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Darkwalker: A Tale of the Urban Shaman
Some monsters are born, others are made...
A supernatural killer is stalking Bay City. City Boss Micah Roth summons the Railwalkers – an Order of warrior shamans – to hunt for the killer the newsfeeds have dubbed “The Beast.” Out in the Zones, Railwalker Wolf and his companions have faced mutants and madmen, animals and demons, but the Beast of Bay City is a predator the likes of which they’ve never seen before. To apprehend The Beast, Wolf will be called upon to face his own private demons, and plumb the depths of the mysterious darkness surrounding his own personal history.
A supernatural killer is stalking Bay City. City Boss Micah Roth summons the Railwalkers – an Order of warrior shamans – to hunt for the killer the newsfeeds have dubbed “The Beast.” Out in the Zones, Railwalker Wolf and his companions have faced mutants and madmen, animals and demons, but the Beast of Bay City is a predator the likes of which they’ve never seen before. To apprehend The Beast, Wolf will be called upon to face his own private demons, and plumb the depths of the mysterious darkness surrounding his own personal history.
372 pages, Paperback
First published January 21, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
August 7, 2018
Eagleson hits us with an enticing premise: A crew of samurai like special agents, stoic fighters with the wisdom of medicine men, wander a westernized future land as part of an elite peacekeeping order. When the head of a metropolis calls on them to investigate a vicious serial killer known simply as the Beast, the team will find their skills put to task in their gravest mission yet .
There is a lot of cool stuff in Darkwalker. But it also feels like a lot of loose ideas stuffed into one yarn. Coupled with head scratching moments, it's that factor that holds it back.
There is a lot of cool stuff in Darkwalker. But it also feels like a lot of loose ideas stuffed into one yarn. Coupled with head scratching moments, it's that factor that holds it back.
May 23, 2015
This is a retelling of Beowulf. As such, the plot, though very good, suffers if someone has knowledge of Beowulf and picks up the clues in the story related to the saga. Unfortunately, this happened to me, which ruined some of the plot twists. Also, there is a mystery that is central to the plot, and in a scene in which one of the protagonists begins unraveling the pattern of clues, there is a continuity error and a logic error, which disconcerted me enough to temporarily pull me out of the story. Despite all of this, the story telling is very good and quite interesting. It is enhanced with changes in points of view and flashbacks that might confuse some, but which I thought were excellent. The characters in the story are mostly well-developed, but I found some of the females to be stereotyped. The range of morality is realistic for both protagonists and antagonists. They all have a blend of good and bad, some with the good or bad aspects being much more dominant. There is plentiful internal dialogue, which provides psychological realism and insight into characters' motivations. The world-building was the best part of the book, with an enthralling setting I would like to revisit and find out more about. There are shamans, shades, spirits, shapeshifters, mutants, totems, and the like, in a dystopian America of loosely federated city-states, with futuristic religions and outlaw bands called Ravagers, making for an intriguing world — one with a mix of wild west–violence and civilized behavior. The second best part of the book was the writing style and technique. The author writes well with poignantly beautiful prose. The proofreading and copy editing, however, was not up to the same level. There are typos that I found particularly irksome, not because they ruined the story, but because they were misspellings of names; it just seems to me a book ought to get its characters’ names right — I’d be embarrassed if I misspelled the names of my kids. There was also this annoying occurrence of hyphens that were apparently used for line breaks in the hard copy version of the book, but kept showing up in my Kindle version in the form of oddly hyphenated words, such as "Be-tween" and "scowl-ed." And before someone accuses me of being petty, this spoiled something for me: when the word “no-thing” showed up in a sentence, I wasn’t completely sure if this was a case of another errant hyphen or a delicious piece of wordplay/pun (which is what I am going with) that I could enjoy; the idea of a no-thing fit perfectly in the sentence, if it was intentional. I am giving this novel five stars because of the overall experience, but because of the bothersome flaws I mentioned it’s a “low” five stars: a 4.98. If there is a sequel, which seems likely, I will be a wolf and hunt it down.
