Upon the Shoulders of Vengeance : The Journey to Armageddon

Rating:
Summary: A work of art inside and out that you must add to your libra
Review: Reviewed by: Betsie of Betsie's Literary Page
Highly Recommended
5 out of 5 points

A work of art inside and out that you must add to your library!

I had the pleasure and the honor to read "Upon the Shoulders of Vengeance: The Journey to Armageddon" recently. First of all the "feel" of this book and the quality of the cover art impressed me. The cover itself did much to set the mood for the adventure that awaited me on the inside of this book. From the very first word to the last, I could see that Mr. McCann has polished his craft to a point that every word, character and plot work in unison to tell an impressive story as well. The writing is devoid of errors and the dialogue between the characters has been laid out quite well.

Although there are many characters in this story that can carry a book on their own, the main character; Marcus the Avenger, is an interesting hero. Marcus witnessed his village's apparent demise at the hands of a race of bloodthirsty warriors called the Krim 'Tiak. He spent over a year in seclusion until he is captured in the "City of Gods" and promptly sentenced to death for the crime of stealing bread. Fortunately Princess Kimbra spares his life in exchange for him becoming a protégé, trained to fight others for the amusement of the masses. Marcus the Avenger, renamed himself Forest when he joined the Hauldinian society as a "gladiator", bound to the "City of Gods"- until either killed or freed.

Everyone is equally impressed by Forest's unique fighting style, reminiscent of Ninjitsu with the nunchuka as his primary weapon. This "vagabond" intrigues the princess and Forest quickly achieves the trust of his "mentor" Sir Theomund, the princess's bodyguard. Forest had again found a "home" until he receives word from his village that there may still be hope for triumph over the Krim 'Tiak attackers. Sir Theomund risks his life and rank and allows Forest to return to his people with a promise to return. The princess hides her identity and sets off into the harsh world in search of adventure, with Forest in the lead, who is unaware that he has taken a princess from her kingdom.

At the same time in different parts of the land, other adventures have begun. A wizard and a group of "misfits" of various races, a wild-man and his trusted steed, a former Krim 'Tiak warrior in search of redemption - there are so many characters that are vital to this story and they all held my interest - especially when their separate paths merged into a single mission.

I must applaud Mr. McCann for the effort that he has put into " Upon the Shoulders of Vengeance: The Journey to Armageddon". I recommend that you pick up a copy and take your own personal journey into these pages. As I've said before, this book is indeed a work of art - inside and out!