Review by Leepapa -- The Hand Bringer

[Leepapa]

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

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4 out of 4 stars

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Inspired by Bram Stoker's Dracula and Romanian folklore, Christopher J. Penington has crafted a well-paced action driven novel. From page one till the end, the action is non-stop and engaging. In a dark world of superstition and a web of lies, the hero embarks on a life and death mission in which he really has no choice. We follow Peter Hadrian and his friends in a supernatural, time traveling tale about vampires and his unique link to them and why he is aptly named after the title of the book, The Hand Bringer. He is a vampire fighting machine who is immune to the disease but will he be in time to stop the infection at its source or will the world be devastated by the most terrible and evil of plagues?

I love the way the author has started the novel. We are plunged headlong into the action. There is quite a bit of fighting with lots of blood and gore but the author holds your attention cleverly. I felt that I needed to discover more about the hero and what happened to his family and of course, what the outcome would be for him in the end. At first, he doesn't know what he's getting into but after quite a few chapters in, he realizes that he has a cause to fight for and if somehow, he can find his son in all the chaos, it will be well worth the effort.

We are also introduced to a mysterious woman early on in the story and we discover later that she is intimately connected to Peter: past, present and future. I enjoyed the way the characters interact with each other and how they have grown during their ordeal. There are some heart-breaking moments and glorious victories. The author has done a great job on character development.

He has also skillfully handled the confusing issue of time travel and how it affects everyone involved including the world as we know it. The book is extremely violent in some parts and I like the fact that he includes humor to help counter all the bloodshed. It's definitely a book for people who love action, hand to hand combat and battle scenes, however, I wouldn't recommend it for the faint of heart. I believe the author used his experience as a police officer and his time in the military to further enhance this aspect of the book.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. In fact, from the moment I started it I couldn't put it down. The author had me hooked from the first sentence. Each chapter closed with a riveting cliff hanger moment which made me eager to discover what was on the next page. I give this book a 4 out 4. I absolutely loved it.

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The Hand Bringer
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