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Lest the Dew Rust Them
Terrorism in America has a new game…decapitations!
Homeland Security Director Robert Grimmson faces the task of catching five men in New York City. They call themselves the Sword Masters with a single minded plan of terror through decapitations.
Barely has the task begun when a new arrival at JFK is a man importing thousands of swords! Alexander Suten-Mdjai is a trainer in the deadly art of swordsmanship and Robert cannot help but believe there is a connection between him and the Sword Masters.
As he goes about the task, each step in his search is made more difficult through the interference of politicians, the media and his own government.
Robert’s examination constantly draws him back to Alexander who regales him with a tale of swordsmanship from his lineage featuring events of mankind’s bloody past and often oddly having a connection to the case before him.
With the clock ticking as New York collapses into a deep panic, he must catch the Sword Masters before it is too late!
Homeland Security Director Robert Grimmson faces the task of catching five men in New York City. They call themselves the Sword Masters with a single minded plan of terror through decapitations.
Barely has the task begun when a new arrival at JFK is a man importing thousands of swords! Alexander Suten-Mdjai is a trainer in the deadly art of swordsmanship and Robert cannot help but believe there is a connection between him and the Sword Masters.
As he goes about the task, each step in his search is made more difficult through the interference of politicians, the media and his own government.
Robert’s examination constantly draws him back to Alexander who regales him with a tale of swordsmanship from his lineage featuring events of mankind’s bloody past and often oddly having a connection to the case before him.
With the clock ticking as New York collapses into a deep panic, he must catch the Sword Masters before it is too late!
304 pages, Paperback
First published February 22, 2013
1 person is currently reading
238 people want to read
About the author
Michael Drakich
14 books77 followersWeaned on the likes of Asimov, Clarke, Heinlein and Tolkien; Michael Drakich brings a certain recognizable imagery to writing. "The old masters maintained certain criteria I believe essential. Central characters a reader can step into and emote with; where heroes come to exist, no matter how humble their beginnings." Michael's works bring an adventure for every reader to escape with. He invites you to once again feel the joy of reading Michael lives in the quaint neighbourhood of Olde Walkerville in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. Father to three, the family home is an historic Albert Kahn design built in 1895. When not writing, you can find Michael walking down the majestic trees lined streets. Writing is a passion of his that has led to the books you see featured here. It is his hope you enjoy his works.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
June 20, 2014
Synopsis: "Terrorism in America has a new game…decapitations!
Homeland Security Director Robert Grimmson faces the task of catching five men in New York City. They call themselves the Sword Masters with a single minded plan of terror through decapitations.
Barely has the task begun when a new arrival at JFK is a man importing thousands of swords! Alexander Suten-Mdjai is a trainer in the deadly art of swordsmanship and Robert cannot help but believe there is a connection between him and the Sword Masters.
As he goes about the task, each step in his search is made more difficult through the interference of politicians, the media and his own government.
Robert’s examination constantly draws him back to Alexander who regales him with a tale of swordsmanship from his lineage featuring events of mankind’s bloody past and often oddly having a connection to the case before him.
With the clock ticking as New York collapses into a deep panic, he must catch the Sword Masters before it is too late!"
My Review: This book was sent to me by the author for an honest review. I have to say, for some reason I kept putting off reading this book but once I got into it I was completely sucked in. It did take a while to get all the characters straight as you were kind of thrown in the middle of things (even though it was actually the beginning). The book definitely drew you in and made you keep reading to find out what was next, for me the main storyline really took a back seat to the stories of the swords. I absolutely devoured those stories and actually went back to read a couple of them again. If you are looking for a modern thriller/suspense/crime/mystery with a twist this is definitely the book for you.
Homeland Security Director Robert Grimmson faces the task of catching five men in New York City. They call themselves the Sword Masters with a single minded plan of terror through decapitations.
Barely has the task begun when a new arrival at JFK is a man importing thousands of swords! Alexander Suten-Mdjai is a trainer in the deadly art of swordsmanship and Robert cannot help but believe there is a connection between him and the Sword Masters.
