Exodus (Hellgate London)
by Mel Odom
Cutting edge science and legend merge in an
apocalyptic battle against demons
The first
novel in the HELLGATE LONDON,
Mel Odom's EXODUS provides
readers and game players with a prelude set eighteen years before the
role playing interactive computer game. Mel Odom's book will appeal not
only to game lovers but also to a more general action fiction
readership who crave legendary history, technology and intriguing
characters.
On All Hallow's
Eve 2020 Thomas Cross, a Templar sworn to protect
London to his death, enters the battle for which he has dedicated his
entire life. Prepared for death, survival signifies failure in a battle
against demons that have arrived through a portal and now threaten
devastation beyond anything the world has never known. Armed with
Nanodyne armor and arcane knowledge unavailable to the masses, Thomas
enters battle, indeed his destiny. His son Simon trained as a Templar
but rejected his legendary heritage in the disbelief of the reality of
demons while also wanting to make his own way in the world. Now Simon
conducts safaris in the wild lands of South Africa with Saundra
McIntyre, sometimes encountering poachers in dangerous though less
mythical fights than those of Templar legends. Returning to Cape Town
after a particularly perilous action-packed encounter, Simon realizes
he must return home to London in search of his father. When others are
risking everything to get out of the apocalyptic mayhem that has laid
waste to London, Simon risks his life to return. While others tell of
aliens arriving, Simon now knows the truth behind his childhood Templar
training --- somehow demons have been unleashed and all the tales he
heard were not fairy tales or the delusions of his elders.
The general
populace faces unfathomable devastation beyond the
worst natural disasters. Power outages render people and technology
helpless. Food and water become scarce while smoke darkens the sky. All
normal services, substructures and civilization are no more. An attempt
at escape or even emergence to look for basic necessities risks
encounters with demons.
Set against the
battle with the demons, two ancient organizations
face the demons and each other in a subplot to the main battle between
humans and demons. The Templars, driven underground in 1307 by Philip
the Fair, now reside in secret chambers underneath London behind the
subway system, teaching their heirs the stories of King Arthur and the
responsibilities of knighthood. The Cabalists, fed on the works of
Aleister Crowley and H.P. Lovecraft, seek to study demons rather than
to do battle against them. A Cabalist invites Warren Schimmer to their
enclave after recognizing his potential during one demon encounter. As
Warren's powers grow, so do the risks --- risks with possible
consequences both personal and widespread. In the battle against the
demons' onslaught, Mel Odom pits organization against organization and
man against man as internal politics and personal jealousies arise. The
outcome promises not to be simple when one member makes a Faustian
bargain that might endanger the entire human world.
EXODUS is a
magnificent opening to a trilogy, setting up powerful
characters, legends and personal histories as a background. The reader
is drawn into the characters of both Simon and Warren as their personal
histories make them multi-dimensional and indeed mythical. The powerful
portrait of father and son relationships complements the fast-paced
action, adding depth and personal stakes into the approaching
apocalypse. Fierce loyalties and resentments undergird dynamic
adrenaline-high action. Mel Odom displays a sweeping and thorough
command of history and literature as well as more modern pop culture,
making the world of HELLGATE LONDON
a riveting read that gives more and
more delight with each new finely embedded precise detail. Mel Odom
captures the magic and lure of ancient history, merging elemental
forces with physical science and modern technology in a trilogy that
will appeal to action lovers, computer gamers, Medievalists and
Moderns, and just about anyone who loves a great science fiction or
dark fantasy read. EXODUS,
Book One of HELLGATE, LONDON
is a brilliant
tale from a master storyteller.
Publisher: Pocket Star (June 2007)
Series: Hellgate London
