I find it a bit difficult to put to words what I think about this book. I got mixed feelings but not in a bad way, not by far. I was amazed by the detail related to security, the military and the operations, definitely saw the background of the author in the novel and definitely got the feeling that he saw some of the things he wrote about.
The novel tells the story of a group of men known as the Black Bastards with unique backgrounds that act together in a war against crime waves in the city of Johannesburg in South Africa. In vivid crime scenes and war settings, Casey Christie takes us on a journey with Sergeant Michael Night, an army veteran, his best-friend Constable Daniel Shaka, a giant also known as Zulu and Constable Nickolai Stanislov, former Russian Spetznaz operator and expert shooter against a crime lord known for his Satanic rituals, murderers and rapes.
I don’t think I’ve ever read a book that provided so much detail on the police/military procedures! It made me feel like I was there, sitting next to this trio planning, observing and executing high-risk operations. The novel is fast-paced and the vivid descriptions of the streets of South Africa and the cruel events that take place there are both amazing and terrifying.
The plot is amazing and very well designed; no details are left to chance. The writing style is great, it makes the story easy to follow and the unique terminology of fields give depth to the story. The characters are also great, I enjoyed discovering more about them as the story moves along and their depth really gave the feeling they are real people. Sergeant Night is definitely my favourite character, he is a very complex character that shuts down his emotions to deal with painful moments in his life. His special bond with his two mates and Lisa, his on/off girlfriend reveal the more human side of a man that spent years in military settings. Another character that surprised me was the bad guy, also known has uSathane or “The Devil”. He is simply terrifying, probably because there are still a lot of people like him in the world. The character may be fictional but what he does, the crimes he commits and the methods he uses are still very much real. Furthermore, Christie joins the spiritual part of the African culture when he introduces the witch-doctor. The “Devil” is the ultimate villain: a human-being (if you can call him that) believed to be immortal that uses fear to control the people and possesses the means to keep that control.
A great read that kept me on my toes. I definitely want to read more of Casey Christie’s works in the future!
I want to thank Casey Christie for sending me a digital copy of his book in exchange for an honest review.
Book Traveller 