Taran Walker is reeling from catching the girl of his dreams with another man. He has failed in nearly every meaningful way in life, and is living in an abandoned halfway house with some friends as he ponders his next scheme. Meanwhile, there is a convergence of souls, some young and some ancient, in St. Louis and Taran is at the center of it. He is the one to finally lead the ultimate rebellion and throw off the shackles that have held humanity back since the beginning of time. He will have to fight his way through underworlds and parallel universes, he will battle vampires and rival gods, as well as their lethal servants, but not without the help of a rather interesting mix of friends and allies. From gun-toting dwarves to magic-infused vampires, Taran will be aided by all manner of creatures and friends. It's the perfect blend of ancient fantasy archetypes and settings and real-world sensibilities and settings. Discover the world you never knew existed but for which you secretly... More > yearned.< Less
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By jt_bombtrak
Oct 19, 2009
Having read many, if not most, of Blaine's blog entries over the past 3 or 4 years, I've come to expect certain things from his writing. Uncompromising use of language, both clean and filthy. Heavy sarcasm and verbal abuse aimed at worthy targets. Over the top sexual innuendo and sci-fi references galore. So, needless to say, I went into his first novel expecting all of these things. What I admittedly didn't expect to find was a well-crafted story with above-average dialog and characterization. Not because I didn't think the Blaine we know today is capable of such writing, but because I know this was started and partially written by a ten-years-younger than his current self, and because most people who claim to be amateur writers can't write. This isn't a problem for Blaine. The man CAN write, and it's apparent that his writings skills have only increased over the past decade or so. That isn't to say his debut offering is perfect. He knowingly deals with archetypes with which we are... More > all very familiar, and unfortunately his characters rarely break any of the molds we have for them in our minds. The vampires run fast, leap high, hunger for blood, and avoid sunlight. The vampire hunters...hunt vampires. Mystics come in Light and Dark flavors. And his warriors of the sword adhere to their code of honor in the midst of battle. Among the biggest issues I found while reading were the settings. While I don't know much about St. Louis, past or present, I didn't come away feeling like I knew it any better. Descriptions of the locales our characters found themselves in never really immersed me and I found myself having to fill in the blanks myself when I imagined their locations. But at the center of the story are Blaine's characters. He weaves an unbelievable story around them, but they remain, for the most part, completely believable. And their conversations, especially those involving protagonist Taran Walker, have an especially down-to-earth ring to them. You can hear Blaine's characteristic voice carry through each word of the gutsy, violent, vitriol-filled dialog. Overall, Volume 1 of Blaine's series is of course flawed in several ways. But I ultimately enjoyed the tale of immortality and revenge, and look forward to his next, currently-in-the-works volume.< Less