May 6, 2022
Bay City is haunted by a supernatural serial killer the newsfeeds have named "The Beast." City Boss Micah Roth calls on the Railwalkers—a shamanic Order trained in both clerical and warrior skills—to champion his cause and return the city to some semblance of safety. Railwalker Wolf and his crew answer the call, but this Beast is unlike anything they've seen, putting all their skills to the ultimate test. Each crew member will pay a price, but what Wolf uncovers during their investigation will test the limits of his courage and commitment.
Darkwalker gives the reader a glimpse into a post-apocalyptic world, generations after the crash of civilization. Things are different here. New norms are long since established, one of which is the accepted presence of Railwalkers--clergy trained in esoteric ways who travel from city to city and town to town, crossing the wastes in between to bring spiritual guidance and healing to those in need. Railwalkers are priests who preside at seasonal festivals, appease the land spirits where necessary, and look for answers from shades of the dead when a mystery arrives. But they are also warriors, protecting others from paranormal threats and dangers. The biggest mystery in Darkwalker is the Beast—not just who he is, but why and how he does what he does. The detective work of nailing down the Beast's identity and motives reveals more than Wolf expected, bringing a surprise not just about his opponent but also about himself.
This is a multi-perspective story, with the reader seeing turns of events from various character viewpoints. Each chapter is named for its point-of-view character. Even the Beast gets his own chapters, some of which are deeply creepy. While all the characters felt well-developed to me, Wolf (the main character) was my favorite. He is chivalrous, spiritual, honorable, and practical. But he's not perfect. He doesn't have everything figured out. He's sometimes uncertain. He doubts himself from time to time. He doesn't always accomplish what he intended, at least not in the way he expected to do so. These "weaknesses" only make him a stronger character and I like that he thinks outside the standard parameters when solving a problem.
While I enjoyed every part of this story, my favorite element was the presence of magic, spirituality, and "otherness" laced throughout. It was clear to me that the author knows contemporary magical and spiritual practices in the nature-based community. As a reader who has spent much time in that world myself, it was validating to see them so well-represented on the pages of Darkwalker.
Eagleson's writing style is succinct. I saw very little fluff or florid prose. Every word serves a purpose and moves the story along nicely. There is violence on the page in several scenes, but it felt balanced to me, necessary to the storyline, and not gratuitous at all. Overall, this was a good read, one I enjoyed a great deal. If you enjoy urban fantasy with a healthy sprinkling of down-to-Earth magic, you may want to check it out.
Darkwalker gives the reader a glimpse into a post-apocalyptic world, generations after the crash of civilization. Things are different here. New norms are long since established, one of which is the accepted presence of Railwalkers--clergy trained in esoteric ways who travel from city to city and town to town, crossing the wastes in between to bring spiritual guidance and healing to those in need. Railwalkers are priests who preside at seasonal festivals, appease the land spirits where necessary, and look for answers from shades of the dead when a mystery arrives. But they are also warriors, protecting others from paranormal threats and dangers. The biggest mystery in Darkwalker is the Beast—not just who he is, but why and how he does what he does. The detective work of nailing down the Beast's identity and motives reveals more than Wolf expected, bringing a surprise not just about his opponent but also about himself.
This is a multi-perspective story, with the reader seeing turns of events from various character viewpoints. Each chapter is named for its point-of-view character. Even the Beast gets his own chapters, some of which are deeply creepy. While all the characters felt well-developed to me, Wolf (the main character) was my favorite. He is chivalrous, spiritual, honorable, and practical. But he's not perfect. He doesn't have everything figured out. He's sometimes uncertain. He doubts himself from time to time. He doesn't always accomplish what he intended, at least not in the way he expected to do so. These "weaknesses" only make him a stronger character and I like that he thinks outside the standard parameters when solving a problem.
While I enjoyed every part of this story, my favorite element was the presence of magic, spirituality, and "otherness" laced throughout. It was clear to me that the author knows contemporary magical and spiritual practices in the nature-based community. As a reader who has spent much time in that world myself, it was validating to see them so well-represented on the pages of Darkwalker.
