Vultures

I’ve heard Luke Tarzian’s name bandied about a lot, mostly in dark fantasy circles, so it’s about time I gave the guy a shot. I have a bunch of the author’s books in my TBR pile, but Vultures appealed to me more, hence the choice. What we have are multiple timelines, realities and character arcs that are initially confusing but ultimately worth it. Fellow reviewer Nick Borrelli (review here) compared it to a David Lynch movie and I don’t think I can top that as it captures it perfectly. It’s a tale about war and the choices we make to achieve our goals. And it’s dark – as promised.

Is it any good?

I would imagine the David Lynch reference covered that, but yeah, it’s good. The initial onslaught of jumping from character to timeline and so forth can be confusing, but once you settle in it’ll be like reading any linear story. I must be honest, I powered through the last 100 pages or so without pause. While there’s nothing in this book that could be described as light or cheery, one can identify with the main characters as they move towards their respective goals. I personally prefer morally grey characters, and these are as grey as they come. This certainly doesn’t mean you won’t root for them, you will, especially as you learn more about their different stories, but they’re no saints. The world, or worlds, built around them is harsh as they try to rebuild from an earlier war, one that is looming on the horizon. Bring on book two.   

Verdict

Dark and brooding, but ultimately captivating.

• Format:  Kindle
• Obtained from:  Amazon 
• Print length:  358 pages
• Publisher:  Independently published
• ISBN:  00998720577