#Review - Death Goddess Dance by Levi Black (Dark #Fantasy)

Series: The Mythos War (#3)
Format: Hardcover, 304 pages
Release Date: July 30, 2019
Publisher: Tor Books
Source: Publisher
Genre: Dark Fantasy

Intense Lovecraftian horror by the author of Red Right Hand and Black Goat Blues

In Red Right Hand, Charlie Tristan Moore became the unwilling acolyte of the Man In Black, a treacherous elder god also known as Nyarlathotep, the Crawling Chaos.
In Black Goat Blues, Charlie fought her way past bloodthirsty gods and demons to rescue her lover’s stolen soul, only to put all of Creation at risk.

Now she must stop the Man In Black from achieving his ultimate goal: freeing his dread father, Azathoth, from endless confinement to feast upon humanity for all eternity. But before she can confront her inhuman mentor for the final time, Charlie must make her way to the heart of a hellish, otherworldly prison—and call upon the darkest powers at her command.

 

Death Goddess Dance is the third installment in author Levi Black's The Mythos War series. DGD picks up where Black Goat Blues left off. Protagonist Charlotte (Charlie) Tristan Moore is hunting the Man in Black (Nyarlathotep, the God of Chaos and Destruction) who made her his acolyte only to have the student defeat the master. Nyarlathotep wants to release his father Azathoth from his prison where he, himself, put him. It is up to Charlie to stop him or allow the universe to be destroyed.

Charlie wears a black coat made from fallen angel skin that has hidden pockets of unbelievable useful tools, including a shotgun that shoots Balefire & Brimstone, Aqedah, Knife of Abraham, and a desire for payback for what he did to Daniel Langford, the man she has found herself loving. She also has a companion, a skin-hound named Winnie who once took off a huge chunk of her ear. Winnie has become a loyal friend and protector. 

Charlies acts like a badass, and tries to walk the walk as a badass, but it is her own powers that are truly impressive. Thanks to the Torc of Ashthoreth, Charlie's most impressive power is her interdimensional teleportation that she uses to track down Nyarlathotep and other Gods. Traveling via interdimensional teleportation, Charlie & Winnie end up in a place where nothing is real, and reality doesn't apply to her. This story sees Charlie tested on all sides. She meets the Sisters of Fates who has to survive in order to proceed further.

She also meets the Death Goddess who calls Charlie a Chaos Hunter, & Emissary of Death. This place Charlie ends up exists only because Death itself exists. It is filled with beings that will gladly test Charlie's last ounce of strength and desire for revenge. Charlie has been crafted into a weapon that strikes from the dark, a weapon shielded only by herself, and an assassin's blade that needs to flashy blade. But, once Charlie and her former teacher meet, will she have enough to defeat him, or will her road to payback end in blood, sweat, and tears?

The book actually has dual endings, which was curious. Even though Amazon claims this is the final book in the series, there is so much more the author can do with Charlie now that she has a new role. We shall see.

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Tuesday #Review - Black Goat Blues by Levi Black #Fantasy

Series: The Mythos War #2
Format: Hardcover, 288 pages
Release Date: November 7, 2017
Publisher: Tor Books
Source: NetGalley
Genre: Fantasy / Dark Fantasy

The dark fantasy, Lovecraft-inspired sequel to Red Right Hand, which Jonathan Maberry calls "A perfect blend of old-school horror and modern storytelling sorcery."

In Red Right Hand, Charlie Tristan Moore was thrust into a nightmarish world of lurking Lovecraftian horrors when The Man In Black, a diabolical Elder God, chose her as his unwilling Acolyte. Discovering her own power, Charlie ultimately defied The Man In Black, but at a cost.
Now armed with a magic coat made from the skin of a flayed angel, Charlie is out to destroy The Man In Black and save her boyfriend Daniel—and she doesn’t care how many bloodthirsty gods and monsters get in her way...

"Darkness presses against the windows of the car. It's not my car, just one that someone left unlocked. I needed to sit for a moment after wishing myself here. Using magick can really suck the batteries dry."

Black Goat Blues is the second installment in author Levi Black's The Mythos War series. The story picks up several weeks after the ending of Red Right Hand. Protagonist Charlotte (Charlie) Tristan Moore is hunting the Man in Black (Nyarlathotep, the God of Chaos and Destruction) who made her his acolyte only to have the student defeat the master and walk away with the ability to wish herself any where, a black coat made from fallen angel skin that has hidden pockets of unbelievable useful tools, and a desire for payback for what he did to Daniel Langford.

Charlie finds herself with a curious group as allies in her desire to hunt down the Man in Black. There is Javier who Charlie stops from killing someone and ends up jumping place to place with Charlie. Ashtoreth, The Scarlet Harlot, Unholy Ishtar, Concubine of Chaos, and Whore Goddess Galore, and a skin-hound named Winnie who once took off a huge chunk of her ear. The most curious aspect of this story that I actually liked, was, shocked face, Winnie and how once adversaries are now allies.

