Sorcerer

Michael Thorn, former special forces operative and recently retired LA detective, looks forward to a quiet life in New England with his wife and young children. He has purchased an old Victorian mansion in Cedar Ridge, a village not far from Salem, Massachusetts. But as he arrives at his new home, his old warrior instincts begin to awaken. A fear he never knew while deployed on his missions seeps into his bones as he traverses his new home. In the basement, behind a centuries old wall, he discovers a bullet-riddled skeleton. When he returns with the local law enforcement, the skeleton is gone and the only clue is skeletal footprints that lead away from the cave-like tomb. An old evil, one thought imprisoned forever, walks the earth once again. As the ancient Egyptian sorcerer that once battled Moses seeks to regain his former power, others race to stop him. But will Thorn, a country sheriff, an elderly professor, experienced priest and a shadowy group known as the Assinini be able to stop him? This book moves, for the most part, at a fast clip toward an uncertain ending. At times slowed by backstory, the author still manages to draw the reader into this chilling story.

I think this was a pretty good work from Huggins considering. it had action and a good story line. It took it a couple chapters to get off the ground, but its climax wasn't a one page event...oh no it lasted over at least forty pages which i thought was quite nice. Nightbringer by him had me worried, but the SCAM and now this are two good action novels that could easily be movies.

Like many of Huggin's other books, "Sorcerer" is a fast paced action read with a Christian twist, but I think Huggin's true gift lies in giving the reader a non-preachy insight into the nature and forms of faith within the framework of an exciting pace. His characters are believable as people and in their various approaches to God. Thorn, the hero, is a man who's never given faith much thought until confronted with supernatural evil. During his battles with the sorcerer Jannes, we see the quiet faith of his wife, Rebecca, the faith in action approach of the Assassini Artemis, the more traditional expressions of faith of Father Trevor, and the intellectual approach to faith of Professor Adler. Working together, the expressions of faith provide a united front against unimaginable evil. In all of his books, Huggin's understanding of the nature of evil is revealing and thought provoking. Evil's manipulation of the ordinary, the mundane, the people next door....classic fiction mirroring life. "Sorcerer" works on a lot of levels. I highly recommend it.

An ancient sorcerer rises again. A retired law officer finds his family in danger. A secretive arm of the Catholic Church comes to his aid in a battle against this formidable evil. Sure, this may sound like familiar ground to Huggins' fans. Since his early days, Huggins' has written stories of the battle between good and evil. From "Wolf Story" to "Cain" to "Nightbringer," he has marked this struggle with his unique brand of action, larger-than-life characters, and allegorical shadings. Even in "Rora," his historical masterpiece, he used such a conflict as his setting. "Sorcerer" is no different. And yet, it may be his best yet. Some felt that "Cain" blurred the lines, and others thought that "Nightbringer" was a re-tread of sorts, but "Sorcerer" feels fresh. Not only does it add a clear spiritual element to a titanic clash, it adds depth with its historical insights. The characters are heroic, while still seeming approachable. The premise bends genres and stretches credulity, but Huggins' narrative pulls us in and straps us to our seats. If you've been waiting for a fantastic thriller, with spiritual insights and non-stop action, Huggins has delivered. This is one book you don't want to miss.

Nobody, and I mean nobody, can write action scenes like James Byron Huggins. The plot to this one follows the his highly successful formula of man against the unbeatable foe (seen in "Leviathan", "Cain", "Hunter" and "Nightbringer"), but this time there's a twist: sheer force and power can't defeat this foe. Jannes, one of the sorcerers who faced down Moses himself, has survived thousands of years and is back (and more than a little upset). Michael Thorn, a retired police officer, has just purchased the house hiding Jannes's tomb. See where this is going? As the sorcerer is released, he gains power. Soon he will be unstoppable. Thorn must find a way to take him down or his family will die. But this time, brute strength and bullets won't take this enemy down. Thorn must find a way to believe in a God he's never known. Huggins has the unique ability to create some amazing secondary characters. In this case, it's an Assassini named Artemis, who could take down Rambo, the Terminator, and Riddick without breaking a sweat. Huggins's knowledge of combat and weapons comes into play here frequently adding a realism not seen in a lot of novels. If you've enjoyed Huggins before, this will only add to the delight. His writing matures with each novel, and I can't wait to see what's coming next. There are no slow spots in this book--from the creepy beginnings to the showdown worthy of any Hollywood action flick--and you'll find yourself flying through the pages.