Title: Ni’il:The Awakening
Author: James Boyle
Publisher: IUniverse
Publication Date: December 2, 2008
Paperback: 216 pages
ISBN: 978-1440108679
Genre: Fiction

About the Book:

When several people are brutally killed in the town of Placerton, on the isolated Oregon coast, most locals think a rogue bear or cougar is roaming the forested hills near town. Police Chief Dan Connor is not so sure. He has witnessed some very strange things lately, such as disembodied voices, muttering a strange foreign language and an old Indian man who seems to be near every crime scene, but disappears before he can be questioned.

Dan’s investigation takes him to the local Sihketunnai Indians and their legend of the Ni’il, magical shamans charged with maintaining the balance between humans and the natural world. According to the elders, one of the Ni’il is responsible for the murders and intends to kill everyone in the community. It is Dan’s job to stop it.

It sounds unbelievable, but is the only explanation that fit the facts.

As a violent Pacific storm crashes ashore, cutting the town off from the outside world, Dan finds himself entering a strange world of myth and magic that was not covered in his police training. He must use all his wits and new-found powers to save himself and his community from the Ni’il.

My Review:

Ni’il: The Awakening is the first in James Boyle’s trilogy. Someone or something is terrorizing the small coastal town of Placerton, Oregon. Police chief Dan O’Connor first thought the biggest worry in the town was the strange occurrence of dogs missing, until he learns their relatively quiet coastal town is about to be hit with a potentially dangerous storm and bodies start appearing with not one shred of evidence as to who or what is killing them. The Sihketunnai Indian elders inform Dan that it is the Ni’il seeking revenge. Boyle writes an intriguing story line of small town life, strange disappearances, murders and the added twist of mystical forces in the form of the Ni’il. Boyle’s storyline moves rather quickly and the characters are fairly well rounded. It was easy to relate to Dan and Stephanie from the sheriff’s department and the usual tension between the sheriff’s office and the Mayor’s office. For his first novel, Ni’il: The Awakening is an engaging, fast paced novel filled with ancient lore and suspicion. Ni’il: The Awakening makes for an intriguing twist for mystery fans as well as those who enjoy mystical thrillers.

About the Author:

James has published both poetry and short fiction and is an organizer for the South Coast (Oregon) Writer’s Conference. This is his first novel. A student of Native culture, he used this background to create the ni’il. He lives in Gold Beach, Oregon, with a pacifist black lab named Mikey.

James Boyle’s NI’IL THE AWAKENING VIRTUAL BLOG TOUR ‘10 will officially begin on July 6 and end on July 30. You can visit James blog stops at www.virtualbooktours.wordpress.com during the month of July to find out more about this great book and talented author!

I received a complimentary copy of Ni’il: The Awakening by James Boyle from Pump Up Your Book Promotion as part of the tour. Receiving a copy in no way reflected my review of aforementioned novel.