| Wicked Karnival Review
By Nancy Jackson Witchblood Written by Timothy Whitfield KHP Publisher www.khpindustries.com ISBN 0967922054 Pgs.288 $16.00 Witchblood will capture your soul and leave a small stain of your essence behind. Timothy Whitfield is a luminous author that one would be smart to keep a sharp eye on. With his refined style of divine pain and beauty mixed with dark fantasy and horror, he stands out like a symphony composer – conducting words in a meticulous cadence that keeps you locked in a trance from start to finish. Not only does Witchblood have a distinctive plot and ambience, it incorporates a lulling addiction that will make you crave more. The backdrop is Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, set in the nineteenth century. Darkness has found a playground and begs those among the withered roads to come play in its wreckage. Angela –a young fallen angel – is the only answer to saving those in the corrupt and depraved city. While her innocence is no match for the putrid infestation that looms among the alleys and contaminated buildings, her inner strength and courage is the key to survival. The shattered hope of the people rests on her luminous wings, tainted with the same blackened soot that covers the streets and walkways. Her character is powerful and draws you in with each breath she takes. Life for her has not been favorable, but she is every bit a warrior, with a soft heart and raw past. Like anyone, she finds the roads are paved with deception and temptation that threatens her chances to put an end to the evil once and for all. Each step of the way we battle the light and dark along with her, there is no easy way out. I found her character one I could relate to with her angst and insecurities. She is written with realism and honesty. I believe others will find similarities with her too. The other complex characters woven into the story, mirror much of what goes on in the modern world – an almost underground refuge for the discarded youth and those who are lost and lonely. They are considered the filth, debris – physically and emotionally starved, beggars that many would simply like to see fade away. They’ve given into the darkness and are left weak, surrendering each day until there is nothing left of their pride and sanity. Angela must rise above the chaos and fight for a better future, for all involved. She stands as a celestial portal into a place worth living in. Witchblood will take you down many beaten paths you may recognize as travels of your own. This is pure honesty at a gut-wrenching level, but done in a surreal and thought-provoking way. Timothy Whitfield will stir you with this haunting melody of words and emotions. |
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