While scrolling through my
Facebook newsfeed, I came across a post from Weston Ochse where he shared a
review of A Hole In The World. The reviewer left no doubt that he/she didn't
appreciate the book and, with much malice, virtually shredded it. First, I want
to compliment Weston on sharing a harsh review of his own work; it takes guts
to acknowledge what I thought was unfair and way over-the-top. I've read
Weston's work in the past and enjoyed it, but when I saw that review, I knew I
had to get a copy and read it. Nothing could be as bad as the description from
my fellow reviewer (who I don't care to know).
I wasn't sure what I was
getting when I downloaded this story. I was expecting more of a military sci-fi
tale. It is a military tale, but there is very little sci-fi to this. It is
pure military fantasy.
The story is told from the
point of view of a strong female character named Laurie May. She is a member of
an organization that aggressively investigates (meaning sometimes fights)
malicious paranormal beings. The attention of her organization, Special Unit
77, is piqued when a missing town in South Dakota. The strangest thing at the
beginning is that everyone that lived in or around the town doesn't realize it
is missing. As a matter of fact, it never existed as far as they are concerned.
Only one person, a Native-American man calling himself Francis Scott Key Chases
The Enemy, knows the place existed, and it has disappeared.
A similar incident happens in
England, where Laurie is sent to investigate and offer aid wherever she can.
Paranormal mayhem ensues when
she discovers she is involved in a massive war between two factions in the Fae
realm. it became a brutal and bloody fight for survival to keep the fighting
from spilling into the world as we know it.
Laurie May is a great character
following in the tradition of many characters; one that comes to mind is Ellen
Ripley. She is tough, but she cares. She knows how to take care of herself in a
fight. When Laurie becomes a part of the team in England, she's more-or-less
told to stay out of the way. As time passes, she earns a place in the team as
they learn of her skill and ability to think on her feet and adapt to numerous
situations.
My other favorite character is
Francis. With a name like his, who cannot like him. He strikes me as a kind of
Native-American poet/philosopher/warrior. I was hoping to see a lot more of him
in this story. He's someone I want to get to know.
As far as plot points in this
tale, I really enjoyed the detailed descriptions of the characters and the
battle scenes. As I mentioned before, the battles are brutal, and some
descriptions are graphic in their detail. I don't mind this, but readers who
are sensitive to this type of literature may find it unappealing. Aside from
that, this book is full of characters who have a lot of fun to read
interactions. Their banter is humorous, but not offensive. Oches does a fine
job of bringing his characters to life, making A Hole In The World an
entertaining read.
My takeaway from this story is
how the classic battle between good and evil is usually won by the good side,
but only as long as good is ready to get down on the same level of evil and
behave as such. Really, the tactics between the two are much the same.
While fantasy is not my
favorite genre, my curiosity was sated in finding this work of fiction was not
at all as described by the aforementioned reviewer. The story is solid, the
characters are appealing, and the book is wholly entertaining. What more can
one ask from an author? I've enjoyed Weston's stories in the past and I did not
find the quality lagging, as a matter of fact, I saw growth in the writing from
the earlier works I've enjoyed.
I recommend A Hole In The World
for those who enjoy fantasy in a modern setting with modern technology as a tool to
fight the good fight.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Weston has also published
literary fiction, poetry, comics, and non-fiction articles. His shorter work has
appeared in DC Comics, IDW Comics, Soldier of Fortune Magazine, Cemetary Dance
and peer-reviewed literary journals. His franchise work includes The X-Files,
Predator, Aliens, Hellboy, Clive Barker's Midian, and V-Wars.
Weston holds a Master of Fine
Arts in Creative Writing, and he teaches at Southern New Hamshire University.
He lives in Arizona with his wife and fellow author, Yvonne Navarro and their
Great Danes.
Well, there it is...
Qapla!
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