Goetia (Hellgate London)
by Mel Odom
Futuristic apocalyptic battle: good against evil,
demons and humans
GOETIA, the second book in Mel
Odom's Hellgate London
trilogy is a prelude media tie-in to the Hellgate London online role
playing game. Having developed the two major characters in the first
book, Exodus, Mel Odom takes
the reader into the intricacies of the characters, the history, and the
world as it has been transformed since the entry of the demons through
the Hellgate portal.
Four years ago, demons en masse entered London through a Hellgate
portal. Set in 2024, this second book in the trilogy opens 4 years
after the cataclysmic event of the first book, 4 years after a battle
in which the Templars sacrificed themselves in a battle to thwart or at
least delay the demons. In Goetia, Simon Cross, a rogue Templar, is put
to the test while Warren Schimmer, bound by a demon, tries to survive.
Having once dismissed the Templars' story of demons, Simon now takes up
the spirit of his late father's mission even as other surviving
Templars and the Cabalists attempt to thwart him at every turn.
Templars want to destroy the demons whereas the Cabalists want to study
demons and harness their power. Warren's relationship with the demon
Merihim becomes more complex as he tries to disentangle himself from
the Faustian bargain that bound him to the demon in mind and body. Will
his new ally be able to break Warren free from his bondage and to what
end? As the battle enters into the fourth year, greed and other much
more nefarious objectives permeate previously natural political
alliances and rivalries. As Simon and Warren fight to preserve
themselves, the once clear but now less tangible line between friend
and foe might endanger not only them but any hope for a human inhabited
world. Can Simon, a man of honor fighting for good, save the world and
humanity? Will Warren free himself of the demon's hold? Can anyone
survive the opening of another portal, Goetia?
GOETIA will appeal
to both players and non role playing book-lovers alike. Mel Odom paints
an awesome picture of a landscape that changes as the demons transform
it in a Burn. In futuristic London, now inhabited by demons, the worst
case disaster scenario plays out. Basic survival needs disappear. Power
no longer preserve what very little food remained. Community resources
and support no longer exist. The last remnant of people in London, now
scavengers, turn against one another in a struggle for daily survival
when the mere need for sustenance exposes a person to the horrible
death, by human or demon. The death count is unmeasurable. Set against
this backdrop, ancient organizations battle for supremacy against each
other and the demons.
In the second book, Mel Odom takes the characters so finely developed
in the first book and allows the reader an even richer insight into
their motivations and conflicts. Armed with cutting edge technology and
ancient arcane wisdom, Simon Cross must look within himself like never
before. In a doomed world, the choices he makes reveal a sense of honor
and integrity that goes far beyond the all of duty in this fight of
ultimate good and evil. Warren also looks more deeply into himself to
harness the strength needed to break free. His growing powers within
and an unusual guide in his personal battle create depth and suspense
right up until the final earth-shattering revelation!
In GOETIA, Mel Odom increases
the level of intrigue several notches as political alliances entangle
characters, creating deeper and deeper levels of danger. The battles
and the battle strategies intrigue while new twists in alliances create
a breathtakingly eerie vision of a futuristic world teetering on
destruction as demons and humans enter the ultimate fight between good
and evil. GOETIA mixes
unforgettable imagery of zombies, demons and Goetia itself with fast,
riveting action. Mel Odom enriches this story with Biblical references,
medieval history, H.P. Lovecraft and even a look into Aleister Crowley,
a historical figure, famed (and infamous as well) for his studies of
demonology. Mel Odom creates an awesome work of science fiction as he
infuses futuristic with ancient and modern history in this classic
archetypal battle of good versus evil, a battle that Mel Odom paints
with his own unique insights and originality that both resonates and
thrills. GOETIA will appeal to readers and science fiction lovers
wanting a powerful imaginative kind of read that looks at things like
honor and hope in the very worst of times. The ending will have readers
chafing at the bit to read the third book!
Publisher: Pocket Star (February 2008)
Series: Hellgate London
