by Gregory Bellarmine
"The Greatest Myth Ever Dispelled" Italy. A tough master of novices, Father Dante encounters the bold young priest Antonio who challenges his identity and accuses him of being the Saint Nicholas. But despite the Father faking his death, a determined Antonio discovers a rather alive Dante arrayed in kilt and armor. In return for Antonio’s silence—and to protect the town from attracting all manner of darkness—Dante agrees to tell his life story. Without explanation, Dante orders Antonio to meet him at night in the abandoned Cathedral, the site of a former battle that the Church has kept secret for a generation. Until today. The Criskindl. Ice Steeds. The Unborn. Saint. From the Dark Ages’ when Poet-Sorcerers ruled kings, to the Holy Land when a new civilization was rising, to Revolutionary France where love is lost and gained, Father Dante pursues the one responsible for both his master and his mother’s deaths: Black Peter, his brother. “The Blood That Cries in the Ground will grab the reader by the throat with a death grip from which it is impossible to break free.” -Reviewed by Bil Howard for Readers' FavoriteAdd to your TBR pile on Goodreads | Check out the book trailer! Buy on Kindle | Paperback
RATING: 3 1/2 starsREVIEW: I'd like to thank the author and Promotional Book Tours for allowing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Overall, I found the book to be a bit hard to read. It took me awhile to realize there were rather large jumps in time between the chapters. I wish that had been better elucidated...just a quick date at the beginning of each chapter would have been fine for me. It also would have helped place some of the people, places and things in the chapters a little better.
I don't think the whole concept of the Unborn was very well explained in it, although, maybe I was still trying to figure out "when" I was historically in the book, that I missed the explanation entirely. Towards the end of the book, I was just starting to get the idea, and that's way too long for me.
Nicholas was an intriguing character, just when you think you have him pegged, he does something completely out of character. Some situations truly threw me for a loop when I was reading them, but at some point, I could see the whole mythology of Nicholas coming together. Antonio was just plain boring. He was only truly needed for the plot to move. He was like Lestat's interviewer, in Interview with the Vampire. Necessary for plot movement, but absolutely two-dimensional.
However, don't get me wrong. The book was an enjoyable read. It was extremely well-written, and the author was incredibly descriptive. The plot moved along at a nice pace, it never really lagged. I would definitely read it again at some point, now that I know what's going on.
About the Author
Gregory Bellarmine is the author of the bestselling "Monthly Roman Breviary" and "the Father Dante Journals." He considers himself a non-denominational, Didache Christian and lives a happy though sometimes sleepless life in the UK with his wife, two children and rather cheeky Parson Russell Terrier.
No comments:
Post a Comment