THE REMBRANDT STRATAGEM
From the Case Files of Bishop Kincaid
Kellie Austin
Atomic Press
278 ps
When readers ask us our definition of “pulp,” we give this
answer. Any fast paced, action adventure story, regardless of genres, having
exotic locales, a larger than life hero and a truly heartless dastardly
villain. That pretty sums it all up. Which is why we are over the top impressed
with writer Kellie Austin’s first pulp novel; it has every single one of these
elements.
Whereas they are all mixed together in a crazy goulash that
definitely requires an index to know who’s who as the book opens. Of course
Bishop Kincaid is our protagonist with a past, though we aren’t exactly quite
sure what he is? A vampire? A god? An elemental force? Whatever the answer, one
weird trait with him is the fact that different people “see” him as different
personas. Within the first early chapters, it is quite clear we are not in our
world but a totally different earth known as “the green.” Here all manner of
beasts and myths exist. Include a mysterious entity from Kincaid’s past seeking
to destroy him via a giant worm, torturing his former allies and in the end
transforming his true love, Dani, into a blood sucker. There are also airships galore, if all that
wasn’t enough and a rocket car called the Blue Racer driven by an intelligent
Neanderthal.
Honestly, if after all that, you aren’t the least bit curious, there’s nothing more we can say. “The Rembrandt Stratagem” is pulp fiction unchained. It’s a no-holds-barred romp guarentteed to delight most fans and mostly annoy the others. How’s that for an original pitch? Bravo, Kellie Austin, you have us cheering.
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