Eagleson's writing style is succinct. I saw very little fluff or florid prose. Every word serves a purpose and moves the story along nicely. There is violence on the page in several scenes, but it felt balanced to me, necessary to the storyline, and not gratuitous at all. Overall, this was a good read, one I enjoyed a great deal. If you enjoy urban fantasy with a healthy sprinkling of down-to-Earth magic, you may want to check it out.
January 26, 2014
When I got my book in the mail, the first thing that greeted me was a quote from Charles de Lint on the cover, “I loved this book…” A proverbial thumbs-up from one of my favorite authors was the best way to start an engaging adventure with Duncan Eagleson’s first novel, Darkwalker: A Tale of the Urban Shaman. The opening quote set the perfect tone for the story I was about to experience before I even read the first page. I love a book that hooks me right away. As a reader, I enjoy the journey of discovering an unknown world, so I’m not going to discuss plot points or reveal any spoilers. Suffice to say, Eagleson blends spirit world, magic, and a rebuilt future society with a solid mystery that will keep you turning pages.
I am a huge fan of post-apocalyptic science fiction. The world Duncan Eagleson creates is richly fleshed out and gripping in it’s doorway to a plausible future where the world doesn’t end, but alters irreparably… and magic is one more tool that people use to navigate the new one. I found myself eagerly trying to place myself within the frame of this world. Would I be a Brick? A Bear? A Prof? Would I even be a Railwalker, one of a mystical order that serves the community-at-large?
We meet the Railwalkers at the open of the story, on a mission in the zones, just before they get called to the big city to hunt down the serial killer responsible for a sudden crop of gruesome murders. Here’s what I’ll say about Darkwalker- even when you think you know what’s going on, Eagleson’s skill with well-woven and suspenseful turns changes the game. The writing is above par, and the story keeps you interested, up to the very end… and even then you feel as if the larger journey is just beginning. I hope to see more of Wolf and Morgan and the Railwalker order in the future.
My Achilles heel as a reader is that I find most battle or fight sequences in novels, important to the plot or not, hard to follow. Eagleson’s martial-influenced fight sequences may just make me a fan. They were riveting. With his skill at the physical follow through of each move, they were just as evocative and compelling as the story around them. As an extra bonus, Eagleson is an accomplished artist as well, with numerous book covers under his belt. He did his own artwork for the cover of Darkwalker. It’s superb. So is the book. Darkwalker: A Tale of the Urban Shaman delivers.
I am a huge fan of post-apocalyptic science fiction. The world Duncan Eagleson creates is richly fleshed out and gripping in it’s doorway to a plausible future where the world doesn’t end, but alters irreparably… and magic is one more tool that people use to navigate the new one. I found myself eagerly trying to place myself within the frame of this world. Would I be a Brick? A Bear? A Prof? Would I even be a Railwalker, one of a mystical order that serves the community-at-large?
We meet the Railwalkers at the open of the story, on a mission in the zones, just before they get called to the big city to hunt down the serial killer responsible for a sudden crop of gruesome murders. Here’s what I’ll say about Darkwalker- even when you think you know what’s going on, Eagleson’s skill with well-woven and suspenseful turns changes the game. The writing is above par, and the story keeps you interested, up to the very end… and even then you feel as if the larger journey is just beginning. I hope to see more of Wolf and Morgan and the Railwalker order in the future.
My Achilles heel as a reader is that I find most battle or fight sequences in novels, important to the plot or not, hard to follow. Eagleson’s martial-influenced fight sequences may just make me a fan. They were riveting. With his skill at the physical follow through of each move, they were just as evocative and compelling as the story around them. As an extra bonus, Eagleson is an accomplished artist as well, with numerous book covers under his belt. He did his own artwork for the cover of Darkwalker. It’s superb. So is the book. Darkwalker: A Tale of the Urban Shaman delivers.
February 8, 2014
I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review
Okay, first off, this book is beautiful. I don't mean how it's written and the storyline, I'll get to that later. No, I mean physically. The way it feels the gloss on the pages, everything is so pretty, I spent a good chunk of my time admiring it instead of reading.Also the guy on the cover looks like Solid Snake what.
