REVIEW: Toothless by: JP Moore
Toothless is a period piece and a nice addition to the overall zombie genre. Taking the reader back to 1180AD and into the time of the Knights Templar, we see how an invasion from the Yew with its minions, are ravaging the European countryside.
The hero or rather anti-hero, is Martin, a Knight Templar who died in combat against the Yew demon Ruin. Reanimated to now do the work of the Yew by the black priests who serve and perform rituals, he somehow has retained a portion of his humanity and is renamed ‘Toothless’ due the injury he received at the hands of Ruin, his lower jaw hacked off.
Toothless and his compatriots, former live humans equally reanimated as he was, are sent out to locate relics for the Yew so that it may grow stronger. Mentally connected to the Yew and under the influence of it, Toothless ravages the countryside. The remnant of his humanity appears to give him a conscience and at times, he is reluctant to engage in bloodshed even with the voice of the Yew commanding him to do so in his head.
Moore weaves a nice tale about redemption, revenge and loss of humanity. Toothless is a novel that stands apart from others in the genre mainly for its historical aspect than for its plot. Not short of gore or horror, the storyline could be placed in any contemporary setting with minor adjustment and still tell the same fable.
Toothless who as a man lost everything he once loved including life itself. Reanimated as a walking corpse, he finds a way to possibly get what he lost back but at a steep price. Not able to bring his family back yet his still mourns for them, he might be able to stop the spread of the Yew and its sickness.
Playing with the mythos of the Knights Templar, the Black Plague that ravaged Europe between 1348-1350, supernatural beings like Spriggans, demons and other like creatures, Toothless takes the reader on a wild, exciting, adventurous ride through 12th century France.
JP Moore’s Toothless is one of the few genre novels that doesn’t rely on space aliens, government experiments gone awry, or chemicals leeching into cemetery grounds causing the dead to rise. He creates a supernatural reason that fits with the time frame set and then adds all the epic pieces to make it work.
Well written and compelling, it will hold the interest of the reader all the way to the end. While the ending it telegraphed and predictable, the story is enthralling enough to make you want to finish it. Historical fiction and fantasy blended together to make a cohesive plot. What was unusual for this novel was the attention to detail in regards to the clothing and weaponry from this time frame. Moore did the historical research and even went so far as to know the names of the moves during a sword fight.
Toothless is definitely not the typical novel one usually finds within this genre.
Available at Amazon.
