Back on Track

New reviews coming soon! I'll be importing my work from the past two years, but in the meantime,
I'm reclaiming my small place on the web.

Tuesday, July 11, 2006

Fiction Review

The Somnambulist
by Kirk A Ryan
ISBN-10: 0595381367
Review by Heather Froeschl

As if the nightmares of war were not enough, "The Somnambulist" goes into something even worse. Author Kirk Ryan delves deeply into the horrors of war, internment camps, and evil regime, and then pushes further into the depths of the mind, the lure of power, the magic of vengeance.

Wehrmacht Captain Martin Schumann is only trying to survive his assignment but he can feel a presence, something calls to him in the peasant village nearby. Something is seeking revenge. Martin's dead daughter is haunting his dreams, in reality warning him of the danger that lurks. He finds that he has been sleepwalking, and in the midst of war and winter in Russia, this is definitely not a good thing. Perhaps, he is being led in his sleep by his daughter. But why then are others in his company experiencing similar things? There is a magical presence in the camp that will not let certain soldiers rest.

SS Colonel Wexel is trying to harness an evil power. His efforts to contain the opposing power, a young Russian witch hiding in the village, have thus far failed. She is being helped and he intends to put a stop to that. His rewards will be great, in his mind...the knowledge of the Atom Bomb would be in Nazi hands. The dragon has promised him this. What power can stop him? The witch is the latest in a series of eight Valkeries who have battled evil. Will she prevail and avenge the deaths of her family, of her country?

Kirk Ryan has written a powerful book, rich with vivid descriptions, deep characters, military detail and mystical lore. It is a trip into the minds of men and the struggle of good versus evil. The journey is sometimes confusing; through nightmares and dreamscapes, but in the end the plot is quite clear. This is an outstanding book, which history lovers as well as horror readers will enjoy.

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