The Bastard's Grimoire

** I was given a review copy by NetGalley **

This book is set in and around the city of Koln in an alternate Medieval age where demons and magic abound. The premise of the story being that an evil wizard enchants a young man forcing him to embark on a campaign of rape to impregnate women (and men) with demon seed forcing them to give birth to demons. His antagonists are a magical dwarf and a young illegitimate boy raised in a whorehouse (the Bastard of the book's title).

There isn't much to recommend this book.

I suppose I can say it was well written with some gritty depictions of Medieval life. However, between the scenes of gratuitous violence, and the weird and perverted sex acts, there is not much of a story.

I consider myself to be pretty broadminded, and not at all prudish. A book, in which the central action is graphic description of rape, I find to be distasteful. I had to struggle to finish it. Possible the author has set out to shock and offend people. He hasn't succeeded; it's just puerile. .

Don't put it on your Christmas list.