As he goes about the task, each step in his search is made more difficult through the interference of politicians, the media and his own government.
Robert’s examination constantly draws him back to Alexander who regales him with a tale of swordsmanship from his lineage featuring events of mankind’s bloody past and often oddly having a connection to the case before him.
With the clock ticking as New York collapses into a deep panic, he must catch the Sword Masters before it is too late!"
My Review: This book was sent to me by the author for an honest review. I have to say, for some reason I kept putting off reading this book but once I got into it I was completely sucked in. It did take a while to get all the characters straight as you were kind of thrown in the middle of things (even though it was actually the beginning). The book definitely drew you in and made you keep reading to find out what was next, for me the main storyline really took a back seat to the stories of the swords. I absolutely devoured those stories and actually went back to read a couple of them again. If you are looking for a modern thriller/suspense/crime/mystery with a twist this is definitely the book for you.
April 4, 2013
This book was really, really good. It was action packed from beginning to end. I could hardly wait to finish and see what would happen.
September 9, 2016
When a group of men calling themselves the Sword Masters begin lopping off heads in New York city, homeland security director Robert Grimmson, is put on the case.
With no leads on who these men are, or what they want, he finds himself investigating a new arrival to the country, Alexander Suten-Mdjai. The thing that puts Suten-Mdjai on Robert’s radar? Nothing big…except that the man just imported thousands of swords into the country and calls himself a sword master.
Lest the Dew Rust Them is a pretty fascinating read. On one hand, we have these men, The Sword Masters, spreading fear and terror though the city as Grimmson despeartaly tries to find them. To make matters worse, their heinous acts threaten to put the city’s racial tensions over the edge.
I found this aspect of Lest the Dew Rust Them to be a fun and exciting read. There is a real cinematic flare to the writing. I could picture the events I was reading being perfectly at home on the big screen.
And if that were all the novel delivers, I would be happy, but we get a whole lot more. Besides that main storyline, we are also treated to various interesting stories featuring past members of Suten-Mdjai’s family and their history of swordplay. These tales are told to Grimmson by Suten-Mdjai throughout the book. Each one has a very distinct setting and tone. Each new story featuring one of Suten-Mdjai’s ancestors, reveals the depths of Suten-Mdjai’s connection with swords, and why he is called a Sword Master.
I quite enjoyed this one. I wasn’t sure if I would or not based on the fact that I’ve previously only been exposed to author Michael Drakich’s sci-fi and fantasy work (which are top notch), but I did. I guess we can add thriller to list of genres he can work it!
With no leads on who these men are, or what they want, he finds himself investigating a new arrival to the country, Alexander Suten-Mdjai. The thing that puts Suten-Mdjai on Robert’s radar? Nothing big…except that the man just imported thousands of swords into the country and calls himself a sword master.
Lest the Dew Rust Them is a pretty fascinating read. On one hand, we have these men, The Sword Masters, spreading fear and terror though the city as Grimmson despeartaly tries to find them. To make matters worse, their heinous acts threaten to put the city’s racial tensions over the edge.
I found this aspect of Lest the Dew Rust Them to be a fun and exciting read. There is a real cinematic flare to the writing. I could picture the events I was reading being perfectly at home on the big screen.
And if that were all the novel delivers, I would be happy, but we get a whole lot more. Besides that main storyline, we are also treated to various interesting stories featuring past members of Suten-Mdjai’s family and their history of swordplay. These tales are told to Grimmson by Suten-Mdjai throughout the book. Each one has a very distinct setting and tone. Each new story featuring one of Suten-Mdjai’s ancestors, reveals the depths of Suten-Mdjai’s connection with swords, and why he is called a Sword Master.
I quite enjoyed this one. I wasn’t sure if I would or not based on the fact that I’ve previously only been exposed to author Michael Drakich’s sci-fi and fantasy work (which are top notch), but I did. I guess we can add thriller to list of genres he can work it!
March 16, 2013
It is a story about swords, misunderstandings, honor, heritage, terorism and fear.
