Review: A fast-paced, neo noir mix of MMA, vampires, ancient evil, and gangsters!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 05 21, 2013
Jason Ridler takes a bite out of the vampire genre with his action-packed, fast-paced novel, Blood and Sawdust.B&S; reads like a backroom MMA bout with vampires, or Fight Club with a supernatural twist. B&S; has its origins in movies like Bloodsport and Street Fighter as much as it does the novels of Raymond Chandler and Jim Thompson. There's a noir feel to B&S.; Damsels in distress, double crossing gangsters, bone-breaking goons -- its all here, along with genuinely snappy dialogue and strong pacing which elevates this novel.Milkwood and Malcolm are lovable losers, and Ridler does a fine job revealing backstory while keeping the tale moving forward. Malcolm is a 13-year-old hustler, living in the shadow of an abusive brother. Malcolm wants to avenge his mother's murder. Milkwood is a vampire who wants to avenge his late father's reputation as a "jobber" -- the perpetual loser in the professional wrestling ring. Both find what they're looking for on the fringe fight circuit, where brutal death-matches are held in clandestine locations, away from the eyes of police and regulatory commissions.Ridler's fight scenes are savage and engaging, inviting readers into the poetry of violence. There are a couple of groan-worthy twists and turns in Blood and Sawdust, but overall Ridler keeps it humming along nicely, building toward a satisfying conclusion.I look forward to more tales of Milkwood and Malcolm!