About Vinculum
Written by James Hogue
182 pages / 80500 words
ISBN: 978-1-60370-373-4, 1-60370-373-X
Available file types - html, lit, pdf, prc, paperback
Weird things are happening to Todd at his job. He knows what to do for people who arrive at the hospital before he ever examines them, and when a terrible trauma case comes in with an extra serving of monster on the side, Todd is able to protect the girl, and his co-workers, with what seems like a dose of real magic.
Connor doesn't know why he's drawn to Todd's hospital until he sees the magic at work. Then he knows he has to introduce Todd to a whole world that Todd never knew existed, one of immortal beings, ancient prophecies, and an attraction that neither one can deny. Connor tries to let Todd go over and over, but he just can't do it. He knows he has to help keep Todd safe at all costs, even if it means facing the most dangerous being ever created. Can Connor and Todd face their demons, and their love, head on?
Review
Margaret Leigh, author of Coffee Kisses and other short stories, writes:
Vinculum is the story of Doctor Todd Warren who is a young medico working in a hospital in Texas. Todd’s life is changed irrevocably as events begin to unfold towards the fulfillment of an ancient prophecy.
On a routine shift in the ER, events suddenly take a turn that is anything but routine when a young woman is brought in, seriously injured in what witnesses describe as an attack by a lizard man.
Todd finds himself, not for the first time, recently, able to diagnose the girl’s injuries before she has even been taken from the ambulance, but he is afforded little time to consider this as he is quickly embroiled into a life and death struggle with a dragonian.
Later that evening, Todd meets Connor; a guardian enforcer who has found himself oddly drawn to Todd through time and space, although neither of them has any notion of the events that will soon unfold, threatening to tear them apart even as they begin to realize their love for each other.
I’d heard a lot about this book around some of the writerly circles I frequent and I was avidly looking forward to reading it. I was not disappointed. Vinculum contains everything that you could want from a fantasy adventure novel and then some!
I loved the developing relationship between Connor and Todd, and was particularly pleased that this sudden desire for a male partner caused both of them some conflict. Connor, because he’s always considered himself to be straight till he met Todd, and Todd, because of his part in the prophecy mentioned earlier.
The pace of the novel is quick without feeling rushed and there are some moments of genuine humor. I really liked the supporting characters of Jason Medicine Wolf and Andrew whom I would love to see more of in their own story.
All in all, a very good read!
Sample
Prologue
Shaolin Temple of the Red Dragon
Irving, Texas
The incense hung like a thick cloud in the air, and its sweet odor permeated every inch of the room. Master Ming Wei sat on the floor in the lotus position, his eyes closed in deep meditation. In his contemplative state, a vision began to form in his mind’s eye. A lush garden landscape materialized all around him. It was a gorgeous spring day, and the perfume of the flowers wafted into his nose enticing him with their fragrance. In the middle of the garden stood a beautiful woman dressed in a white flowing robe, and wearing necklaces that indicated that she was a member of Chinese royalty. She was engulfed in incandescent light. Ming Wei recognized her immediately. She was the Goddess Guan Yin, the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, the Buddhist pinnacle of mercy and compassion. In her hands she was holding the object that had been entrusted to Ming Wei when he became master of the Shaolin Temple of the Red Dragon. The object that had been guarded by the masters of this temple for almost five hundred years.
Ming Wei bowed to Guan Yin and said, “My Lady, your presence has bestowed upon me a great honor. I am yours to command.”
Guan Yin smiled, placed the object she was holding into his hands, and said, “Ming Wei, it is time.” Then, just as quickly as it had come, the vision vanished.
Suddenly his eyes opened, and he quickly got to his feet. Walking over to a cabinet, he opened it, unlocked the safe hidden within, and removed a medium-sized jade box which he then placed on his desk.
He considered the enormity of what he was about to do. In all the time that this box had been under the custodianship of this temple, no one had ever opened it. Not even when China had fallen to the Communists in the nineteen-fifties and the priests of his order had immigrated to the United States had this box ever been opened. According to the tradition that had been handed down to him by his master, the box was not to be opened until the right time was made known. Apparently, the right time was now.
With reverence, he opened the box and looked at its contents. Nestled inside was an ancient scroll, yellowed with age. He removed the scroll from the box, carefully unrolled it, and then inspected what was written upon it. The words were artistically printed in Wén-yán script. Wén-yán script wasthe classical written form of the Chinese language, recorded from around 1500 BC, and was radically different from the modern Vernacular Chinese, or Baihua, script that had been the norm since the May Fourth Movement of 1919. Baihua was based upon modern spoken Mandarin Chinese, while Wén-yán was vastly different from any of the spoken varieties of Chinese. Fortunately, Ming Wei had been trained to read the classical script, and the scroll presented no problem to him. As he examined the scroll more closely, he noticed that the words seemed almost alive, leaping out from the scroll, enticing him to read them. Taking a deep breath, he began to read aloud:
“At the beginning of the third millennium of the foreign chronicle, the darkness within the darkness will begin to engulf the light. In this season, a Mystical Warrior Dragon will meet a Neophyte Healer Tiger. This encounter will provide a propitious opportunity for the forces of light. If the Mystical Warrior Dragon and the Neophyte Healer Tiger join together, becoming one, then the resulting Vinculum will shine forth as a beacon of light. This light shall bring illumination to the darkness within the darkness and shall cause its profusion to diminish. If the Mystical Warrior Dragon and the Neophyte Healer Tiger fail to bond in love, then the darkness within the darkness will prevail, and all of mankind will suffer.”
After re-rolling the scroll and placing it back inside the jade box, he sat down at his desk and considered the prophecy that he just read. If the prophecy was authentic--and he believed it was--it was imperative the right people were made aware of it. Grabbing pen and paper, he quickly translated the prophecy into English, and placed the translation inside the box with the original text. On another piece of paper he wrote a message, placed it in an envelope, sealed it, and then called out for one of his attendants to come into the room.
“Yes, Master. How may I be of service?” The attendant bowed to Ming Wei.
“Take this box to the address written on the envelope immediately. When you arrive, ask for the Prime Guardian. Give it to her and no one else. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Master. I understand. Your instructions will be carried out.” The attendant bowed, and then retreated from the room.