Zorachus

You cannot read this book without being affected. I first read _Zorachus_ back in the mid-1980s. It was out of print for many, many years. My own copy was a treasured item to be passed carefully from friend to friend. Mark Rogers was one of the authors that I looked for on almost every trip to the bookstore. I was delighted when his Blood of the Lamb series was published. The story takes a bright, young rising star in the White Order and follows his hero's journey. There are several aspects of _Zorachus_ that are stunning. First, Mark Rogers knows more than a little about organized religion and aspects of good and evil. His religious orders are meticulously and realistically detailed. You can imagine the litanies that Rogers describes being chanted in hallowed and damned vaults. Second, his world is alive. When you close your eyes, you can imagine the Qanar-Sharaj, the Western ocean, and lady Khymir. Third, his characters are well developed and engaging. You find yourself drawn into Zorachus' struggles and triumphs - even when you would prefer not to. Finally, the execution is remarkable. Rogers description of the descent into evil is complete. Nicely done! One caveat, and it is a significant one, this is not a book to read to the kiddies. It is definitely gritty, adult fiction.

... and the outcome is never certain until you put it down after the last page.First things first: I would strongly advise that before you buy this title, you secure purchase of the sequel also. You're going to want it, and you'll likely have a hard time finding it.When recommending books to friend and family, I have two mental list. For my co-workers and family, the list is topped by good books I've read that are somewhat mainstream sci-fi or fantasy.But when a good friend asks for something to read, I'm likely to first hand them my copy of Zorachus. The other reviewers here have done a good job of summarizing the details for you, but I'll add my bit to it now.This is NOT a book for the faint-hearted, the prudish, or the easily offended. Zorachus is like The Wheel of Time would have been if R. Jordan had EB White's gift for brevity and the Marquis de Sade's eye for torture.Take a pure-hearted man, brought up in the best and fairest traditions of goodness, justice, and peace, and throw him in downtown Gomorrah with an incredibly wealthy inheritance and a fair amount of power. You know it'll start out with him trying to do good, but what happens after the first ten rounds of beggar's are fed and they don't stop coming around? It's like a super-nightmarish version of the old "You inherited a mansion, but to keep it you have to spend the night there - and it's haunted" story.But within even the cesspool our hero finds some bits of goodness to hang onto. Will it be enough, or will he fall into the evil that surrounds him? Then once the question is answered, you'll have to read the sequel to see what happens next.It's too bad this book has been out of print for so long. Good luck finding it, because I'm not selling you mine :)

The chilling details of Zorachus' fall from Grace and decent into madness are well thought out. The magic system that is used is very fresh and original. The dept of 'darkness' and depravity is unlike anything I've ever read in a fictional book before. It's real close to reality and that's the frightening part. Read just the first 5 pages and see if you can put it down. The story concludes in The Nightmare of God, but Mr. Rogers decided to take us on a completely different trip with the next 3 in The Blood of the Lamb series. Get them! Read Them!

Zorachus is one of the finest novels I have ever read (and believe me I have read a lot). The imagination and excitement that is put into this book is amazing. The story is fast paced, the characters well thought out, and the settings are absorbing. If you like a thought provoking, original story this is one for you. Also, follow it up by reading the others that come after: Nightmare of God, The Expected One, The Devouring Void, The Riddled Man, and last but certainly not least, the newly released, Blood and Pearls (Zancharthus Book 1). They are all well worth whatever it takes to get them. It is a truly epic series and I can't wait for the next book to follow.