2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Innocence vs. Soul-consuming Evil, February 17, 2006
This review is from: Weapon of Flesh (Paperback)
In the city of Twailin a power struggle has been heating up for years. The fate of the city hangs in the balance as the Duke, others of the noble families, and factions of the Guilds ruthlessly vie for supremacy. The chessboard is cluttered with numerous pawns, but one very special pawn might sway the battle. But who will control this pawn?
Per the exacting instructions of the mysterious Grandfather, a weapon is fashioned. Through the painstaking labor of the wizard, Corillian, a perfect killing machine is created. Over the span of years, an innocent babe is transformed into a flawless, nameless assassin. He is simply "the weapon." As a result of the wizard's magic, the weapon has no emotion, feels no pain, moves silently, leaves no traces of his passing, and enjoys enhanced senses, agility, and strength. Grievous wounds knit and heal in moments. The weapon is trained by masters of the various martial arts in all forms of combat, armed and unarmed. His training does not include the clutter of social skills or human emotions. He has but one purpose: to kill.
This weapon is readied for delivery to a new master who will wield it to his advantage. But Corillian fails to deliver the weapon to this new owner, and a nameless young man, who knows nothing of the world and thousands of ways to end a human life, finds he must find his destiny on his own.
Based on his first brief encounters with society, the weapon makes the assumption that his name must be Lad. He thrills in his newfound autonomy, but Lad is unaware that the Grandfather's hunters track him, intent on locating and capturing him alive-at any cost-by any means. After nearly two decades of waiting, the Grandfather is impatient to try out his new weapon. The Grandfather's agenda remains a secret, even to his closest underlings, but there is no doubt that Lad, the weapon of flesh, is integral to the plan's success.
Lad, through the controlled process of his creation, is like no other young man this, or any other, world has known. This fact was not lost on the author, who offers his readers the stark realities of a world rife with magic, intrigue, assassins, and death. This is not a tale for children, nor is it for those of meek demeanor. It is an often-dark exploration of man's emotions, desires, hopes and downfalls. It is a clash of a wizard's arcane spells and the magic of love, a battle of innocence against soul-consuming evil. The author's treatment of the book's characters is both consistent and insightful, allowing one to easily empathize with the heroes and loathe the villains. Some of Jackson's characters fit neatly into one of those categories. Others, however, occupy that grey area between, adding spice to this tale as we struggle to sort them out. "Weapon of Flesh" is a fabulous tale of medieval fantasy that will leave readers begging for more from author Chris A Jackson.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Weapon of Flesh, February 25, 2011
This review is from: Weapon of Flesh (Paperback)
Weapon of Flesh has a really interesting mesh of elements. It combines a martial arts feel with a touch of organized crime, all mixed with traditional fantasy. Sounds a little strange--you're thinking ninja-Godfather with Elves in tunics aren't you? Well, you'd be right. And believe me, it actually works!
The story begins with a boy, stolen from his mother and magically altered into a killing machine. (I found it amazing that the author made me connect with a character who was almost completely emotionless.) His training complete at the age of 16, the boy leaves with the man who has "made" him--a man he only knows as "Master"--to be handed over to the tyrant who has commissioned him.
But the boy is not delivered as promised, when his Master is killed and he suddenly finds himself alone, no idea where his destiny lies, but consumed with the need to find purpose.
Excellent read, highly recommended.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
a fantastic read, November 28, 2010
This review is from: Weapon of Flesh (Paperback)
I generally don't read many fantasy novels but because I met Chris and was intrigued by his books I decided to read one. Chris had recommended Weapon of Flesh and I purchased it from him directly.
I must admit it is a compelling read and thoroughly draws the reader into the scenes with extremely good narrative and scene setting which I found very easy to submerse into. I read the entire book in one day and really enjoyed the whole experience.
I will look out for the other books in this series.
Thanks Chris.
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