THE DAMOCLES FILES: VOLUME ONE: RAGNAROK RISING (BOOK REVIEW by Jim Mcleod)Considering how ripe the second world war is for inspiration for horror/supernatural stories, it is a theme that has been relatively underused over the years. You could probably count on the fingers of one hand the number of horror novels produced over the last decade that have looked to this for inspiration. Apart from the two authors of The Damocles Files, I can only think of, other than the two authors of this novel, Mark West's The Exercise, in recent years, that has used this period of history as the backbone for a story. This is surprising as the Occult was so deeply rooted in the war with the Nazis obsession with gathering so-called occult weapons and how to use them to defeat the Allies. You would think authors would be clamouring over each other to mine the subject for a story. Considering that The Damocles Files is written by two authors who have previously dabbled in this area, Benedict Jones with Hell Ship and Anthony Watson with Witnesses, you would like to think that The Damocles Files is going to be the novel that kicks some life into this subgenre of horror. Taking some inspiration from Brian Lumleys' The Necroscope, The Damocles Files pits The Ministry of Information, a group of spies, soldiers and academics, against the forces of darkness who wish to bring about Ragnarok, pitted against Nazis and a mysterious ancient cult, can the brave boys and girls of the Ministry save the world from destruction. Those expecting a traditional novel narrative structure, be warned The Damocles Files, eschews this in favour of a series of short stories and novelettes, linked together by an overarching plot device. It is a brave move by the authors as novels like this always run the risk of feeling disjointed and fractured. However, this approach works perfectly for this book, as it lends the narrative a punchy, fast-paced feel that also makes it seem as though you are reading the story through the reports of those involved. But unlike say World War Z, you never feel bogged down by a slow and repetitive story. These vignettes hit hard and fast, rarely allowing the reader a moment to breathe, as the action tears along at a breakneck pace. If I had one complaint about this approach, it would be that I had a slight problem with keeping tabs on who was who during the initial chapters of the book. It could have done with keeping the pace slightly more restrained, to allow the reader to find their footing, rather than dropping the reader straight into what felt like a massive mythos, where you felt like you had just parachuted into the middle of a firefight. All the action left you feeling a little shell shocked. However, once you find your bearings, The Damocles Files, it doesn't disappoint in the slightest. One of the biggest problems with historical novels is a lack of a sense of time and place. Anachronisms are a blight for the historical novel; I despise them; whenever I see them, I get thrown out of the story, and I find it hard to get back into it. There is nothing worse than having a character sound nothing like they should. It's lazy writing, thankfully Jones and Watson have taken great care to ensure that doesn't happen here while still managing to be respectful of the fact that we aren't living in the 1940s, with regards to using language that wouldn't be acceptable today. The Damocles Files is a triumph in terms of time and place; you will feel that you are right there in the middle of the action as it happens. I loved how all the separate threads of the story slowly came together, to an amazing climatic battle; it would be fascinating to know precisely how the two authors went bout creating the novel, especially how they achieved what would feel like an impossible task of ensuring that these individual stories felt like an utterly coherent story. To the point where the mythos of the story feels so much greater than the story presented within its pages, it is a rare treat to read a story that hints at so much more. The mix of intrigue, action, and character development is spot on, with cinematic action sequences that explode of the page, balanced perfectly with the more subtle passages dedicated to the spies and academics of the novel; of course, there will be red herrings and double-crosses aplenty, it wouldn't be a brilliant spy novel if there weren't, but they never feel forced and more importantly they are never signalled. If you are looking for a novel that masterfully mixes spies, nazi wizards, bookworms, werewolves, Viking warriors, gigantic golems, and... (I'm going to keep that one to myself, suffice to say wait until you get to an amazing sea battle during the novels dramatic climax, trust me you ae in for a treat). In that case, this is the book for you. I'd be hard pushed to think of a recent novel that had such a thrilling and compelling narrative, and I could smell the woodbines and hear the glorious roar of Spitfires ringing in my ears as I devoured this spiffingly fantastic novel of derring-do. I may despise the song, but in the words of Dame Vera Lynn, I hope that with regards to The Damocles Files. I hope and pray "We'll Meet Again Don't know where don't know when," The Damocles Files: Volume One: Ragnarok Rising (The Damocles Files. Book 1) |
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