His Fathers Son:

Dante’s Rage

A novel by Diana Bennett

Published by Publish America
www.PublishAmerica.com
ISBN # 1-59286-090-7
324 pgs $24.95 paperback

 

“Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” We have all heard the quote. However, what if the absolute power that is given is to a man that is pure evil, does the power add to the corruption, or does he embrace it, and the power itself become dark? That is the kind of tale that author Diana Bennett has created in her novel, “His Father’s Son: Dante’s Rage.”

Set during the Middle Ages, this is the story of 4 men, Giovanni and his son Dante, and Juliano, and his son Jerome. The two fathers being friends, and unbeknownst to them, the sons follow suit. The unholy four have been given great powers due to the rings they wear, rings that are the remains of a once evil god that walked the earth. These rings grant each wearer great power, but caries with it a great curse. The wearers must devour the souls of innocents to survive. Giovanni and Juliano both relish in the power they possess, each becoming great tacticians in a battle over their sons. Jerome, basically innocent, wants no part of any of it, while Dante, once given the ring bathes in the power it provides, allowing him to become a great fighter, and eventually a lord.

However, Dante is filled with a rage that burns inside him that runs deep and hot. He hates his father for the lies he told him growing up, he hates his mother for the weakness she possessed, and he hates Jerome for the love he has found in Suzanne. He will go to any length to quench the fire, and get what should be his, even if it means killing everyone dear to him in the process.

Author Diana Bennett in her first novel has done what few are able to pull off well. She has created characters that are rich in their existence, deep in their convictions, and bound by honor and power, one to the other. Her characters are such multifaceted that I can guarantee there will be at least one that you will find yourself drawn to. Humor, pathos, action, mysticism, death, destruction and love all find their way through these pages, forming a rich vibrant world for her characters to inhabit.

While I am at it, let me tell you something else that she does that I really like. I have mentioned this in other reviews, but this bears repeating. So many authors feel they have to describe every little nuance of every little thing in their novels. That drives me crazy, serving to only pull me out of the story I am reading, as I have to wade through the velocity of a bullet, or the number of leaves in a tree. Ms. Bennett doesn’t waste my time or hers in describing the castle-it’s a castle. Good enough for her, good enough for me-I know what a castle looks like. Same goes for swords, horses, and armaments. Now then, before you think otherwise, yes, when description is needed, it is provided, but in a clear concise style that makes for enjoyable reading, never sacrificing either style or substance. Call it fantasy horror writing for the MTV generation if you wish, but it works and works well.

This is a book that I think deserves wide recognition. The characters will stay with you long after you close the cover, and I wouldn’t be surprised if you don’t find yourself returning to the world of Dante many times over, each time finding something you missed the first time around. That is the sign of a great book, and that is the sign of a great author, and in His Father’s Son: Dante’s Rage by Diana Bennett, you have both.