Review: "Ghost Drums" - A Wonderful Story for That Stormy Night By the Fire
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 09 26, 2012
Matt Cole's "Ghost Drums" is that perfect short story for a dark fall evening when the wind is moaning while the rain is beating against the roof like "Ghost Drums," and a branch's brown dead finger scraps across the window's glass. Oh well, in general, I don't really like to read short stories, but there is always an exception to the rule and Cole's story is one.  "Ghost Drums" is the story of Lazarus Kalon, who seeks to increase his already substantial powers by drinking the blood of a powerful shape shifter.Set in 1878 in British Columbia, the antihero is Lazarus, a very old and very powerful and power hungry vampire.  He is almost obsessed with stealing the power of a shape shifter, a shaman of the Kwakiutl people, who he encountered a month before.  But he senses that there is another supernatural being, one that haunts the Kwakiutl people, and one who has become very aware of Lazarus' presence just as Lazarus is aware of him.  The situation's tension mounts; things are never quite as easy as they seem. As the tension between the vampire and the demon builds, the question becomes: "Who is the hunter and who is the prey"?Matt Cole's "Ghost Drums" is a beautifully descriptive work with strong diction that makes the reader want more. Cole creates a compelling story with interesting characters and plenty of strong sense imagery which creates a strong mood and suspense for the reader. His plot is solid and moves quickly which helps make an excellent night of reading in the "dark and sinister" fantasy genre. I wished the story had been longer and fleshed out even more. Additionally, the ending was a little confusing; I found myself especially wondering about the young savage girl: "What every happened to her?"  Regardless of my minor complaints, Matt Cole's "Ghost Drums" is an intriguing story and well worth the time to read.