This review is done in conjunction with the author's tour with Goddess Fish Promotions. The author will be awarding a set of metal miniatures: 3 Nosferatu Vampires (US only) to a randomly drawn commenter, so leave your thoughts here and you're entered!
Side note: This book is FREE on Amazon, BN and Smashwords
Drasmyr by Matthew D. Ryan
Paranormal, Fantasy
360 pages
Rated: 5 Stars
We vampires do not make easy prey. Our weaknesses are few, our strengths many. Fear is something we do not know, and death but a distant memory. So tread softly, pray to your god, and gird yourself with silver when the moons arise and night’s dark prince awakens. We fear not the wizard, nor the warrior, neither rogue, nor priest; our strength is timeless, drawn from darkness and we know no master save the hot lust of our unending hunger. We long for blood, your blood and no blade, nor spell, nor clever artifice, can keep us long from our prize. Feel our teeth at your throat, your life ebb from you, and know as darkness comes to claim you that the price of your folly is your everlasting soul.
***
In Drisdak, the city on the Sea of Sorrows, the citizens have much to dread. Unease and foreboding has always been associated with the local wizards guild; peasants have an innate distrust of magic and those who use it. But now, something else is on the rise. A mysterious fire at the guild has left two men dead and a third missing. A small matter, you say? Well, one of those men was the guild master, and his successor wants to know what happened to him. Enter Coragan of Esperia, the renowned bounty hunter. If anyone can unravel this mess he can. But is even he prepared to challenge the horrible evil that lurks at the heart of the mystery? An ancient vampire by the name of Lucian val Drasmyr.
My Review: This book was a surprise from start to finish. This vampire, Lucian val Drasmyr, does not sparkle nor does he drink animal blood. He is the originally imagined vampire of old: murderous, bloodthirsty, with super strength and speed, ruthless and virtually immortal. He has no redeeming qualities. We aren't meant to like him or admire him at all (and I didn't).
I wasn't certain what to expect from this, which may have been a good thing. No preconceived notions to affect my enjoyment. Admittedly, it was a bit confusing to jump from one point of view to another. The story is told from many: the vampire's, a bounty hunter, a wizard and more. But really, once I became involved (which didn't take long), it wasn't hard to keep them straight.
This isn't a "feel good" book. It's hard core fantasy, with all the action, excitement and blood. We have castles and wizards and heroes. It's fast paced and truly well written. The author is skilled, and his story doesn't have any hiccups, but moves from one scene to another, easily keeping my interest. Had I not had other obligations, I easily could have spent the entire day with this book, reading it from cover to cover.
I wouldn't recommend it for younger teens. It's complex and a bit bloody. But older teens and adults who are fans of fantasy are sure to enjoy this from page one. I highly recommend it.
Matthew D. Ryan is a published author living in upstate New York on the shores of Lake Champlain. He has a background in philosophy, mathematics, and computer science. He also has a black belt in the martial arts and studies yoga. He has been deeply involved in the fantasy genre for most of his life as a reader, writer, and game designer. He believes he saw the legendary Lake Champlain Monster (a.k.a Champy) once and he has a cat named Confucius.
Author’s Smashwords Page: http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/matthewdryan
Author’s Book Page: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/131156
Author’s Blog: http://www.atoasttodragons.com
Author’s Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000038781652
Author’s Twitter Handle: @MatthewDRyan1
Author’s Goodreads Page: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/579148.Matthew_D_Ryan
Author’s Shelfari Page: http://www.shelfari.com/matthewdryan/shelf
The book is available on Smashwords, Amazon, BN and elsewhere for free.
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