I liked the story ecept even the end of story was an unexpected one.
I liked the story ecept even the end of story was an unexpected one.
April 6, 2013
http://readtomyhearts.blogspot.com/20...
My Thoughts:
The title was an interesting one and very unique, whereas the cover photo didn't inspire me to want to reach for it. However much emphasis I do put on the cover illustrations, I will read a book even if I am not a fan of the illustrations.
I am glad I did.
Lest the Dew Rust Them is an interesting mix of crime drama, mystery, historical fiction, and (probably just to me) political satire.
Many of the characters tended to get on my nerves for their blatant racial profiling that they were capable of doing; whereas some of the characters were just idiotic in their lives. My favorite character in the whole book was without a doubt, Alexander Suten - Mdjai for many reasons.
He is a honorable person. Even as he is being suspected for some very heinous crimes all because of a title, he is helpful and polite throughout it all.
Another reason I respected him so much is because of his knowledge and talent. He is a hell of a storyteller and I enjoyed hearing about the history of each blade he owned. Personally, these were my favorite parts in the story;the accounts of the blades and his ancestors' use of them.
Because of this section, the supernatural fan in me was hoping for some type of reincarnation like plot thread, but alas there was none. But again, that is just me.
There are other characters in the story that play some major parts in the story, like the Homeland Security director, as well as the antagonists too, but they really didn't capture my attention like Alexander Suten-Mdjai did.
I will mention that I had high hopes for the antagonists being pretty worthy opponents but towards the middle and end I was just disappointed in their ways. It seemed like they really didn't have any idea what they were doing, although, that could have been the deliberate doing of the author. I did wish that we weren't informed of the criminals so early in the book. It would have been more mysterious if we may have had to guess at their identities first.
The plot was a creative one as well as the choice of weapons interesting. Also the manner in which many of the victims were destroyed was also entertaining for a crime drama.
There was a strong message going throughout the story that shows us how civilization will slowly break down when people get scared. Accusations, racial slurs, and bigotry become more commonplace as people lose their securities and feel like they are being boxed in by something they can't control and can't understand. I felt like Mr. Drakich really understood this and made it an important part in his book for people to grasp.
I wasn't wholly impressed with this story but at the same time I did find parts that were interesting enough that kept me turning the pages and finishing the book. The criminals as well as the police caused me to see it more of a satire in many ways. I would have enjoyed the Sword Masters to be a little more adept at the mission they were trying to accomplish and I was a little disappointed in police's ability to find them.
But all in all, the story was an okay read and I am going to give it four hearts because even though there were areas that I disliked; I found myself being drawn into the story,turning page after page, until I was already at the end. And I was not expecting it to end the way it did, so yay for twists!
[Though in this case I am not really in love with it; I did think it merited a four heart{or stars} rating for the implications shown when the society gets scared]
My Thoughts:
The title was an interesting one and very unique, whereas the cover photo didn't inspire me to want to reach for it. However much emphasis I do put on the cover illustrations, I will read a book even if I am not a fan of the illustrations.
I am glad I did.
Lest the Dew Rust Them is an interesting mix of crime drama, mystery, historical fiction, and (probably just to me) political satire.
Many of the characters tended to get on my nerves for their blatant racial profiling that they were capable of doing; whereas some of the characters were just idiotic in their lives. My favorite character in the whole book was without a doubt, Alexander Suten - Mdjai for many reasons.
He is a honorable person. Even as he is being suspected for some very heinous crimes all because of a title, he is helpful and polite throughout it all.
Another reason I respected him so much is because of his knowledge and talent. He is a hell of a storyteller and I enjoyed hearing about the history of each blade he owned. Personally, these were my favorite parts in the story;the accounts of the blades and his ancestors' use of them.
Because of this section, the supernatural fan in me was hoping for some type of reincarnation like plot thread, but alas there was none. But again, that is just me.
There are other characters in the story that play some major parts in the story, like the Homeland Security director, as well as the antagonists too, but they really didn't capture my attention like Alexander Suten-Mdjai did.
