Welcome one and all to my stop on the book tour in association with Black Phoenix Book Tours for A.D. Jones's Umbrate! Are you a fan of fantasy novels? How about thrillers? Well, author A.D. Jones has got you covered! Packed with twists, turns, and so much drama, this book is sure to keep you glued!
Something new this way comes. Wonder what it is? It’s a book called Umbrate. Umbrate is a fantasy thriller novel by A.D. Jones that will draw you in and keep you glued to the pages to the very end.
Author Jones welcomes readers to a city called Dalton. Dalton is where Detective Vanic Bradley lives and works. Vanic is dealing with some tough days ahead of him. Work is driving him hard, but when a particular sting doesn’t go as planned, it sets up a nasty situation that he will have to fight to survive. Not just for himself, but for his young son as well.
Umbrate is an intriguing novel that lures you in first with it’s unique cover. You’ll see a character glancing back over his shoulder that you can safely conclude to be Detective Vanic Bradley. Behind him, you’ll see a dark shadowy figure that appears menacing and dangerous. The cover gives readers that this may be a story of an entity out for revenge or something just as sinister.
Umbrate begins with a prologue that takes readers many centuries back in time. You get a sneak peek at a band of characters who end up fighting for their lives against creatures that seem to step out of the night itself. They are swift, dangerous, deadly, and difficult to take down – these creatures. But they are not invincible. They can be killed, but it’s a hard-fought battle, and there are no guarantees, especially in close quarters, that you’ll come out alive.
Now, fast forward to the present day and this is where Detective Vanic Bradley makes his appearance. Umbrate appears to just focus on an average everyday situation for Vanic. He wakes up, greets the day, the woman he’s in love with, and goes into the job. On his desk is a mysterious little envelope that holds within it something seemingly innocuous – tickets to a couple of upcoming events. Vanic doesn’t think much of it and for the most part...neither will you. Well, unless you’re like the few of us who are immediately suspicious of unexpected gifts. LOL! Especially when you’re a cop and as the character notes...could be viewed as a bribe.
As the story progresses you’re going to learn quite a few things about Vanic. He has some deep-seated issues towards certain citizens of Dalton. To be fair though – he’s not the only one, and this will be noted in a way that will leave readers a bit curious, and mildly confused. Don’t worry though, it will become clearer...just later on in the story. So, just keep any questions you may develop close at hand because the answers are there. You just have to wait for them.
The story takes an interesting twist that brings in the drama when a sting goes awry. While one perp is caught, another manages to escape. Yikes, right?! Honestly, it’s to be expected, but while the escapee makes a threat of revenge, it takes a minute for things to begin to fall into place. It doesn’t happen in the way that you would typically expect to see play out. We’re not complaining now mind you! We like that this is handled in such a unique fashion.
Wondering where the elves and dwarves are? They are there in the story! They’re sprinkled here and there, but the author also has a couple come in and take center stage by being helpers to our hero. You’re absolutely going to love the nod that author Jones does to one of the most epic fantasy series in history, the LOTR. It is both humorous and awesome at the same time.
The thriller aspect of this fantasy novel really ramps up when a murder is committed and “tastefully” highlighted with a nice little sign just for our detective. Cue panic amongst the masses. Fun times ahead ladies and gentlemen! Compound the situation with Vanic’s son is with him and the tension just got ratcheted up to the next level with ease. Be prepared to be kept on the edge of your seat as you wonder – “What is going to happen next?” “Who is going to be next?” “Where is the author going with this book?” “Is it possible to put thisbook down...even for a minute?” Here’s the easy answer to that last question...no. LOL! The rest? Well, you’ll have to grab a copy of Umbrate to find out for yourself.
Author Jones does a really good job of keeping a reader engaged in the storyline. You’re going to find yourself on the edge of your seat as the danger plays out on the page. While Vanic races against the odds and the clock to find a killer, he has no idea that the odds are trying to stack against him. Author Jones hides in the pages that there is more going on in this book than meets the eye. You are absolutely going to love it.
Now, as you know, this is a fantasy thriller. Emphasis on the fantasy elements, and emphasis on the thriller. A quick question we’re sure you’re having...will there be murder? Ya know, since this is a thriller? The simple answer – yes. Anything overly graphic on the page? Eh, that depends on you the reader. For us? We love a good dose of gore. LOL! So, there are some areas with finer detail, but that’s not the case with every scene depicted in this book.
Umbrate is an interesting story packed with some interesting twists. You are also going to get some flashbacks to Vanic’s youth that will help you better understand some of his personal viewpoints. Readers are definitely going to appreciate how author Jones goes on to develop Vanic’s character over the story.
Umbrate brings a lot to the reader and keeps you entertained, overall, from the first chapter all the way to the end. We wish we could say that the prologue ties into the story, but it unfortunately doesn’t. The centuries separate them, and if there was a connection meant to be made...it’s a miss.
For our first time reading a fantasy thriller, we have to say that overall… we were more than thrilled with this book and look forward to more like it in the future. For readers who love urban fantasy novels, this one is worth checking out. Enjoy a good thriller that will keep you page-turning? Then this one fits the bill just as well! Don’t miss out and grab a copy of Umbrate today!
Pros:
- Engaging storyline
- Unique fantasy creature
- Nice variety of characters
- Good evolution of main character
- Page-turner
- Twists and surprises
Cons
- The prologue doesn’t tie into the rest of the story
- Some terms aren’t explained until much later in the story
4.5 out of 5 stars
Thank you to the author, A.D. Jones, and Black Phoenix Book Tours for the opportunity to read and review this book. We look forward to what comes next!
Umbrate
by A.D Jones
Black Phoenix Book Tours
February 27-March 01
Welcome to Dalton
Home to Humans, Dwarves, Elves and the
shadowy Umbral Populace.
Detective Vanic Bradley works
hard to keep the peace, coming down hard on the criminal underbelly
of the city.
After putting his life on the line multiple
times in recent weeks, all he wanted was a day off work to spend time
with his son, and re-evaluate his place in the world - but forces
beyond his control have other ideas.
For reasons unknown,
he will find himself in a race against time as two hundred innocent
citizens become collateral damage in a murderous plot centred around
him.
Umbrate is the debut Urban Fantasy crime thriller by
A.D Jones, that will offer up his take on a fantasy setting that
should be welcomed by many readers, regardless of their genre tastes.
Universal link for the book on Amazon
About the Author
A.D Jones lives in the North of England; where he spends his time
favouring books over people and can be found writing or devouring
said books to review online. He loves Cola, Twin Peaks, cult movies
and all things horror. He dislikes the movie ‘The Karate Kid’
with a passion that burns brighter than the sun.
You can
find him on Instagram - the_evergrowing_library
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