Review by TextuaryWorm -- The Hand Bringer

TextuaryWorm · Post by **TextuaryWorm** » 23 Jun 2020, 08:12

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

4 out of 4 stars

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If humans could return and eradicate an issue at its source, should we knowing the risks the act would hold? Christopher J. Penington brings this question to the reader's mind in his novel The Hand Bringer. Combining fantasy, history, the supernatural and action from start to finish this is a great novel with a rich history entwined, utilizing science fiction to underpin the journey back in time to save the modern humanity. Pennington’s writing is smart, intriguing and witty showing his ability to create fantastic characters and scenes. The author has dived into the acclaimed idea that vampirism is real and simply a disease that needs eradicating.

Readers embark into action as Peter Hadrian a tough dedicated police officer responds a call from his colleague on the streets of Dallas. After the encounter with a man who possesses unfathomable strength, Peter loses the battle and his consciousness as he slips away not knowing if this will be the last thing he experiences. Our protagonist is captured by a clandestine organization called the ASA, along with his colleague and taken to their secret base. Witnessing his transition from a police officer looking for answers to the tragic loss of his son, to being put in the hands of a secretive organization Peter comes back to consciousness with the task of eradicating vampires at their earliest known source, Dracula. Little does Peter know but he is a prime candidate who is unwillingly genetically modified to perfection for his bestowed vampire-slaying role, having a deep Romanian history most of which he does not know including bonds with vampires he fits the ASA's checklist perfectly. The ASA dangle answers to the mysterious disappearance of his son and Peter believes he has nothing to lose wanting either answers or the end of his existence and he doesn’t mind which comes first. He accepts the responsibility of eradicating vampires within mere moments of it being explained to him feeling he has no other purpose.

Action hits hard when readers are dragged back in time alongside Peter and a batch of specialists as well as joined by his fellow police partner Luke McElroy who single-handedly softens the burden of the demand providing endless comedy and ice breakers in dialogue. For instance, whilst talking to Colonel Scott on the subject of Peter’s tragedy, Colonel Scott expresses how he believes people go through tragedy and move on, to which Luke replies: “Oh yes, they call those people sociopaths.” Penington sets his scenes by highlighting Romania’s vibrantly gothic history adding color and alternative possibilities for who and what Vlad the Impaler is. The novel is rich in Romanian politics and Romania’s folklore and mythologies, I discovered current vampire horror classics hail from the ancient times of Romania and this is another example of a literary adaptation and popularisation, another such being Bram Stoker's Dracula.

I recommend The Hand Bringer by Christopher J. Penington to people that enjoy science fiction mixed with horror, fantasy and action. I will caution readers to the mentions of rape and child deaths, those sensitive to animal cruelty will not enjoy parts of this novel however those scenes are in minute proportion. Sexual violence against women is used as a plot booster and in my opinion added nothing to the story. Short descriptions of sexual encounters are present and the novel does have a steady stream of swear words making this a fantasy novel for adults. There were only minuscule parts of the novel that I was not enthralled by, one issue I had was the lack of building stronger more rounded female character and ones who were not so flippantly referred to, for example Boriana was introduced in a way I could empathize with and then she is cast aside, as she is numerous times so the story can develop around Peter. As a keen reader I would have wanted to know more about Boriana and her link to our main character and the overall novel as she seemed the epicenter to the story in the first ten chapters. Both Boriana and Peter lost children and are trying to move past their pains, and incorporating them both in this novel seemed pointless with their relationship not being properly explored.

I did however appreciated the novel's complexity with the result being much more than just an adventure with vampires. In my opinion the history combined with time travel was done skilfully, Penington successful method for adding details here and there, without slowing down the pace or becoming distracted was brilliant and cleaned away potential plot holes. The main characters were admirably developed, with well-defined personalities. If you are looking for an engrossing fantasy to curl up with, you will not be disappointed. The book was beautifully edited with minor errors noted throughout. I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars.

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The Hand Bringer
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