Rainbow Reviews

BOOK BLURB:
Occult bookshop owner and black arts magician James Edward Guillaume reckons he has it all, and enjoys living up his reputation as South Africa's "wickedest man," a nice house, a business that's breaking even and the pick of all the pretty Goth girls and boys in Cape Town.

Little does he know, a group of violent Christo-militants are panting at his heels, ready to destroy his carefully constructed fantasy world. To add mischief to his misery, he's unwittingly unleashed a terrifying demonic entity, and he alone holds the key to The Burning One's secret. To bring order out of the chaos, all James has to do is conquer his personal demons, teach a rather nasty, self-righteous sod a lesson in humility and find out whether he can win back the trust of an old flame. Only, as James discovers, getting back on top is hell on earth.

BOOK REVIEW:
South African ceremonial magician James Edward Guillaume, who fancies himself the “master” of all things Goth in his region, is not an appealing character. Cynical, self-referential, and vain, he does not elicit empathy. He does, however, know his particular sphere of interest, and at his fingertips are all sorts of tidbits about Aleister Crowley's Golden Dawn, black magic, Tarot reading, and other occult systems.

Despite the fact that he often seems like some Edwardian poser/dabbler, Jamie's lifestyle poses real dangers and recognizable concerns. When his friends start disappearing, and other long-term friends warn him of a radical fundamentalist group which is not above utilizing arson in pursuit of its aims, he determines to take a closer look, even if that means magical as well as pragmatical ~ even if it means summoning the demonic.

Jamie is a highly sexual individual and his magical approaches frequently rely on sexuality, both gay and straight. He is also not above seduction of those at the upper limits of the underage continuum; it seems his refusal to try at anyone younger than sixteen is based on pragmatic concerns (avoiding jail) rather than on moral grounds.

"Khepera Rising" draws heavily on black magic of the present and past, detailing ritual and its outcomes. It also contains significant violence, profanity, and rampant, varied sexual scenes. Suspense is finely-tuned and escalates steadily to an intriguing conclusion.

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