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Vampires and Spies #1
Freer of Souls: Quest for the Ark
A priest investigating a mysterious symbol dies, savagely butchered, in Budapest. The symbol, painted with blood by hands unseen, in ways unknown, only appears in Jewish cemeteries and places of pogroms, and is invariably followed by icy dust devils. To pursue the dead priest’s work, another member of the same secretive Order of Saint Michael, teams up with a rabbi in Los Angeles. After cobbling together a group that includes a meteorologist and a vampire, following a deadly game of cat and mouse across Europe and America, they discover a most unusual scroll, and take it to a castle in Provence, where two archeologists and a very peculiar French countess help them decipher it. There, with a traitor in their midst, surrounded by enemies closing in for the kill, they learn that, to stop Armageddon, they must find, and get to the Ark of the Covenant—in a couple of weeks. If they can, when the time comes, would the one fated to become the ‘Freer of Souls’ dare approaching the Ark and, alone in the darkness, do what he must, no matter how painful, to prevent the Apocalypse? Or would he, instead, by unwittingly fulfilling an ancient vendetta, become an instrument of humankind’s doom?
413 pages, ebook
Published December 22, 2019
1 person is currently reading
6 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
April 8, 2023
This book contains one of the most wonderfully violent Prologues I’ve ever read, and it does give the reader a good idea of what lies ahead. This is especially so with the description of the protagonist’s bed and how if the frame had not been anchored, he would have ridden it across the room in his nightmare.
The book opens with one of the main protagonists, Tony. The gist of what motivates him is summarized on page 29: “I’m trying to use science, religion, magic if necessary, to stop a mutual enemy."
One of the ingenious visuals found throughout the book refers to the climax of his nightmare: “his tongue deftly dodging his clicking teeth.” And there is also the portend where a character wanted Tony to free ‘him’ that sent chills up my spine. What makes the author’s examples even more powerful is the effortless blend of horror, action, and literary description. Rehnn’s analogies are so on point they should be savored for several minutes before a reader resumes reading again. Example: “… outside, the ocean was like an old silver mirror, disturbed only by the monotone droning of waves” There are also the author’s occasional snippets of humor: “… finally made haste to Laguna Niguel, narrowly missing a jogger that sure knew how to spew legions of demons from her potty mouth.”
If a reader wants to learn, not just be entertained, this series will do exactly that, and do it with a colorful choice in words that will remain behind long after the book is put on a shelf. It is not as simple as talking about sorcery or religion, the plot delves into the faceted result of when these two forces collide, or marry, or deceive each other. Each nuance or clue is layered and an example of cause and effect, good or bad. What if one of those factors had changed at that moment? What if a reader recognized the pivotal timing and wished fervently that it had?
Would Nazi sorcery have been what it was? And then there is the witchcraft flying low over WWII and the devotees like the Szálasi. This was a big part of the plot and motivation behind what the protagonists initially perceived as a threat. Again, layer after layer than shimmers and changes under scrutiny; the reader must pay attention because this isn’t a cozy where a reader can lay back and doze between chapters. How would they interpret “The…wind…is alive? And...it kills?” --- knowing it applies to a horrible discovery.
This speculation over historical anomalies and oddities, naturally segues to vampires. But the story moves again when it shifts to science, and although done well, with examples of everyday things, it might prove too complex for a few readers. The good news is that the story continues without complete understanding being necessary.
About page 99 is a unique scene involving hookers of unknown gender, vampires with a sense of humor, mind blending, curare, and a fire. Enjoy!
As for the characters, I was disappointed in Endre’s lack of common sense and caution. Severian, makes up for it ten-fold, his intuition is on full display. At first, it appeared that Tony was the only protagonist, but Severian becomes even more so for much of the book. It is obvious which of them is the brawn and which is the techie.
A good thing about vampires to know: “Unless we choose to move very slowly, human technology (security cameras) is very ineffective at capturing the movements of preternatural beings.”
The protagonists’ ace in the hole? The Countess, she of nerves of steel and a most appropriate sense of humor. Of all the characters, a reader might identify totally with her sardonic point of view. It is also fascinating to watch Haim struggle with his moral compass, perhaps the adage “is it ok to kill one to save thousands” fits on several levels.
For hundreds of pages, the momentum built and about P393 the purity of emotion in the writing blossomed; the “Freer of Souls” became a reality.
The story ends on an intricate mystery that is hopefully resolved in the next book in the series.
The book opens with one of the main protagonists, Tony. The gist of what motivates him is summarized on page 29: “I’m trying to use science, religion, magic if necessary, to stop a mutual enemy."
