The Second Darken Realm
Bruce Von Stiers
Tani and his best friend Jared had set upon a great adventure. This led to some dangerous times for them as the two teamed up with a gunslinger and a woman with strange powers. The reader is introduced to these characters and more in the debut novel of the Darken Realm series from J. Schimschal. Now the author is back with the second volume in the series. The title of the second volume is Ruins of America.
When the first book left off Tani, Jared, the gunslinger Banion O'Neil and the sorceress Mineera had formed a stealth fighting unit named Nova 7. As the second novel begins, the four members of Nova 7 are on a ship when Jared is swept overboard.
Losing Jared is a crushing blow to the team but they must carry on. They have an assignment. They are to find a nuclear device that could help stop the war that is going on. The Reaper Kai, who are a people led by demons, are out to conquer the wastelands. These lands are what is left of America after a nuclear holocaust.
Centuries later, there isn't much left and virtually no technologies are available. That is, except a few things like what the Reaper Kai have. They have a device that is not too unlike a tick. The device gets its tentacles inside a human spreads itself through the nervous system. Then the person becomes a drone.
This is what happens to Mineera as she is captured by members of the Reaper Kai. Tani and Banion are separated from her and then they have to figure out how to complete the mission by themselves.
But all is not lost. It seems that somehow Jared has survived. He becomes an aggressive warrior, quickly gaining a reputation. After a period of time, he rejoins Banion and Tani to rescue Mineera.
The author does a good job of continuing the story that he started in the first book. He builds up the bravery of the four members of Nova 7 and adds several other interesting characters. The mutant hippo Globulus from the first novel is also a strong presence in this one.
Schimschal paints a picture of a post nuclear America that is bleak. The demons that lead the enemy forces are not just cardboard cutouts. They are despicable and pretty scary. Especially the head demon, which Jared had supposedly killed at the end of the first novel. This demon is slowly reconstructed. The details that the author provides for this reconstruction is both fascinating and repugnant.
Ruins of America is a really good post nuclear war/ disaster novel. There are heroes and demons, romance and new friendships, joy and heartache. In other words, a well rounded Sci-Fi adventure novel.
To find out more about this novel and the first in this series, visit www.darkenrealm.com .
© 2007 Bruce E Von Stiers