Review of Kilmer's Ghost
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- Bradley Shelvie
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Review of Kilmer's Ghost
King Leopold is sweeping through the villages in the Mid-Run Valley in a deadly conquest. He is killing anybody standing in his way and plundering and destroying the villages to bring everyone under his control in Kilmer’s Ghost: Astar’s Blade by Joe Lyon. King Leopold is aggressive and brutal, and he is not giving up any time soon.
Darius Plum is the son of Justus Plum, the executor of the wealth of the Plum family. Darius is miraculously saved by Hollow Face, and he helplessly watches his father being burned alive and his mother and sister put to death by the sword under King Leopold's command. (Hollow Face is the spirit of Darius's grandfather, Fortis Plum, who was blessed by the God of Day, Heironomus, to live forever.) He is taken by River Plum's currents to Ehlona's Orphanage. There, he grows under a false identity into a secretive but likable man seething with a silent and deadly desire for revenge for the family and friends King Leopold killed. However, behind all these events, the mischief of the Gods is at play.
This is the second book in the Astar’s Blade Epic Fantasy series, and it is the darkest fantasy novel I have read so far. I enjoyed the thrill the book comes with the most; I love books with dark themes. We are taken through gruesome and blood-chilling scenes of death in the creepy and haunted Sanguine Forest, where ghosts linger within the walls of the Orlo Castle, and human skeletons and skulls are strewn all over. You are always on the lookout for what may spring out from behind the trees at any time and have to keep up with the terror brought by black magic. You look on as the 'Demonics' rip off flesh from the helpless victims being feasted on. The book is a mix of freaky horror (especially the scenes in the Sanguine Forest), bloody wars, and nerve-wracking fantasy, all of which are amazing to read.
I also love how the characters are constructed, but I've specifically fallen in love with Darius Plum, who would come to be known as Kilmer for most of the book. Kilmer is an ace who knows how to put the surrounding situation to his benefit. He is very clever and in various instances has to live a lie and join forces with his enemies to save his life. He is also brave and strong—he goes into the dreaded Sanguine Forest to save Yori, King Leopold's first archer who was abducted by the Zorn, despite the creepy stories surrounding the forest. I don't think there is any other character who could survive the torture and torment Kilmer went through in Castle Orlo; neither Yorri nor some of the people in the search party he went with survived it.
There is nothing I dislike about the book save for Monticello's background which I haven't understood. Unlike other Langula's demons, who we know were formed by a mixture of reproductive materials and blood from men like Kilmer and Laws, we know nothing about how Monticello came to be. Also, the book follows tropes evident in fantasy novels—it has witches, gods, conquests, extraordinary powers, and magic, but this isn't so much of a bother.
Despite not understanding Monticello's roots, I rate the book 4 out of 4 owing to its thrill, amazing character development and the wonderful narration in it. The book seems professionally edited, but there are several errors.
The book will be a perfect read for those who enjoy books with dark fantasy. If you are sensitive to graphic scenes, this book has cruel murders written in detail and creepy scenes that will trigger you, so you would want to look for another book.
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Kilmer's Ghost
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