SORCERERS’ PRAYER

A three-part supernatural thriller based in Hawaii focuses on a dangerous immortal.

Keoni “the Judge” Kaona may have been born in 1802, but in 2014 he is still a force to be reckoned with. The Judge is on a mission to kill, and since he is immortal, time is certainly on his side. To commit his crimes, the Judge utilizes methods that harness ancient Hawaiian beliefs. Who better to help track down such a murderer than a professor of anthropology like Dr. Kawika Kinimaka-Ka‘ahalewai, aka Dr. Triple K? Dr. Triple K is not only a native of Hawaii, he is also steeped in the knowledge of ancient objects like a ka‘ane. He also may be one of the Judge’s targets. In the first part, Dr. Triple K attempts to help a local detective track down the Judge before he kills again. The second portion of the book takes readers back to the 1800s, when the Judge was an ordinary official who turned into a ferocious immortal. In the third segment, readers learn of the Judge’s sorcery-fueled friendship with a Hawaiian royal. Spring’s extensive tale is ambitious throughout. Whether describing the intricate ways in which the Judge carries out his crimes or an off-the-wall, opium-fueled luau in the 1800s, the narrative brims with wild material. But amid the wildness are some aspects that lessen the tension. For instance, readers know early on in the first part that the Judge is the one responsible for the recent murders that Dr. Triple K needs to help solve. Dr. Triple K’s investigation thus winds up lacking some of the mystery it might have contained if, say, the killer’s identity and motivation were not revealed until much later. Still, the three portions ultimately make for a fantastical saga teeming with violence and history.

While aspects of the plot lack tension, this tale offers plenty of blood-soaked surprises.