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The Vampire of Rome by Lincoln Farish
There are vampires out there that will curdle your blood just by looking at them. Witches that have dreams of immortality. Creatures that are not romantic, but horrific. Join Brother Sebastian on another mission through his own private version of hell.
Title: The Vampire of Rome
Author: Lincoln Farish
Series: Inquisitors #4
Publish Date: October 15, 2016
Genre: Urban Fantasy/Horror
Cover: Danielle Fine
Source: Purchased
Publisher’s Description: A prisoner in Vatican City, Brother Sebastian must endure an ordeal to prove he is still pure, re-qualify to demonstrate he still has the skills required of an Inquisitor, and then figure out where the Vampire Lord who is picking off Cardinals is hiding and Purge him. The hunt is on, but who is hunting whom?
Nervous Nellie’s nervousness necessitates knowledge of the novel (or, in other words, SPOILERS).
Nervous Nellie says…
Pride is brittle. You think you’re special because of hubris. You believe in your own uniqueness because you wish to believe it, not based on reality or objective truth. Confidence is knowing you have the ability to make a difference and, even more importantly, knowing when you cannot. It’s a realistic self-assessment.
I thought I couldn’t get grossed out much more than in previous books. This is not a bad thing, mind you. I enjoy reading about the world that Sebastian lives in. I enjoy the characters, but I have to remember this is labeled a horror story. Author Lincoln Farish enjoys writing in the repulsive ball park. If you don’t mind a vampire that is so far away from ‘sparkly’ that it’ll burn your eyes, if you don’t mind horribly grisly deaths, if you don’t mind sucking on an eyeball as a mint, then this is a book for you. The creatures dissolve in horrible green primordial ooze and it usually always take more than one hack to sever the head of the preternatural creatures. Yuck, but in a good old horror/blood squirting everywhere kind of way.
The Brethren are fighting among themselves as well as fighting the monsters this time. Sebastian is not treated well again in this book. His humility and subservience is being used to take advantage of him by those who want to use his head as a stepping stone. Politics reigns supreme and while Cardinals of the Vatican are being killed, someone is looking at filling their shoes diabolically.
There were parts of the book I didn’t understand, but those of you that are “in the know” about military procedures, jargon and weapons, will fit right in. I am interested to see what happens in the next book, because there wasn’t much of a hint at the end. Sebastian has an assignment in this world, but we are not a lot closer in finding out what he’s up to next.
Our reviews in this series…
If you like this book…
…you might try:
- Sandman Slim series by Richard Kadrey
- Eric Carter series by Stephen Blackmoore
- Soren Chase series by Rob Blackwell
Book News and Author Announcements
One Book Two’s is revealing a secret!! Cover reveal for The Vampire of Rome by Lincoln Farish!! Everybody – check it out!
What: The Vampire of Rome
Who: Lincoln Farish
When: October 2016
Description: A prisoner in Vatican City, Brother Sebastian must endure an ordeal to prove he is still pure, re-qualify to demonstrate he still has the skills required of an Inquisitor, and then figure out where the Vampire Lord who is picking off Cardinals is hiding and Purge him. The hunt is on, but who is hunting whom?
Other books in the series:
Junior Inquisitor – One Book Two’s review is here for book #1
Soulless Monk – One Book Two’s review is here for book#2
Witch’s Lair – One Book Two’s review is here for book #3
Witch’s Lair by Lincoln Farish
Don’t be scared… fight the monsters with the Poor Brothers of Gethsemane, AKA the Inquisitors…
Also, enter to win one of 3 autographed copies of one of the Inquisitor series via a Rafflecopter giveaway.
Title: Witch’s Lair
Author: Lincoln Farish
Series: Inquisitor Series Book 03
Publish Date: February 14, 2016
Genre: Horror
Source: Provided by the author
Publisher’s Description: Even in this modern era there is magic, but it taints, corrupts, turning saints into power-mad monsters. It can not be stopped but it can be contained, sometimes. That is what the Poor Brothers of Gethsemane, AKA the Inquisitors, do. They fight monsters in the shadows, they contain the madness. Thaddeus the mighty and wicked warlock is gone, but not by the hands of The Inquisitors. Another, perhaps even more powerful magi is scheming, and the Brethren must stop him or her. But first they must make sure no one returns from the fight tainted, the dead are buried, and figure out how to find a ghost of a magi who can summon a Gut Ripper in the middle of a firefight and then disappear.
Sebastian is still tormented by the ghost of his murdered wife, still trying to honor his promise to her, but now there is another woman entering his mind, and his dreams have gotten even more disturbing.
The Master Hammer warned Sebastian he was walking a dark path when he agreed to be Malachi’s apprentice. That dark path will take them from the deserts of Arizona, to the rotting inner core of Portland, to the Cascade Mountains, and deep under the earth.
Yes, Sebastian has fellow Inquisitors ready to assist, some friends since his earliest days in the Brethren, others newly met.
“But that’s life. One adventure, one test, one option after another. We have free will and what we choose determines the kind of person we are, what kind of life we have. It’s the difficulties we overcome that give our life meaning and value. The greater the obstacle, the more you can grow to rise above it.”
