Review: Banshee by Terry Maggert

Description

Banshee

Terry Maggert

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Cities Fall. Dragons Rise. War Begins.

The war for earth began in Hell. First came the earthquakes. Then came the floods. Finally, from the darkened mines, caves and pits, the creatures of our nightmares boiled forth to sweep across the planet in a wave of death.

Mankind, on the run and unprepared, is not alone. We have dragons.

Emerging from their slumber, giant dragons select riders to go to war. Their forces strike back at the legions of demons that attack on the night of every new moon. The Killing Moon, as it becomes known, is the proving ground for warriors of skill and heart. Among the riders is Saavin, a brave young woman from the shattered remains of Texas. Her dragon, Banshee, is swift and fearless, but they will need help to fight a trio of monstrous creatures that Hell is using to take cities one by one.

With the help of French Heavener, a warrior of noble intent, Banshee and Saavin will launch a desperate defense of New Madrid, the last city standing. But first, they’ll have to go into the very cave where demons bide their time until the sun fades and the moon is black.

The hope of mankind rests on dragon’s wings and the bravery of Saavin and French. 

They have the guts. They have the guns. 

They have dragons. 

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Review

Seventy years before the book began, dragons and demon-like monsters appeared.  The demons ravaged the world, reducing the twenty-first century society into one of desperation, fear, and death.  Only the dragons provided sufficient defense against the creatures.  Years later, only various gatherings remain, scattered across the globe.  One city, perhaps the last hope for humanity, still stands, but they know something worse is coming and must find a way to defend themselves from both within and without.

All things considered, Banshee by Terry Maggert was an interesting book.  It is neither my favorite nor least favorite, but it kept me entertained throughout.  I had never read a book quite like this before.  The dragons are what drew me and they did not disappoint!

The book was slightly confusing at first.  For one thing, every other chapter or so broke from the main storyline to present journal entries of witnesses of the first demon attacks.  It took me a while to figure out how to identify them (by the word “Dragons” at the beginning and the year and source at the end) and that they had little to do with the book except background information. 

In addition, when characters were introduced, the author gave a full background on each before continuing with the story.  All this did is make me confused as to who was who, who was still alive, when events happened, and what it all had to do with the general plot.  The presentation reminded me of the style in which books were written in the past rather than the normal presentation of modern-style books; it was a little less personal and more descriptive.  I enjoyed the presentation a little, but it was too confusing at the beginning.  

Aside from that, the author did a good job with the world-building, character development, and the plot.  The demons were often based off of mythological creatures or dinosaurs; the dragons were intelligent and wise.  There were bloody battles, politics, and schemes.  There was death, love, and victory. 

I enjoyed the plot and world-building very much and would recommend this book to those who enjoy post-apocalyptic fiction and dragons.

I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.