Not The Wands You Know

I have a very bad habit. I download books not by content or for any specific reason. I generally just get them by genre.

Deadly Wands
Brent Reilly
683 pages

In many popular books wands are generally used as tools to create or interact. They are frequently used for magic, and performing other amazing tasks. Not in this book though. Instead they are the equivalent to jet packs, guns, and other various items that aid in mass destruction and help create a war like atmosphere.

This book is unique in the way it presents an alternate world history. It demonstrates knowledge about tactics, as well as ways that various cultures interact. It's based in a fictional copy of our world, so a lot of the places named are ones the reader will know or recognize.

I was amused by the authors choice of main villain : Genghis Khan. Basically Khan has created an imperialist empire by conquering most of the world. He has armed his fighters with wands which other countries do not have access to. These wands enable the users to fly, shoot flames, and fight with weightless swords extended from the wands.

The main protagonist is Billy the Kid. Most of this book examines the various details of his life,from child to "adult" we see him as he develops. We learn about what angers him, what he believes in, as well as what he is willing to die for.

A major theme is the importance of family. It seems like every other page or two reflects on some aspect of family. Whether it's who your uncle is, or who your great great great grandfather is. Truthfully it is intriguing to think that there are folk that would be as concerned about their lineage as the ones that are in this book.

The ending of this piece is rather open, leaving me wonder if there is or will be a sequel.

There area few reasons that I won't recommend this piece for young readers. One of the major ones is sex. There is a running stream of commentary that implies procreation to simply extend ones lineage outward is appropriate. I'm not saying that some people wouldn't agree with the idea, I just do not think it is a point that the youth of today need stressed to them. Also, while sex is a major topic, it is far from romantic in nature. It is not descriptive and tantalizing like some of the more erotic pieces I've read. Oh, there is not an extensive amount of foul language (which is pleasant), but there is a large number of descriptions that to some may seem gory.

Content Recommended for Mature Audiences.