Splitting the Chrysalis

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EVEN GOD CAN MAKE MISTAKES

If a man’s destiny has been etched in stone, imagine God’s chagrin when something unexpected and outside the realm of his control rewrites it. That’s just what happens when hockey defenseman, Adam Mogilvy, is called back from a road trip because of a phone call telling him that his infant daughter is terribly ill. His unexpected arrival at home changes the course of fate and begins an epic story far beyond the battle of good and evil.

At the core of this first volume of what promises to be an ever unveiling series of fantasy mythos, a business tycoon blackmails the frontrunner mayoral candidate for a large metropolitan city. At the same time, a young woman finds herself on the run to keep powerful forces from ripping the budding life from her womb; while a Homicide detective tries to solve the murder of one insignificant victim. These three events are interconnected with a clever twist of political subterfuge, back alley treachery, and a frightening brew of evil and startling cosmic forces.

Daniel Archer writes a fast-paced narrative identifying his style. This thriller has a supernatural bent to it, much as his first novel, Theater of the Dragon.  In Splitting the Chrysalis, Archer deviates just slightly from his political-legal storytelling in that he centralizes the conflict to one major metropolitan area. Having boxed himself in within this city, he still turns the place on its ear with his vividly descriptive narrative of ruthless businessmen, desperate politicians, and hidden monsters lurking in the shadows of the night.

Archer's imaginative style takes readers into a film noir-esque world rife with dark tones and imagery. Savvy readers might be able to deduce the real location through carefully placed references of history and landmarks, which was Archer's intention all along. His complex twist of plot cleverly intertwines characters into a tightly meshed story where readers are hard-pressed to predict the direction this book takes. It gives the impression of P.T. Barnum leading enthralled guests through a cabinet of curiosities, with a curtain drawn over each exhibit for its own ceremonial presentation.