Steeped in the lore of things that go bump in the night, Graveslinger enticed from the very first scene. The vivid language commandeered my senses and imagination and didn’t let go of it until the very last sentence.

The book’s title comes from the main protagonist, Fiya Diaz, a huntress of the undead, as she inadvertently embarks on a makeshift rescue mission against demons and ghouls.

I applaud Darren Compton on his masterful use of descriptive language. He was able to deftly paint pictures with his words that were transportive and seemed to come alive. It enabled me to become fully engulfed by the story and often his ability to engage all the senses, (I swear there were a couple instances where I felt I could smell, taste and hear the words emanating from the pages), made me feel like I was watching a 3-D film with Taste and Smell-O-Vision!

Compton’s ability to describe the demons and ghouls and fight sequences, coupled with his extensive knowledge around weaponry and combat skills (either innately or well researched), ensures a long career for him in this genre, especially as it depends so heavily on the author being able to capture the imagination of their audience, in which Darren Compton showed definite skill.

There were quite a few things that intrigued me while reading this book apart from the descriptions. I loved the relationships between the characters that leaned into an over-arcing theme of family, and in particular fathers and daughters, in whatever form that takes. Thomas and Liama, as well as Rutger and Fiya, beautifully represented that relationship which is steeped in protectiveness. This characteristic was literally and metaphorically woven throughout this story. I also really enjoyed all the action sequences ranging from hand-to-hand combat to sword fighting, explosions and shoot outs. As I mentioned previously, Darren Compton’s masterful descriptions crafted such a clear picture in my mind while reading, that each of these scenes stood shoulder to shoulder with any action sequence from any episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Supernatural.

I will admit that while the writing was creative, the plot itself wasn’t totally so. This genre is fraught with repetition, but, even with the strong predictability trait that is inherent of the genre, I still very much enjoyed the voice of this narrative. It was modernized and I respect the inclusion of COVID, even while crafting this semi-fantastical world. This inclusion made the story grounded in realism even while it maintained its supernatural elements.

I appreciate that trigger warnings were placed on the book cover as it may pertain to violence against children, but personally, I didn’t find those scenes that provocative (even as a parent) as compared to a Stephen King novel. That said, each reader being different it is commendable that it was included especially given the current environment.

Another strength of this book lay in the characters. Darren presented multi-dimensional characters, full of layers and subtle reveals. I found them intelligent in their choices and motivations, their sense of humor in the dialogue showed layers that made each character relatable. I specifically enjoyed the lightness and fun used to explore the linguistics behind the choice of names.

I liked that Fiya wasn’t just strong and smart but also flawed and challenged which made her relatable. I especially want to applaud Darren Compton on his injection of Imposter Syndrome with Fiya. This disorder has become more conspicuous and having the main protagonist be female, and including this inner dialogue, felt relevant, prolific and as a female reading this, it felt good that it was being acknowledged. It made Fiya more realistic, more humane, more female! Kudos to Darren Lee Compton.

As an aside, I must also acknowledge Darren Lee Compton for his thesis on what defines a monster. In a story full of supernatural monsters, his comparison between them and human monsters and the link he made to their motivations and free will was an eloquent thesis. He presented this so subtly and succinctly that it led to one of the book’s best AHA moments! His introduction and treatment surrounding the theme of PTSD was also very intentionally delivered which added yet another layer to an already complex plot.

As the first book of a series, Graveslinger was well paced and gave enough back story into the protagonist and the main elements that make up this world. I liked that there weren’t too many unanswered questions, but enough of a cliffhanger to make me want to discover more. A multilayered, vividly written, joyride of a book! Fun characters with whip smart dialogue kicking butt for the greater good! Darren Lee Compton created a world full of characters that I would very much enjoy reading more about. Creative! Compelling! Captivating!

Pros:

• Well researched and descriptive language showcased a masterful storyteller and well thought out story
• The fun way the unusual names in the book are referenced as well as the reverence paid to the horror genre was refreshing
• Themes which ranged from trauma and PTDS, Imposter Syndrome, Parenthood, Economic depressions related to COVID were relevant to the story and realistic in their presentation

Cons:

• Plot fairly predictable given the genre
• Some typos and use of ‘extravagant’ words where simpler language would have been more effective

Favourite Characters:

• Rutger Bronson – loyal and likeable
• Fiya – relatable, believable, multilayered, compelling, flawed, the best type of Hero
• Kael – quite simply fun, potential to flip sides intriguing

Cover Score: 9.5/10

Book Score:  8.8/10

Get it on Amazon || Barne’s&Noble || Author’s site