I will say that the name of this book boggles my mind. You see, Charlie wears a black coat that she took from the Man in Black, so why not name the book Black Coat Blues? There is a character named Black Goat, but this character only shows up for barely a chapter or two. It is at this point in the story where betrayal sprouts its wings and Charlie finds herself among a cult who actually hunts Gods down and eats them. Charlie is an interesting character who is coming into her own. 

She acts like a badass, and tries to walk the walk as a badass, but it is her own powers that are truly impressive. The most impressive power is her interdimensional teleportation that she has been using to lead her to the Man in Black. Levi Black, aka James R Tuck can write some strange stories. He is very descriptive and isn't afraid to get his characters blooded and facing life or death challenges almost every page. Curious where Black will go from here since it is apparent Charlie would throw her own life away in order to save Daniel and perhaps Javier's as well.

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#Wednesday Review - Red Right Hand by Levi Black (Horror, Urban Fantasy)

Series: Red Right Hand # 1
Format: Hardcover, 304 pages
Release Date: July 26, 2016
Publisher: Tor Books
Source: Publisher
Genre: Urban Fantasy, Horror

Charlie Tristan Moore isn't a hero. She's a survivor. On a night when her demons from the past are triggered, she arrives home to something even more harrowing-an attack by three monstrous skinhounds, creatures straight out of nightmares. She fights but is outmatched. Just as hope seems lost, in sweeps The Man In Black, a rescuer even more monstrous and unlikely, dressed in a long, dark coat that seems to have a life of its own and with a black-bladed sword held in his terrible, red right hand. 

Her rescue comes at a cost. She must become his new Acolyte and embrace a dark magick she never knew she had inside her. To ensure she gives it her all, he takes her friend and possible love, Daniel, in thrall as a hostage to her obedience. The Man in Black, a Lovecraftian chaos god, claims to be battling his brethren gods, other horrors who are staging an incipient apocalypse. But is he truly the lesser of all evils or merely killing off the competition? Either way, will Charlie be strong enough to save herself, Daniel, and possibly the entire world?

Red Right Hand is the first installment in author Levi Black's Red Right Hand series. Black, it seems, is influenced by the workings of author H.P Lovecraft, and that comes into play after Charlie (Charlotte Tristan Moore) comes home to find THREE skinhounds ready to pounce on her. She is rescued by a man who calls himself Nyarlathotep aka Crawling Chaos. He claims that they were sent to kill her because of what's in her blood. Nyarlathotep is the man with the Red Right Hand. He is also a bit on the scary side with his Red Hand, and Long Black Jacket, and knife that can cut a person in half.

The Elder God claims Charlie is H.P. Lovecraft's descendant on her mother's side and that she has the ability to SEE things that may help save her world from other Elder Gods who are eager to bring chaos to the mortal plane. Charlie, to say the least, isn't all that impressed by the Elder God with the Red Right Hand and isn't all that eager to be anyone's acolyte. In fact, she's downright antagonistic towards him until the God lures her ex-Daniel Langford into his web. Not only has Nyarlathotep chosen Charlie to become his acolyte, but he forces Daniel into becoming his puppet to control Charlie and to accept her new fate. 

Charlie not only can see things, but with certain talisman, she can use transdimensional teleportation to track down would be targets. Her new ability allows her to step through the void between time and space and take several people along for the ride. But, this is also Charlie learning a whole lot about herself, about the Elder Gods that are supposed to be terrorizing her world, and I dare say coming to terms with the fact that her past doesn't make her who she is now. Her past, no matter how traumatic, doesn't get to guide her when there are powerful monsters, and Gods just waiting to suck the lives out of mortals.

Red Right Hand is a combination of Urban Fantasy and Horror. There are some very dark situations that pop up in this book. They are graphic, and perhaps to young eyes, might be considered unsuitable. Charlie is an interesting character in that her past drove her to better herself so that it never happens to her again. She taught herself martial arts, she's closed herself off to having long lasting relationships, and she has an attitude to match the chip on her shoulder. She's a protagonist who I look forward to seeing how she grows as the series progresses. 

Levi is an author that I've known and met under the name of James R. Tuck in 2012. His previous series was called Deacon Chalk: Occult Bounty Hunter. When he writes, he holds absolutely nothing back. There is violence, there is bloodshed, and there are action scenes that are vividly written so that you the reader, can put yourself in the protagonists shoes. His characters all have problems. None of them are Mary Sue's. None of them run away from trouble. All of them seem to carry a heavy load on their shoulders which gives them drive and desire to ensure those that they care about aren't innocent victims. 

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