Reviewed by Daniel Ryan Johnson
If you have ever imagined a postapocalyptic diaspora of humanity to worlds unknown accompanied by vampires, immortals, and other supernatural beings, Josiah Akhtab answers all your questions in Immortal. Packed to the brim with action and intrigue, this page-turner is hard to put down. Purchase Here.
The novel centers around Brandon and Ellie, partners working for the immortal Vanguard at the Porting City Detective and Vampire Hunting Agency on planet Vayne. While the story builds slowly at first, once the action gets going, it is a non-stop action-packed thriller that never lets up until you hit the back cover of the book. With vivid fight scenes and an endless supply of baddies, our protagonists’ adventures take them from rooftops high above the cities of planet Vayne deep down into the sewers.
Immortal is filled with mystery, grand plans of world domination, quests for vengeance, and plenty of gore. The characters in the book are intriguing, and discovering the various motivations behind their actions pushes the story forward and keeps the reader glued to the page.
Josiah Akhtab’s novel is not for those with an aversion to violence, as the fight scenes in the book are vivid and plentiful. While action of this level can be hard to capture in writing, the author paints a clear and thorough picture that transports you to the scene and makes you feel like you are dishing out the hits and taking them yourself.
Immortal certainly isn’t lacking in originality. While the book contains many well-known creatures and staples of the science fiction, fantasy, and horror genres, Mr. Akhtab combines them in new ways and provides plenty of unique ideas to make what could be a predictable story in the hands of a less imaginative writer a captivating and surprising tale that leaves the reader guessing. Around halfway through the book, it becomes clear that there is more story to tell than can be contained in the pages that remain, and when you reach the final period, you will be anxious to get your hands on the next book in this expansive epic.