I’ll start by saying this came highly recommended so part of my disappointment is in the fact it didnt stand up to my expectations.
The biggest redeeming point is Joel Lesley’s narration and voice acting. The guy juggles around the different character accents in an impressive way.
*spoilers ahead*
The story overall is a basic one – destiny, big bad evil, prophecy, a chosen one and how things come to play.
The twist is that there are supernaturals involved and when that happens then as an author you really need to make sure you follow your own rules you laid . Thats basic sci-fi/fantasy writing 101.
This is where NR Walker fails big time.
The biggest contradiction is laid out from the very beginning – vampires can catch bullets.
They can acvidentally die from wood-imbued bullets, but thats if they are distracted or not fully aware.
Thay being said, there is way too much enthusiasm going around this ‘invention’ and none of the characters seems to care to point out the fact they cancatch those bullets despite Iji doing so over and over again…
Do when The Big Dramatical moment comes and Cronin’s “saved” by another vampire sacrificing himself it doesnt seem very genuine. Because going by the rule that if he saw the bullet aimed – he couldve caught it in his hand and avoided getting hurt and dying.
Johanne’s death didnt feel necessary or even emotional, and it felt like a huge miss.
Johanne would’ve done better being a double agent and spy who had just wanted to be rid of Alex to have Cronin all for himself. It would’ve explained a lot of last-minute changes to the ‘prophecy’ that didnt make any sense and his death a little more tragic.
The hylogryphs were a nice idea but it felt like there was too much doing for something that couldve been simplified to breaking into a hospital, taking a bag of blood donation, breaking a hole in the pyramids with detonators and letting sun inside.
The whole ‘bringing back to life ‘ one ancient vampire egyptian or another didnt make sense, was never explained and the eventual conclusion felt very hurried and sloppy.
‘Alex got it’ is not a solution I feel okay with as a reader and felt forced to have the other characters be cool about not hearing an explanation themselves.
I will not be continuing this series.