DEATH’S DISCIPLES is in its essence the description of one young man’s efforts, with some unusual and unpredictable allies, to survive a siege and escape from the terrifying, overpowered besiegers. However, in and among the vivid and action-filled descriptions of battle, daring escapes via rooftops and balconies, and the cruel and ferocious martial powers called on by besiegers and besieged alike, author Dustin L. Herriman manages to include a surprising amount of truly creative and well-thought-out worldbuilding and background. He creates a unique and intriguing religion, centered around worship of the God of Death, Thanaki, Who interacts with and gives His followers strange psychic powers and abilities. He tells the history of Thanaki’s disciples, and his point-of-view protagonist Zakul’s own individual backstory, clearly and naturally, as if we’re hearing the tale from Zakul himself, and as the story continues, more and more interesting details and backstories reveal themselves without ever feeling dull or overexplanatory.
The world Herriman’s created ends up feeling both real and fascinatingly unique, the characters well-rounded and three-dimensional, and the magical and supernatural aspects of it feel plausible, with limits, constraints, and possibilities that do a lot to help shape the plot. This is not a book for the squeamish or weak of stomach, however – it is, after all, an extended description of a long battle, and there is quite a bit of graphic and intense violence, with no way to skip over it without missing most of the book. There are also enough daring escapes, clever plots, and plot twists to keep the action going until the very end – adrenaline junkies will find much to enjoy in this book. For such a long book, however, there is a lot left out. The motivations and even the full identity of the attackers is never revealed, and the plot is left hanging at a very dramatic moment, leaving the reader eagerly awaiting more of the story. Hopefully, Herriman will continue the story in a sequel or two, because there is much here that needs resolution, and because the story and the world are well-designed enough to deserve one.
DEATH’S DISCIPLES manages to pack excellent worldbuilding and a fascinating religious premise into what is essentially a book-length battle for survival against an unknown and powerful enemy.
~Catherine Langrehr for IndieReader