The Brimstone Network

Since the earliest days of civilization, humanity has always stood a fragile step away from the dark forces that exist in other realms, and the Brimstone Network--in one form or another--has always protected and maintained that veil. However, the testing of the atomic bomb during World War II damaged the magickal barrier separating Earth from the other realms, and Elijah Stone, leader of the Brimstone Network, refuses to let his guard down now that the Earth is in more danger than ever. One day, his worst fears come true, and a well-orchestrated attack of demons, trolls, and other nightmarish creatures brings the Network to a violent end. To Elijah's son, Abraham, the struggles of the Brimstone Network take place a whole world away. Shuttled to different schools all his life, he is now holed up in the Himalayan monastery of P'Yon Kep, where his father had hoped Bram would learn to control the specter power that he inherited from his mother. When a heavily scarred man named Mr. Stitch arrives at the monastery to tell Bram that his father is dead and it is up to the two of them to rebuild the Network from scratch, Bram can hardly believe it... ...until the Yeti attack. Bram realizes fast that, to keep the rest of humanity safe, he has to own up to his responsibility and become the leader that his father meant him to be. Quickly, he and Mr. Stitch work to gather their resources, for the mastermind behind the Network's end has larger plans to end humanity's rule on the earth forever, and, any day now, may discover that Bram exists. A well-told, action-packed story that reads almost like a graphic novel, the mesh of monsters, magick, and mayhem here will appeal specifically to older preteens who like a darker, more violent edge to their stories. Please note that the level of gore and squishy monster death may be too much for the squeamish. Reviewed by: Allison Fraclose

Hi, I am a fourteen year old who happened to stumble upon your book, and surprisingly...loved it. The Brimstone Network was a very interesting book, at the least. I personally, wasn't really interested in the book when I first got it, but after I started reading it, I couldn't put it down. If you really want to know, I stayed up till 2:00am reading it. I loved everything about it. Supernatural world and real world, divided by a magickal barrier. Yes, I said magickal. I like how you formatted the Atomic Bomb into the book. Now, what interested me most was that the kid, Abraham Brimstone, was about my age. Any book that puts a teenager as the main character has to be good in some way in my opinion. I also liked the different abilities of the new Brimstone Network. I liked Bogey the most. Keep making those books! Can't wait till the 2nd book comes out in December.

Anyone who loves action/fantasy stories with good guys, bad guys, cool powers, and kid-heroes will dig Brimstone. In the fight against evil, Elijah Stone was a force of good. He bravely led a group of sorcerers and warriors called The Brimstone Network. After an unexpected attack, the Network is almost all wiped out, and Elijah is among those who have fallen. His son, Bram, inherits the responsibility of leading the Network. Only thirteen years old, this young sorcerer has to quickly learn who to trust and how to channel his true nature as he assembles a new Network and gathers potential members - some of which are just as young and inexperienced as he, but each of which has a special supernatural ability. Tom Sniegoski has created a very cool series here. The Brimstone Network is brimming with action, magic, and suspense. The ending of the first book was perfect: it satisfied the first big battle involving Bram and his new ragtag team, and it hinted at things to come. I really liked the book - as if you couldn't already tell! - and cannot wait for the next one. This is the start of a series, with Book Two: The Shroud of A'ranka coming out in December 2008 and Book Three: Specter Rising coming out in January 2009. I'm anxious to see what becomes of the new members of the Network, and I wonder what new and old villains will pop up.

I'm wondering why there is a plethora of books fairly recently published with the Apocalypse as the central event. "The Brimstone Network" is another title to be added to this unsettling subject. A well-told tale of evil spirits slipping into the land of humans through tears in the veil between worlds, this futuristic fantasy seems more now than future. One of the worst of the worst and a former human, Crowley is the special specter that stirs evil beings to life, then hate and blood thirst. In fact, in this, Book 1, he forces the turn of a Brimstone agent to do his bidding. What is the Brimstone Network? It is a special agency of humans working ferociously and diligently in protecting the world from an invasion of evil spirits from other worlds way beyond the Pale. Book 1 is about the the destruction of the first Brimstone Network, led by Elijah Stone, and the establishing of the New Network, which passes from father to son. A twelve-year-old, Bram has been trained to be a leader, who must use his special gifts. To set up a new network, he must find others with special gifts. How he assembles them and how they learn to work together is a major crux of the story. The other is the malignant growth of the evil empire on Earth, so to speak, with Crowley as their leader. They do have a special weapon, the sister of the turned agent. How she is to be used is a deliberate design to destroy the world as we know it and let in ALL evil spirits with Crowley as the ultimate leader. The book was so believable I easily suspended all disbelief as I read. Rifting? Oh, yes, I'm sure it's possible. Another point: Train up a child in the way he should go and he will go there. Bram questions his abilities to lead until action surrounds him and he very capably leads by drawing on his intense training. This is an interesting book and promises to be a rousing series. Book 2 is "The Shroud of A'Ranka," which comes out in October.