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The Hand Bringer
Peter Hadrian is a tough, smart street cop in Dallas with ties to Romanian medieval history through his heritage; ties that he can’t possibly imagine. The tragic and mysterious loss of his son has made him desperate for an answer or an end to life, whichever comes first. He receives a call to assist another officer that will forever change his life. Following a brutal encounter with a man of unfathomable strength, Hadrian is diverted from an ambulance ride to a hospital and taken to a facility at Fort Hood, Texas, belonging to a clandestine governmental agency. Hadrian is genetically reengineered into the perfect weaponless warrior. He soon learns that he has been assigned to an elite team that is being prepared to travel back in time to medieval Romania in order to eliminate the threat of vampirism before this ancient accursed disease threatens to destroy the modern world. The origin is believed to be in Romania with Prince Vlad Tepes, otherwise known to the world by the romanticized name of Dracula. Here in the past, Hadrian will find the answers and possibly even the answer to the fate of his son. Only after an encounter with Boriana, a woman of striking beauty who has been infected with this vamperous condition, is Hadrian sufficiently convinced that he must travel back in time. And with this encounter, the rest is history.
- GenresScience Fiction
363 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 31, 2017
6 people are currently reading
11 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
January 4, 2020
This is sci-fi/ fantasy about Dallas cop who is sent back in the Middle ages to kill Dracula.
There is a romance story there as well. Along with some time travel. It took a while to get into the story. An okay read.
There is a romance story there as well. Along with some time travel. It took a while to get into the story. An okay read.
November 8, 2019
Nobody tells you that this is a vampire book. About the origin of vampires. It goes back to the days of Dracula. I liked the historical fiction part of it. There is time travel, mystery,intrigue and what not...I was left with lot of unanswered questions but I enjoyed it.
June 30, 2020
This book was well written and edited. The premise is interesting combining historical fiction with science fiction. Peter Hadrian is a police officer that answers a call and is attacked by a vampire. Following his injury, he is recruited by a secret government agency to travel back in time and kill Dracula to prevent vampires from existing in our world today. The book was overall pretty good, it was an easy enjoyable read.
February 11, 2020
Peter Hadrian is a dedicated police officer that has experienced the tragedy of losing his young son under mysterious circumstances. One fateful night, while on the job, he is bitten by a rage-filled vampire and finds himself in the hands of the ASA, a clandestine organization tasked with the eradication of a viral form of vampirism affecting the world. With a possible cure to stop its spread, their plan is to send Peter and four others back in time to stop the one responsible for its spread, Dracula.
The Hand Bringer by Christopher J. Penington, is a wonderful epic novel with numerous twists and turns. This fast-paced science fiction will have readers wondering what will happen next. Pennington’s writing is smart and intriguing with a flair for sarcasm and wit. Having well-developed characters help to bring this novel to life. For example, both Peter and Boriana are written in a way most readers can feel the emotions they both go through. They both lost children and are trying to move past their pains.
My favorite character in this novel is Luke. I love his irreverent and biting wit in every situation. It brings much-needed humor into the danger he and Peter find themselves in. For instance, while talking to Colonel Scott about Peter’s loss of his son, Colonel Scott says most people go through tragedy and then move on, to which Luke replies: “Oh yes, they call those people sociopaths.”
Conversely, my least favorite character is Dr. Kolemis. From the very beginning, he is narcissistic and devious. For example, when he first meets Elizabeth at her sister’s reception, he is rude, egotistical, and wholly unprofessional.
I would have enjoyed this novel more, had there been fewer animal deaths. While by no means a large part of the novel or graphically depicted, they were still sad. Nevertheless, I enjoyed reading this novel and was entertained with its intricate plot. If you are looking for an engrossing fantasy to curl up with, you will not be disappointed. I recommend The Hand Bringer by Christopher J. Penington to friends that enjoy science fiction. I will caution readers of mentions of rape and child deaths. I found only one editing error; therefore, I easily rate The Hand Bringer 5 out of 5 stars.
