Book Review of Blood Skies (Book 1) by Steven Montano

Synopsis:

In a world where nightmares stalk the earth and the few survivors must battle the vampire legions of the Ebon Cities, a team of soldiers races to save mankind when a traitor threatens to destroy the future of humanity.
Southern Claw warlock Eric Cross is a member of Viper Squad, and his mission is to pursue the witch called Red across the wastelands. His hunt takes him through haunted forests and blighted tundra, into war-torn cities and to the edge of a twisted necropolis. And before the journey is done Cross will uncover the dark origins of magic, and learn the true meaning of sacrifice...

Review:


Blood Skies by Steven Montano
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I received a copy of this book from the author in return for an honest review.

Where do I start? This is a fantastic post apocalyptic dark fantasy! I loved it!

Eric Cross is an intriguing character. He is a warlock and a member of Viper Squad, an elite group of warriors who have been tasked with tracking down a rogue witch. I really liked this man. He has a tendency to be overprotective of his sister, but with dangerous vampires around, I don't blame him!

I started to read this book and I was quickly hooked! This story is very hard to describe without giving anything away! The vivid imagery of the apocalyptic red sky, the places and people brought this story to life. A post apocalyptic world is a scary thought! What cataclysmic event created this one is a mystery, but this world is a dangerous one. There are humans, mages and vampires, and a long standing war between them that has been raging for over 20 years. The vampires are dark and scary! I certainly wouldn't want to meet these fiends! They are certainly not sparkly!
There are some intriguing characters that join Cross on his journey, including his sister, Snow. However, none are more so than Cross's mage spirit. She is tied to him and his magic in a mysterious way. He can interact with her, but she is more of an energy or shadow rather than a physical being. As the story unfolded, I was struck by the use of modern items such as weapons combined with old fashioned travel, using horses and camels rather than cars and lorries, which gave this book a steampunk feel. As Cross's journey continues, he meets a witch called Cristena. I really liked this feisty woman. She is reckless at times, but she has a good reason. The story is full of twists and turns that continually surprised me, and there are a few shocking events that made me gasp. The ending was somewhat anti-climatic (there was no cliffhanger as such), but there was a teaser for the second book, which made me want to keep reading!

Steven Montano has written a fantastic dark fantasy that is fast paced and action packed. However, I felt that some of the scenes were a bit too long and drawn out. Nevertheless, this did not destroy my enjoyment of the story, and I look forward to reading more of this series in the future.

Due to scenes of violence, I do not recommend this book to young readers or those of a nervous disposition. However, I highly recommend this book if you love dark fantasy, dystopian, post apocalyptic, paranormal or horror genres. - Lynn Worton

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