by Jonathan Shuerguer
Reviewed by the INFAMOUS REVIEWER GIO

The first thing that jumped at me when I read this book was how the author incorporated a monotheistic faith system in a world inhabited by warrior tribes resembling the Vikings which historically are known to worship multiple deities. I thought that created an interesting stage for the action to take place. Shuerger also does a very good job at baiting the reader into thinking this is going to be another ‘Conan the Barbarian’ kind of tale in the opening act, but then with the introduction of co-main character Ashkelon, things take a whole different path.

Who is Ashkelon? Imagine MCU’s Thanos and multiply by 100! Ashkelon is a warrior/wizard so powerful that he even seems to be bored in not finding worthy opponents to offer him a real challenge. Ashkelon takes young Gideon under his wing to train him up as the ultimate warrior of light. THIS is where the story excels, my fellow readers! The tension, the dynamics, the dialogues and moral debates these two characters engage in, all of that is where In Darkness Cast truly shines! 

Of course, we will witness battles for the ages, one-on-one combat that will keep you glued to your seat, and Gideon ultimately finding out who he really is and who he will become along the way. Oh, and big spiders, lots of ‘em!

The storyline is engaging and you feel like you want to keep reading because at any point in time this ride can take an unexpected turn!

There are a few secondary characters that felt too hollow and cliche`, particularly the elder Skald and the wolf-maiden Anya and her father. These characters come off as too one-dimensional, almost like ‘cardboard’ characters with not much to bring to the table.

The prose was probably my main issue. I understand that when we write fantasy inspired by ancient mythology we want to use a prosaic style that sounds appropriate, but we have to be careful not to slip and let some of our modern jargon taint this objective. For example, the use of the term ‘lactic acid’ to describe the onset of fatigue during a swordfight between two ancient warriors is probably not highly recommended, given the epic nature of the event!

Overall, I feel this book has:

1. Great plot line  and dynamics between the two main characters
2. A few superficial secondary characters that could have used more fleshing out
3. A prose style that at times is not consistent with the world 

To wrap this up, I give this 4 stars out of 5 and if you enjoy a story that is not totally predictable and don’t care too much for solid prose, get yourself a copy today!