Wild Dark Times by Austin Case

Release: July 23, 2019
Format: Ebook
Publisher: Liminal Books
Source: Rockstar Book Tours
Find it at: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, B&N, TBD, Bookshop.org

Elizabeth Megalos , an art-school grad is disillusioned and just manages as a bank teller in St. Louis in the summer of 2012. One evening, she’s attacked by a possessed coworker and saved by a mysterious, wise sorcerer named Eddy. He drags Elizabeth and Hugh, a skeptical scholar of the occult, to Europe. He introduces them to his three magical celebrity friends. Once there, Eddy explains the group’s mission: preventing a Demiurge—a creature out of Gnostic Christian mythology—from fulfilling the visions of doom in the Book of Revelation.

The Demiurge has been drawing power from the misguided beliefs in the Mayan apocalypse and is set to start the destruction on Dec. 21st, 2012. Through ritual magic and a series of psychedelic experiences, the group learns that Elizabeth is the key to taking down the Demiurge, though she can’t imagine how she will be the one to stop Armageddon.

About the Author:

Austin Case received a Master’s Degree from the University of Amsterdam in Western Esotericism and Mysticism. His academic knowledge of the occult and other peripheral phenomena has given him a unique take on fantasy and other speculative fiction.

Wild Dark Times Review:

If “Heroes” and “Supernatural” (two of my favorite TV shows) had a baby, it would be “Wild, Dark Times”. I loved reading it!

The author did a brilliant job in writing this tale! The main aspect which I really loved about this story is intellectual conversations between the characters. For instance, I loved the conversations between Hugh, Albert and Elizabeth when they talk about various forms of art. Similarly, I also learned terms like Hermeticism and Gnosticism which fascinated me to research on after reading.

Moreover, the author does a nice job in setting the plot. We know there is a bigger picture at hand, but it was entertaining receiving tidbits of the situation as Eddy initially explains it. As the story progresses, the author raises the stakes. Also, there are surprising twists and turns, and shocking deaths which I did not expect. The author also balances the tone well, where some scenes are a scary (like when Qlippoth attacked Elizabeth) to funny moments (how she reacts to Eddy’s information). I also liked the mystery as to how she is connected to the whole mission.

At the same time, I liked Eddy and Elizabeth together. They share a wonderful camaraderie and it was fun reading their banter during their road trip/mission. In fact, Elizabeth shares a wonderful chemistry with all the members like Hugh and Albert. Veer and Frater were also interesting as supporting characters. However, my only small concern is, since the novel focuses on plot, I felt some characters felt underdeveloped. And, on a completely irrelevant note, what happened to Maya? I liked this goofy friend and hoped she stuck around longer.

Overall, this was a fun and entertaining book which I could not put down.

Giveaway:

3 winners will receive a finished copy of WILD, DARK TIMES, US Only.

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I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the Wild Dark Times by Austin Case Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!