TALON OF GOD

A young doctor in Chicago is drawn into a war between heaven and hell, and her destiny lies in the balance.

The action in this urban fantasy novel is as cinematic as one would expect from movie star Snipes and co-author Norman. Our heroine is Lauryn Jefferson, the daughter of local minister Maxwell Jefferson and now a dedicated young doctor at Chicago’s Mercy Hospital, where one night she's attacked by a troubled veteran who’s clearly at the mercy of a supernatural being. Lauryn is saved by the enigmatic Talon Hunter, a Bible-quoting, sword-wielding warrior straight from the pages of a fantasy novel. Also floating around is Will Tannenbaum, a surly vice cop and Lauryn’s ex-boyfriend. Will works for a corrupt police chief, Victor Korigan, who is himself the lackey of a shadowy billionaire, Christopher St. Luke. St. Luke’s evil scheme is to use a powerful new drug additive, E3X, to prepare the city’s addicts for demonic possession and finally to doom the city. Eventually, Talon reveals that he's a member of an ancient sect, the Soldiers of El Elyon, chosen by God to do his will on Earth. It’s real fire-and-brimstone stuff, complete with angels and demons, but the authors keep the action lively, and Lauryn makes for a likable, believable hero even in the wake of all the occult conspiracy stuff. A subplot involving Lauryn’s rapper brother, Robbie, injects some of the bravado Snipes showed in New Jack City. Readers who dig this sort of thing will appreciate its natural segue into a sequel likely to find Lauryn working as Talon’s protégé. Cue the training montage.

An entertaining thriller with enough swordplay, religious prophecy, and demonic threats to entertain readers across lots of different genres.