I will mention that I had high hopes for the antagonists being pretty worthy opponents but towards the middle and end I was just disappointed in their ways. It seemed like they really didn't have any idea what they were doing, although, that could have been the deliberate doing of the author. I did wish that we weren't informed of the criminals so early in the book. It would have been more mysterious if we may have had to guess at their identities first.
The plot was a creative one as well as the choice of weapons interesting. Also the manner in which many of the victims were destroyed was also entertaining for a crime drama.
There was a strong message going throughout the story that shows us how civilization will slowly break down when people get scared. Accusations, racial slurs, and bigotry become more commonplace as people lose their securities and feel like they are being boxed in by something they can't control and can't understand. I felt like Mr. Drakich really understood this and made it an important part in his book for people to grasp.
I wasn't wholly impressed with this story but at the same time I did find parts that were interesting enough that kept me turning the pages and finishing the book. The criminals as well as the police caused me to see it more of a satire in many ways. I would have enjoyed the Sword Masters to be a little more adept at the mission they were trying to accomplish and I was a little disappointed in police's ability to find them.
But all in all, the story was an okay read and I am going to give it four hearts because even though there were areas that I disliked; I found myself being drawn into the story,turning page after page, until I was already at the end. And I was not expecting it to end the way it did, so yay for twists!
[Though in this case I am not really in love with it; I did think it merited a four heart{or stars} rating for the implications shown when the society gets scared]
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 11, 2013
What I first noticed about the book, is its unique title. It sure doesn't sound like an average book title, does it? Anyhow moving on to the story..
New York has its own new set of terror : Decapitations! Videos of decapitations are made available for the whole world to see by a group claiming to be The Sword Masters. Homeland Security Director, Robert Grimmson is getting worried by the minute since he hasnt figured out a way to contain the acts of terrorism. To top it off, a passenger has just arrived at the JFK airport and along with him, more than a thousand swords! The passenger being Alexander Suten-Mdjai, an extremely skilled sword trainer who addresses himself as The Sword Master. Now that sounds way too much of a coincidence for Mr Grimmson. Facing more obstacles from politicians and the media, Grimmson finds it very difficult to move forward in solving the case. Each clue leads him to Mr Suten-Mdjai, who being a very patient and honorable man co-operates with the Director and enlightens him with the history of each sword that he possesses and his lineage.
This book is a perfect blend of crime, historical fiction & mystery. Lest The Dew Rust Them went ahead and captivated me from the word go. The book is not a whodunnit, rather the author lets the readers know early enough about the identity of the killers. Even though the killers are mentioned from the beginning of the book, I felt their characters were not given the justice of having a back story. What pushed them to the killings. It's clear none of them are happy with the current situation. But what was the tipping point? There was only one antagonist who had some sort of a character development. It would have been interesting to read the history of the killers. How they all met and decided on committing the heinous crimes that they did.
Having said that, the story remained interesting enough, since I was curious as to how will they get caught. Plus even though I personally liked the character of Alexander Suten-Mdjai, I had a fleeting discomfort with him. The author did a good job clouding his character with a mysterious aura. The tension builds in New York as one video taped decapitation is followed by yet another one, the readers would feel the tension building up too. One of my favorite scenes in the book was when all the main characters are in the same room and anything could happen!
I only wish the cover of the book was different too. For a crime based thriller, the cover feels like a downer. In a nutshell, Lest The Dew Rust Them is a riveting crime thriller. By the time I was almost done with the book, the reason behind the name of the book was revealed and it was quite on the impressive note!
New York has its own new set of terror : Decapitations! Videos of decapitations are made available for the whole world to see by a group claiming to be The Sword Masters. Homeland Security Director, Robert Grimmson is getting worried by the minute since he hasnt figured out a way to contain the acts of terrorism. To top it off, a passenger has just arrived at the JFK airport and along with him, more than a thousand swords! The passenger being Alexander Suten-Mdjai, an extremely skilled sword trainer who addresses himself as The Sword Master. Now that sounds way too much of a coincidence for Mr Grimmson. Facing more obstacles from politicians and the media, Grimmson finds it very difficult to move forward in solving the case. Each clue leads him to Mr Suten-Mdjai, who being a very patient and honorable man co-operates with the Director and enlightens him with the history of each sword that he possesses and his lineage.
