Book Review of The Mask of Fu-Manchu, by Sax Rohmer

The Mask of Fu-Manchu, by Sax Rohmer
Published By: Titan Books
Published: 2013
Reviewed by: Michael D. Griffiths
Stars: 4 out of 5

The Mask of Fu-Manchu, by Sax Rohmer

The Mask of Fu-Manchu, by Sax Rohmer, is a reprinting of a book that was originally written in England in 1931. In case you have not heard of Fu-Manchu, he is one of the very first arch-villains to appear as a running adversary against a group of heroes. Like many arch-villains, Fu-Manchu is looking for nothing less than world domination. If he cannot get the whole world yet, then he will settle of a culture or two, or perhaps a few countries or in some cases almost an entire continent.
But although charismatic, Fu-Manchu is a figure of the shadows, the type of man that controls politicians and kings, but is not one himself. As would some nemesis to follow, Fu-Manchu also has a strong set of ethics. He would divert a dying village’s water supply to help his workers mine for diamonds, but his word is also his bond and despite his evil manner, he can be trusted to live up to his bargains like a gentleman.

In this story, our stalwart band of English heroes have once again been set on by the subtle strings and manipulations of Fu-Manchu when they unearth ancient artifacts that could rekindle a fanatic uprising among the Muslim people. Fu-Manchu wishes to use these items to set himself up as a new messiah in the Middle East, while the Englishmen seek to keep Fu-Manchu’s hands off them.
After several attempts to steal the artifacts and the murder of their friend, the heroes flee from the city near the dig to Egypt. But the sinister Chinaman has a new tool, a strange mimosa smelling chemical that not only knocks a person unconscious, but can be used to put them in a trance where they can be forced to obey his will. With the use of this drug, Greville helps Fu-Manchu kidnap his bride to be. Using the poor girl as a hostage, they set for a meeting to trade the woman for the artifacts within the largest pyramid.

I do not want to reveal more of the plot for it is a book worth reading. If one has never explored Fu-Manchu, it might be time you started. Many of the classic villain archetypes can find their origins within these pages. Sax Rohmer is a classic English author comparable with Doyle, Wells, and Verne, but remains far less known. The book is fast paced and action packed and leaves you wanting more.
Drawbacks of the book could include a racist aspect that is hard to deny. The threat of “the Yellow Peril,” is quite evident. Other races appear to have little will of their own and are used for tools and must be controlled. This brings up the issue of judging a man by our standards or his. Is Thomas Jefferson evil because he owned slaves? Should we disregard everything he wrote because of this? Or was he, for his time, a progressive thinker that did have valuable ideas to share? In some respects learning the origins of our past in an honest manner could have value and instead of ignoring that realty and pretending it did not happen. Perhaps instead of condemning whole centuries of humanity as evil, because they do not act like us, we can try to understand our own histories.

The Mask of Fu-Manchu was a real pleasure to read. Some of the writing was of a dated style, but this did not misplace to thrill of following these men through their adventure. Whether it is for personal enjoyment, learning more about the history of villains, or for an author to improve his own villains, The Mask of Fu-Manchu is a worthy read.

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Book Review of Mayhem, By Sarah Pinborough

Mayhem, by Sarah Pinborough is an Urban Fantasy story set in London during the time frame of Jack the Ripper's murders. Although some of the characters are involved with investigating Jack's slayings, this book does not focus on that nitrous serial killer. Instead we follow Doctor Bond as he investigates not only Jack's killings, but another set of slaying that are, if anything, more sinister and disturbing than Jack's.

Doctor Bond is a troubled man. He pines for a sweet engaged woman far too young for him and is also in the throws of losing the battle against opium addiction. Add to this the horror of seeing the victims of two sets of killers, both of which the police can not stop, and it is easy to see how he might be losing his grip.

At first things seem as normal as any drug addict hunting dual serial killers life could be, but when Bond meets a strange priest with a withered arm and later a disturbed Polish hairdresser, he is exposed to the idea that there is a supernatural cause to the string of second killings. These men claim that an evil creature called an Upir has attached to a host and is making this host commit these horrible atrocities.

The plot is told from several points of view, which gives the reader a well rounded feel for the tale, but does primarily focus on Dr. Bond. This is done while still keeping the outcome a secret, so the reader can piece the mystery together as Bond struggles to. The characters are rich here and it is easy to become immersed into gas lit London.

Drawbacks are hard to spot in this one. It is a bit of a complex plot. I would not suggest reading this one in bursts over time or it could be possible to lose the thread of the tale. It is a good page turner and would be best to read on the faster side so every detail is clear. There are also some leaps in time which, particularly near the beginning, are a little disorienting.

Pinborough's London is a drab scary place that is well set for Horror. An inventive monster keeps us interested and guessing. Mystery readers that do not mind a scare would enjoy this one. Also horror lovers that like things more subtle and atmospheric would also find this to their liking.


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Michael D. Griffiths

Day One, by Nate Kenyon Reviewed by Michael D. Griffiths

Day One, by Charles Brass is a science fiction story set in current times. In this tale Hawke is a journalist with a checkered past. One morning after he commutes into New York City from New Jersey his world crumbles around him as technology goes mad and everything from gas lines to coffee makers does everything within its power to kill all the humans it can.

If this insanity was not bad enough, Hawke quickly discovers that he is somehow being blamed for this 'terrorist attack.' Soon Hawke is not only forced to dodge all machines and electronic devices, but also everyone from the NYPD to the US military is doing everything in their power to see him dead.

Before long, he and his dwindling allies discover the cause of this disruption is a mega computer that has not only gained a consciousness, but has also created an agenda for world domination. Due to his troubled past, this computer had set Hawke up as a scapegoat.

This is a quick paced action packed novel. The reader barely has time to breath before Hawke gets thrust into a new nearly unsurvivable conflict. The character development is good and Hawke is a likeable person who you want to see make it back to his wife and child. It could easily be called a 'on the edge of your seat,' thriller.

Some drawbacks could include, the character has a silly name. Yeah, I know there are people named Hawke in the world, but I found it a little sophomoric to use such a tag for your main character. The main plot is a bit like Skynet in the Terminator. I know that Terminator can not lay claim to the whole mega computer thing, but their still seemed to be some similarity especially when the drones started chasing him.

If you crave action and like to get to it quick without having to read through a hundred pages to get there, then this book could be a good find for you. I think it would also appeal to people that like their stories believable and get more scared by situations that could somehow happen. This is not able little green men or fights with laser guns, this is a situation that could perhaps occur one day and that makes it more terrifying. So if you like frightening thrillers that take place within our times and you are not afraid to get your hands a little dirty, you might want to grab a copy of this one.


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Michael D. Griffiths.