M.L. Roos's Reviews > Reaper’s Walk: Hellstone

There were a lot of things I loved about The Reaper's Walk: the plot development, the story, the characters and the theme. Don Frankilin created a world which incorporates just about every conceivable form of monster there is and turns them on two young women, Lita and Lydia.

Lita's grandmother calls her one day and says she needs to see her. When she arrives, her grandmother tells her the story of Umaa, a practitioner of dark magic. Interwoven in her tale are stories of Satan, curses, shapeshifters,witches, and the Grim Reaper. Lita soon discovers she is on a journey that will take her to the very depth of her soul.

I loved the mixture of cultures, the blend of European and African magic and the rich descriptions of mythology. What did not work for me was how rushed it felt in places. I found myself having to go back and re-read sections because there were elements I had missed and what I was reading, was not making sense. For me, there were a few too many things going on in the story at the same time. I would have preferred a more linear approach to a story this rich in detail rather than the plot and time jump between then and now.

All in all, a really good story, well written and very entertaining. I will definitely read more of Don Franklin's work. And if this is his first novel, I cannot wait for the next. The man has a talent for writing and weaving a tale.