THE HAMMER OF THOR Reviewed by fran lewis

[Fran Lewis]

THE HAMMER OF THOR
AUTHOR: SHELDON TOWNSEND
REVIEWED BY FRAN LEWIS


Tag line: WARNING: ONCE YOU START READING THIS BOOK YOU WON’T BE ABLE TO PUT IT DOWN! SPELL CASTED BY THE ADEPTS SO THAT YOU WILL BE TRANSFIXED TO THE PRINTED PAGE UNTIL YOU COMPLETE READING THE NOVEL! THE HAMMER OF THOR: READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!

Imagine being able to use an object or a spell to control the actions of another person or being. Imagine going after the most coveted object that ever existed. Going up against all adds, the gods themselves, using his skills as an adept, Francis Kader takes the reader on a journey that no one will ever forget. Imagine using an amulet, charm or any object called a talisman, whose presence is thought to exercise a powerful influence on human feelings or actions in order to change the outcome of an event in your favor. Are you ready to learn what it takes to become an adept? Are you ready to enter that world and take the journey from 1932 to 1950 and follow the life of one young man for two decades and find out if he can save the Hammer of Thor?

An association of persons of the same trade or pursuits, formed to protect mutual interests and maintain standards is the definition of a guild. Each adept belonged to a guild and was trained by someone referred to as the Teacher. However, training was not that simple and could often cost someone their life if they were not alert, aware, skilled and definitely adept. Joe Kader is the first young man we meet who has earned his place in The West Coast Guild after leaving the one he was in for many years. Meeting a young lady named Pak at the hotel he stayed at allows the reader to understand from the start the full scope of his powers and that of others. But, when she disappears he loses focus and what happens next will definitely change his perspective on things as he finds her, goes into battle with Nakamura a powerful adept in the most powerful guild, loses his talisman and is left in a state of pain he cannot fix without it. What will happen next and will he ever find Peg? Why, if she is an adept does he claim she is his property? Just how far will Joe go to get her back? As Book One draws to a close our main character learns many hard lessons that land him not only in the hospital, banished from his guild, needing medical treatment after losing his talisman and having to find refuge somewhere else. Having been told where to find Pak by someone named Takada he finds him receives a more powerful talisman in exchange for going after Nakamura and hoping to kill him while finding Pak. From the many people he meets along the way and the warriors, battles and history he learns some starling information as to why she left with him and how he gained control. Meeting a man named Wagner who is part of a Christian Brother Group Joe soon realizes that it is going to take more than just physical force, fear, truth and persuasion spells to defeat his foe, find the woman he loves and become part of another guild.

Told in the first person author Sheldon Townsend allows the reader to hear the voice of the main character, graphically describes his battles, injuries and fears as we take the first part of our journey from 1932 until 1943 which is where the story continues. Just how dangerous is it for someone to know your real name? Just what is masking and how can that hide who you really are? What other powers this will reveal adept? Would you like to enter his world and have these powers? Meet Francis Kader/aka Joe who is traveling by train realizes he’s in danger and uses some really cool spells and moves to escape the Negro/adept /Porter hot on his trail. Fighting warriors, getting away from the Negro guild and using spells to get the taxi driver to take him where he needs to go and others to fall by the wayside, Francis is one clever adept. After meeting with Beverly Morgan who was behind his problems on the train, offering him a position in her guild, realizing it was a trap he manages to contact the head of his guild and return home. I love the spells, the intrigue and the suspense of not knowing what Francis can expect next but what I really loved is the fact that he gets even with the man who banished him.