One of the ingenious visuals found throughout the book refers to the climax of his nightmare: “his tongue deftly dodging his clicking teeth.” And there is also the portend where a character wanted Tony to free ‘him’ that sent chills up my spine. What makes the author’s examples even more powerful is the effortless blend of horror, action, and literary description. Rehnn’s analogies are so on point they should be savored for several minutes before a reader resumes reading again. Example: “… outside, the ocean was like an old silver mirror, disturbed only by the monotone droning of waves” There are also the author’s occasional snippets of humor: “… finally made haste to Laguna Niguel, narrowly missing a jogger that sure knew how to spew legions of demons from her potty mouth.”
If a reader wants to learn, not just be entertained, this series will do exactly that, and do it with a colorful choice in words that will remain behind long after the book is put on a shelf. It is not as simple as talking about sorcery or religion, the plot delves into the faceted result of when these two forces collide, or marry, or deceive each other. Each nuance or clue is layered and an example of cause and effect, good or bad. What if one of those factors had changed at that moment? What if a reader recognized the pivotal timing and wished fervently that it had?
Would Nazi sorcery have been what it was? And then there is the witchcraft flying low over WWII and the devotees like the Szálasi. This was a big part of the plot and motivation behind what the protagonists initially perceived as a threat. Again, layer after layer than shimmers and changes under scrutiny; the reader must pay attention because this isn’t a cozy where a reader can lay back and doze between chapters. How would they interpret “The…wind…is alive? And...it kills?” --- knowing it applies to a horrible discovery.
This speculation over historical anomalies and oddities, naturally segues to vampires. But the story moves again when it shifts to science, and although done well, with examples of everyday things, it might prove too complex for a few readers. The good news is that the story continues without complete understanding being necessary.
About page 99 is a unique scene involving hookers of unknown gender, vampires with a sense of humor, mind blending, curare, and a fire. Enjoy!
As for the characters, I was disappointed in Endre’s lack of common sense and caution. Severian, makes up for it ten-fold, his intuition is on full display. At first, it appeared that Tony was the only protagonist, but Severian becomes even more so for much of the book. It is obvious which of them is the brawn and which is the techie.
A good thing about vampires to know: “Unless we choose to move very slowly, human technology (security cameras) is very ineffective at capturing the movements of preternatural beings.”
The protagonists’ ace in the hole? The Countess, she of nerves of steel and a most appropriate sense of humor. Of all the characters, a reader might identify totally with her sardonic point of view. It is also fascinating to watch Haim struggle with his moral compass, perhaps the adage “is it ok to kill one to save thousands” fits on several levels.
For hundreds of pages, the momentum built and about P393 the purity of emotion in the writing blossomed; the “Freer of Souls” became a reality.
The story ends on an intricate mystery that is hopefully resolved in the next book in the series.
May 28, 2023
Tony, an experienced member of a secret, Christian order that deals with the paranormal is on a mission to investigate the death of his close colleague. He will be joined by two men as the mystery leads him down to discussions of religion, the Jewish community, and climate change. They will encounter different creatures - both good and evil - and the solution to their problems will lead them to do something... big and life-changing.
It was a good start. The premise was intriguing and the beginning established the tone of the upcoming adventure. However, the adventures themselves did not particularly jump to me as exciting. The book can have about five straight chapters full of rich history and character expositions - and they were wonderfully written - but sadly, the action sequences (and romance?) pale in comparison.
On the bright side, there are some interesting characters they meet along the way. Aside from the wives and a certain 'son', the other side characters felt like they had personality. Our main protagonist felt like a conduit to the adventure. He's someone to connect them all, provide the supplies and the connection, someone that starts the narrative; but I felt that a certain vampire had done more action-wise.
I will not deny that this seemed really well-researched. The mix of history, religion, and magic was a really interesting read. However, I felt that the research overpowered everything else. If you're someone who's particularly fond of reading historical and religious trivia in your fiction reads then I'd suggest giving this a try. This might just be your kind of book! 🙂 Just not too much for me.
Ultimately, the book gave me the combined themes of Van Helsing, the Da Vinci code, Indiana Jones, Constantine, and Blade.
DISCLAIMER: I received a free copy of this book from the author for an honest review.
It was a good start. The premise was intriguing and the beginning established the tone of the upcoming adventure. However, the adventures themselves did not particularly jump to me as exciting. The book can have about five straight chapters full of rich history and character expositions - and they were wonderfully written - but sadly, the action sequences (and romance?) pale in comparison.
On the bright side, there are some interesting characters they meet along the way. Aside from the wives and a certain 'son', the other side characters felt like they had personality. Our main protagonist felt like a conduit to the adventure. He's someone to connect them all, provide the supplies and the connection, someone that starts the narrative; but I felt that a certain vampire had done more action-wise.
