Review: The Black Oracle by Michael Cristiano

From Goodreads:
On a post-apocalyptic Earth, humans are not alone.

Joachim is a hunter. Though generations have passed since the Great Death, something has evolved in the trees beyond the giant glowing mushrooms, mutants that want to see human entrails spread along the jungle floor.

And now they've taken Joachim’s wife.

To get her back, Joachim will have to give the leader of these demons something in return: immortality. A creature knows when he is going to die, after all. Plunged into a world of magic and darkness, Joachim must find the only woman who knows where the ingredients are. She is a prophetess known as the Black Oracle living in the realm of Zalm, but she’s a little preoccupied at the moment. She leads a rebellion against the ruthless High Council, and when Joachim seeks her out, he too finds himself consumed by her struggle.

In a story of betrayal, prophecy, and bloodshed, Joachim has ten days to retrieve the ingredients and return to Earth all while evading the High Council’s army, one that wants the Black Oracle and her associates killed — Joachim included.

My Thoughts:
***Note: I was the acquiring editor for this book***

The Black Oracle follows Joachim, a hunter from the jungles of a post-apocalyptic Earth, as he fights to save his pregnant wife from human eating demons. He must journey into a parallel world Called Zalm to find the ingredients for a potion, one that acts as a ransom to get her back. Joachim must traverse Zalm and return home before the end of the tenth day or his wife and unborn child will be killed.

While he is gone, we simultaneously watch young Rae as he fights to remove the demons from power and free the village from their terror.

This book is action packed and intense. There were parts I was horrified, but I honestly could not put it down. I found myself rooting for Joachim and Rae the whole way, even when they seemed destined to lose. I ached at their losses, and wanted to jump up at down when they succeeded.

The author handles the gore tactfully, while still getting the point across of how nasty these demons are. It's definitely for mature audiences.

All up, an intense page turner. Although not for those who love fluffy bunnies, if you want something that pushes the limits of your imagination and takes you to a unique world with strong characters you will love, this is the perfect book for you.