Story wise, this was great. We're in a post apocalyptic setting, and things are somewhat explained as you go, which is where this book fell short. I completely understand what the author was trying to do with giving us background information as it was needed instead of just dumping it on us all at once, and I appreciate that, but it resulted in the storyline becoming disjointed. It also caused the point of view to continuously change, which didn't work too well either. I do love the idea of The Beast out to get revenge by proxy, and I love how powered up the Beast is. Bullets really don't do anything, and he can regenerate his flesh when its wounded so he's really hard to take down. A superpowered antagonist is always great because then your protagonist really has to work to win. I wasn't too happy with the twist at the end, but I supposed it made sense. It just seemed a bit cliche? It did clear up my question of why there was still about 100 pages left when everything seemed to be wrapped up. So there's that.
I didn't really get too attached to any character in particular. There was a lot of death, and none of it really rattled me. Wolf was cool, but he just wasn't a standout character to me. I like the idea of the Railwalkers and what they stand for and what they do better than the Railwalkers we met. I mean, Morgan was cool and super badass and all, but since this was mostly from Wolf's perspective, we didn't get to know her too much.
Now, don't get me wrong. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I loved the setting, how it was clearly very far into the future, but still seemed less advanced than where we are today. I loved the Beast and where he came from and how hard he was to track down. The writing was done very well, even if it was disjointed at times. I am very interested in other things this author has worked on.
Overall, 3.5/5 stars
Okay, first off, this book is beautiful. I don't mean how it's written and the storyline, I'll get to that later. No, I mean physically. The way it feels the gloss on the pages, everything is so pretty, I spent a good chunk of my time admiring it instead of reading.
Story wise, this was great. We're in a post apocalyptic setting, and things are somewhat explained as you go, which is where this book fell short. I completely understand what the author was trying to do with giving us background information as it was needed instead of just dumping it on us all at once, and I appreciate that, but it resulted in the storyline becoming disjointed. It also caused the point of view to continuously change, which didn't work too well either. I do love the idea of The Beast out to get revenge by proxy, and I love how powered up the Beast is. Bullets really don't do anything, and he can regenerate his flesh when its wounded so he's really hard to take down. A superpowered antagonist is always great because then your protagonist really has to work to win. I wasn't too happy with the twist at the end, but I supposed it made sense. It just seemed a bit cliche? It did clear up my question of why there was still about 100 pages left when everything seemed to be wrapped up. So there's that.
I didn't really get too attached to any character in particular. There was a lot of death, and none of it really rattled me. Wolf was cool, but he just wasn't a standout character to me. I like the idea of the Railwalkers and what they stand for and what they do better than the Railwalkers we met. I mean, Morgan was cool and super badass and all, but since this was mostly from Wolf's perspective, we didn't get to know her too much.
Now, don't get me wrong. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I loved the setting, how it was clearly very far into the future, but still seemed less advanced than where we are today. I loved the Beast and where he came from and how hard he was to track down. The writing was done very well, even if it was disjointed at times. I am very interested in other things this author has worked on.
Overall, 3.5/5 stars
August 14, 2014
An intriguing read that promises more to come
I enjoy reading something that's more than just a clone of the last 20 best sellers chewed up for me and then spread out over a nice standard format like a best-seller sandwich. Eagleson "Darkwalker" gives me that, in spades.
The postapocalyptic world that provides the setting for this novel is a truly unique creation that manages to encompass all times and bring into play a fascinating mix of belief systems and quasi-religions unlike any I've encountered before. It evoked in me an emotional response that I haven't had since reading A.A. Attanaseo's "RADIX", or Samuel Delaney's "DAHLGREN". It's a world descended into darkness and diffusion, and the destruction of the underpinnings of civilization, and yet clinging still to the Humanity that joins us in the face of new, unknown, but definitely not Human forces in the world.
This is a world where all things have been shaken by one disaster after another, man-made and natural. The mega-nations have been long collapsed, and civilization and technology still exist in small city-states gathered into a loose confederation. Religion flourishes, though they might be difficult to recognize, and throughout, shoring up the whole thing is the Order of Railwalkers, a shamanic belief system that has accepted as it's mission the protection of Humanity from non-Human factors, and, when possible, from themselves. It promises to be a great series, and I look forward to it.