The Hand Bringer by Christopher J. Penington, is a wonderful epic novel with numerous twists and turns. This fast-paced science fiction will have readers wondering what will happen next. Pennington’s writing is smart and intriguing with a flair for sarcasm and wit. Having well-developed characters help to bring this novel to life. For example, both Peter and Boriana are written in a way most readers can feel the emotions they both go through. They both lost children and are trying to move past their pains.
My favorite character in this novel is Luke. I love his irreverent and biting wit in every situation. It brings much-needed humor into the danger he and Peter find themselves in. For instance, while talking to Colonel Scott about Peter’s loss of his son, Colonel Scott says most people go through tragedy and then move on, to which Luke replies: “Oh yes, they call those people sociopaths.”
Conversely, my least favorite character is Dr. Kolemis. From the very beginning, he is narcissistic and devious. For example, when he first meets Elizabeth at her sister’s reception, he is rude, egotistical, and wholly unprofessional.
I would have enjoyed this novel more, had there been fewer animal deaths. While by no means a large part of the novel or graphically depicted, they were still sad. Nevertheless, I enjoyed reading this novel and was entertained with its intricate plot. If you are looking for an engrossing fantasy to curl up with, you will not be disappointed. I recommend The Hand Bringer by Christopher J. Penington to friends that enjoy science fiction. I will caution readers of mentions of rape and child deaths. I found only one editing error; therefore, I easily rate The Hand Bringer 5 out of 5 stars.
January 10, 2020
The Hand Bringer by Christopher J. Penington is a historical fiction and science fiction novel. The book explores vampirism, time travel and 15th century Romania. The exploration into history looks at the politics of the time, how people lived, superstitions of the time and warfare. These subjects intertwine to create a unique and interesting story.
This story follows Peter Hadrian, the Hand Bringer, on his journey to stop the spread of the seenjite microorganism from spreading in 15th century Romania to ensure that vampirism does not exist in his time. As a reward for accomplishing this, the Apocalypse Suppression Administration (ASA) will help Peter find his son.
Peter is sent back in time with his friend Luke McElroy, a convict named Bat, and a scientist named Dr. Chester Kolemis. Peter’s natural intelligence and training are heightened by an inoculation he receives against vampirism. While Luke and Bat are also inoculated, they don’t share the same level of strength as Peter. Even with this strength, will Peter have the strength required to stamp out vampirism? Considering the time paradox, is it even possible? Throughout the novel, these questions are answered.
My review of the book can be found : https://forums.onlinebookclub.org/vie...
This story follows Peter Hadrian, the Hand Bringer, on his journey to stop the spread of the seenjite microorganism from spreading in 15th century Romania to ensure that vampirism does not exist in his time. As a reward for accomplishing this, the Apocalypse Suppression Administration (ASA) will help Peter find his son.
Peter is sent back in time with his friend Luke McElroy, a convict named Bat, and a scientist named Dr. Chester Kolemis. Peter’s natural intelligence and training are heightened by an inoculation he receives against vampirism. While Luke and Bat are also inoculated, they don’t share the same level of strength as Peter. Even with this strength, will Peter have the strength required to stamp out vampirism? Considering the time paradox, is it even possible? Throughout the novel, these questions are answered.
My review of the book can be found : https://forums.onlinebookclub.org/vie...
February 3, 2020
Peter Hadrian, the protagonist, has just lost his son, his wife and is seen to be at his wits end. He received a dispatch call about a disturbance nearby. On getting to the crime scene, he founds a dead officer and a creature surprisingly sticking to the ceiling. Fighting ensued between Peter and the creature. Shots were fired, fangs flashed, and Peter was bitten. What happens next?
