Latest Review of Shadows Over Somerset
Morgan's Review of Shadows Over Somerset @ Novelspot
Rating: 7
Review: Ever want to spend quality time with your personal role model? By dogging your role model’s steps, you could learn to be more like him. Pick up a few fashion tips, maybe some professional secrets. That’s what Samuel Beck is hoping for in Shadow Over Somerset. His role model happens to be a very efficient—vampire hunter.
Samuel Beck is no Van Helsing with his London Fog coat and glasses. Not to mention, all the little body parts the voracious vampires and zombies leave strewn about make him sick—literally. He’s no Indiana Jones of the stake pounding set, but he is determined to learn. That’s where his mentor, Garrick, comes in handy, but not soon enough.
Ward Garrick is a cross between a Viking Warrior and Bruce Lee. To top it off he is the avenging angel for all things evil; that’s his job description. Over the years, he and a few chosen others continually fight evil. Unfortunately, he doesn’t save Beck from being transformed. His failure haunts him, and makes him work even harder eradicating the undead. There is one especially nasty vampire with "his name on it". If that isn’t enough, there is always a chance he might meet up with Samuel Beck. Only this time they won’t be friends. Then there’s the boss, Lord Cairnwood.
Lord Cairwood, who seems to have mystical powers as well as a manor, asks Garrick to retrieve his heir. There are a few problems with the retrieval. Garrick is too busy ridding the world of evil to pick up the heir. The other problem is the heir, who now calls himself Michael Sommers, takes to hanging out in vampire bars. Besides the freaks that like to pretend they’re vampires, and the folks who know they look good in black capes, there is the occasional true vampire at the bar. Sir Garlan Peck arrives in time to decapitate a drug-crazed junkie who is intent on hamstringing Michael. Peck escorts Michael back to his ancestral home to meet Lord Cairnwood and learn what is expected of him—and it’s a lot.
Talk about a lot: this book is populated by witches, zombies, vampires, Viking Warriors, Templar Knights, Sheriff Andy Taylor, and people who never die or age. It also features a young girl dreaming of mysterious beings and bloody rituals. There is, of course, the battle against good and evil. It appears to be a hybrid of the Highlander, Van Helsing, and oddly enough, The Andy Griffith Show.
Shadows Over Somerset has more the feel of a graphic novel than a horror story. The action scenes are well written, which isn’t an easy thing to do. But there are too many characters to fully grasp the story line. It makes it difficult to read without a character outline. The use of recognized names such as Sheriff Andy Taylor is distracting also. Fans of vampire novels should enjoy this one—because it is, in the scheme of things, much better than your average vampire novel.
Reviewed by Morgan © June 2006
Rating: 7
Review: Ever want to spend quality time with your personal role model? By dogging your role model’s steps, you could learn to be more like him. Pick up a few fashion tips, maybe some professional secrets. That’s what Samuel Beck is hoping for in Shadow Over Somerset. His role model happens to be a very efficient—vampire hunter.
Samuel Beck is no Van Helsing with his London Fog coat and glasses. Not to mention, all the little body parts the voracious vampires and zombies leave strewn about make him sick—literally. He’s no Indiana Jones of the stake pounding set, but he is determined to learn. That’s where his mentor, Garrick, comes in handy, but not soon enough.
Ward Garrick is a cross between a Viking Warrior and Bruce Lee. To top it off he is the avenging angel for all things evil; that’s his job description. Over the years, he and a few chosen others continually fight evil. Unfortunately, he doesn’t save Beck from being transformed. His failure haunts him, and makes him work even harder eradicating the undead. There is one especially nasty vampire with "his name on it". If that isn’t enough, there is always a chance he might meet up with Samuel Beck. Only this time they won’t be friends. Then there’s the boss, Lord Cairnwood.
Lord Cairwood, who seems to have mystical powers as well as a manor, asks Garrick to retrieve his heir. There are a few problems with the retrieval. Garrick is too busy ridding the world of evil to pick up the heir. The other problem is the heir, who now calls himself Michael Sommers, takes to hanging out in vampire bars. Besides the freaks that like to pretend they’re vampires, and the folks who know they look good in black capes, there is the occasional true vampire at the bar. Sir Garlan Peck arrives in time to decapitate a drug-crazed junkie who is intent on hamstringing Michael. Peck escorts Michael back to his ancestral home to meet Lord Cairnwood and learn what is expected of him—and it’s a lot.
Talk about a lot: this book is populated by witches, zombies, vampires, Viking Warriors, Templar Knights, Sheriff Andy Taylor, and people who never die or age. It also features a young girl dreaming of mysterious beings and bloody rituals. There is, of course, the battle against good and evil. It appears to be a hybrid of the Highlander, Van Helsing, and oddly enough, The Andy Griffith Show.
Shadows Over Somerset has more the feel of a graphic novel than a horror story. The action scenes are well written, which isn’t an easy thing to do. But there are too many characters to fully grasp the story line. It makes it difficult to read without a character outline. The use of recognized names such as Sheriff Andy Taylor is distracting also. Fans of vampire novels should enjoy this one—because it is, in the scheme of things, much better than your average vampire novel.
Reviewed by Morgan © June 2006
posted by Bob Freeman at 12:06 AM
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