This World of Love and Strife Reviewed by Bee Lindy of Bookpleasures.com
Bee Lindy
Bee Lindy has been writing book reviews since she was a child. Her notebooks are full of reviews that she wrote before she had her first personal computer.
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Author: Shawn Mackey
Publisher: D.X. Varos
ISBN: 978-1955065238
A paranormal thriller with lots of flavor-- This World of Love and Strife, is a favorite book of the year so far! That says a lot since horror/paranormal is far from my favorite genre! The premise caught my eye so I decided to give the book a try. I am so glad I did!
Imagine a world where demons roam the streets, and packs of werewolves serve as a powerful vampire's behest, this is Lumina City-- a world unlike any other.
A secret organization exists that is supposed to protect Lumina City, and the world at large. This organization, the Vangaurd has members all over the globe, some of whom are in very high governmental positions. But the Vanguard went through some upheaval recently and ended up embroiled in a kind of civil war in it's ranks.
At this point, a member of the Vanguard, a man named Cato, seemed to disappear entirely. In fact, Cato is living in hiding, working in a bar in Lumina City and avoiding members of the Vanguard like they're the plague. That is until Cato receives a vision from a disembodied voice. The vision is one of the hells that humanity is headed toward if Cato doesn't do something.
Subsequently, the woman that he loves is also taken by a powerful vampire named Aldous. Aldous owns a casino and has a pack of werewolves that fight for him. Aldous also used to be a member of the Vanguard before he was bitten and dispelled from the organization. Now he kidnaps women and turns them into monsters like himself, with little in the way of opposition. Cato must decide if he is willing to return to the Vanguard to stop Aldous and save humanity from itself, or if he wishes to stay in hiding forever-- and he has to do so very quickly.
Any reader who loves a good horror story with paranormal elements will love this book. Shawn Mackey's writing is one of a kind. He has a true talent for telling gritty, dark stories that still leave a little room for humor and hope.
About Shawn Mackey
Living in New Jersey for all his life, Shawn Mackey has been writing since childhood. Though his favorite genre is horror, he has a deep appreciation for fantasy influenced by mythology and science fiction that questions the modern world and its future.