Arriving back to his guild with his teacher, he learns of the connection to Hitler, the Germans and is presented with a talisman so powerful that links what is happening to the Japanese, the war and supremacy over the guilds. One three inch piece of a Japanese Katana (sword) changes things around for not only Francis but for one man named Young Fat who gives him the background behind the sword, agrees to help him with a persuasion spell and much more. But, when he returns to his restaurant what happens next will definitely give him more than just a wakeup call and let him know that those in charge are playing for more than just the talisman. Young Fat is captured and will be interrogated. Francis is dealing with his captures but uses his resources and powers to overcome them. Learning that the owner of the Talisman was a woman who is dead the intrigue continues and there is so much more to come. Just what is Hitler after, which guilds are working with him and feeding him information and when will Francis remember to tell the Teacher about Morgan?

Everyone wants the most powerful talisman the Hammer of Thor. As Kader escapes one group of people he falls prey to another. From being held captive on a ship to winding up being interrogated by the Negro Guild to offering his assistance and help to unite to get the talisman of choice, this book encapsulates the essence of Harry Potter and magic spells, the cleverness of my favorite sleuth Pierot to get figure out solutions and the inventiveness of one creative writer to keep the reader guessing, on her toes and those unexpected twists and turns as you turn the page. Where will he wind up and whom can he trust? A member of his own guild turned traitor, everyone out for his or her own good. Each guild wanting the main prize to achieve supremacy: Sounds like Hitler right whose main goal is to rule and inferior class and in this case do the Valkyries have the Nazi’s doing their bidding? Just how powerful are these spells?

Fantasy or reality? Which is it? So many situations described that lead the reader and the cast of characters from war-torn villages to areas of occupied Korea spanning from San Francisco to the permafrost in Iceland. No planes needs for these adepts as they can travel by magic carpet or cloud, travel by ship or even by train as Kader races to get the Hammer Of Thor and place in the right hands. Lessons learned by many as Joe/Francis must decide who to trust, where his life will go, the importance of the talisman and understand the power of objects as each individual talisman has its own special powers used to protect the holder from harm and much more. Imagine having an object that can control the actions or thoughts of another or even kill them.

The FBI, the police and different guilds are all after the Kader for one reason or another. Bodies piling up, adepts easily spotted, spies on the run and several disappearing acts that leave the reader spellbound and wondering just who is visible and who is not. One woman who seems to be three steps ahead of Kader and who has something he so desperately wants and needs to survive. What will happen if he does not come through with the Talisman and Fritz cashes on knowing his real name?
Just what would happen and how powerful would Hitler become is he could collect and own every talisman using them to read the minds of the members of the Supreme Allied Command? Kader continues to hunt for Morgan, finds her and together with other members of her guild form what most would say an unholy alliance. Kader wanting the Katana Samurai returned to him and Morgan the Hammer of Thor. The web of deceptiveness increases, each side using different spells to control the others. Who will come out ahead as we move forward to 1950 but before we witness the dramatic ending to part two one which you will not believe and cause the reader to be under the spell created by Kader to keep you glued to the printed page. Will the Talisman be returned to their rightful owners and what will happen if they are?

Part three begins in 1950 and there is much more to tell before all is said and done. Trips to Korea, Japan, the states and even meeting with the Icelanders and Thor himself as well as battles of the Hammer and who will finally possess this powerful talisman. Battles won, lost, friendships destroyed, deceptions revealed and one final encounter that will send the reader over the edge of more than a snow bank as many worlds collide and only the best will survive. Who lives, who comes out in one piece, what will the fate of the guilds be? The author and Kader invoked a SILENCE SPELL on me and made me promise never to reveal the explosive ending and all that happens in Book Three for fear of losing the Protection Spell around me preventing me from any harm. Watch out for the adepts, lesser and even more let’s hope Kader survives to come back for more. Lessons that can be learned by world leaders and countries today regarding peace and understanding and even more as one man seeks to unite all of the guilds under the umbrella he created called the American Meta Association. Will that unite everyone? Could we use a Kader? You decide!

Fran Lewis: Reviewer
This book gets: FIVE GOLD HAMMERS FOR KADER

[Mari Sloan]

This sounds like an action-packed, complex fantasy! Thank you for the review!