Review by MadamwordsAlot -- The Hand Bringer

MadamwordsAlot · Post by **MadamwordsAlot** » 28 May 2020, 10:04

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

2 out of 4 stars

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Peter, an everyday police officer, after a dangerous encounter with a vampire is recruited by a top-secret government agency to help stop the growing vampire threat. Teaming up with his best friend and fellow officer Luke, plus several other recruits, the rag-tag group are sent back in time on a mission to stop the infamous Vlad Dracula at the height of his power in ancient Wallachia.

In Christopher J. Penington’s The Hand Bringer, Peter and his comrades navigate an ancient landscape filled with violence and uneasy alliances that break and shift with the changing tides. Amidst the chaos of their mission, Peter and his cohorts realize there are more powerful forces at play. As the threat of the vampire, also known as Strigoi, rises within the ancient land, Peter and his comrades face a near-impossible task to accomplish their mission, while struggling to ensure that the future awaiting them back in the 21st century remains unchanged.

It reads like an escapist fantasy. The trope of the average-joe falling into the past to fulfill fantasies of waging battles in ancient times and trying to win the heart of a beautiful woman in the process. A lot of elements are presented in quick succession at the start of the text that has the reader questioning throughout, overall a page-turner.

I am giving this book a rating a 2 out of 4 . While the prose and characters were consistent, keeping to a strong plotline throughout. The majority of the text was very fast-paced, sometimes leaving the reader behind. While the characters battled the elements and politics of the ancient landscape the characters and the reader where never in the same place for long. Every scene had an exact purpose of propelling the plot forward but occasionally leaving the reader little time to catch up when needed.

The text had minor grammar errors but the overall flow of prose was consistent and in keeping with the voice of the narrator. Multiple scenes are violent and graphic in nature, so I would recommend this book for adult readers looking for a fast-paced thriller who enjoys reading books with both science fiction and fantasy elements.

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The Hand Bringer
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