Sorcerer (Paperback)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Ex-detective Michael Thorn has retired from the police force, and is eager to lead a normal life for once. His days of fighting to protect the innocent are over. But his "retirement" isn't going to be the long-deserved rest he expected. His new home in rural New England has many strange stories surrounding it. But those are all just rumors…right? Then he discovers the skeleton in the basement and realizes the rumors are true. But when the skeleton mysteriously disappears, Thorn is faced with an ancient mystery-one that leads to an even more ancient foe: the same sorcerer who fought Moses! Now, to protect his family, Thorn must figure out how a sorcerer from ancient Egypt ended up in America and how to defeat him before he regains his full power and wreaks havoc on the world. Thorn has help from a wise professor, a devout priest, and a sect of warriors sworn to protect the church. But will they be enough? In the end, Thorn will face even larger questions--of good and evil, and of God and the devil.

About the Author

A veteran novelist and best-selling author, James Byron Huggins' life story reads more like fiction than fact. His career as a writer began normally enough. He received a bachelor's degree in journalism and English from Troy State University, and then worked as a reporter for the Hartselle Enquirer in Hartselle, Alabama. Huggins won seven awards while with the newspaper before leaving journalism in 1985. With a desire to help persecuted Christians in eastern Europe, Huggins moved to Texas to work in conjunction with members of the Christian underground in that region. From the Texas base, Huggins helped set up a system used to smuggle information in and out of Iron Curtain countries. In 1987, Huggins was finally able to leave the United States to offer hands-on assistance in Romania. As a jack of all trades, Huggins photographed a secret police installation, took photos of people active in the Christian underground, and also continued his work as an orchestrator of smuggling routes. Huggins was instrumental in smuggling out film and documentation that showed the plight of Christians in Romania. He even found time to create a code that allowed communication with the United States. As in Texas, Huggins' life had few creature comforts. To survive, he would often remain hidden in the woods or in secure basements for days at a time. After his time in Romania, Huggins returned to the United States and took up journalism once more. He again worked for a small newspaper and won several awards as a reporter. Later on, he worked at a nonprofit Christian magazine before becoming a patrolman with the Huntsville Police Department in Huntsville, Alabama. After distinguished service as a decorated field officer, Huggins left the force to pursue writing novels. His first three novels--A Wolf Story, The Reckoning, and Leviathan--achieved best-seller status in the Christian marketplace. From there, Huggins broke into mainstream science fiction with Cain and Hunter, both of which brought him more than $1 million for optioning the film rights. Huggins then released Rora, a historical novel depicting the harrowing life of a European martyr. Huggins currently lives in Kentucky.

Product Details

• Paperback: 351 pages
• Publisher: Whitaker House (April 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0883688182
• ISBN-13: 978-0883688182
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #613,789 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Ancient Evil...A Fresh Approach, April 20, 2006

By	Eric Wilson "novelist" (Nashville, TN United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)

An ancient sorcerer rises again. A retired law officer finds his family in danger. A secretive arm of the Catholic Church comes to his aid in a battle against this formidable evil.

Sure, this may sound like familiar ground to Huggins' fans. Since his early days, Huggins' has written stories of the battle between good and evil. From "Wolf Story" to "Cain" to "Nightbringer," he has marked this struggle with his unique brand of action, larger-than-life characters, and allegorical shadings. Even in "Rora," his historical masterpiece, he used such a conflict as his setting.

"Sorcerer" is no different. And yet, it may be his best yet. Some felt that "Cain" blurred the lines, and others thought that "Nightbringer" was a re-tread of sorts, but "Sorcerer" feels fresh. Not only does it add a clear spiritual element to a titanic clash, it adds depth with its historical insights. The characters are heroic, while still seeming approachable. The premise bends genres and stretches credulity, but Huggins' narrative pulls us in and straps us to our seats.

If you've been waiting for a fantastic thriller, with spiritual insights and non-stop action, Huggins has delivered. This is one book you don't want to miss.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Where's the beef?, June 8, 2006

By	Kevin Killian (San Francisco, CA United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Ben Johnson was a New England townsman who had served his time in the Korean War and faced down woodchucks and insect pests and thus, wasn't about to let a stranger to town push him around. But his determination turned to shivering fear when he encountered the "Sorceror" during a right rear tire blowout of his on a country road. Its huge angular jaws draped in black rags, smelling of ancient Egyptian sewage, dragged itself like a golem towards the six-foot hardcase Ben, its cold finger bones pinning down the strong human's wrists. Within a minute or two another death had stained the lovely countryside around Dead Man's Curve. Yes, Ben had died (spoilers). Huggins cleverly writes, "Ben realized it wasn't true; you don't see your life flash before your eyes. All he could sense were clouds of darkness, weeds brushing past him, and the tremendous pressure enclosing his arm."

It's up to ex-op Michael Thorn, the toughest guy when roused in the whole state, to track down the sorceror and kill him with the powers he developed in combat. If you enjoyed THE DA VINCI CODE, this is the book for you, and when I bought this book in the bookstore of a local cathedral, the purple-haired elderly woman who sold me the volume told me that Huggins was a noted Christian author, but after reading the book, I have to say, where's the Christianity? This book is fantasy land! Magic staffs, talismans, potions, charms, mummies, monsters, is not the stuff of Christianity. However, who cares, the book has its thrills that I can compare only to the work of Lovecraft or Stephen King.

The other reviewers who are tearing apart Huggins for his lack of characterization and the endlessly egotistical dialogue are barking up the wrong tree.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Worth 3.5 stars, April 26, 2006

By	Derek M. Armstrong (London, KY United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I'm a big fan of James Byron Huggins and have read all his books. This one is better than Nightbringer, but not as good as Hunter or Cain. Fans of Huggins should give James Rollins, Matthew Reiley and Lincoln Child and Douglas Preston a chance. Those who like the authors just mentioned should like Huggins. Huggins is not as good an author as Rollins, but his action scenes are more believable than Reiley's. Huggins is a Christian and his books are spiritual, but he doesn't bash the reader over the head with a Bible.