For fans of Terry Goodkind (Sword of Truth series), Stephen Zimmer‘s Prowling the Darkness is a must-read. Stephen was looking for reviewers for his book and that is how I connected with him for the first time. His book sounded fantastic! Since then, I am thrilled to say, that he has been an amazing supporter of my work and has encouraged me to continue bookblogging. This is my first time hosting a book tour and I am thankful for this opportunity! 🙂
Now back to Prowling the Darkness… It had me hooked from the synopsis. Here it is:
Dark rumors and whisperings of unholy sorcery bring Rayden Valkyrie to the remote city of Sereth-Naga.
There she finds a populace cowering in fear of the city’s ruthless, mysterious rulers, who remain behind the high walls of their citadel.
An even greater mystery surrounds the city.
Something is prowling the darkness.
Something that has kept the enigmatic rulers for centuries from escaping Sereth-Naga to spread their wickedness to other lands. Prowling the Darkness is a stand-alone novella that is part of the Rayden Valkyrie Tales.
The Short Take – From Goodreads
In Stephen Zimmer’s Prowling the Darkness, follow the protagonist, Rayden, as she uncovers the secrets hidden in the city of Sereth-Naga. She is an assassin for hire, willing to kill for a fair price. It did not take me long to admire Rayden and the way she thinks and handles situations. She does not just accept tasks, she also rationalizes them and follows a code of conduct where she will refuse a task if it is immoral. I loved that about her and I believe she is an amazing protagonist, in some ways, shrouded in mystery. She is a strong character who is not afraid to fight for the causes she believes in.
Stephen paints a vivid picture of the city of Sereth-Naga and the beings who live there as well as the politics and rituals of the place.
Though it is a short novel, every aspect related to the storyline are covered succinctly, leaving the reader curious to know what other adventures Rayden has already undertaken and where she will go next, while at the same time, bringing the story to completion.
The Long Take – Themes for Thought
If you have been following my reflections on books, I always mention 2-3 themes that spoke to me about a book. For Prowling the Darkness, my selected themes relate to Rayden.
I cannot emphasize enough how much I admire her.
On Independence
Though I have not read other Rayden’s previous tales (links at the end of this post), this novel gave me a true glimpse of her personality – she is independent. She understands the perils and advantages that come with being a lone traveller with a mission. Knowing the perks of being a confidant person, she uses it as an asset, when exploring unchartered territories.
In Rayden’s words:
Rayden’s experiences over the years had taught her that the presence of confidence and guise of familiarity often bypassed others’ suspicions. An individual who looked and acted as if they belonged in a certain place tended more frequently than not to prompt those who encountered them to believe that they did.
Rayden in Prowling the Darkness
She knows something fishy is going on at Sereth-Naga. She is observant of her surroundings and capable of thinking straight in unexpected situation, getting out of trouble as carefully as possible, gathering the information she needed at the same time. Rayden also has a very analytical nature: she thinks before she does anything and that is the mark of an independent protagonist that does not make mistakes often. Instead, she charges forward, making the best she can of the situation, forging alliances on the way.
On Empathy
Throughout the book, Rayden portrays an affinity for understanding and connecting to living beings around her. She is considerate of the people who provide her shelter and make friends with the servants who wait on her at Sereth-Naga. She is curious about their experiences and does not wish to be a nuisance, only a friend.
Empathy is an important characteristic of leaders and for someone who travels by herself, looking for bounties and the trust of the people who she can help, Rayden shows a compassion towards others that is hard to miss. She believes in mercy and she reminded me of the following quote by J. R. R. Tolkein.
Many that live deserve death. And some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them? Then do not be too eager to deal out death in judgement. For even the very wise cannot see all ends.
J. R. R. Tolkein in The Fellowship of the Ring
Looking back at the many books that I have read, works of Tolkein (Lord of the Ring series), Goodkind (Sword of Truth series) remain my favorites. Though I haven’t read them recently, I loved that Prowling the Darkness reminded me of these amazing stories.
I am thankful to the author for making this book available to me in advance for an honest review. It has been a pleasure reading it. I look forward to following Rayden’s journey in the future. I truly enjoyed this book and would recommend it to all readers who love reading fantasy, have a penchant for strong characters and fast-developing storylines.
Stay tuned for an exclusive interview with Stephen Zimmer himself (available on the 9th), as part of the Prowling the Darkness book tour!
** Prowling the Darkness is now out in stores so get a copy and let me know what you think! Let’s have a book-discussion! **
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And remember, since this is part of Prowling the Darkness book tour, there are more reviews, guest posts and interviews with Stephen Zimmer coming out this week!
Other books featuring Rayden are:
Cover image: Photo by Willian West on Unsplash
Thank you for reading and reviewing Prowling the Darkness, I really appreciate it.