Book Review: Lest the Dew Rust Them by Michael Drakich

Title: Lest the Dew Rust Them
Author: Michael Drakich
Publisher: Self
Date of Publication: Feb. 22, 2013
Genre: Crime drama
Source: received from author for honest review
Buying links: Barnes & Noble | Amazon | Smashwords|

Book Synopsis:

Terrorism in America has a new game…decapitations!
Homeland Security Director Robert Grimmson faces the task of catching five men in New York City. They call themselves the Sword Masters with a single minded plan of terror through decapitations.
Barely has the task begun when a new arrival at JFK is a man importing thousands of swords! Alexander Suten-Mdjai is a trainer in the deadly art of swordsmanship and Robert cannot help but believe there is a connection between him and the Sword Masters.
As he goes about the task, each step in his search is made more difficult through the interference of politicians, the media and his own government.Robert’s examination constantly draws him back to Alexander who regales him with a tale of swordsmanship from his lineage featuring events of mankind’s bloody past and often oddly having a connection to the case before him.With the clock ticking as New York collapses into a deep panic, he must catch the Sword Masters before it is too late!

My Thoughts:
The title was an interesting one and very unique, whereas the cover photo didn't inspire me to want to reach for it.  However much emphasis I do put on the cover illustrations, I will read a book even if I am not a fan of the illustrations. 
I am glad I did.  

Lest the Dew Rust Them is an interesting mix of crime drama, mystery, historical fiction, and (probably just to me) political satire.  

Many of the characters tended to get on my nerves for their blatant racial profiling that they were capable of doing; whereas some of the characters were just idiotic in their lives.  My favorite character in the whole book was without a doubt, Alexander Suten - Mdjai for many reasons.  
He is a honorable person.  Even as he is being suspected for some very heinous crimes all  because of a title, he is helpful and polite throughout it all. 
Another reason I respected him so much is because of his knowledge and talent.  He is a hell of a storyteller and I enjoyed hearing about the history of each blade he owned.  Personally, these were my favorite parts in the story;the accounts of the blades and his ancestors' use of them. 
Because of this section, the supernatural fan in me was hoping for some type of reincarnation like plot thread, but alas there was none. But again, that is just me.  

There are other characters in the story that play some major parts in the story, like the Homeland Security director, as well as the antagonists too, but they really didn't capture my attention like Alexander  Suten-Mdjai did.  

I will mention that I had high hopes for the antagonists being pretty worthy opponents but towards the middle and end I was just disappointed in their ways.  It seemed like they really didn't have any idea what they were doing, although, that could have been the deliberate doing of the author.  I  did wish that we weren't informed of the criminals so early in the book.  It would have been more mysterious if we may have had to guess at their identities first.  

The plot was a creative one as well as the choice of weapons interesting.  Also the manner in which many of the victims were destroyed was also entertaining for a crime drama.   
There was a strong message going throughout the story that shows us how civilization will slowly break down when people get scared.  Accusations, racial slurs, and bigotry become more commonplace as people lose their securities and feel like they are being boxed in by something they can't control and can't understand.  I felt like Mr. Drakich really understood this and made it an important part in his book for people to grasp.

I wasn't wholly impressed with this story but at the same time I did find parts that were interesting enough that kept me turning the pages and finishing the book.  The criminals as well as the police caused me to see it more of a satire in many ways.  I would have enjoyed the Sword Masters to be a little more adept at the mission they were trying to accomplish and I was a little disappointed in police's ability to find them.  

But all in all, the story was an okay read and I am going to give it four  hearts because even though there were areas that I disliked; I found myself being drawn into the story,turning page after page, until I was already at the end.  And I was not expecting it to end the way it did, so yay for twists!
[Though in this case I am not really in love with it; I did think it merited a four heart{or stars} rating for the implications shown when the society gets scared]

About The Author:
Michael Drakich
No awards, no accolades, no writing degrees or diplomas, only a deep rooted love of reading and writing.

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