Brother Sebastian is halfway up a mountain in Vermont, hell-bent on interrogating an old woman in a shack, when he gets the order to abandon his quest for personal vengeance. He has to find a missing Inquisitor, or, more likely, his remains. He’s reluctant, to say the least. Not only will he have to stop chasing the best potential lead he’s had in years, this job—his first solo mission—will mean setting foot in the grubby black hole of Providence, Rhode Island. And, somehow, it only gets worse…
If he’d known he would end up ass deep in witches, werewolves, and ogres, and that this mission would jeopardize not only his sanity but also his immortal soul, he never would’ve answered the damn phone.

I was so excited the day I received an e-mail about being a winner of a signed copy of this book. One, I rarely win anything and two, the whole reason I even entered the giveaway was because the book itself looked really interesting. Especially since I have been trying to branch out from my usual stream of mysteries and young adult paranormal books. But still, the cover looked dark and interesting and I was beyond interested in checking it out.

Every thing that appealed to me about the cover turned out to be that much better when you read the actual book. As a Junior Inquisitor, Brother Sebastian is forced away from his personal mission to find the witch that killed his wife and unborn child, in order to help check on a fellow Inquisitor who has failed to check in. From the first night he arrives in Providence, Sebastian finds himself in over his head in wave after wave of attacks from witches and their various minions. And with each beating he endures, he continues to seek out the answers he seeks.

The author did a great job of incorporating religious history, myths and practices with those of the darker side of the occult, such as Hoodoo, Voodoo and witchcraft. It may seem like an odd combination initially, but you quickly learn Sebastian is far from the cookie cutter image most people associate with a monk. At times he seems almost as if he’s a soldier or a spy, his movements are thought out and methodical when he finds himself in a bind. But it’s those brief moments when you get to experience the more human parts of him, during his conversations with Father Arnold, his grief over his wife and of course, his sarcasm about the Yankees, that really make him an enjoyable character to read about. I felt he was well rounded, despite the fact he is truly a broken character in desperate need to seek revenge.

Ironically, despite his being on the side of the proverbial “good”, its the darker moments of this book that really elevate the story to a new level. Perhaps its the sadist in me, but those moments when he meets the person behind all of the attacks are probably the best part of the book. Especially when Sebastian is told a great secret that is meant to break his spirit and nearly does. That particular twist was well handled and the execution of it was a beautiful example of an author’s ability to make you see what they want you to see, without any indication of what is really going on. But honestly, the best part of the book is the moment when you come to terms that despite all his self deprecation, Sebastian is truly a modest man who is doing far more good than he can even realize. He’s a broken man who is on the path to finding his true self after a tragic event. He’ll never be “perfect”. Which is absolutely okay with me, because perfection is boring. But I look forward to reading more about his journey.

Reviewer’s Note: This book was won through a giveaway hosted by One Book Two. I would like to say thank you to the hosts of that blog as well as the author, Lincoln S. Farish. I really enjoyed the book and I can’t wait to read more of his work.

Rating

Amazon

Pick up your copy on Amazon: Junior Inquisitor by Lincoln S. Farish