![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/DarkwalkerCover.jpg?resize=192%2C300&ssl=1\")
By Duncan Eagleson\nPink Narcissus Press
\nISBN:
\nKindle, 372 pages. \u00a9 2014\n
<\/p>By Duncan Eagleson
\nPink Narcissus Press
\nISBN:
\nKindle, 372 pages. \u00a9 2014\n
Bay City is haunted by a supernatural serial killer the newsfeeds have named \u201cThe Beast.\u201d City Boss Micah Roth calls on the Railwalkers\u2014a shamanic Order trained in both clerical and warrior skills\u2014to champion his cause and return the city to some semblance of safety. Railwalker Wolf and his crew answer the call, but this Beast is unlike anything they\u2019ve seen, putting all their skills to the ultimate test. Each crew member will pay a price, but what Wolf uncovers during their investigation will test the limits of his courage and commitment.<\/p>\n
Darkwalker gives the reader a glimpse into a post-apocalyptic world, generations after the crash of civilization. Things are different here. New norms are long since established, one of which is the accepted presence of Railwalkers\u2013clergy trained in esoteric ways who travel from city to city and town to town, crossing the wastes in between to bring spiritual guidance and healing to those in need. Railwalkers are priests who preside at seasonal festivals, appease the land spirits where necessary, and look for answers from shades of the dead when a mystery arrives. But they are also warriors, protecting others from paranormal threats and dangers. The biggest mystery in Darkwalker is the Beast\u2014not just who he is, but why and how he does what he does. The detective work of nailing down the Beast\u2019s identity and motives reveals more than Wolf expected, bringing a surprise not just about his opponent but also about himself.<\/p>\n
This is a multi-perspective story, with the reader seeing turns of events from various character viewpoints. Each chapter is named for its point-of-view character. Even the Beast gets his own chapters, some of which are deeply creepy. While all the characters felt well-developed to me, Wolf (the main character) was my favorite. He is chivalrous, spiritual, honorable, and practical. But he\u2019s not perfect. He doesn\u2019t have everything figured out. He\u2019s sometimes uncertain. He doubts himself from time to time. He doesn\u2019t always accomplish what he intended, at least not in the way he expected to do so. These \u201cweaknesses\u201d only make him a stronger character and I like that he thinks outside the standard parameters when solving a problem.<\/p>\n
While I enjoyed every part of this story, my favorite element was the presence of magic, spirituality, and \u201cotherness\u201d laced throughout. It was clear to me that the author knows contemporary magical and spiritual practices in the nature-based community. As a reader who has spent much time in that world myself, it was validating to see them so well-represented on the pages of Darkwalker.<\/p>\n
Eagleson\u2019s writing style is succinct. I saw very little fluff or florid prose. Every word serves a purpose and moves the story along nicely. There is violence on the page in several scenes, but it felt balanced to me, necessary to the storyline, and not gratuitous at all. Overall, this was a good read, one I enjoyed a great deal. If you enjoy urban fantasy with a healthy sprinkling of down-to-Earth magic, you may want to check it out.<\/p>\n<\/body>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
By Duncan Eagleson Pink Narcissus Press ISBN: Kindle, 372 pages. \u00a9 2014 Bay City is haunted by a supernatural serial killer the newsfeeds have named \u201cThe Beast.\u201d City Boss Micah Roth calls on the Railwalkers\u2014a shamanic Order trained in both clerical and warrior skills\u2014to champion his cause and return the city to some semblance of…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2580","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-reviews"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p8n0kX-FC","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1690,"url":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/2020\/02\/03\/feeding-the-beast\/","url_meta":{"origin":2580,"position":0},"title":"Feeding the Beast","author":"DremaDeoraich","date":"February 3, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"We\u2019re well into 2020 now, and the writing scene is as frenetic as ever. Congratulations to my writing pals from Twitter and Facebook who have had debut novels come out in the last year, or who\u2019ve been picked up for publication sometime in the coming months! All that hard work\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Blog Posts"","block_context":{"text":"Blog Posts","link":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/category\/blog-posts\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/woodstock-art-568933_1920.jpg?fit=1200%2C1002&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/woodstock-art-568933_1920.jpg?fit=1200%2C1002&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/woodstock-art-568933_1920.jpg?fit=1200%2C1002&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/woodstock-art-568933_1920.jpg?fit=1200%2C1002&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/woodstock-art-568933_1920.jpg?fit=1200%2C1002&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":779,"url":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/2018\/05\/07\/the-nature-of-the-beast\/","url_meta":{"origin":2580,"position":1},"title":"The Nature of the Beast","author":"DremaDeoraich","date":"May 7, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"What is the true nature of the human beast? In the movie Wonder Woman, Diana agonizes over the fact that the war continues even though she has killed Ares. Captain Trevor tells her that maybe the horror of war wasn\u2019t contained in one malevolent being. Maybe a little part of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Blog Posts"","block_context":{"text":"Blog Posts","link":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/category\/blog-posts\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":740,"url":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/2018\/04\/30\/in-search-of-demons\/","url_meta":{"origin":2580,"position":2},"title":"In Search of Demons","author":"DremaDeoraich","date":"April 30, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"(Warning: May contain spoilers.) What do you think of when you hear the word \u201cmonster\u201d? Chances are the first thing that comes to mind are creatures like vampires, werewolves, Frankenstein\u2019s creation, ghosts, Godzilla, or some otherworldly beast. Dictionary.com gives a long list of definitions like \u201ca legendary animal combining features\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Blog Posts"","block_context":{"text":"Blog Posts","link":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/category\/blog-posts\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":118,"url":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/2017\/02\/18\/the-long-way-to-a-small-angry-planet-by-becky-chambers\/","url_meta":{"origin":2580,"position":3},"title":"The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet, by Becky Chambers","author":"DremaDeoraich","date":"February 18, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"HarperCollins Publishers, LLC, \u00a9 2014 ISBN 9780062444134 Print length 467 pages, $10.81 When Rosemary\u2019s feet leave Mars for the first time, it\u2019s to take a cramped pod shuttle to rendezvous with her new employer, Captain Ashby Santoso, aboard the Wayfarer, a tunneling ship that digs passages through space, shortcuts for\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Reviews"","block_context":{"text":"Reviews","link":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/category\/reviews\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/LongWayCvr.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1506,"url":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/2019\/09\/18\/just-an-egg\/","url_meta":{"origin":2580,"position":4},"title":"Just An Egg","author":"DremaDeoraich","date":"September 18, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"NOTE: This post is about acknowledging the fact that I still have a lot to learn. In the first few paragraphs, I address a sensitive matter involving animal husbandry. Though I\u2019ve tried not to go into great detail, and made every effort to maintain respect for the animals, if you\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Blog Posts"","block_context":{"text":"Blog Posts","link":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/category\/blog-posts\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Storyboarding.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Storyboarding.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Storyboarding.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Storyboarding.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Storyboarding.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1784,"url":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/2020\/03\/21\/in-search-of-normal\/","url_meta":{"origin":2580,"position":5},"title":"In Search of \u201cNormal\u201d","author":"DremaDeoraich","date":"March 21, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Even if you\u2019ve been living under a rock, if you\u2019re smart you\u2019re probably practicing social distancing wherever possible right now, washing your hands a lot, and tracking the news on a regular basis. Maybe you are home because your child\u2019s school is shut down, or your employer\u2019s had to close\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/BeKind.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/BeKind.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/BeKind.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/BeKind.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/BeKind.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2580","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2580"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2580\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2582,"href":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2580\/revisions\/2582"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2580"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2580"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2580"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}