Mark Teppo

I was hoping I would really like this book, but I'm giving up on it about half way through. It's not a horrible volume. But it's not clicking with me.

First, there is the general subject matter of arcane spiritualism and its presentation as the distillation of the many and varied religions of the world. They are all seen as poor reflections of the truth as known by the narrator, street educated as he is, and his ilk. I'm not buying it. And I'm not buying the twenty-five-cent words and show more sentences and detailed references the guy spews non-stop.

Second, I'm half way through the book and I still don't have a real clue about who the protagonist is or why I should give a gnat's sneeze about what happens to him. He's not particularly likable. Nor does he seem particularly troubled. There are vague references to a botched ceremony or something years ago and his search for someone named Katarina. I don't get it.

Third, the subject matter addressed by the previous two paragraphs is described and ruminated and discussed ad nauseum nauseum by the protagonist and the stray police detective tagging along with him as a foil. Almost all they do is think and talk. There is bit of action in the first chapter and a little more a few chapters later. But about the only outcome of the action is that our 'hero' suffers minor setbacks in his quest and some bystanders bite the dust. Ho hum. Make something happen, already. And tell me why I should care.

All that might make it seem there is nothing to like in the book. Not true. There is some good scene setting and characterization of the area in and around Seattle and Puget Sound, including a nicely described ferry ride. The protagonist/narrator isn't all that bad to be around. The writing, while occasionally overblown, is readable and occasionally humorous.

If this is the sort of thing you like, you just might like this book. It just didn't work for me. show less

I'm a huge Neal Stephenson fan and put off starting this series for some time (years) because I knew it would be different. Not different in the way that all Stephenson works are a bit different, I worried it would differ enough from his other works that I just wouldn't like it. Once I let go and embraced this as a not-quite-Stephenson piece of historical fiction, I was pulled into the story. The battle scenes are long and technical, not my forte but the descriptions are such that I can show more actually envision the action. My interest is more the characters and the historical context. I love that we have viewpoints within the Mongol camp and female characters that are more than victims/cheerleaders/sperm receptacles. The reach of this empire, touched on but mostly glossed over in my Western history classes, is vast and I'm taking time as I read to research the areas and time covered in the book. I know what we're heading toward and look forward to learning how these characters get there. I will read at least the next two volumes in this series, I'm not sure if I will make it through all nine. show less

Silas is an Arcadian, a blood drinking, sun avoiding, earth dwelling child of the Mother, on a mission from her and the Grove to desperately try and combat the tide of destruction humanity inflicts on the planet. It’s a desperate fight, one they seem to have already lost, but the Arcadians have many gifts to help them.

Despite this, Silas’s latest mission falls apart, badly. So badly that it’s impossible that it was merely an accident. It seems the Grove itself may have been compromised show more and he cannot return to the Mother. Worse, his opponents had a new weapon, a chemical that burns Arcadians and does far more damage than simple bullets ever could to the ancient warriors.

He frees the only person he feels he can trust, Mere; an investigative journalist with strong experience in challenging large, multi-national agricultural companies and they begin unravelling the knot of what is actually happening

But as they travel the world, do the research and piece together Silas’s shattered memories, there’s clearly far more going on than they expected with at least 3 distinct players and it has ramifications far beyond Grove – and maybe even Mother isn’t what she seems.

I have to give this story all kinds of praise for its originality, because it has a truly remarkable concept. Vampires as environmental guardians, resisting the corruption and pollution of the world. The whole sleeping in native soil myth which Urban Fantasy often discards now brought back to have vampires connecting with the earth to heal, avoiding the sun because, combined with airborn pollutants, it harms their chemical sensitive bodies – it’s a wonderful twist on the old legends.

It’s tempting to think of these vampires, these Arcadians, as gentle because of their environmental leanings. Humans are over-consuming, polluting and, ultimately, disposable if not outright in need of culling. They are warriors and guardians, fully willing to use their deadly skills to protect the Mother.

The whole concept and the world here is incredible, and that’s just made more so by this globetrotting story across the southern hemisphere unveiling more and more of the mysteries around this multi-faceted conspiracy. It’s complex, it’s action packed, it’s extremely well paced and it’s huge – a true sense of being global about it

There’s also some great commentary on activism and empty gestures – ignoring corporate control and over consumption in favour of gesture politics that gets in the news and makes people feel good – the whole putting a “save the whales” sticker in your Hummer, mindset.

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This is a book I'd like to return to for a re-read, some day. From the author's portrait inside the front cover you'd swear that he's lightweight. Nope, deep, ceremonial magical stuff here, the bloody messy stuff with death, blood and souls here.

It starts when Markham, on the hunt for a woman who injured his soul years ago and left him to pick up the pieces, has a deer cross his path, only this deer has a passenger and that passenger is a human soul. Following the clues brings him to a show more bigger mess and a much messier plan. And it's all a mess. Somehow he got handed the clues to the solution and with the power that he has the responsibility is his.

It's a dark messy occult novel, the end was vaguely unsatisfying but I do want more. show less