Did you enjoy The Saga Of Darren Shan? How about The Demonata? You did? Fantastic. Well, this is nothing like those two …

Shan tends to write for young adults (points up), though he has made a rather fantastic foray into adult horror, too (The City Trilogy). The Thin Executioner is not strictly horror, more fantasy, but it has enough blood and entrails to warrant a recommendation from yours truly. Go buy it, borrow it, rent it, steal it. Seriously. I went into this book with low expectations. Sure, I’m a Shan fan, but I’m rarely a fan of fantasy – especially in the young adult market. I’ve read Harry Potter; I think that’s about it in that niche. I read The Thin Executioner in two sittings – and that’s ONLY because I needed a break for the toilet!

You can read a fuller synopsis elsewhere. I’ve written too much here already. The story revolves around Jebel, an executioner’s son, who is publicly humiliated by his father. Jebel sets out on a quest to petition a God for powers to make him invincible and more powerful than any other person alive, so he can return home and become the new executioner. You see why I was reluctant to read it? Not my thing – and probably not yours. But give it a chance. Once you get into this story it becomes one of the most gripping, moving, horrific, and inventive stories I’ve yet to read.

Thumbs UP …