Did you ever think back to the moments leading up to a terrible event in your life and wonder what it would have been like if you had changed one small detail in those seconds and how much the subsequent details would change? Cody Miller does. A young man in the prime of his life who just completed his MBA and is engaged to be married has one moment of careless inattention. The result is disastrous and terrifying. Cody suffers massive third degree burns over the upper portion of his body. The pain is unbelievable and is followed by months of hospitalization with infections, skin grafts, and rehabilitation. Then there are his dreams – involving a phantom Cody wandering through a burned out city populated with the ash-like remains of inhabitants – and the coiled presence of a monstrous serpent. Cody fights his boundaries and somehow breaks through – and ends up waking up healed… with a great job, and a new woman. The only problem is that Cody has two sets of parallel memories… the one that leads to his perfect life and the other depicting the fire and his brutal injuries. Both seem real, but how can that be? In addition, the love of his life – his fiancée has disappeared. Cody senses that she is alive, but there is some other presence, something haunting, something unworldly…
Alan Ryker is a superb writer. I am a huge fan of his earlier works (especially Nightmare Man), so I approached this novel with enthusiasm. I was not disappointed. This is an astounding story. The first part of the novel, involving Cody’s accident and recovery are graphic and mesmerizing. I am not sure if the description of recovery process is accurate, but it is gripping and detailed. The psychological impact on Cody is deftly illustrated. When the supernatural components of the story take hold roughly midway through, the action shifts into overdrive and I had no clue as to how the plot would be resolved. Mr. Ryker is a master of suspense – and his imagination produces some outstanding and unique plotlines. Open Dream of a Serpent – you won’t sleep till it’s over.
Alan Ryker is a superb writer. I am a huge fan of his earlier works (especially Nightmare Man), so I approached this novel with enthusiasm. I was not disappointed. This is an astounding story. The first part of the novel, involving Cody’s accident and recovery are graphic and mesmerizing. I am not sure if the description of recovery process is accurate, but it is gripping and detailed. The psychological impact on Cody is deftly illustrated. When the supernatural components of the story take hold roughly midway through, the action shifts into overdrive and I had no clue as to how the plot would be resolved. Mr. Ryker is a master of suspense – and his imagination produces some outstanding and unique plotlines. Open Dream of a Serpent – you won’t sleep till it’s over.
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