Blood Skies (Book 1) [Kindle Edition]

Steven Montano (Author), Syd Gill (Illustrator)

Book Description

***BOOK 1 OF THE BLOOD SKIES SERIES***

In a world where nightmares stalk the earth and the few survivors must battle the vampire legions of the Ebon Cities, a team of soldiers races to save mankind when a traitor threatens to destroy the future of humanity.

Southern Claw warlock Eric Cross is a member of Viper Squad, and his mission is to pursue the witch called Red across the wastelands.  His hunt takes him through haunted forests and blighted tundra, into war-torn cities and to the edge of a twisted necropolis.  And before the journey is done Cross will uncover the dark origins of magic, and learn the true meaning of sacrifice...

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*****Check out the entire Blood Skies series*****

BLOOD SKIES 

BLACK SCARS

SOULRAZOR
CROWN OF ASH

THE WITCH'S EYE

Each just $3.99! 

Book 6, CHAIN OF SHADOWS, coming Fall/Winter 2013!

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This book was epic! THIS is dark fantasy done right! The writing was evocative and disturbing and beautifully descriptive, down to the creepiest detail. I read this book cover to cover in the course of 2 nights and am anxious to start the next asap!" (5 stars). 

-- Jhonni Parker; Goodreads

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"I started this book with the Hollywood idea about vampires. This story captured me straight from the off, the way the characters and story line progress builds this book up into an amazing tale of a brothers love for his sister and the ultimate sacrifice. I will definitely be reading the rest of the series!!"

-- James Gronenstein; Goodreads

From the Author

*****Check out the entire Blood Skies series*****

BLOOD SKIES 

BLACK SCARS

SOULRAZOR

CROWN OF ASH

THE WITCH'S EYE

Each just $3.99! 

Book 6, CHAIN OF SHADOWS, coming Fall/Winter 2013!

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• File Size: 462 KB
• Print Length: 264 pages
• Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
• Publisher: Darker Sunset Press (June 4, 2011)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B0054GQHIY
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #481 Free in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Free in Kindle Store)
  • #1 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Fantasy > Dark Fantasy
  • #2 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > Science Fiction > Dystopian

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 30 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Vampires As They Should Be July 12, 2011

By Alan Edwards

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

Blood Skies is a grim and gritty tale set in a bleak and hopeless world. Combining elements of apocalyptic horror, urban fantasy, and military fantasy in the vein of Glen Cook and the like, it tells the story of one of the human soldiers fighting a losing war against the vampires and undead bent on ruling the shattered remnants of our world.

The action is fast and deadly. The vampires of Blood Skies aren't high schoolers who sparkle in the sunlight or who try to blend in among human society. They are ferocious animalistic killers who feel no more empathy to Man than Man does to a Big Mac. Against them are the elite forces the humans have put together to stem the tide, using the newly discovered magicks that awoke after the world changed. The protagonist is a human warlock who uses the power of the spirit he is bonded with to defend himself and his fellow soldiers against their enemies as they track one of their own, whose betrayal to the enemy threatens the precarious stalemate they've managed.

The treatment of magic in the story is a unique take on the often cliched wizards and witches in other stories. Every warlock is bonded to an otherwordly spirit and can channel their power for various uses, but the toll it takes on their bodies ensures a shortened and painful life. Steven Montano does an excellent job bringing together all of the disparate elements in a cohesive storyline that moves forward relentlessly, and at times tragically. The writing style is staccato and terse, helping to emphasize the oftentimes brutal events.

All in all, it's a train ride through a hellish landscape filled with nasty, unpleasant things. Right up my alley.

27 of 29 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Impressed June 6, 2011

By Jennifer L. Williams

Format:Kindle Edition

I had the privilege of reading Blood Skies before it was released and was pretty impressed. Steven Montano has taken an old, tired vampire genre and tossed it on its head -- then handed it a machine gun and a bag of grenades. I am particularly impressed with Montano's ability to build worlds. His post-apocalyptic Earth is fresh, deep, and loaded with new ideas that don't bore. His battles are creative. His characters are hilariously sarcastic, especially when the chips are down. I had no idea how attached I had become to the main character, Cross, until the story began to take turns that were impossible to foresee. I was never bored while reading this book. Definitely recommend.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Lots of action and beautiful imagery July 15, 2011

By Wist

Format:Kindle Edition

If you ever wanted to hunt down some vampires, here is the squad to take along to do it. Bring your guns, bows, grenades and machetes, but don't leave your warlock behind. You're going to need Eric Cross to survive after The Black, the apocalyptic hell that our world has become.

When Cross' sister gets taken, his original mission of hunting down a traitor takes an unexpected turn. He will be up against some brutal vampires, but expect to find golems, unicorns, spirits, zombies, massive wolves and a world where being a normal human barely makes the cut anymore. In this war you will have to accept and become a part of the fantasy if you are to stand a chance of surviving, as there are arcane nightmares everywhere.

Beautiful imagery and writing in here that will help you accomplish just that, at a pace full of action. But don't dream too deep into it all, as you already have a short life expectancy by being a warlock, and the living are soon to become the fantasy.

I will be watching for future works from Steven Montano, as this debut novel, Blood Skies, will stay on my shelf for reading again in the future.

More About the Author

Steven Montano fell out of the sky one day and landed behind an accountant's desk. Rather than write novels about his experiences in an alternate post-apocalyptic world besieged by vampires, he decided to reconcile accounts and calculate journal entries. He still writes in his spare time.

Visit Steven's official website, bloodskies.com