The Blood Tartan - Outside of a Dog

eBook

English language

Published April 15, 2017 by Independently Published.

ISBN:: 9781521843741

No rating (1 review)

Centuries ago a mysterious family of mad geniuses split into five clans; feuding, hiding, hoarding their secrets of fighting and art, magic and science. Now at the dawn of the mechanical 19th century, only the five clans united can hold back the blood-red tide of industrial apocalypse. Unless they dive into it laughing. I did say 'mad'

Rayne Gray is a cheerful, charitable bear of a man. Philosophical about his life of violence, optimistic about the dawning 19th century. A man watching for daggers in the dark, he still holds a candle for others. Alas, the wheel of fortune shifts, he is on his own, three steps from madness, two steps from arrest, one step from death. And this dance puts Rayne on the path to the Family, a mad collection of clans more deadly than any alley of assassins. And more mad than a battle in Bedlam.

But there …

Centuries ago a mysterious family of mad geniuses split into five clans; feuding, hiding, hoarding their secrets of fighting and art, magic and science. Now at the dawn of the mechanical 19th century, only the five clans united can hold back the blood-red tide of industrial apocalypse. Unless they dive into it laughing. I did say 'mad'

Rayne Gray is a cheerful, charitable bear of a man. Philosophical about his life of violence, optimistic about the dawning 19th century. A man watching for daggers in the dark, he still holds a candle for others. Alas, the wheel of fortune shifts, he is on his own, three steps from madness, two steps from arrest, one step from death. And this dance puts Rayne on the path to the Family, a mad collection of clans more deadly than any alley of assassins. And more mad than a battle in Bedlam.

But there was never a man better at keeping alive and sane, than Rayne Gray.

1 edition

MH Thaung reviewed The Blood Tartan by Raymond St. Elmo

Compelling, historic and fantastic

No rating

Considering that I usually steer clear of both magical realism and ornate prose, this was a pretty compelling read. The story’s narrated by Gray himself. I enjoyed his voice and and self-effacing, humorous acknowledgement of his various problems. As the plot unfolds, Gray wanders deeper into unknown territory with a whole host of peculiar characters. He feels more driven by fate than choosing his own path, but that fits with the situations and it was a lot of fun following along.