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REVIEW: Black Mass Rising, Part 1
Book Title: Black Mass Rising, Part 1
Book Description: It’s been one year since the death of Vlad Dracul. Hope is slowly returning to Transylvania. Children are frolicking in the fields and having fun. Then a demon appears and slaughters a small boy that was in the wrong place at the right time. The demon then abducts a teenage girl and (ironically) takes her to the nearby church to sacrifice her. A healer with spiritual powers learns of this and dispatches the demon. The town is torn. Are they to mourn the loss of the child? Are they to give thanks to God for the girl’s safe return? Are they to accept the bad with the good and believe that hope will keep tragedies at bay? “The perpetual circle goes on. God will nestle hope back into our hearts. And we will gladly take it. Will we ever not fall for that?” At the wake for the young boy, there’s a knock on the door. The healer goes to answer it. When she opens the door we see nothing but pure evil standing in front of her.
Book Author: Theo Prasidis
Book Format: Paperback
Publisher - Orgnization: TKO Studios
Publisher Logo:
Illustrator: Jodie Muir
- Story(3.7)
- Interior Art(3.7)
- Cover Art(3.9)
- Dialogue(3.6)
- Mechanics(3.4)
- Editing(3.5)
Summary
When I picked up “Black Mass Rising” I was expecting a 19th century horror story. We get that as well as a good kick to the feelers about the way God operates. It hit very close to home for me.
With the exception of a couple minor setbacks, the last year and a half was very good to me. There was a lot of hope for the foreseeable future. As Lord Trekker likes to point out, “Nature abhors a vacuum”.
In the last month I’ve had COVID, learned one of my best friends has been diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of cancer, watched my grandmother lose her fight with dementia, and discovered that my mentor from work is losing the battle to inflictions brought on by Agent Orange while serving in Vietnam and contaminated water at basic training.
My faith has been shaken quite a bit. At the moment I am of the opinion God lets us have hope so it can be snatched away on a whim. We see that in this story as well.
I am very fond of the foundation we have gotten for the plot in “Black Mass Rising”. I appreciate how the concept of “happily ever after” doesn’t instantly apply to a region because a villain has passed. Just because that particular brand of evil has been defeated underbosses and lieutenants are still in play. Once those have been dealt a happy ending might be on the board.
Being the first installment of a new series and universe character development took a bit of a back seat to some of the action. That’s not unusual. We still have plenty of time to get to know the people of Transylvania better.
I liked how this cover is done. The healer and Aurelia are so focused on what’s in front of them that they don’t sense the danger behind them. The matte finish makes the book look more like a period piece. These things make the book stand out from its contemporaries when it’s on the shelf. That’s precisely what cover art is supposed to do.
Jodie Muir’s work on the interior pages pulls the reader back in time with an artistic style that I find similar to what we saw from the greats during the Renaissance. I find that not having a glossy finish in the coloring makes the work feel much more realistic.
As a geek on a budget I like what I’ve seen so far in “Black Mass Rising”. There’s a compelling story coupled with great artwork and a demon, to boot. What’s not to love?
You’re going to be disappointed if you’re hoping to get the individual issues of this story. “Black Mass Rising” is currently only available as a TPB. Being a fan of instant gratification when it comes to getting my geek on I actually prefer this format. It eliminates having to wait a month, if not longer, for the next installment to be released. Plus the TPB is almost always cheaper than individual issues. It’s a win/win. You can binge read while saving money!
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