First things first; this is horror. There aren’t any possessed demon dolls this time around, for which I was grateful <shudder>. There is a lot of death and gross monsters, just in case you may be queasy. There is no happily ever after fluff; however, the protagonist does stay in one piece. There is no romance. There is a lot of battle depiction and plenty of gun and ammo description; so, if that’s your thing, you’ll enjoy those scenes. There isn’t a cliffhanger, per se. The overall story isn’t finished, so there is a hook at the end of the book; but the ending is exciting and it can lead your imagination to run wild until the next book is released.
Usually, I break my review down into what I did like and what I didn’t. I can’t really find anything to not like about this story. Yes, it is gross in some places with all the blood, guts and fluids flying everywhere; but, when you have witches fighting the Poor Brothers, you’ll have that.
Again, like in my other reviews of this series, the thing I like most about Sebastian is his humility. All signs point to him being a really “big deal;” but, from the point of view in his head, he is just a regular brother. He makes mistakes, he does what he can with what he knows. He tries to protect those in his charge. He works as a team member and he faces sorrow when he loses a soldier. The author writes this story so I didn’t get too attached to the brothers that are killed, which I appreciate. Don’t get me wrong, the characters are written with depth, they have history, they have friends and family; but, the story doesn’t dwell on the loss of characters that are not necessary to forward the story.
I guess if you really make me try and find something I don’t like I could tell you that I seriously flinched with how much emotional and physical pain the brothers are put through. They have to be seriously tough to fight these bad guys. I imagine that it’s quite similar to what soldiers go through in real life.
I swear to you that you’ll like this series if you like what I’ve reported. The story is very tight and it’s another one of those “one-sit” wonders. Don’t think you are going to be doing anything after opening the cover of this book, unless you count turning pages.
Our reviews in this series…
Other reviews of the series…
If you like this book…
…you might try:
- Sandman Slim series by Richard Kadrey
- Eric Carter series by Stephen Blackmoore
- Soren Chase series by Rob Blackwell
Soulless Monk by Lincoln Farish & Giveaway Winner
Junior Inquisitor Giveaway
The winners of the Junior Inquisitor Giveaway are:
Emily Kaplan
Adrian Shotbolt
Kristine Twigg
Congratulations everyone, and a special thanks to Lincoln Farish for providing the books for this giveaway. Now, read Nell’s review of the Inquisitor Series Book 2, Soulless Monk.
He keeps growing stronger…
Title: Soulless Monk
Author: Lincoln Farish
Series: Inquisitor Series 02
Publish Date: October 1, 2015
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Source: Purchased
Publisher’s Description: Brother Sebastian is in trouble. Again. Banished from New England and sent to train with the hyper-violent Hammers, Sebastian wants to atone, but an army of necromancers, battle-mages, and at least one sorceress is seriously messing up his plans. James, former Inquisitor and disciple of Thaddeus, is lurking about, and even with the help of a bunch of heavily-armed Hammers, will Sebastian be to able stop gut-rippers, constructs, lichs…and a newly returned Thaddeus?
Nervous Nellie’s nervousness necessitates knowledge of the novel (in other words, SPOILERS!)
In true Lincoln Farish form, this story is not for the faint hearted. Gross, grisly death, reanimation, constructs, battle scenes, mean, cruel & heartless witches and lots of self flagellation are prominent. This story bounces back and forth between James, Thaddeus and Sebastian. I will admit to skipping some particularly gruesome descriptions of Thaddeus’ malevolence. Compared to Thaddeus, James is a candy striper with a helpful heart of gold. Thaddeus is one twisted SOB. He’s vicious. I have never watched “Chucky” in those scary movies, but I bet “Chucky” hides his eyes when Thaddeus comes around. Yikes.
As with all evil and demented loony tune bad guys, Thaddeus is not down for the count. James is….or I should say…was in the wind until he felt Thaddeus’ rebirth. James decides in a fit of self preservation, that he needs to, first and foremost, kill Thaddeus….again. If that doesn’t work, beg for forgiveness. Yeah…right. Dream on, evil dude.
For the past 15 months, Sebastian has been through hell. First, he had to heal from the torture. Then, there was a formal Inquiry. Pardon me for using a foul word in Sebastian’s world, but it was a witch hunt. Plain and simple. The powers that be wanted a scapegoat. Believe me when I say that even the monks are subjected to politics and mind games. Sebastian had to pass all sorts of tests before he was even allowed what lamely could be called “house arrest” at the Priory. All the torture he went through and he is still not off the hook. This guy cannot catch a break. I, however, enjoy Sebastian’s humanity and humility. The Inquiry or “trial” scene was incredible and was very well written. I’m sure I have missed some nuances that will come to light in further books, but luckily I will always be able to go back and read it again. The Inquiry scene is probably my favorite scene in the book.
