Valley of the Damned Epic Poem
Valhalla! Norse gods, spirits o' war, shades, pallorous ghost traces, werewolves, demons, spectres, wraiths and other haunting creatures of untold dread all come together in this Epic action-packed, martial arts adventure never before heard of tale on earth-- "The Valley of the Damned!" In this "Forgotten tale that no one knows," readers are invited for the first time to venture into the razor-exotic unseen Netherworld of the dead, where remnant spirits contend with each other for power and control over kingdoms, unspeakable legions of fallen shades, and the most prized "possession" of all the immortal human soul! Ride with three killer-phantoms on their quest to pursue the vainglorious "karate" movie star Mark Theman for his soul, the arrogant human whom all spirits wish to capture for their own sinister purposes! Trail teenage Valkyrie Kari "mass-battle" artist known for her psychotic poetic-sword s'kills and who will confront all odds to win. Shadowing her is the jackal-like Angel-Heart, amoral sword-slingin' duelist who always dogs her, never missing an opportunity to exploit and track with Dark Storm, ruthless bounty huntress who will stop at nothing in order to seize the power that Theman possesses his soulish living human "aura!" Rich in description and replete with scores of villainous and heroic spirits, "Valley" is an outrageous tale of valor and woe, of damnation and redemption, played out on an immense spiritual killing field where spectral phantoms are tried and tested in the fires of their (and our) own passions. In "Valley" readers will:
- Enter the grotesque "Market of the Soul" where long-lost warriors screech in vain to recapture their former glory.
- Sit with warlords of all climes and listen to Motion-Effectrix St. Kari of the Blade, Valk extraswordinaire spin inspirangular tales of gallantry as Evil lurks about, waiting to devour the unwary then follow her into stark raving lunacidal pitched battle.
- Join with Mark Theman, the ruthless martial arts movie star as he desperately attempts to retrieve his long-lost soul before it is hurled headlong into the deepest Abyss of Hell.
- Ensnare pitiful souls with the ruthless bounty hunting phasma-revenant Dark Storm in her bid for supreme power over millions and the coveted throne of Asgard.
- Follow the hell-hound packin' cold mercenary Angel-heart as he slices and dices the damned on his way up to become the top blade in the grisly Mortuus.
"Valley" is laced with myth/hist notes from the world over.
(S)word-plays and inter-twistorted tales corridor and pierce the Epic with elusive mind-resonances, shadowy mental focal lengths, pale thought-illusions and graspless realizations nigh unto dimensions invisi'bled, labyrimazing readers down into the inner sanctums of her lores; the uncanny, disturbing veiled Nether and the grim, obliquitious secrets she brings to dark! "Valley" culminates in a superlative modern fable that will stir the imaginations of those hearts who desire a bold, soul-searching undertaking into the stark core of their own Heavenly stratums or the dankest helks of their own personal Hells!
About the Author: About the Wereword Poet: Douglas M. Laurent, M.A., English, B.A., Film, is a graduate of Northeastern Illinois University and Columbia College, Chicago. According to the Japanese Samurai tradition of "Pen and Sword in Accord," Mr. Laurent combines the warrior ways with European myths, uniting global warrior cultures and otherworldly themes into a groundbreaking Dantean-like poem of Epic proportions. Using world-class literature and cinematic screen technique, Mr. Laurent welds the finest elements of swordplay, history, sagas, hist/myths, beliefs and technology into a heroic tale so far-reaching it touches the very vaults of eternity itself as well as the deepest recesses of the human spirit. A 40-year life study compressed into one volume, Valley of the Damned is the avant-garde martial arts poem of this generation. Currently Mr. Laurent teaches kung-fu in Scottsbluff, Nebraska.