The Hand Bringer is quite a captivating book that will keep you on the edge of your seat. The reader is led to believe that the vampirism infection exists, and must be eliminated before mankind is overrun with the disease. The introduction of historical facts, and scientific research backs up the idea that it is said to have existed as far back as the fifteenth century with Vlad Dracula, "the impaler". A mission to medieval Romania was set up. The goal is to find Vlad Dracula, kill him and any vampires he might have sired.
Themes of war, death, spirituality, friendship and love was adequately explored as the story progressed. I so much admire the author's knowledge about military strategies and his writing style. This book is also mixed with sarcastic humour and romance that makes it all the more interesting. In conclusion, this book seems to be professionally proofread and I'm giving it a rating of 5🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟.
The Hand Bringer is quite a captivating book that will keep you on the edge of your seat. The reader is led to believe that the vampirism infection exists, and must be eliminated before mankind is overrun with the disease. The introduction of historical facts, and scientific research backs up the idea that it is said to have existed as far back as the fifteenth century with Vlad Dracula, "the impaler". A mission to medieval Romania was set up. The goal is to find Vlad Dracula, kill him and any vampires he might have sired.
Themes of war, death, spirituality, friendship and love was adequately explored as the story progressed. I so much admire the author's knowledge about military strategies and his writing style. This book is also mixed with sarcastic humour and romance that makes it all the more interesting. In conclusion, this book seems to be professionally proofread and I'm giving it a rating of 5🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟.
June 22, 2020
Check out my full review of The Hand Bringer by Christopher J. Penington right here:
https://forums.onlinebookclub.org/vie...
https://forums.onlinebookclub.org/vie...
May 31, 2020
Read my full review written for Online Book Club here: https://forums.onlinebookclub.org/vie...
"The Hand Bringer was one of those books that as soon as I finished reading it, I wanted to pick it back up and start back at the beginning. One, I would reread it just for entertainment purposes and to be sucked (pun intended) back into that world, but two, I know there must have been hints of the book's end that I had missed the first time around. It wasn’t difficult to see that there was intention in almost everything that Penington put inside of the book. It was practically oozing with design and thought. The phrasing, the imagery, and the foreshadowing were all expertly crafted, and I could sense a big picture mentality and intelligence behind the story..."
"The Hand Bringer was one of those books that as soon as I finished reading it, I wanted to pick it back up and start back at the beginning. One, I would reread it just for entertainment purposes and to be sucked (pun intended) back into that world, but two, I know there must have been hints of the book's end that I had missed the first time around. It wasn’t difficult to see that there was intention in almost everything that Penington put inside of the book. It was practically oozing with design and thought. The phrasing, the imagery, and the foreshadowing were all expertly crafted, and I could sense a big picture mentality and intelligence behind the story..."
January 5, 2022
What if all the legends about vampires are true? How far can one go for his loved ones? Peter Hadrian, an officer of the local Police department in Dallas, with his newly gained abilities, is ready to find all the answers, even if it takes for him to travel back in time to Medieval Romania during the reign of Prince of Wallachia, Vlad Dracula.
This novel gets you so involved with its characters and storytelling, that once the book ends, you will crave for more works from the author.
You can read the full review here: ⤵️
https://forums.onlinebookclub.org/vie...
This novel gets you so involved with its characters and storytelling, that once the book ends, you will crave for more works from the author.
You can read the full review here: ⤵️
https://forums.onlinebookclub.org/vie...
December 21, 2019
This book is a fast paced thriller.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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May 18, 2020Check out my book review at:
https://forums.onlinebookclub.org/vie...
https://forums.onlinebookclub.org/vie...
June 6, 2020
Beautiful book see my review here https://forums.onlinebookclub.org/vie...
October 24, 2020
The Hand Bringer by Christopher J. Penington was, on paper, my ideal story. It mainly follows Peter Hadrian, a policeman with a tragic past, and a pessimistic outlook gets bitten by an angry vampire while on the job, one fateful night. He’s sucked into the world of ASA, an organization created to eradicate the spread of the vampire virus that’s been plaguing the entire world. He, along with four notable characters, is sent back in time to stop the virus where it’s known to have begun, with the tyrannical Romanian prince himself, Vlad Dracula.
