Another Buddhist fiction review:
This was a great surprise, a refreshingly different story with lots of action and a Buddhist world view. The characters were likable, complex and well developed, the plot strong and well-paced. The imagery, though not my idea of the Bardos – my understanding comes from Tibetan Buddhism – was interesting and well described. For someone as well read as I, giving me that impression is no mean feat. I really like the cover as well, it gives a good sense of how different it is.
Anyone who enjoyed The Diamond Peak Series would also enjoy this and visa versa. They share the great story with a Buddhist basis, the mix of budding romance and adventure, and the creative imagery.
Really what’s not to like? Unfortunately the book could do with another proofread. We have several instances of ‘to’ instead of ‘too’ and ‘of’ instead of ‘off’. Had I been looking at it with a more critical eye, I suspect that I’d have found more issues; these are just what leaped out at me. For this reason I really should have deducted a whole star, but since this is the first review the book has received and the story really deserves a better launch, I’m giving it 4.5. As is it wouldn’t pass Awesome Indies approval, but a proofread is an easy thing to do. Many books with perfect proofreading aren’t nearly as good in the elements that make for a really good read.
The story:
Nam wants her Mum back. Simple. Okay, so her Mum’s dead, which is a problem, but Nam died as well when the earthquake and tsunami smashed their hotel in Thailand.
Nam didn’t just see her Mum after they died; they fought together in the Bardo, the place every soul goes before moving onto their next life. Together they’d driven back the spirits of evil sent to ensnare them by the Mara, the Buddhist Devil, who also just happens to be Nam’s ancient Ancestor.
Her Mum makes a pact with the devil, enslaving herself to him, but keeping Nam safe and spinning back into her life in tsunami smashed Thailand.
Along with the attractive and mysterious Simon, she has to find a path back to the Bardo and battle illusions and demons to rescue her Mum from the Devil’s clutches.
If she fails, she not only loses her Mother, but her own soul as the devil’s plaything for all eternity.
Lotus Blood is a paranormal romance/fantasy adventure of 92,000 words/approximately 365 pages and is Book 1 in the Lotus Series.
