Post by angelac on Oct 4, 2016 9:29:45 GMT -6
From the Description
Lightning flashes. Another child disappears...
Zorka Circus’s big top roars with laughter and cheers, but when it moves on, children vanish.
Circus Security Chief Rurik suspects a killer hides among the performers, but they close ranks—they’ve always viewed lightning-scarred Rurik as the monster. He must find the culprit before anyone else disappears and his home is destroyed by the murders.
Into Zorka Circus comes the Skomori clan, despised as gravedigging ghouls. A one-day truce allows bloodwalker Sylvie to marry. Instead, she finds a body. Alerting others will defy her clan’s strict code, break the truce, and leave her an outcast.
When more bodies turn up, the killer's trail becomes impossible to ignore. Rurik and Sylvie must follow the clues—even if they lead to something unimaginable…
Publication Date: October 4, 2016
Publisher: Freedom Fox Press
Publication Length: 284 pages
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This is in no way reflected in my opinion of this story.
Bloodwalker had me hooked from the very first page. The circus setting is already creepy because, you know,,, CLOWNS ARE EVIL!!! Throw in the fact that every town that the Zorka Circus performs in is missing a child or two, a gallant Chief of Security and friends trying to find and stop the murderer, the mysterious Skomori Bloodwalkers, and enough twists to keep you guessing and you have a fantastic story! The characters are realistic and easy to care about, I loved Rurik, Ivan, Misha, Marva, and Sylvie. The folklore that surrounds the Skomori Bloodwalkers is captivating and I wanted to know more about this intriguing culture. The action found in these pages is exciting and full of suspense leading up to an explosive confrontation as Rurik and friends find out who, or what, is terrorizing the Zorka Circus. I highly recommend this dark and spectacular 4.5 star read.
About the Author
Lightning flashes. Another child disappears...
Zorka Circus’s big top roars with laughter and cheers, but when it moves on, children vanish.
Circus Security Chief Rurik suspects a killer hides among the performers, but they close ranks—they’ve always viewed lightning-scarred Rurik as the monster. He must find the culprit before anyone else disappears and his home is destroyed by the murders.
Into Zorka Circus comes the Skomori clan, despised as gravedigging ghouls. A one-day truce allows bloodwalker Sylvie to marry. Instead, she finds a body. Alerting others will defy her clan’s strict code, break the truce, and leave her an outcast.
When more bodies turn up, the killer's trail becomes impossible to ignore. Rurik and Sylvie must follow the clues—even if they lead to something unimaginable…
Publication Date: October 4, 2016
Publisher: Freedom Fox Press
Publication Length: 284 pages
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This is in no way reflected in my opinion of this story.
Bloodwalker had me hooked from the very first page. The circus setting is already creepy because, you know,,, CLOWNS ARE EVIL!!! Throw in the fact that every town that the Zorka Circus performs in is missing a child or two, a gallant Chief of Security and friends trying to find and stop the murderer, the mysterious Skomori Bloodwalkers, and enough twists to keep you guessing and you have a fantastic story! The characters are realistic and easy to care about, I loved Rurik, Ivan, Misha, Marva, and Sylvie. The folklore that surrounds the Skomori Bloodwalkers is captivating and I wanted to know more about this intriguing culture. The action found in these pages is exciting and full of suspense leading up to an explosive confrontation as Rurik and friends find out who, or what, is terrorizing the Zorka Circus. I highly recommend this dark and spectacular 4.5 star read.
About the Author
L.X. Cain was born in the U.S. but now lives on the Red Sea and busily taps away at a laptop, coming up with stories to thrill and entertain readers.
Author of novel Bloodwalker (Thriller/Mystery from Freedom Fox Press, Oct. 2016), and upcoming novels Coldest Night, Soul Cutter (re-release), and Paris Underworld.
Also author of short Horror stories "Biggun," "The Mission," and "The Inter-Galactic Gourmet" for sale on a different vendor.
Contact L.X. Cain at: lexacain.blogspot.com and on Facebook, Twitter, or GoodReads
Praise for Bloodwalker
"YA horror novelist Cain (Soul Cutter) steps right up to the center ring in this captivating shocker of children disappearing after the circus comes to town. While touring present-day Hungary, Slovakia, and Romania, Rurik, the lightning-scarred security chief and former strongman of the Zorka Cyrka circus, investigates the disappearances and mediates conflict when the insular Skomori folk hold a wedding at the circus. One of the brides, Sylvie, plagued by misfortune (including an arranged marriage to a man whose abusive and philandering ways are condoned by Skomori culture) and forbidden to use her skills as a bloodwalker (one who prepares corpses for burial), uncovers the remains of a child in a circus trailer and becomes a target for the killer. Using their unusual talents, first separately and then together, Sylvie and Rurik uncover the circus’s horrifying secret and put to rest the curse that haunts both their peoples. Cain immerses the reader in the working life of a struggling circus and in the daily chores of a fascinating, albeit fictional, Slavic folkway. A series of rising threats overextends the climax, but the likability of the protagonists is enough to keep readers going. (Oct.)" ~ Publishers Weekly
"Absolutely unique, unusual and brilliant! ... With Sylvie and Rurik as the central characters the book weaves a brilliant story, the plot and pace grabbed me early on and continued to keep a tight grip all the way through. You've got so much to love in this book." ~Maxine, Booklover Catlady (top 10 GR reviewer)
"This tale is fast-paced, gripping, and heart-pounding in places. It's one of those sit-on-the-edge of your seat and can't-read-it-fast-enough type books." ~ Sahara Foley Reviews
"Great backdrop, excellent writing, and an explosive ending that'll leave you breathless." ~ Mathew Keith, author of The Watcher series
"The cover is simply fantastic. It's eye-catching and fits both the setting and the theme quite beautifully, as the plot is divided into two different branches-one being a murder mystery about a clown who kills children, and the other is from the point of view of a mystical woman who is hated for being a ghoulish bloodwalker. Rather than distract from each other, these two plot threads work together quite well, as the background of a bloodwalker is slowly developed and not revealed entirely from the start." ~ Natasha Bennett, Black Haven Reviews
"So who is the killer? The book will leave you guessing throughout. It points to one, then the next, and it was for me a surprise element when I found out what was going on. It was even more surprising as the culmination turned into something more sinister than I expected which definitely gave the ‘whodunnit’ an interesting horror element." ~ Liz, Cover 2 Cover Reviews
"I was hooked from the start because both lead characters appealed to me. Sylvie was innocent and sweet but her life was so enveloped in the Bloodwalker traditions that she was fascinating. Rurik’s character was beautifully heroic and he was always ready to sacrifice himself. He was definitely crush-worthy." ~ India Taylor, Gothic Mansion Book Reviews