of other small facts artfully added into the narrative. For example, Cristopher described two hierarchy vampires awakening; he tactfully mentions how they were wearing purple garments. For all those who do not know, the color purple was challenging to make, so in ancient times, only royals or nobles would wear the color. I liked Luke very much; he was hilarious, and his banter with another character named Bat was terrific. The following is an example of the satire that Luke would use. “Some people deal with tragedy and move on.” “Oh, yes.” Luke nodded. “They call those people sociopaths.” Also, Vlad Dracula was an actual person who fought the Turks and was then commonly known as Vlad the Impaler. Many things are historically accurate in the book. The author mentioned how he had Romanian friends who assisted him with historical details. This book was a riveting read, and I was always interested in the plot.
In addition to a few mildly graphic sexual descriptions, vulgar language, and violence, there were a few gory scenes. It is a mature read. All fantasy readers will enjoy this story, although I have an aversion to gore in books I will give a full rating to this one. It was a fantastic plot that never seemed cliché. There was an abundance of well-developed characters, who were all unique. The flow of the story was engaging, and the scenes changed at just the right moments. Furthermore, The Hand Bringer had a conclusive ending, which was quite remarkable considering all the uproar at the end of the book.
The book was well edited. I found very few mistakes, which I will mention privately. I feel that the story deserves a 4 out of 4 stars rating. It may be that the author is a vampire himself as there is a blurry youthful photograph of him at the end of the book. By his admission, Cristopher is around seventy years old. So readers beware!
******
The Hand Bringer
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.
Confucius
Confucius