I will not deny that this seemed really well-researched. The mix of history, religion, and magic was a really interesting read. However, I felt that the research overpowered everything else. If you're someone who's particularly fond of reading historical and religious trivia in your fiction reads then I'd suggest giving this a try. This might just be your kind of book! 🙂 Just not too much for me.
Ultimately, the book gave me the combined themes of Van Helsing, the Da Vinci code, Indiana Jones, Constantine, and Blade.
DISCLAIMER: I received a free copy of this book from the author for an honest review.
September 2, 2025
A tense thriller with vampires!
If you’re into thrillers and vampires and enjoy dark, emotive plots, this is a book for you!
Fast-paced action is interspersed with historical accounts and arguements encompassing climate destruction, neo-Nazism, the Holocaust, the Crusades and much more. Far more interesting than a history book, this novel has twists and turns with an unpredictable plot.
Both the US and Europe are locations for this epic story. The three protagonists; Tony, Haim and David, are flawed and realistic. Their helpers in their quest for the Ark are varied; vampires, (both friendly and not so friendly) Lilith, a French Countess and a cast of other characters who make this a compelling story.
This is a standalone novel with hints of another adventure to come. Excellent for lovers of longreads!
If you’re into thrillers and vampires and enjoy dark, emotive plots, this is a book for you!
Fast-paced action is interspersed with historical accounts and arguements encompassing climate destruction, neo-Nazism, the Holocaust, the Crusades and much more. Far more interesting than a history book, this novel has twists and turns with an unpredictable plot.
Both the US and Europe are locations for this epic story. The three protagonists; Tony, Haim and David, are flawed and realistic. Their helpers in their quest for the Ark are varied; vampires, (both friendly and not so friendly) Lilith, a French Countess and a cast of other characters who make this a compelling story.
This is a standalone novel with hints of another adventure to come. Excellent for lovers of longreads!
March 20, 2024
Epic!
Taggart Rehnn has given us a dark Supernatural thriller steeped in history and intrigue. It was the religious aspect mixed with the supernatural that drew me to read this novel and I was not disappointed. I found myself treated to so much much more. As a history lover I found yet another intrest satisfied.
The characters are smart, sexy, and snappy. (Jaw snappy vampires)
Myth and lore come to life through history and imagination in the most creative way as the story spins from country to country in search of the famous Ark.
An unlikely hero will have you keeping your fingers crossed and the ending has a surprising bite.
You do not want to miss this one!
Taggart Rehnn has given us a dark Supernatural thriller steeped in history and intrigue. It was the religious aspect mixed with the supernatural that drew me to read this novel and I was not disappointed. I found myself treated to so much much more. As a history lover I found yet another intrest satisfied.
The characters are smart, sexy, and snappy. (Jaw snappy vampires)
Myth and lore come to life through history and imagination in the most creative way as the story spins from country to country in search of the famous Ark.
An unlikely hero will have you keeping your fingers crossed and the ending has a surprising bite.
You do not want to miss this one!
January 20, 2023
FREER OF SOULS by Taggart Rehnn
This book is the best fusion of fact and fiction I have ever read. At times, because of the level of research and attention to details, I felt like I was reading a definitive history of vampires. But, the book is fiction. The rich presentation of characters with their unique voice will pull you in. The story is a sweeping saga that will entertain, inform and intrigue.
This is an excellent book and series that I highly recommend.
This book is the best fusion of fact and fiction I have ever read. At times, because of the level of research and attention to details, I felt like I was reading a definitive history of vampires. But, the book is fiction. The rich presentation of characters with their unique voice will pull you in. The story is a sweeping saga that will entertain, inform and intrigue.
This is an excellent book and series that I highly recommend.
July 13, 2023
Riveting!
Meticulously researched and masterfully written, Freer of Souls: Quest for the Ark Book 1 is an extraordinary book for many reasons, not the least of which is the author's ability to draw you in from Page 1. Add to that the author's talent in creating relatable characters, crisp dialogue, and a storyline that will keep you on the edge of your seat, and you have a thriller that should not be missed.
Meticulously researched and masterfully written, Freer of Souls: Quest for the Ark Book 1 is an extraordinary book for many reasons, not the least of which is the author's ability to draw you in from Page 1. Add to that the author's talent in creating relatable characters, crisp dialogue, and a storyline that will keep you on the edge of your seat, and you have a thriller that should not be missed.
March 22, 2023
complex
A book for people who like complex literature, history, and religion. In some ways, it reminded me of Umberto Eco, but with vampires. I’ve never quite read anything like it before.
A book for people who like complex literature, history, and religion. In some ways, it reminded me of Umberto Eco, but with vampires. I’ve never quite read anything like it before.
April 7, 2023
A well-researched and fascinating read. Bigger than life characters, who will have you turning pages. Fighting what you can see is rather easy. However, taking on unearthly antagonists is quite another. Recommended read.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews