Review: Deeply Intriguing
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 06 10, 2014
Ready for some mystical time travel, ancient beliefs, revenge and salvation? Grab your mittens and boots, because we are headed into a blizzard of epic proportions that brings with it strangers, strange events and danger. Totem by C. Michael Lorion, the first novel in a trilogy, lays a firm foundation for the installments to come, leaving just the right amount of unanswered questions to make reading the next books a must!We aren’t dropped gently into this story; we are plunged into the past, as a brutal punishment is being dealt. Fast forward from the 17th century to 1978 in a small, North Eastern town, unaware of the arrival of those from the past. From this point on, the story builds as much through the thoughts and dialogue of the many characters that make up this tale as the moments of quiet action. Two Native Americans from the past are seeking the “Totem,” for its legendary powers, but is it real or just another ancient story handed down through the generations? The Totem is a prize that will pit brother against sister as the search crosses time and beliefs while putting a small town in the eye of the battle storm that is brewing. What is the role of the wolf? How does the hawk/eagle fit in? Do these creatures symbolize more than meets the eye?C. Michael Lorion uses words like a maestro uses his orchestra, with expertly timed crescendos and those soft notes just before the ominous tones of danger. More character driven than action driven, each character becomes human-like with their mental and verbal dialogue, while beautifully detailed scenes become three dimensional as I felt I was being strategically placed within the story.Let’s talk time change, the transition C. Michael Lorion makes between the past and contemporary times is astounding! He captures the attitude of modern youth perfectly, that touch of rebelliousness, the freedom of youth, which lacks the proper maturity to understand they are not invincible. Mr. Lorion has defied genres with this one, but one thing is certain, he has given his readers high intrigue, while maintaining a veil of mystery over supernatural events. The ending leaves just enough hanging threads to ensure the need for book two of this trilogy.Looking for something you can sink your teeth into that promises more courses to come, take a look at this one.