The Ride To Revenge invokes images of sweaty rides on mythical beast in some far exotic place. Heroic heroes, valiant warriors, and mud caked bad guys (and gals) to stomp, squash, and reduced to petty nothings.

Well, you get the idea. As to whether this book delivered on the above, yes and no. I must confess that I had already read book three of this series and was not altogether impressed. Still, I decided to give this writer one more try since I did have his book in my procession.

This is book two of the Warrior of Earth series, a series that features a former writer from Earth who now is a proclaimed legendary Warrior from Earth, a He-man type that ladies swoon over, and offer up all their bodies for his taking. He is a master of the sword, ax, and sexual pleasure. He has powers provided to him by an amulet he never takes off. This gives him the ability to become invisible, to teleport over great distances, provides super human strength, and apparently charisma as well. His ability to speak to everyone is provided by a ring that allows him to speak in any language of his new home planet. He also works as a de facto ambassador, and diplomat when needed. In short, he is everything anyone could ever want in a hero. Perfection. And therein lies the greatest flaw. He is too perfect, too desirable to be real, or someone a reader can relate to.

The story is centered around the character Jason of Thurgan, the hero, Prince Khuramani and his Black Horseman, the villains, and Praesepean, the planet it all takes place on. Jason's wonderful life spent with his wife, and ruling a peaceable kingdom, is constantly disrupted by his evil brother-in-law, Khuramani. Khuramani, an evil and twisted man, will stop at nothing to gain world dominion. To do so, the evil prince must connect to some mythical evil ones to gain the power to rule the world. Naturally, Prince Jason must stop him.

This world was once a space-faring race, until the battle for Space Moon apparently caused some disaster wiping out many of the inhabitants and causing the people to go back to a more medieval type living. For anyone who has not read the first book, the back story is a bit sketchy and makes it hard to understand all that goes on and why. Still The Ride To Revenge does provide some enjoyable reading if you are only looking for a light read, with sexual romps and not much character development.

My complaints center primarily on the lack of characterization. When I read a book, I want to care about the people I am reading. I want to root for their cause, and cry at their defeats, and triumph with them for every bit of joy they grasp. As it was, there was a lot of action, but no emotional investment. Also as a woman, I really dislike the cardboard characters of women who seem to be little more than sexual diversions. Sex is fine, but it would have been nice if there were a bit more connections other than a couple of bodies (or more) whamming it up for nothing.

The Ride To Revenge is perfect for those who loved such space fantasy back in the 1950s black and white with all those fetching virginal girls walking around in skimpy outfits. Only in this book, the hero gets to take them off and do what adolescent boys dreamed of doing back then. If this is your cup of tea, then swell, gather ye around the swill, to hear the high tales of Heroes and Evil men who dare to make misery in their presence.

Reviewed By: Nancy Louise
© June 2006