Calling the Reaper (First Book of Purgat... Beware: Colonizer perspectives calling natives barbarians and locals.

Basically: Decent, entertaining read though I was really confused. It sets up the world slowly to keep you guessing and the ending has me very excited to continue the series.

Calling the Reaper opens with a pirate tale and I’ll admit I was initialing confused. I had no idea why I was reading about that given the blurb. Soon enough I went “ohhhhh” in realization.

After my initial confusion and the second story, I sped along enjoying the ride. Though I have my favorites like The Kiss and Sacrifice, each is a solid mini-story. Of the eight stories, two are about women and most are non-Western in setting.

There are stories from colonizers calling locals barbarians and savages though. While one story is set from inside such a society and shows how the invading forces is wrong in such assumptions, it doesn’t negate the harm of perpetuating colonial rhetoric.

Calling the Reaper follows eight separate stories of various people throughout the world and each story is split into three parts: backstory, set-up, and death. After each story is a glimpse at the larger picture, the players behind the chess pieces, with letters and excerpts from various texts. Which is very well done.

Again, at first, I was confused at how it all came together. It’s not until the very end when the pieces drop into place to reveal the big picture. Now THAT has me excited to continue. Too bad I can’t talk about it without spoiling it :/

Recommended for: fans of dark, bloody fantasy with a bunch of different POVs.

Calling the Reaper (First Book of Purgat... I have to admit I don't usually read books of short stories but I was really surprised by this one. I set down with this book and could not put it down. I read late into the night, went to bed, got back up and read some more then finished it the next morning. All of the stories were very interesting. They were quick stories. There are 8 stories in the book. Each story was about a different person in a different time and land. How they lived and what led to their deaths. In just the few pages of each story, the author truly introduced you to the character, let you understand why the people led the lives they did, why they made the choices they did, and in the end you understood why they made their choices, right or wrong . For example the Pirate as a child was saved from a disease by his sister, later on she was struck by a sleeping disease and he over the years done everything he could to find the cure for her. In his quest he pillaged and murdered from ships he knew to carry medical supplies hoping to find the cure for her. When he finally found a person who could cure her, he himself was killed. This is just one story though. The others all have different reasoning in the people making their decisions.

I love how the author did not waste time and paper getting to the point of each persons story. You were filled with just enough background to drag you into each story. The stories were not overwhelming either. Though they may be short stories you had everything you needed.

I will be looking for the next book in this series to see if at some point the author ties all of these people together int he afterlife.

 

 

@GoddessFish, #Dark, #Fantasy

The time of the Unity has ended. Now, the realm of man is stranded between Paradise and Purgatory. The Valkyrie and Reaper battle over the fate of all who pass from the land of the living and into the afterlife.

Eight mortal spirits from vastly different worlds tread the same, inevitable path toward their last, crucial decision. Within them all exists the defining conflict every man must face—to look upon the end of their life with glory and honor, or to give credence to their baser longings, calling the Reaper to their own demise.

In this rich, harrowing tale of pride, deceit, honor, vengeance, and redemption, each individual must battle their inner turmoil, facing the sacrifices they have made before their unavoidable end in the land of the living.

But their last day in life is also their first day of death amidst the terrors of the underworld. Lord Master Death wants them all…and the real battle has only just begun.

Calling the Reaper (First Book of Purgat... In Calling the Reaper we have eight different tales with each character fighting battles of their own choosing. The Valkyrie and Reaper are both fighting to get their hands on each character. Each of our characters thinks they are making the right call in their decisions. They are doing what is right for them. They believe they are making the right call for themselves at that time in their life. The choices and decisions they make will determine if they will end up in paradise or purgatory.

Each character is making the right choice for them. I have always heard that everyone has a price and I use to always argue that point saying that no everyone does not have price but alas I have discovered over the years that I was totally wrong. Yes everybody has a price. Although my price at the time may not have had the outcome that we were on the time of what we both were discussing I still had a price. We set this price when making the choices we make and then we pay the price whether we are aware of it at the time or not.

Each of the characters was very strong and determined people who set out to do a very good thing but may not have been good for them in the end. They each have very big hearts and are set on doing what is right and maybe it is the right choice for them no matter what the end results are.

The message in Calling the Reaper is a very good one and I have enjoyed reading it. If you like a good story with a message attached to it then Calling the Reaper is the story for you. Get your copy today!