Author Dan E Hendrickson’s THE LIVING LEGEND follows Tommy Williams, a United States Navy SEAL, and Makena Ailee, a political campaigner against human trafficking in her native Kenya. With the world’s attention elsewhere, they join forces to conquer a shared enemy, an assassin known as the Chameleon. Hendrickson’s prose is exceptionally detailed. Opening with Tommy’s desire to take revenge for the murder of his father, the story then proceeds with a step-by-step account of his journey through the Army basic training cycle. With this comes a fair amount of technical jargon, which certainly succeeds in conveying the fierce conditions and grueling bodily abrasions. However, with no clear aim in sight, the careful attention paid to every detail can feel a little monotonous at times. The use of the present tense, likewise, leads to a relatively stilted account. Things do gain momentum towards the end, when storylines and characters converge in a breathless race against time.
In parts both augmented and suppressed by the plot’s politics, the narrative quickly splinters to follow several characters at once. This can feel somewhat disjointed at times, especially when tense scenes are broken up by the protagonist’s arbitrary flirtations: “Tommy’s eyes get gigantic and round as tingles in his skin tell him that he really likes how fast and easy this girl can put the sexy on.” However, the plot is predominantly action-driven, and often places momentum over clarity. To allow for this, the characters’ reasoning frequently comes across as clinical; an almost automated process of deduction. Epiphanies come too easily, resources seem to materialize whenever needed, and plans are cemented within seconds. All this makes for a smooth passage, but not a particularly demanding one. But with Islamic slave traders, an assassin, spies and kidnappings thrown into the mix, the story brims with intrigue. And while the relatively linear unfolding of events rids the narrative of tension, it does make for a fast-paced adventure. In particular, it’s Hendrickson’s multicultural take on unrest and tragedy that makes THE LIVING LEGEND so appealing. Drawing on the legacy of Makena’s great-grandfather, a great Kenyan slaver hunter, the story pays heed to the wealth of African culture that gives resonance to many such myths, whether factual or fictional.
Dan E Hendrickson’s THE LIVING LEGEND–a cyclonic adventure set in Kenya–treats readers to a myriad of locations, perspectives and cultural nuances. And while circumstances are continually presented in a slightly formulaic delivery, they certainly keep the wheels spinning.
~Neil Czeszejko for Indie Reader