Up first, we have Lloyd A Behm II. He served as a Machinist Mate in the United States Navy, rising to the rank of Machinist Mate First Class before leaving the Navy for civilian life. He served no deployments while enlisted, but became a civilian contractor in support of the US Marine Corps. He worked in various places in Iraq, eventually rising to Senior Logistical Coordinator for City Services in the Green Zone. Color me impressed.
And, now that MM1C Behm has been properly introduced...
Have you ever been totally mistaken about the nature of a book until you read it? I know I was. I purchased Shadow Lands awhile back and never got to it. I was kicking myself because I was dead certain, in the way only a person who is completely ignorant of a situation can be, that this was a high-fantasy, elves, dwarves, trolls kind of book. That's all it ever could be, right? I mean, do you play video games? I do. I've been to the Dreadlands, the Dire Lands, the Firelands, and probably some other lands somewhere. This was high-fantasy and I was going to love it. Loving high-fantasy is what I do. But uhh...
That whole, “thought I knew everything thing?” Yeah, I was wrong. This isn't epic fantasy. It's somewhere in between urban fantasy and horror. Don't get me wrong. It kicks ass and has a Correia-like feel to it, but it's not high-fantasy. I got over that fact quick. If you give the book at least one hundred words (WORDS not pages) you should too.
Our hero is Father Salazar, a priest lately of the Marine Corps. The good Father is what makes this book. There is just something endearing about a hard-swearing clergy-man. I mean, it's kind of funny but that's not all there is to it. As a devout Christian myself who is looking to go into a prison ministry, I find myself using words that I really shouldn't. I feel Salazar's pain on this one in and I really identified with him, even though I've never been a combat exorcist.
Wait, did I just say combat exorcist?
I think I did.
No, I'm SURE I did. As a matter of fact, Salazar is really good at this whole combat-exorcist thing. He has a tendency overdue things at times, but when it's his life and everyone else's on the line, I think we can forgive him just this once or twice or...
Well, let's just say that Christians believe that God is forgiving and Salazar and his mouth probably both appreciate that. I know I do.
The enemy throughout Shadow Lands is a group of demons. Given the nature of the main character that works like a champ. Salazar knows his stuff and knows how to use it. Something that people sometimes forget is that faith makes a potent weapon. Behm doesn't and neither does Salazar. Nothing will put some steel in your spine like the belief that the Almighty is looking out for you. I know, because I've been there. I really enjoyed this part of the book.
Now that's not to say that Shadow Lands is some kind of religious treatise, because it's not. It is, at heart, an action novel with an urban fantasy flare and a touch of horror thrown in because, why not? It works. I'm pretty positive that Behm has a giant cauldron somewhere and that the manuscript for the tome originally started with the words “Double, double toil and trouble.” (Don't worry Lloyd. I don't know how that security camera got pointed at your garage either.)
Oh, and Salazar pretty much pwns at the whole “combat” part of combat-exorcist. If some of his weapons are things that wouldn't work against a more common Earthly foe then so be it. He's not fighting common Earthly foes. Some of this stuff is pretty bad-ass and I'm somewhat suspicious that Behm has played World of Warcraft at least up until the part when a particular monster shows up, but what do I know? I've only killed a million of them (give or take).
I did mention a Correia-like feel to Shadow Lands and let's face it, a lot of it comes from both gun- and bomb-porn. Behm seems to be a member of the school of thinking that any problem can be solved with a sufficient amount of high explosive. I'm not one hundred percent sold on that theory, and I may have to read the sequels to get more input but I like 'splody things and I like fiery things and I like lots of dakka and big rounds and...
Yeah, one gets a feeling that perhaps Behm spend a bit more time around Marines than is suggested by the Surgeon General's RDA. That's a good thing though, because he learned something doing it.
At any rate, things get moving in this one quickly and they don't freaking stop. They do slow down for about five words here and there so that Behm can get us all relaxed and feeling good before he blows things up, but that's kind of necessary, even if I am a bit of a Michael Bay fan.
Yes, I know, I like story, but I mean BOOOOOOMMMM!!!!! (And no, Michael Bay couldn't tell a story with J.K. Rowling and Robert Heinlein coaching him, but Behm can.)
Somebody should let me hang out with some Marines and blow some stuff up sometime. Seriously.
Listen, I'm babbling. It's been a long day and I had planned to be in bed by now, but know this: Shadow Lands is a book worth buying and Lloyd A Behm is an author worth reading. I mean, unless you're into boring, angsty teenage girls who like vampires that sparkle, or you're a peacenik or something. If that's your thing, maybe you should buy a book on crocheting, or daisies, or crocheting daisies or sumfin'
If, however, you like good stories about competent people doing important things and perservering, with a side of gratuitous violence and maybe a couple of gross-out moments (and are willing to forgive the possibility of some wasted pork chops) then pay your money and read the book. Actually, I'm pretty sure it's on Kindle Unlimited (I straight up bought the thing a few years ago and just got to it) so if you've got that, you can read it for free. And seriously folks, if this isn't your thing then I'm not sure why you're reading my blog.
Bottom Line: 5.0 out of 5 Holy Water Sprayers
Shadow Lands
Lloyd A. Behm
Blood Moon Press, 2018
Shadow Lands is available for purchase at the following link:
Er, you forgot to insert the link...
ReplyDeleteIt's there. It's an affiliate link. Turn on ads for this page only and reliad and you'll see it.
DeleteSounds good! I hear you about language--I went to field training (ROTC four weeks of fun, though I did get to sit in the backseat of a T-38 and learn how to do a barrel roll, and it was REALLY FUN!) and picked up Certain Language Habits. I recall once I was home asking my mother-in-law to pass the Descriptive Language Potatoes, and she was shocked, but my father-in-law probably had scars on his tongue from not laughing for years after (he was former Navy). I ended up flying a desk (two inches too short for navigator, I *said* I'd wear heels, sigh, and time has made me um, shorter).
ReplyDeleteBut you should read CURSE OF THE TOXIC SPELLDUMP by Harry Turtledove--it's a world where magic has always replaced tech and in Los Angeles, there are still problems. Oh, and combat-level puns. If you know a few things about Los Angeles, the puns are even *worse*. There is also a combat exorcist or two, and the hero, at one point, goes into a local store and buys a spellchecker. But there's love, loyalty, and magical combat in this one, too.
I love that book in particular and Harry Turtledove's work in general.
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