Review: Michael McBride's best!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 05 1, 2014
I bought this solely because I'm a Michael McBride fan. The premise didn't sound that interesting to me but I trusted that Michael would make it worth my while. He succeeded far beyond what I could have hoped for.Ancient Enemy starts out like a typical mythical monster story but evolves in to so much more. The "monsters" are surprising and fascinating, but it is the character of young Sani that draws the reader in and makes us care about what happens. Sani's strained relationship with his alcoholic mother and dealing with an absent father are real world touches (that sadly many can relate to) that anchor the book firmly in the real world.Mr. McBride obviously does a lot of research, and sometimes I feel that he is overeager to share his knowledge at the expense of the flow of the story. Not so here. There is a brief afterword with additional information that is interesting, but I'm glad was left out of this lean, fast-paced novel.This is a quick read; not that it is throwaway or simple, but that things get rolling right away and don't slow down until the end. Block out a chunk of time for this because you will not want to put it down. 5 enthusiastic stars!