Jack Templar and the Lord of the WerewolvesFresh from confronting the Lord of the Vampires in the limestone catacombs beneath Paris, Jack Templar faces his toughest challenge yet as he searches for the next Jerusalem Stone, this one being held by the Lord of the Werewolves. But the narrow escape from the vampire lair came at a great cost and Eva battles to survive the new vampire blood in her veins. The only chance to help Eva is to continue their quest and find the Jerusalem Stones. Reuniting the Stones will not only stop Ren Lucre’s coming war against mankind, but also transform Eva back into her human self. From the ruins of ancient Delhi to the depths of the Black Forest in Germany, Jack and his friends face monsters, bewildering riddles and treachery from the most unlikely of places. Through it all, they are plagued by the Oracle’s prediction that at least one of their group with not make it through the adventure alive. Worse yet, they know that Kaeden, the Lord of the Werewolves, will do his best to make sure none of them do. But they are monster hunters of the Black Guard… and they will do their duty, come what may.
Brooke's Review:
I want to thank the author, Jeff Gunhus, for providing me with a copy of this book to read and give an honest review. Receiving this book for free has in no way altered my opinion or review.
If you haven't read the first three books in this series, what are you waiting for? And if you haven't read the first three books in this series, you won't understand this one. So go on...go get the other three because I promise you won't be disappointed. You will also want to refrain from reading my review because it will spoil things for you.
I don't read a ton of middle grade books. And when I do, they need to be so engrossing that they keep my attention from beginning to end (otherwise I might get bored). Well, you have no worries about being bored with this series, or with this book. As with the first three, I thoroughly enjoyed this. So much so I implore you to give them a try. They are fun and fantastical reads that keep you on your toes!
This book picks up right where the last, Jack Templar and the Lord of the Vampires, left off. Jack and his have obtained the first Jerusalem stone and their dear friend, Eva, is now a vampire. They set off to find Aquinas to try and get some information on where they can look for the next stone (as well as try and get Eva some help). But they are once again presented with a riddle they must solve and they are off to foreign lands to figure out what it all means.
As with the first three books this book is full or action and adventure. I love how Jack and his friends are constantly battling evil. And best of all is the fact that they are always working together, even when it might appear they are not. They look out for each other and overcome the evil presented to them at every turn. The message here: you can overcome anything you put your mind to. A great lesson for young kids for sure! Gunhus pulls you into his world, getting you deeper and deeper into the Creach and their plot to destroy humanity. His descriptions easily ground you into the world at hand, especially paying attention to the foreign lands and making you feel like you are there yourself.
Gunhus easily mixes action, adventure and humor to bring about a story that is as much about battling evil as it is about the bonds of true friendship and the sacrifices people make for those they love.
For lovers of Harry Potter and Percy Jackson, this book will keep you on your toes and wondering at every turn. And if you have a middle grade reader, I highly recommend this one. My oldest has read the first three books and truly loves this series! I'm looking forward to watching Jack and his friends battle the Demons!
If you haven't read the first three books in this series, what are you waiting for? And if you haven't read the first three books in this series, you won't understand this one. So go on...go get the other three because I promise you won't be disappointed. You will also want to refrain from reading my review because it will spoil things for you.
I don't read a ton of middle grade books. And when I do, they need to be so engrossing that they keep my attention from beginning to end (otherwise I might get bored). Well, you have no worries about being bored with this series, or with this book. As with the first three, I thoroughly enjoyed this. So much so I implore you to give them a try. They are fun and fantastical reads that keep you on your toes!
This book picks up right where the last, Jack Templar and the Lord of the Vampires, left off. Jack and his have obtained the first Jerusalem stone and their dear friend, Eva, is now a vampire. They set off to find Aquinas to try and get some information on where they can look for the next stone (as well as try and get Eva some help). But they are once again presented with a riddle they must solve and they are off to foreign lands to figure out what it all means.
As with the first three books this book is full or action and adventure. I love how Jack and his friends are constantly battling evil. And best of all is the fact that they are always working together, even when it might appear they are not. They look out for each other and overcome the evil presented to them at every turn. The message here: you can overcome anything you put your mind to. A great lesson for young kids for sure! Gunhus pulls you into his world, getting you deeper and deeper into the Creach and their plot to destroy humanity. His descriptions easily ground you into the world at hand, especially paying attention to the foreign lands and making you feel like you are there yourself.
