The Tunnels of Buda
A Soul Catcher Novel
The second installment of Don Sawyer’s critically acclaimed Soul Catcher series continues in mystery and magical form
The book is available worldwide in print and digital format by Castle Bridge Media
The Mester is dead or maimed, and the black stone used to control his network of gem makers is in Barbara and Zoltan’s hands. But as Zoltan discovered in the ruin bars of Budapest from a former associate, who turned up beheaded and his hands cut off, the Mester was just a small part of a much larger cabal, an ancient Order dating back to Aristotle and beyond. The Order has one goal: to convince the populace that there are masters divinely intended to rule and slaves meant only to obey.
Using magic and sorcery, both ancient and modern, they will stop at nothing to protect the rule of the aristoi.
But this time the “slaves” are fighting back, drawing on the knowledge and skills from many traditions and backgrounds, including magic of their own, to battle this shadowy cabal and its message of fear, division and hopelessness.
In The Tunnels of Buda Zoltan, the 110-year-old gem maker and Barbara, empath and gem wielder, veer in new and terrifying directions, facing evil on an unimagined scale. They are drawn to the lair of the Justin, so powerful he controls the minds of all around him and who commands the Company, a hidden underground futuristic complex that serves as the hub of the Order’s monstrous conspiracy to enact the darkest of Nietzsche’s Weltanschauung.
Barbara and Zoltan find new allies and diabolical enemies as they fight for their lives in the mines and ancient tunnels deep below Buda Castle in Budapest.
In this beautifully crafted page turner set in an imaginary world just beneath our feet, Don Sawyer has given us a deeply entertaining story of magic, ancient evil and the ability of love, courage and hope to overcome it. He reminds us of the power of imagination and fantasy to probe deeper questions of justice, sustainability, and belonging_ Frye Gaillard, author of The Cradle of Freedom, winner of the Lillian Smith Book Award, A Hard Rain, named an NPR Great Read of 2018; and The Southernization of America, an NPR Best Book of 2022
The Tunnels of Buda is a real gripper. The plot races along with many a twist and turn, following the Tolkien strategy of suspense/refuge/suspense/refuge, which works so well. No question that if the stars aligned, this could be a movie bigger than The Matrix _ Tom Wayman, author of The Road to Appledore and winner of the George Woodcock Award for Lifetime Achievement in the literary arts.
More In the Soul Catcher Series:
The Burning Gem spins from a chance meeting of a woman ready for adventure after years in a loveless marriage and a mysterious artisan who will show her another world. Barbara has always had an uncanny ability to read others, but her full empathic skills emerge only after a part of her soul is crystallized into a flaming red gem. Desperate to escape her soul-crushing suburban life and to reconnect with the mysterious man who made her gem, she makes her way on foot through the terrifying NY subway tunnels to find an abandoned station. Zoltan is a gem maker who lives an existence of opulent bitterness. Along with a network of other agents, his job is to catch souls and form them into magnificent jewels. He works with referrals only, and how his clients – rising CEOs, ambitious politicians, vainglorious religious leaders — are selected is of no concern to him. He is 110 years old. While Zoltan’s contract with the hideous Mester – who may or may not be human – promises him wealth and extended life, it also prohibits him from touching another person, or even sharing his true name Zoltan’s life is changed dramatically when Barbara bursts into it. She breaks the spell he has been under, and he risks everything – including his life — to discover the true nature of the sinister cabal he has unwittingly been part of. Their base of operations is a long-forgotten 1873 subway terminal, now transformed into the Market, a hidden community of seers, shapeshifters, artisans with extraordinary skills, keepers of ancient knowledge. From here Barbara and Zoltan follow leads that take them to the ruin bars and dark alleys of Budapest in a desperate race to find the truth and neutralize the Mester before he kills them.
The Burning Gem: Sawyer, Don: 9798989593439: Books – Amazon.ca
The Burning Gem: Sawyer, Don: 9798989593439: Amazon.com: Books
“This exciting fantasy adventure, which plays out just beneath our feet, has already garnered praise for its characters and fast-paced plot: “In The Burning Gem, accomplished storyteller and author Don Sawyer gives us a meticulously crafted, richly imagined, complexly plotted, deep and magical allegory creating a world that mirrors the dark forces at work on our planet today. Entertaining and compelling, I enjoyed inhabiting its realm.” – Charlie Price, Edgar Award-winning author of The Interrogation of Gabriel James
“Richly engaging, the Soul Catcher series mixes thrilling adventure, mysticism, and heartwarming redemption – an epic world, not to be missed!” — Claire Ashgrove, Award -winning author of The Curse of the Templars series
About Don Sawyer:
From a rural outport in Newfoundland and a First Nations community in British Columbia to West Africa and Jamaica, I have worked with youth and adults from many cultural backgrounds and locales. Inevitably, these experiences have made their way into my writing. I have authored over 12 books in several genres, including two Canadian bestsellers.
A writer and educator, Don Sawyer grew up in Michigan and moved to Canada in the 1960s.
He has worked with youth and adults from many cultural backgrounds and in a variety of locales, including teaching high school in a small Newfoundland outport, training community development workers in West Africa, teaching First Nations adults in British Columbia and designing a climate change action course for Jamaican youth.
Inevitably, these experiences made their way into his writing: Don has authored more than 12 books – including two Canadian bestsellers — in a variety of genres. His articles and op-eds have appeared in many journals and most of Canada’s major dailies
He currently lives in St Catharines, Ontario, with his wife of 54 years and more information can be found at: Don Sawyer, Author & Educator – WELCOME
To request additional review copies or an interview with Don Sawyer, please contact Mickey Mikkelson at Creative Edge Publicity: mickey.creativeedge@gmail.com / 403.464.6925.
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