I enjoy reading something that's more than just a clone of the last 20 best sellers chewed up for me and then spread out over a nice standard format like a best-seller sandwich. Eagleson "Darkwalker" gives me that, in spades.
The postapocalyptic world that provides the setting for this novel is a truly unique creation that manages to encompass all times and bring into play a fascinating mix of belief systems and quasi-religions unlike any I've encountered before. It evoked in me an emotional response that I haven't had since reading A.A. Attanaseo's "RADIX", or Samuel Delaney's "DAHLGREN". It's a world descended into darkness and diffusion, and the destruction of the underpinnings of civilization, and yet clinging still to the Humanity that joins us in the face of new, unknown, but definitely not Human forces in the world.
This is a world where all things have been shaken by one disaster after another, man-made and natural. The mega-nations have been long collapsed, and civilization and technology still exist in small city-states gathered into a loose confederation. Religion flourishes, though they might be difficult to recognize, and throughout, shoring up the whole thing is the Order of Railwalkers, a shamanic belief system that has accepted as it's mission the protection of Humanity from non-Human factors, and, when possible, from themselves. It promises to be a great series, and I look forward to it.
May 9, 2014
Finished it, though it went totally against my grain to do so.
The world was interesting, and that was the only reason that kept me reading. However the style (which one editor might call "edgy") irked me. The characters were predictable. The story was predictable. He killed off too many characters, taking "kill your darlings" a little too seriously.
I would have given this one star but the world, and some of the details - you can tell this guy either lived life on a boat or did extensive research - impressed me. Improve the style, stick to one POV, expand the ideas without interrupting the story with them, and you would have gotten four stars out of me.
That said, I would love to write fan fiction in this world.
The world was interesting, and that was the only reason that kept me reading. However the style (which one editor might call "edgy") irked me. The characters were predictable. The story was predictable. He killed off too many characters, taking "kill your darlings" a little too seriously.
I would have given this one star but the world, and some of the details - you can tell this guy either lived life on a boat or did extensive research - impressed me. Improve the style, stick to one POV, expand the ideas without interrupting the story with them, and you would have gotten four stars out of me.
That said, I would love to write fan fiction in this world.
July 15, 2014
I'm impressed with this story. I think the author is brilliant in his realization of this other world. I truely enjoyed his story and look forward to reading more about the character Wolf.
This was a difficult read however. Backstory is given in"interludes" between chapters. It causes the story to come to a screeching halt for me and I found myself wondering away from the book time and time again. Usually I can read a book in a day or two. This took weeks. He also utilizes multiple points of view but delineates them well. The combination was almost too much for me to hang in there. Even with that though, the story was wonderful. That made up for a lot.
This was a difficult read however. Backstory is given in"interludes" between chapters. It causes the story to come to a screeching halt for me and I found myself wondering away from the book time and time again. Usually I can read a book in a day or two. This took weeks. He also utilizes multiple points of view but delineates them well. The combination was almost too much for me to hang in there. Even with that though, the story was wonderful. That made up for a lot.
March 9, 2014
A friend wanted me to read this. She thought I would like it. I was hesitant because it was by a friend of hers. I wondered what I would do if I hated it. Probably lie to her and not rate it her in good reads.
The good news is that I like it quite a bit. The beginning was a bit awkward, I thought. The pace picked up and the story was entertaining. Most of the characters were well described if somewhat flat. I did care about what happened to the main character.
The book stands alone but the end leaves room for a sequel. If there is one, I will probably check it out.
The good news is that I like it quite a bit. The beginning was a bit awkward, I thought. The pace picked up and the story was entertaining. Most of the characters were well described if somewhat flat. I did care about what happened to the main character.
The book stands alone but the end leaves room for a sequel. If there is one, I will probably check it out.
May 3, 2014
A bleak post-apocalyptic world, shamanic rituals, great plot, great characters and an all around solid study of the human condition. Loved it, I actually dragged out ending it because I enjoyed living in this world with these people and didn't want it to end. I hope the next book comes out soon.
July 14, 2014
It was ok..... The author had too many great ideas crammed into the story but never managed to explore the better ones, didn't put them together smoothly and killed off characters before they even got interesting. This one was tough to finish.
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