A prophecy declares a small child will decide the victory between two countries paralyzed by war…
An old man sells magical patches on the ruined streets of Hagra-Dis when a small, one-armed girl begs him to fix her doll. An Imperial missile blast kills the little girl, Meesha, but Var patches her back to life, and they flee marauding storm troopers.
Imperial High Command unleashes Ulan, a formidable assassin and mystic who chases the Patch Man and his ragged band of followers through a labyrinth peopled with powerful beings and monsters. Both the pursued and pursuers find themselves in life or death situations when they encounter the Greeter, a mysterious being who controls the entrance to parallel worlds populating the labyrinth. It is in these domains they discover clues to end the war—with little Meesha as the secret key to ultimate victory and peace.
My Review:
Five out of Five Stars
Complex story and characters that had me sitting with anticipation on the edge of my seat from start to finish. It’s not often that I find a new author who captures my attention the way Rick Stepp-Bolling did with his Patch Man. He is now on my list of favorite authors and one to watch out for.
You won’t find perfect characters in a perfect world in this story. Meesha, the one-armed girl, is part of a prophecy involving two warring countries, and Var, the old man known as the Patch Man, is destined to help her. They are surrounded by a cast of intensely flawed but likeable characters. We get to watch them grow and step up to the many challenges facing them on a day to day basis.
The story drew me in right from the start when Meesha is almost killed and the Patch Man saves her, taking her back to his home. He has no idea where this will eventually lead or the part he must play in it. This scene and all those that follow are brought to life with vivid detail in setting and non-stop action. We have hybrid creatures, magic, and a strange labyrinth to maneuver through as individual quests are faced. To fail means to die.
I struggled to find areas to be critical of here. There are many characters to keep track of but each one is written in such a way that they become real right from the start. It was easy to move between one scene and the next, the story masterfully woven together for an exciting end. Though this is an obvious series, the story does not leave you hanging in an irritating way. We know more is to come but we’re left anticipating the next installment instead of being frustrated.
If you enjoyed Game of Thrones, I strongly suspect you’ll enjoy Patch Man too. I can’t give it high enough praise.
Denna Holm 