Sanctuary

Sanctuary begins in Britain in the tenth century with an old man finally writing out his story. The story he has to tell is intense, frightening, and extremely entertaining.

It begins with slaughter. Daniel is a priest-in-training in a small city when the town is the target of an attack. Blood is everywhere, and Daniel is afraid. Everything seems hopeless until a mysterious man appears and single-handedly runs off the invaders. The town is left shattered, and Daniel wants to help. However, he views this man as a sign from God, and he decides to follow him, despite the man’s repeated orders to stay behind. This begins Daniel’s dogged pursuit of God’s plan. He has no idea what he is doing, where he is going, or how he is going to survive, but he continues to trudge along, moving only on instinct. Along the way he meets tortured souls, an awful sorcerer, and a fate that he could never have anticipated. He also finds that he has a unique talent and an important part to play in the upcoming days of darkness.

With Sanctuary, Kramer has crafted a fantastically engaging story full of interesting, multifaceted characters who are never depicted as solely good or bad. There is ambiguity in everyone, including the narrator. While Daniel is clearly trying to do the right thing, he often makes mistakes, and this makes him refreshingly human. The tale is also full of vivid descriptions that make the ordinary life of ninth century Britons come alive just as much as the intense battles with dark powers. The story’s pacing is also perfect. Kramer interlaces urgent, heart-pounding scenes with quieter moments, keeping the reader interested and allowing the story to breathe. This is the first book in a series, and the ending is perfect. The plot strings are tied up enough to leave the reader feeling satisfied, but enough things are left unresolved that I am eager for the next book.

All told, this is a fantastic read and one that I fully recommend.