This book is a perfect blend of crime, historical fiction & mystery. Lest The Dew Rust Them went ahead and captivated me from the word go. The book is not a whodunnit, rather the author lets the readers know early enough about the identity of the killers. Even though the killers are mentioned from the beginning of the book, I felt their characters were not given the justice of having a back story. What pushed them to the killings. It's clear none of them are happy with the current situation. But what was the tipping point? There was only one antagonist who had some sort of a character development. It would have been interesting to read the history of the killers. How they all met and decided on committing the heinous crimes that they did.
Having said that, the story remained interesting enough, since I was curious as to how will they get caught. Plus even though I personally liked the character of Alexander Suten-Mdjai, I had a fleeting discomfort with him. The author did a good job clouding his character with a mysterious aura. The tension builds in New York as one video taped decapitation is followed by yet another one, the readers would feel the tension building up too. One of my favorite scenes in the book was when all the main characters are in the same room and anything could happen!
I only wish the cover of the book was different too. For a crime based thriller, the cover feels like a downer. In a nutshell, Lest The Dew Rust Them is a riveting crime thriller. By the time I was almost done with the book, the reason behind the name of the book was revealed and it was quite on the impressive note!
June 15, 2013
Reviewer: John
Rating: 3 out of 5 Fairies
The book has good & bad points; the concept behind it is quite good, especially in the light of the recent horrific event in the UK, with terrorists out to scare middle America with small scale atrocities, a series of beheadings. The group is not too well explained & appears to be a random mix of members, with no real political aim and a couple of them in it just for the kicks!
The book contains a number of historical references which actually take up a quarter of the book & while interesting, I feel the space would have been better used to flesh out the characters; some of which are fairly well drawn, but others are very two dimensional, more stereotypes than anything else.
If you like the style of a book written by Robert Ludlum or Eric Van Lustbader, then this may well be for you, I would just have liked the book to be longer to allow more depth to be added to the plot & allow the final scenes to feel less rushed. In fact, to me, it reads a bit like a screenplay, with more to be added in the production.
Disclosure: This book was provided by the author in exchange for an HONEST and not necessarily positive review.
Rating: 3 out of 5 Fairies
The book has good & bad points; the concept behind it is quite good, especially in the light of the recent horrific event in the UK, with terrorists out to scare middle America with small scale atrocities, a series of beheadings. The group is not too well explained & appears to be a random mix of members, with no real political aim and a couple of them in it just for the kicks!
The book contains a number of historical references which actually take up a quarter of the book & while interesting, I feel the space would have been better used to flesh out the characters; some of which are fairly well drawn, but others are very two dimensional, more stereotypes than anything else.
If you like the style of a book written by Robert Ludlum or Eric Van Lustbader, then this may well be for you, I would just have liked the book to be longer to allow more depth to be added to the plot & allow the final scenes to feel less rushed. In fact, to me, it reads a bit like a screenplay, with more to be added in the production.
Disclosure: This book was provided by the author in exchange for an HONEST and not necessarily positive review.
March 17, 2014
Roni’s Rosebuz Review:
Overall: 3 of 5
This book had a lot of good features, but for me it could have been better with some basic modifications. The cursing and unnecessary use of the Lord’s name detracted to the story. I will say, though, that I was surprised at how well the story-within-story scheme worked with this novel. I am impressed. The characters were believable and the action was definitely not lacking. Overall, a good novel.
Family friendliness: 1 of 5
This author used foul language, and the Lord’s name. There were scenes that involved killing in graphic detail as well as a scene that involved sex. Overall, not the most offensive book I’ve read, but certainly not the most appropriate for families. Keep this one away from teens and below.
