Review of Heritage of Evil

[Shayna Canestrari]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Heritage of Evil" by Peter J. Summers.]

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4 out of 5 stars

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Heritage of Evil by Peter J. Summers is a fantasy thriller that follows the lives of Steve Strickland and Terry Johnson, two people from Darklyn Cove, Australia. Although Steve and Terry are 20 years apart and strangers, they both end up in Romania simultaneously. Once the two ultimately meet, a horrifying tale of death and heartbreak begins.

Fifteen years ago, Steve was born under extraordinary circumstances, as his mother had previously undergone a complete hysterectomy before becoming pregnant with him. Doctors were unable to explain how this miracle came to be. As a teenager, Steve is not a typical boy dealing with self-confidence issues and acne. A withdrawn loner with deep distrust in everyone around him, Steve finds solace in horror movies and memorabilia collections. Every night, Steve has violent nightmares that leave him feeling depressed and anxious. These nightmares, growing increasingly realistic, fill him with guilt and self-loathing upon waking up. When a traveling carnival arrives in town, a series of gruesome events begin, and Steve realizes he must escape Darklyn Cove to uncover his destiny in Romania.

Twenty years ago, Terry fled Darklyn Cove to escape the heartbreak and betrayal of a young woman. Joining the Melbourne police force, Terry embarks on his extensive career in law enforcement. Ultimately, Terry gets promoted to the Australian Federal Agency, where Terry’s relationship with Agent Mark Tucker begins. Agent Tucker seems to have it in for Terry as head training instructor and derives malicious pleasure from watching him fight through every strenuous activity. Fueled by his painful past, Terry perseveres and graduates to become an immensely respected agent. Years later, Terry is shocked to hear Agent Tucker has gone missing after a three-year undercover mission in Romania. Terry is assigned the task of going to Romania to find out what has happened to the agent. Terry quickly learns everything about Romania’s land, politics, and people. Coworkers tease him about encountering Dracula while he is there, but that joke becomes a terrible omen of things to come for Terry.

As a fan of the vampire genre, I found this story to be an exciting read. The plot was well-developed, and the characters were crafted with a depth that tugs at the heartstrings. Steve and Terry’s difficult childhoods in Darklyn Cove significantly shaped the main character's motivations. Despite their loner tendencies, it's clear that they long for connection, but their past experiences have left them unable to trust.

I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars. I deducted one star because I struggled with the long, drawn-out chapters. I appreciated the background provided, but my patience ran out about halfway through each chapter. Only the last few chapters, with their thought-provoking and unnerving revelations, kept me drawn into every word. A professional editor should also review this book, as I found several errors. Those who like reading fantasy thrillers that explore themes of identity, destiny, and the nature of evil will enjoy this book. Due to the extremely violent nature of the story, this book is for mature readers.

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Heritage of Evil
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[NetMassimo]

A thriller that uses some classic elements of vampire stories reworked in a modern story is intriguing. The important themes developed offering food for thought enrich the novel. Thank you for your great review!