A chapter or so later, time goes by and when I met up with Sebastian in the present day, he had gone through his training as a “Hammer of God”. They are the enforcers of the Benedictine Order of Poor Brothers. Before Sebastian and his classmates can officially graduate to Inquisitors, all hell breaks loose. Witches, Warlocks, Evil nasty minions (we are not talking the little yellow guys from my favorite movie either) are all descending on Arizona. There is position to gain and schmoozing to do in order to gain favor from the reigning king of megalomaniacal and psychotic evil, Thaddeus. If there is one thing you can trust it’s that you can never trust the bad guys.
The battle scenes that are transcribed are a work of art. Since I am not experienced in combat nor weaponry, I really shouldn’t have much input, but I think Mr. Farish’s years in the military guarantee accuracy.
I can’t give up the ending, but suffice it to say that it’s not a cliffhanger. I do have to leave you with my other favorite scene where Thaddeus says……
How could he be that strong?
Makes me think long and hard about the possibilities of that question. Who is Thaddeus talking about? Bertrand? Nah….at least I don’t think so. I am ever so curious as to where the next book leads.
Speaking of the next book……..I have some very important information about the next book. I have it on VERY GOOD authority that book #3 in the Inquisitor Series will be called The Witch’s Lair and it will be released sometime around February 2016. Here’s a little tease that the author was strong armed into sharing. (Yeah, not really. He’s much bigger than me and can squash me like a bug.)
By noon there had been three attempts to murder me. We only got in a few miles, far enough that no one could hear our screams, when a twig fury stepped out from behind a tree, and tackled me. A twig fury is exactly what it sounds like, five feet of angry sticks held together by a bitter, malevolent spirit, bent on mayhem and death. It plowed into me knocking me down and landing on top.
That excerpt is from chapter one, but I don’t know where in chapter one. I also know that once again we find Brother Sebastian fighting for his life and trying to keep his mind and soul intact, this time in the Pacific Northwest.
Thank you, Mr. Farish, for Sebastian’s world and may you have the glory and fame you so deserve minus any skulking ninjas.
Other reviews…
If you like this book, you should try…..
- Sandman Slim series by Richard Kadrey
- Eric Carter series by Stephen Blackmoore
- Soren Chase series by Rob Blackwell
Junior Inquisitor by Lincoln Farish
According to author Lincoln Farish “…this [writing books] isn’t about making money, it’s about the fame and glory and hot bodied female fans chanting my name…” I get that… the making money part, not the hot bodied female fans chanting my name…
Title: Junior Inquisitor
Author: Lincoln Farish
Series: The Inquisitor
Publish Date: March 1, 2015
Genre: Dark Fantasy
Source: Purchased
Publisher’s Description: Brother Sebastian is halfway up a mountain in Vermont, hell-bent on interrogating an old woman in a shack, when he gets the order to abandon his quest for personal vengeance. He has to find a missing Inquisitor, or, more likely, his remains. He’s reluctant, to say the least. Not only will he have to stop chasing the best potential lead he’s had in years, this job—his first solo mission—will mean setting foot in the grubby black hole of Providence, Rhode Island. And, somehow, it only gets worse…
If he’d known he would end up ass deep in witches, werewolves, and ogres, and that this mission would jeopardize not only his sanity but also his immortal soul, he never would’ve answered the damn phone.
Nervous Nellie’s nervousness necessitates knowledge of the novel (in other words, SPOILERS!)
Nervous Nellie says…
First things first. I recommend this book so highly that I get a nose bleed. The author warned me that this story was “a little” dark. I quirked an eyebrow at that message and thought, in my best Bugs Bunny voice, “Huh – he don’t know me very well, do he?”
We hunt monsters straight out of Revelations.
The protagonist is a monk. The heroes are from an Order of the Catholic Church. They stay hidden and eliminate witches and their minions. In this book, witches are not good in any way, shape or form. They prey on the innocent by sacrifice and they call on ogres, werewolves and Jotunn to “take care” of all of those who would oppose them. I learned that magic has a very high price – kind of like taking meth – a witch’s (or warlock) body breaks down and all that is left is rot and the smell of corruption. Those that can “see” can look through the glamour and notice the true self of the witch or warlock.
The protagonist talks to the reader and paints a picture so clearly that I was right there being tortured with him. Um….yeah. There is torture and it is viciously wicked. I DO NOT wish learning that skill whatsoever. This story, in some places, is not for the faint of heart. It’s not scary where I had to skip over parts like in some other books, it has parts that are a vibrant description of excruciating persecution with agony and misery mixed in for good measure.
I read several online interviews that featured Mr. Farish, and I will tell you that his experience will give you authenticity in the weapons and battle scenes. His writing is first rate and he has done his research on all the things that really make a story pop.
This is not a happy tale, but if you want a kick ass adventure told by a master of story telling, you NEED to try this book. There is no cliff hanger, but there is a lead in to Book #2, of which I am looking forward to being released very soon.
Mr. Farish is very generous with his readers as he is offering up 3 autographed Junior Inquisitor books for giveaway via Rafflecopter.
Please enter to win because this is one darn good book! I loaned mine out, so fair warning to the person who is borrowing it – you’d better return it or I will hunt you down!! 😉
Other reviews…
- I Heart Reading (character interview)
- Jeffrey Goff
- Liza Reviews
If you like this book, try…
One Book Two 