Overall: 3 of 5
This book had a lot of good features, but for me it could have been better with some basic modifications. The cursing and unnecessary use of the Lord’s name detracted to the story. I will say, though, that I was surprised at how well the story-within-story scheme worked with this novel. I am impressed. The characters were believable and the action was definitely not lacking. Overall, a good novel.
Family friendliness: 1 of 5
This author used foul language, and the Lord’s name. There were scenes that involved killing in graphic detail as well as a scene that involved sex. Overall, not the most offensive book I’ve read, but certainly not the most appropriate for families. Keep this one away from teens and below.
April 16, 2013
My Review: This one of the best suspense thrillers I have read in a long time. Homegrown terrorist take it new a new level in New York preforming decapitations on their victims and posting them on the internet. Homeland security is stumped and so are local police. Weave in a true sword master of ancient lineage and the Russian mob and things get dicey fast. This book had me turning the pages. I highly recommend this to anyone. It could use a edited as there are a few rough patches with extra words and such but it no way detracts from the thrill of the story. I especially liked the history lessons behind the different types of swords. I give this book a 5 star rating.
Read
October 4, 2018Full Disclosure: I recently met the author and he gave me this book. As I have noted in the past, I find it presumptuous to give star ratings to the works of my colleagues and thus refrain from doing so.
This book is part fast-paced investigative police thriller, part collection of short-stories recounting the fictional histories of prominent members of a sword-master family. Even though the book doesn’t spend much time fully developing the principal characters, it gives us enough of a sense of who they all are to move along the plot. The plot is the real star of this novel, dropping us into post 9/11 USA, with all its turmoil and obsessions. It pulls us through the hunt for radicalized youths bent on committing gruesome crimes in order to advance some nebulous political cause crossed with personal vendetta.
And yet, despite the driving investigative thriller narrative, what I found most interesting were the vignettes provided to us of the family members of the sword-master who gets stopped at the border trying to import hundreds of swords. We get insights into figures present at the slaughter of a Roman legion, at the black hole of Calcutta, at the storming of the Bastille. I enjoyed those immensely and would have liked to see more of them.
Three points: Maybe the author didn’t want to trip up the reader with a narrative that tracked too closely to how a government - particularly the USA’s government - would handle a major terrorist campaign of targeted murder, but there are elements of this story that didn’t align with my own experience in government and crisis management. No big deal, really, but it kept tripping me up. Also, I think the author would have been better served by a publisher with a bit more diligence ... there were some mistakes of formatting that added to the number of times I tripped up. Finally, I think the author could have integrated more women characters into the narrative and given them agency. It is only at the very end we see a female character exercising agency on their own behalf.
All-in-all, a good, quick read that resonates all-too-well with the world in which we live.
This book is part fast-paced investigative police thriller, part collection of short-stories recounting the fictional histories of prominent members of a sword-master family. Even though the book doesn’t spend much time fully developing the principal characters, it gives us enough of a sense of who they all are to move along the plot. The plot is the real star of this novel, dropping us into post 9/11 USA, with all its turmoil and obsessions. It pulls us through the hunt for radicalized youths bent on committing gruesome crimes in order to advance some nebulous political cause crossed with personal vendetta.
And yet, despite the driving investigative thriller narrative, what I found most interesting were the vignettes provided to us of the family members of the sword-master who gets stopped at the border trying to import hundreds of swords. We get insights into figures present at the slaughter of a Roman legion, at the black hole of Calcutta, at the storming of the Bastille. I enjoyed those immensely and would have liked to see more of them.
Three points: Maybe the author didn’t want to trip up the reader with a narrative that tracked too closely to how a government - particularly the USA’s government - would handle a major terrorist campaign of targeted murder, but there are elements of this story that didn’t align with my own experience in government and crisis management. No big deal, really, but it kept tripping me up. Also, I think the author would have been better served by a publisher with a bit more diligence ... there were some mistakes of formatting that added to the number of times I tripped up. Finally, I think the author could have integrated more women characters into the narrative and given them agency. It is only at the very end we see a female character exercising agency on their own behalf.
All-in-all, a good, quick read that resonates all-too-well with the world in which we live.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews