Author: William Rand
Genre: Horror
When he received The Gift of Xan Tak’An, my friend Senor Montoya (the oldest of our company) was of two score and fourteen years. The Gift returned more than a decade of those years to his mind and body . . . .
William Rand’s book That Way Madness Lies provides us with a new an interesting perspective on the vampire mythos, by transporting it out of its familiar setting of old European aristocracy and into ancient Mayan mythology and contemporary South America, breathing some fresh life into the genre.
The first part of the book explores the process by which the central character, archaeologist Dr. Gene Gatz, dissatisfied with his life in general, begins to turn down a path of darkness that will not only lead to unimaginable power, but also to pain. It explores just how far one man will go to recapture his lost youth and attempt to defy the inevitably of age and death.
Finding an ancient Mayan codex, Dr. Gatz discovers inside it the means by which to reverse the flow of time…and he also meets the beautiful virgin Sara Drake, who will eventually become his bride.
In a shocking ritual marriage to Sara, Dr. Gatz unleashes dark forces that give all he ever wanted and more, and this ritual is the catalyst for unleashing an ancient horror on the world once more.
The second half of the book deals with the terrifying results of Gatz’s transformation, it’s consequences, and Sara’s brother, Detective Tony Drake efforts to locate Gatz, as he leaves a mounting trail of bodies in his wake…Gatz finds himself losing more and of his humanity each day, slowly transforming into something else – but underneath the demonic, there remains a horrible sense of loss and love that he now seeks desperately to reverse.
That Way Madness Lies deals with the how far one would go to reverse the flow of time, and provides us with a classic twist on the traditional vampire tale, it is at times darkly erotic and charged with passion, as well as full of horror.