Gunhus easily mixes action, adventure and humor to bring about a story that is as much about battling evil as it is about the bonds of true friendship and the sacrifices people make for those they love.
For lovers of Harry Potter and Percy Jackson, this book will keep you on your toes and wondering at every turn. And if you have a middle grade reader, I highly recommend this one. My oldest has read the first three books and truly loves this series! I'm looking forward to watching Jack and his friends battle the Demons!
Excerpt
The stench hung heavy in the air. There was no other smell in the world quite like it. First came the stink of grease fires from the wall torches, the heavy black smoke that roiled through the air like a foul fog. Then a moldering, musty base layer came to the senses. It reeked of decay and seeping moisture that grew black mold on every surface. The mold clung on the rough-cut rocks lining the dungeon tunnels. It covered the thick iron bars holding the prisoners in place. It even grew on the tattered rags covering the miserable creatures in the cells and likely on their skin as well. That final smell overlay the symphony of stink.
The Creach prisoners.
Werewolves, harpies, blind mad-worms, blinderwursts, fangpiercers, even some demons held with the special pure iron chains required to keep them in place. Many of these creatures were pungent under the best circumstances, but locked in the deepest dungeon underground, sometimes for decades, they took on an odor so ripe, so awful, that visitors to the dungeon often had to hold their breath to enter. Even then, the smell would make their eyes sting and well with tears.
Immediately after leaving the dungeon, visitors were allowed a bath or a shower in the castle. As they washed the stench from their bodies, they would feel an overwhelming sense of thanks that they were not a prisoner wallowing in the horrifying conditions they’d just witnessed.
No one, human or Creach, wanted to be a prisoner in the dungeons of Ren Lucre.
Far away, at the end of one of the long, twisting corridors, came the creak of a massive door opening. The prisoners stirred at the sound. Their reactions mirrored how long they had been in their cells.
The newer arrivals looked up with expectation, still hopeful their punishment was going to be short and that someone was coming to tell them their nightmare was over.
Those who had been there longer knew that hope was useless in this dark place. They simply cowered farther into whatever dark corner they could find in their cell, desperate not to be noticed by the Master.
Then there were those who had been there the longest. They simply looked up with mild interest, knowing that nothing they did made any difference. Their spirits were broken. Worse, they knew this to be the dark truth, and they simply didn’t care.
One single prisoner reacted in none of these ways. He simply stood, and the rags that had once been his clothes hung on his bony frame. Unbroken by years of starvation and torture, he still squared his shoulders in the direction of the sound and raised his chin, his eyes glistening in the torchlight with defiance. What he saw would have brought a normal man to his knees, but this man was no more normal than the monster approaching.
Ren Lucre, the five hundred year old vampire, filled the hallway as he strode through it, his cloak billowing behind him as he rushed past the stinking cells. His pale, narrow face looked pinched and concerned. His blood-red lip pursed in a straight line, and his eyes glowered like embers in a fire that might at any time combust into new flame.
He came to the thick set of bars that held the proud man, stopped, and stared him down.
“Well, if it isn’t the Lord of the Creach,” the man said. Even though his voice was course and weak, he still managed an edge of bitter sarcasm. “You look like you’re having a bad day.” The man spat on the floor. “Good.”
Author Jeff Gunhus
Jeff Gunhus is the author of the Amazon bestselling supernatural thriller, Night Chill, and the Middle Grade/YA series, The Templar Chronicles. The first book of the series, Jack Templar Monster Hunter, was written in an effort to get his reluctant reader eleven-year old son excited about reading. It worked and a new series was born. His book Reaching Your Reluctant Reader has helped hundreds of parents create avid readers. Killer Within is his second novel for adults. As a father of five, he and his wife Nicole spend most of their time chasing kids and taking advantage of living in the great state of Maryland. In rare moments of quiet, he can be found in the back of the City Dock Cafe in Annapolis working on his next novel. If you see him there, sit down and have a cup of coffee with him. You just might end up in his next novel.
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