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All Purpose Exorcisms: Book One-Ignatius's Territory
One hundred years after a Cataclysm shakes our world, myth and legend are commonplace and the remaining vestiges of mankind struggle to survive in a ravaged landscape. Faith is a thing of the past, and hope for the future is fading fast.
Cameron Connelly is the most powerful Exorcist living in a new and dangerous world. With vampires ruling the population and strange Entities threatening the few humans who remain, Cameron has her work cut out for her as a shield against the Dark.
In All Purpose Exorcisms, Cameron's world is introduced and her job as a traveling Exorcist begins in earnest.
Cameron Connelly is the most powerful Exorcist living in a new and dangerous world. With vampires ruling the population and strange Entities threatening the few humans who remain, Cameron has her work cut out for her as a shield against the Dark.
In All Purpose Exorcisms, Cameron's world is introduced and her job as a traveling Exorcist begins in earnest.
323 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 30, 2013
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10 people want to read
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December 10, 2014
Give the book a chance. You'll be more than pleasantly surprised. I know I was.
Cameron, our young heroine, is a diminutive, but powerful, exorcist. Some hundred years ago, a cataclysm all but destroyed the veil between the living world and the world of the dead. Ghosts, wraiths, spirits, and all manner of apparitions become common-place. The human race is diminished by these other-worldly beings to the point of extinction. In balance to this horrible destruction, exorcists born with innate powers over the dead, come into existence. Cameron is the most powerful among them, and at only 4'10"! (I absolutely love that little quirk in the story. My oldest sister is 5' and a police officer. I couldn't help but picture her as Cam through the whole story. She's a little spit-fire; always trying to prove that she is as tough as the male officers, and she pushes herself harder than anyone I know to prove her mettle. It made the young exorcist all the more endearing to me.)
All of the myths, legends, or scary stories you've ever heard turn out to be real, and with the torn veil, everyone is able to see these horrible entities. Vampires see that their food supply is being destroyed, so they become the ruling powers of the world to keep the straggly few humans left alive.
Now, I know what you're thinking, "Ugh, another vampire book!" Whoa there reader. This is not something you've read before. There are no glittery vampires, nor are there monsters from Bram Stoker's Dracula. (except an occasional feral vampire which is little more than a deranged animal.) Instead, the vampires in Mrs. Hawley's novel are surprisingly human. The cops act like cops. It gives the story a completely different feel than any I've read. Do not be turned off by the vampires.
So, the vampires set up the All Purpose Exorcism or A.P.E. (I had to laugh at that) organization to fight the invading dark forces. Right from the start you get into the flow of how the exorcists (exors) operate. Towns are set up, and each house has a psychokinetic barrier erected around around it to protect the residence from the spirits at night. Nobody goes out at night except the exors and vampires because the spirits rule the night. However, the spirits sometimes attach themselves to the living to feed off their souls. There are also good spirits who are simply lost and need help to cross over. The exors are called in to help the good or banish the bad.
There is a religious group which embraces the spirits because they believe that we are all meant for darkness. Their leader, Skylark, is a powerful spirit which bounces from body to body, leading the zealous group. Our story starts with one of this groups members who contacts the A.P.E. for help (something which is simply not done).
Cam meets with a woman from the group, but doesn't get details of the problem because she feels she is being watched and is in danger. Sadly, she was right because they find her body not long after. Something is going on beyond the usual problems of living among the spirits of the dead.
As Cam's nights wear on, things get stranger and stranger. Things which should not be happening, are happening all at once. The world of the dead seems to be restless. Cam's overseers know what is happening, and send a vampire to protect her in the night; something with which she is very displeased.
The world is facing another catastrophe, and Cam may be the only one with the power to stop it.
I loved this story way more than I would have guessed based solely on the premise. I thought it would be a hokey paranormal story, but it was more of a fantasy novel. Mrs. Hawley creates an incredible world in which you can't help but immerse yourself.
I would have easily given this book 5 stars if it weren't for a few issues which I've addressed with the author. I'm picky, though, and I'm sure the issues wouldn't bother most readers.
Cameron, our young heroine, is a diminutive, but powerful, exorcist. Some hundred years ago, a cataclysm all but destroyed the veil between the living world and the world of the dead. Ghosts, wraiths, spirits, and all manner of apparitions become common-place. The human race is diminished by these other-worldly beings to the point of extinction. In balance to this horrible destruction, exorcists born with innate powers over the dead, come into existence. Cameron is the most powerful among them, and at only 4'10"! (I absolutely love that little quirk in the story. My oldest sister is 5' and a police officer. I couldn't help but picture her as Cam through the whole story. She's a little spit-fire; always trying to prove that she is as tough as the male officers, and she pushes herself harder than anyone I know to prove her mettle. It made the young exorcist all the more endearing to me.)
All of the myths, legends, or scary stories you've ever heard turn out to be real, and with the torn veil, everyone is able to see these horrible entities. Vampires see that their food supply is being destroyed, so they become the ruling powers of the world to keep the straggly few humans left alive.
Now, I know what you're thinking, "Ugh, another vampire book!" Whoa there reader. This is not something you've read before. There are no glittery vampires, nor are there monsters from Bram Stoker's Dracula. (except an occasional feral vampire which is little more than a deranged animal.) Instead, the vampires in Mrs. Hawley's novel are surprisingly human. The cops act like cops. It gives the story a completely different feel than any I've read. Do not be turned off by the vampires.
So, the vampires set up the All Purpose Exorcism or A.P.E. (I had to laugh at that) organization to fight the invading dark forces. Right from the start you get into the flow of how the exorcists (exors) operate. Towns are set up, and each house has a psychokinetic barrier erected around around it to protect the residence from the spirits at night. Nobody goes out at night except the exors and vampires because the spirits rule the night. However, the spirits sometimes attach themselves to the living to feed off their souls. There are also good spirits who are simply lost and need help to cross over. The exors are called in to help the good or banish the bad.
There is a religious group which embraces the spirits because they believe that we are all meant for darkness. Their leader, Skylark, is a powerful spirit which bounces from body to body, leading the zealous group. Our story starts with one of this groups members who contacts the A.P.E. for help (something which is simply not done).
Cam meets with a woman from the group, but doesn't get details of the problem because she feels she is being watched and is in danger. Sadly, she was right because they find her body not long after. Something is going on beyond the usual problems of living among the spirits of the dead.
As Cam's nights wear on, things get stranger and stranger. Things which should not be happening, are happening all at once. The world of the dead seems to be restless. Cam's overseers know what is happening, and send a vampire to protect her in the night; something with which she is very displeased.
The world is facing another catastrophe, and Cam may be the only one with the power to stop it.
I loved this story way more than I would have guessed based solely on the premise. I thought it would be a hokey paranormal story, but it was more of a fantasy novel. Mrs. Hawley creates an incredible world in which you can't help but immerse yourself.
I would have easily given this book 5 stars if it weren't for a few issues which I've addressed with the author. I'm picky, though, and I'm sure the issues wouldn't bother most readers.
Displaying 1 of 1 review