There were a lot of elements that had me interested in delving into this book. First was the interesting take on the vampire lore, treating it as a plague rather than a supernatural phenomenon. The second was the time travel aspect of the story. I was really curious as to how Christopher would deal with the complexities of paradoxes and timeliness. The third was how the combination of the historical figure of Vlad the Impaler and Bram Stoker's Dracula was going to play out. As an avid vampire fan, I was intrigued by the prospects of a new take to the genre. In the end, there were things that I like, and things that had great potential.
Peter as the main character was a mixed bag for me. I like how smart he was and that unlike other fiction where the author says the lead is smart, you see how smart he was. From his vocabulary to his constant planning and strategizing, Peter Hadrian is a genius. Sometimes, however, he comes off as a bit of a Mary Sue—a Gary Stu in this context. He was everything the plot needed him to be: he was the smartest, the strongest, and the perfect protagonist. He's superman with a bit more angst. I found myself unable to root for him because I knew he was going to make it.
As for the plot, I was satisfied with how everything came into a full circle. I love how at first, at the introduction of time travel, the author—through Peter—as all the right questions that I found myself nodding along at each potential situation they could encounter while still leaving a lot to the audience’s imagination. Everything clicked into place and I love how it all fitted like a jigsaw puzzle. The vivid descriptions of the fifteenth century Romania were quite fascinating and it was such a delight to see how well Christopher is in setting the atmosphere. That being said, I can’t help but feel like a few subplots where not as well-executed as the main plot. For example, the romance left little to be desired. Besides a few hints of sexual tension here and there, the two main leads just fall in love out of nowhere. It was much too fast and left me scratching my head.
All in all, I rate this book two out of five stars because though I enjoyed the story, I feel a lot of things could've developed more such as character growth, romance, as well as the pacing, fast in parts and sluggish in others. Nevertheless, The Hand Bringer is a tale for adults who like a bit of sci-fi, historical fiction as well as fantasy elements, especially vampire enthusiasts like me. As expected of adult fiction, it contains profanity, gore (because of the time and because of vampires, duh), and a bit of sexual content.
There were a lot of elements that had me interested in delving into this book. First was the interesting take on the vampire lore, treating it as a plague rather than a supernatural phenomenon. The second was the time travel aspect of the story. I was really curious as to how Christopher would deal with the complexities of paradoxes and timeliness. The third was how the combination of the historical figure of Vlad the Impaler and Bram Stoker's Dracula was going to play out. As an avid vampire fan, I was intrigued by the prospects of a new take to the genre. In the end, there were things that I like, and things that had great potential.
Peter as the main character was a mixed bag for me. I like how smart he was and that unlike other fiction where the author says the lead is smart, you see how smart he was. From his vocabulary to his constant planning and strategizing, Peter Hadrian is a genius. Sometimes, however, he comes off as a bit of a Mary Sue—a Gary Stu in this context. He was everything the plot needed him to be: he was the smartest, the strongest, and the perfect protagonist. He's superman with a bit more angst. I found myself unable to root for him because I knew he was going to make it.
As for the plot, I was satisfied with how everything came into a full circle. I love how at first, at the introduction of time travel, the author—through Peter—as all the right questions that I found myself nodding along at each potential situation they could encounter while still leaving a lot to the audience’s imagination. Everything clicked into place and I love how it all fitted like a jigsaw puzzle. The vivid descriptions of the fifteenth century Romania were quite fascinating and it was such a delight to see how well Christopher is in setting the atmosphere. That being said, I can’t help but feel like a few subplots where not as well-executed as the main plot. For example, the romance left little to be desired. Besides a few hints of sexual tension here and there, the two main leads just fall in love out of nowhere. It was much too fast and left me scratching my head.
