Tragic events elbow a scheming draft dodger onto WWI’s carcass filled killing grounds where he drags his sorry ass over mud, blood and mutilated body parts to euthanize a screaming, suffering, squaddie, and upon reaching the wretched soul, finds instead, an injured angel exuding an intense beam of light which, ominously, guides the aim of Kraut cannon-shot toward her, and all of this tale is told with one never-ending sentence, no periods, none, but a million craved commas allow one to catch a breath. Have to say, I recommend this one.
Merlin, the legendary sorcerer, is transplanted from the misty isles of ancient Britain to the sun-drenched chaos of central Florida where his magic clashes with doubtful senior citizens and his most powerful spells go unused whilst he undertakes only mundane tasks.
Once the phantom sage behind kings and conquerors, he lived through centuries of enchanting triumphs, but here, shuffled from his place in history to a sedentary existence of rheumatic pain, quest cravings have transmuted into a mindset of self-doubt and despair. Unable to conjure an age reversing spell, he coaxes his deteriorating body through each day yearning for death to make its claim. Yet, instead of finding an end, he finds someone whose pain is greater than his, a woman who requires help more than she is willing to admit.
Blessed with new purpose, Merlin once again embraces life and joins with others in a quest, as he endearingly asserts, to help a damsel in distress. But his quest stumbles when carefully thought-out plans go awry. And more complications pile up when an old acquaintance appears on the scene, an acquaintance who was once his lover and wants to be for a second time. To bring about an auspicious outcome, his magical prowess will be essential—he will need all the spells and incantations he once employed daily with nary a second thought. Will he remember?
Once the phantom sage behind kings and conquerors, he lived through centuries of enchanting triumphs, but here, shuffled from his place in history to a sedentary existence of rheumatic pain, quest cravings have transmuted into a mindset of self-doubt and despair. Unable to conjure an age reversing spell, he coaxes his deteriorating body through each day yearning for death to make its claim. Yet, instead of finding an end, he finds someone whose pain is greater than his, a woman who requires help more than she is willing to admit.
Blessed with new purpose, Merlin once again embraces life and joins with others in a quest, as he endearingly asserts, to help a damsel in distress. But his quest stumbles when carefully thought-out plans go awry. And more complications pile up when an old acquaintance appears on the scene, an acquaintance who was once his lover and wants to be for a second time. To bring about an auspicious outcome, his magical prowess will be essential—he will need all the spells and incantations he once employed daily with nary a second thought. Will he remember?
This is a great read. Reynolds’ inventive mind weaves together biblical power with human weakness to present a frightening, yet humorous, good and evil tale. Set in central Wisconsin, where good beer and transforming angels protect humans from hateful demons, anything can happen — and does.
What is this tale like? Picture yourself winding down at the Cluck and Grunt diner in Creekside. It’s quiet, the food is tasty, and your server is an angel named Rachel who smiles shyly while bringing extra gravy. You smile back thinking, what a sweetheart. Her eyes glow. Her whole body starts to glow. She glances at the front door and then runs outside. You drop your napkin and follow. Rachel has grown wings, wields a sword, and is now twelve feet tall. She smashes a pickup truck killing the gun-toting driver. In seconds, she changes back to normal and returns to the diner. A passerby says, “Protecting angel. Don’t worry; it happens all the time.”
What is this tale like? Picture yourself winding down at the Cluck and Grunt diner in Creekside. It’s quiet, the food is tasty, and your server is an angel named Rachel who smiles shyly while bringing extra gravy. You smile back thinking, what a sweetheart. Her eyes glow. Her whole body starts to glow. She glances at the front door and then runs outside. You drop your napkin and follow. Rachel has grown wings, wields a sword, and is now twelve feet tall. She smashes a pickup truck killing the gun-toting driver. In seconds, she changes back to normal and returns to the diner. A passerby says, “Protecting angel. Don’t worry; it happens all the time.”