Review by VictorKE -- The Hand Bringer

VictorKE · Post by **VictorKE** » 06 May 2020, 03:47

[Following is a volunteer review of "The Hand Bringer" by Christopher J. Penington.]

4 out of 4 stars

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Vampires are believed to be outcast creatures that resemble humans. According to different philosophies, vampires feed on the blood of human beings, and their aversion to light makes them appear only at night. The Hand Bringer by Christopher J. Penington is a science fiction book about vampirism. The novel depicts the dangers caused by vampires and the need to destroy them before they cause more harm to human beings.

In the opening pages of the book, we are introduced to Peter Hadrian—a police officer in Dallas who is one of the main characters in the story. He is grieving for the mysterious disappearance of his son, and the death of his wife. While on the job at night, he received a duty call to offer assistance to his colleague officer in a nearby location. On his arrival at the crime scene, he engaged in a die-or-survive fight with a mythological creature—a vampire. He gets hurt in the process. Luke McElroy, his partner as well his friend, immediately arrived to help him.

Peter is taken to the hospital in an ambulance, accompanied by Luke. They are interrupted by the military helicopter on their way to the hospital. Peter and Luke are taken to a laboratory managed by the ASA (Apocalypse Suppression Administration)—a secret laboratory for governmental research. After Peter had recovered, he discovered that he possessed the extraordinary characteristics that belong to the vampires, except that of an extended lifespan. This makes him be a very useful person to the government as far as eliminating vampires was concerned. The government recruited Peter, Luke, and the other three for a mission to travel back in time and kill Vlad Dracula, who was the source of the outbreak of vampires. Will they be successful in their mission?

I enjoyed reading this novel. It is fully packed with actions, suspense, and history that will keep you at the edge of your sit. The story is written using a simple language, which makes it easier to understand. The characters are well developed, and this enhances the flow of the story from the beginning to the end. The story is narrated from a third-person point of view, allowing the readers to have an insight into the thoughts and feelings of every character. The twists and turns present in the book made it difficult for me to put it down.

My favorite character in this book was Peter Hadrian. His bravery to fight with a strange creature embraced me. I liked the relationship that existed between Peter and Luke: it was a true friendship that reminded me of a saying: “A friend in need is a friend indeed.” I also liked the way the author displayed Romanian history and its various traditions. Christopher must have done a great job while researching the plot of this story.

The negatives in The Hand Bringer are all minors. The story is interesting, and its plot is intriguing. The book was exceptionally edited, and I could not find any error or anything to dislike about it. The book’s cover page, as well as its title, could easily direct me toward reading it. There were cases of sexual scenes, nudity, and killings in the book, making it suitable for only adult readers. I also noticed cases of profanity in the book. I recommend it to those who love reading science fiction stories, and I confidently rate it 4 out 4 stars.

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The Hand Bringer
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sirbobthewise · Post by **sirbobthewise** » 19 May 2020, 06:12

Thanks for your review! I read this book recently, and I also felt like the language the author chose and the "twists and turns" made it quite the exceptional read. I kept on finding myself gripping the book in the wee hours of the morning because I just wanted to get to a "good place to stop." But there were no "good places" for that. Except for the end—so basically, there was no choice but to read until it was completed.

And I agree that the author must have done a fair bit of research before writing the novel.

I enjoyed the relationship between Peter and Luke, as well, but the mild "tiff" at the end between them felt really weird to me. What did you think about it? It just felt really out of character for Luke.