Review: Brutal, raw and incredibly powerful
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 07 28, 2013
Okay, I am just going to dive right in with this one.Wow, wow, WOW! To say that Shadow of Wrath shocked the hell out of me would be the understatement of the year! Let me see if I can explain some of this.First, you have Dog, yes that is his name; a boy stolen from the streets forced into a life of fighting. But fighting is nothing new for Dog. He lives on the streets where he fights for his life every day. So, when he show's up in Ryker's arena he does what he has to do, he fights. Dog is unlike any fighter that has ever appeared in the arena. He is quick, lethal and absolutely remorseless. His motto: kill them, before they kill me. His parting gift to his opponents: A quick death. That is all he can give them.Second, you have Allegra, a slave girl and acting doctor who endures Ryker's abuse and sexual advancements in the hopes of keeping herself and the boys alive. She knows where her future is--it is as a sex slave. When she is old enough she knows that Ryker will sell her to the highest bidder, solidifying her fate and her future.Thrid, you have Ryker, the abuser, the dictator, the evil spawn of satan--however you choose to look at him; that snatches boys off the streets and brings them to his arena where they put on a show of death for paying customers. Because to Ryker, that's what this is, a show. Everyone fights and everyone fights to the death. If you win, you get to eat and you get rewarded with a tattoo to symbolize your win. Forever emblazing your heinous act on your body. There is no escape and there is only one rule: Fight or Die!When Dog enters Ryker's Gladiator style arena, he instantly becomes a sensation for his ruthless killing and soon he finds himself Ryker's champion. He is undefeated, cold and heartless. Or so it seems. But every night Dog is haunted by the ghosts of the boys he kills and every night he is haunted with the fact that he has to go out and do it again. But Dog is smart and cunning and soon Ryker struggles to control his champion as Dog lashes out and begins to weaken the hold that Ryker has on his arena.Soon things are in disarray and all hell breaks loose. And what happens when all is said and done will take a part of your soul. L.W. Patricks will have you in tears and in so much shock that you won't even know if you will be able to go on. I know I wondered if I could. It is not everyday that an author does what L.W. Patricks did in Shadow of Wrath.Shadow of Wrath is literally the story of the underdog. It is a brutal, raw and incredibly powerful read. It will have you gaping in horror, shock, sadness, and disbelief, but it also will make you cheer and shout out hell yeah! I never saw the ending coming and I can't wait to see what else L.W. Patricks has in store.