All in all, I rate this book two out of five stars because though I enjoyed the story, I feel a lot of things could've developed more such as character growth, romance, as well as the pacing, fast in parts and sluggish in others. Nevertheless, The Hand Bringer is a tale for adults who like a bit of sci-fi, historical fiction as well as fantasy elements, especially vampire enthusiasts like me. As expected of adult fiction, it contains profanity, gore (because of the time and because of vampires, duh), and a bit of sexual content.
June 17, 2020
Peter Hadrian, police officer, who has recently suffered through the tragedy of losing his son and wife, answers a call from another officer for help, and is attacked and nearly killed. Following this, Hadrian is taken from his ambulance and taken away to a top secret government agency’s care. There he learns about the existence of vampirism and ASA’s plan to get rid of it. Hadrian is turned into their anti-vampire soldier thanks to his immunity to the disease. He is then send back in time to the past with a team, to medieval Romania, in order to kill the person ASA believes is the founder of modern day vampires, better known in modern day as Dracula. He agrees to go in exchange for their help in locating his missing son.
It was an okay read. The historical fiction was well written. But the characters were not much to my liking in general. I felt that the fights between Bat and Luke were overly drawn out and unnecessary. Also, the way Luke and Elizabeth's relationship went made absolute no sense to me. Furthermore, the lack of female characters other than as love interests was a huge disappointment for me.
It was an okay read. The historical fiction was well written. But the characters were not much to my liking in general. I felt that the fights between Bat and Luke were overly drawn out and unnecessary. Also, the way Luke and Elizabeth's relationship went made absolute no sense to me. Furthermore, the lack of female characters other than as love interests was a huge disappointment for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 11, 2021
The Hand Bringer follows the tale of Peter Hadrian and his friends as they travel through time to save the world from a vampire apocalypse that threatens to ruin the world as they know it. Armed with his high IQ, the morals of a law enforcement officer, his wit, rich Romanian background and a bloody advantage, Peter becomes the perfect candidate for a secret government mission which will see him become an unstoppable solider and steadfast leader in the many battles and wars to come. However, despite his strength and strong resolve, Peter’s toughest battle lies within as he finds he needs to conquer the past and his demons in order to save the future.
Check out my full review here: https://forums.onlinebookclub.org/vie...
Check out my full review here: https://forums.onlinebookclub.org/vie...
April 4, 2020
What I liked about this book was the way Romanian words, history, and traditions were used to make this more of a historical fiction that just a fiction book about vampires.
Unfortunately, it was difficult to read because of the terrible pacing. I had to reread sections to make sure I understood what was happening, and the jarring transitions made this book a bit of a chore. Too much detail in some places, not enough explanation in others...
Recommended for fans of Romanian history and gory, vampire adventure stories.
Unfortunately, it was difficult to read because of the terrible pacing. I had to reread sections to make sure I understood what was happening, and the jarring transitions made this book a bit of a chore. Too much detail in some places, not enough explanation in others...
Recommended for fans of Romanian history and gory, vampire adventure stories.
October 28, 2020
I really wanted to like this book. If you're a science-fiction fan, the premise of this book promises a lot - secret government agencies, vampires, and even time travel! Unfortunately, it didn't quite live up to the promise.
You can read my full review here: https://forums.onlinebookclub.org/vie...
You can read my full review here: https://forums.onlinebookclub.org/vie...
July 25, 2023
I tried to get through the book. I got about half way and skipped to the end. I like the idea of the book, but the characters and situations did nothing for me. Also, when the characters are in medieval Europe the writer does not use the phrasing from the time period. It is only when they talk about being in medieval Europe that I remember when it is suppose to be taking place.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 2, 2020
Read the full review at Online Book Club: Review by Sarpande -- The Hand Bringer.
May 30, 2023
Convoluted story lines and shifting time travel led to a semi-interesting but altogether forgettable reading experience.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews