Author: Donnie Light
Publication Date: November 01, 2010
Book Description:
In the fall of 1888, Jack the Ripper cut a swath of blood and terror through the streets of London, in an area known as Whitechapel. The papers called him a monster for attacking innocent women in the night. But if the world only knew the truth behind Jack's monstrous acts, they would think differently. Jack was a madman, yes, but a madman on a mission to save the world from the foul creatures of the night. Creatures that haunted his soul, tortured his existence, and made every minute of his life a living hell. Only Jack the Ripper could save the unsuspecting masses from the vampires that ruled the streets of Whitechapel after dark. Only he could strike down the dangerous Master Vampire William Carpenter-or die in the attempt. Follow the infamous "Jack the Ripper" through a harrowing adventure to take back the streets of Victorian London, and reclaim the honor of a love lost to darkness.
Review: 3 out of 5 stars
I have to admit that the title alone drew me to the book. I'm a fan of alternate history, so a chance to read about Jack the Ripper made me giggly as a teenage girl.
For the most part, I really enjoyed this book. Donnie Light and Shawn Weaver did a fantastic job of giving a back story to the characters. I guess because there were only two main characters, it was quite easy. But even the lesser characters got their "story" told as well.
I also loved the idea that maybe Jack the Ripper wasn't evil, he was something else. There was careful interweaving of Ripper facts throughout the novel.
However, did find myself rooting quite heavily for the vampire throughout the novel, and wished someone would just get rid of Jack already, as his cockiness was getting to be a bore. I guess this is more of a testament to Mr. Light's writing style that he could achieve the level of hatred in a reader that he did, and the level of sympathy that I did for his nemesis, William.
The book was a fast read, and very well written. I got through it in hardly no time.
The one thing that I did not like, and caused me to only give it three stars is the ending. I understand that authors now like to write series books. They can be quite enjoyable. Stephanie Laurens and Julia Quinn have done an amazing job doing this. However, with Stephanie Laurens and Julia Quinn, each book, while part of a series, is stand alone. I can read it and feel satisfied with the ending.
I was not satisfied with the ending. The book just stopped. And then was an advertisement to continue the story with his next novel, Ripper's Revenge. I didn't want to have to invest in 2+ books to have the story told. The second book could be about a character from the first, but don't just stop writing your book half-way through in order to force people to buy your next book just to finally read the ending.
I may just be nit-picky, but the ending of the novel made me mad, and made me felt like I wasted time reading it, because I don't know the ending.
Disclosure: I bought this book from Amazon.com. I did not receive any compensation for my review, and this review is unsolicited.
No comments:
Post a Comment