Sunday, September 21, 2008

Dead Reign-T.A. Pratt

Dead Reign
T.A. Pratt
Bantam, Nov 2008, $6.99
ISBN 9780553591354

The chief guardian sorceress of the large East Coast city Felport Marla Mason is looking forward to the upcoming Founders’ Ball after barely surviving the attempts on her life by a mercenary psychic assassin (see POISON SLEEP). However, a hunk arrives in town with two dangerous followers; reanimated John Wilkes Booth and a psycho necromancer. The newcomer, with sexy looks to die for, insists he is Walking Death, chief of the underworld. He orders Marla to give him the magical dagger that signifies her position as the chief guardian. She tells him to go to Hell. Fuming with fiery brimstone, Walking Death sends Marla to the underground.

As he enjoys dispatching people to his home, Walking Death fails again to understand the inner strength of Marla. She finds a few unreliable maniacs and brings war to Hell.

The third Marla Mason wild sorcery thriller (see BLOOD ENGINES) is a madcap maniacal fantasy that from the opening visit by the deadly sex machine Walking Death until the final macabre dance never slows down. The support cast is over the top of Felport or under the ooze of Hell as nothing not even death is sacred. Fantasy fans who appreciate something well written but different will want to read the marvelous Marla Mason tales as they are insanely humorous fun.

Harriet Klausner

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