Official Review: Salvation City Blues by Cesar Walker

Post by **Ariel_Martin** » 19 Feb 2020, 20:36

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Salvation City Blues" by Cesar Walker.]

3 out of 4 stars

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Salvation City Blues by Cesar Walker, is a fiction that dives into the lives of supernatural being. The author claims it is written in a way that attempts to break the 4th wall. However, I feel that this does not come across, as the characters never seem to directly connect with the audience. This narrative has two main characters; Lola, a vampire, and Simon, her magician boyfriend, telling their story. The two lovers face off with corrupt vampires, magicians, and angels in order to protect their city from destruction.

Lola Youngblood has reached a point of acknowledgement and contentment since becoming a vampire. She has improved her skill and power as a vampire and is feeling some control over her Bloodlust. Having her boyfriend around has really helped her as well. Her nights are spent playing music or video games, and completing jobs for her sect. Salvation City crime rates are higher than ever and she and her sect are compelled to change that.

Simon is still a young magician, who spends most of his time playing video games with his girlfriend and reading books to improve his skill. But it is not until a fortunate meeting with a supernatural being that Simon is able to gain control and strength in his magic. Forced into hiding by a powerful magician, Simon takes a journey to save a friend and master his magic. But will he improve enough to help save Salvation City?

What I liked most about Salvation City Blues is following Simon's character development. Upon first introduction, I questioned his role as a main character. As the story progressed, Simon became my favorite part of the story. His growth is substantial compared to other characters and he also gains a an awareness of himself that the other characters lack. I appreciated the amount of detail the author put into Simon's story.

As it turns out, character development is also what I liked least about this book. I feel as though Lola and Simon were not equally represented. When first introduced to Lola she seemed to be a strong character with a good basis for development, whereas Simon's character felt inconsequential. As the story progresses and Simon's character develops, he overshadows Lola's character as the main protagonist. A second qualm of mine what that Lola's and Simon's narratives come across disjointed. When I first read the synopsis, I was under the impression that Lola and Simon would work together to save Salvation City. When reading the book, however, I felt like I was reading two different books at the same time. For the most part, their only connection is living in Salvation City and the fact that they are lovers. Though, I would be very interested to see where a sequel would take their story. The resolution was very final, but I would say the author did leave the story open for more.

I give Salvation City Blues by Cesar Walker a 3 out of 4. I am reluctant to give it a 2 because the story line of the book is wonderful. I was challenged as a reader and excited for every turn of the page. Views on certain topics, such as the afterlife, are very compelling as well. I do not want to give it a 4 because there are many punctuation and capitalization inconsistencies within the book. Because of this the book can become rather daunting at times. If I could have given it a 3.5 I would have. I appreciate the writing style as it is easy to involve yourself with the story. However, parts of the story lack description. Much of the story felt like a journal or job report, where only the main points are touched on and sentences tend to be short and abrupt, or carry on in a series of events.

I would recommend Salvation City Blues to readers that are partial to supernatural action books. The language is surprisingly minor, with only a handful of vulgarity, but the violence is graphic. Being a book about vampires and magicians, it has obvious supernatural elements, but how the supernatural comes across is very diverse. In one of my favorite portions of the book Simon has to go to another reality, The Realm of Nonsense, to save his friend. Parts of this story arc remind me a lot of Toon Town in Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Other parts are filled with dragons, merpeople, elves, and crazy motorcycle pigs. While, inversely, much of the vampire confrontations in Salvation City, especially the Inner-City, remind me of Sin City and other slasher horror flicks. Many of the combat scenes mimic Role-Playing Games or martial arts, with how the characters interact with each other and how the fight scenes were described by the author.

Overall, I think the story is well thought out and I would recommend it to my fellow readers. If a second book comes out, I feel it could potentially iron out my criticisms.

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Salvation City Blues
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Cwaganagwa Dorothy · Post by **Cwaganagwa Dorothy** » 26 Feb 2020, 17:42

Thanks for the review Cesar. I now know a little about the story. A plot about the interaction between a vampire and a magician seems interesting attributed to by the contents of your review. I am looking forward to discovering more, if I ever get the chance to read this book.

NetMassimo · Post by **NetMassimo** » 27 Feb 2020, 02:44

This seems that kind of novel that gives you mixed feelings having a great story and a problematic character development. Still, I'm intrigued by this book. Thank your for your informative review!