Title: Figurehead: Book 2 – Bite of the Jackal
Author: Rock Lambert
Publisher: CreateSpace
ISBN: 978-1517310929
Pages: 274
Genre: Historical Fiction
Reviewed by: Lisa Brown-Gilbert
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Built with moments that are touching, suspenseful and at times terrifying, author Rock Lambert’s Figurehead: Book 2 – Bite of the Jackal, regales readers with a wonderfully imaginative narrative where the past, present and the supernatural converge to make an intrinsically entertaining read. Followers of the series as well as new readers, will not be disappointed, as this second book in the Figurehead trilogy, faithfully continues this maritime based tale of the ventures of Captain Silas Pike, his vengeful pursuit of the deadly Jackal and a beautiful figurehead.
As the second addition to the series, this book focuses more on the discovered figurehead relic. A monument created out of love, and belonging to the long gone maritime era of Silas Pike, the over three hundred years old artifact presents an awe inspiring visage at thirteen feet tall and weighing five thousand pounds. Meanwhile, as she is being kept in a local maritime museum, the identity of the figurehead comes to light and the figurehead phantasmagorically comes to life, a prospect that both terrifies and mystifies those around her. However, the story also takes on a touching and sentimental twist, as the reason for her anthropomorphic existence is disclosed via supernatural communication with the young man that initially found her. The figurehead is from Captain Pike’s ship the Avenger, and the two have a connection that transcends beyond the boundaries of time and physical space. It is revealed that she is on a mission to be reunited with Pike but she needs help. However there are also other negative forces at work that become prevalent in the story with greedy and deadly intentions.
Figurehead: Book 2 – Bite of the Jackal is an intensely satisfying read that was smartly written and moved at a balanced pace between past and present. I found myself easily engrossed with its winning combination of history, mystery and paranormal phenomena. I enjoyed author Rock Lambert ‘s skillful job of recreating the past with his detailed and realistic portrayal of the maritime aspects of the novel. Also, I found to be especially interesting was his depiction of the mystical elements of the figurehead’s fantastical animation and emotion driven point of view, which quite successfully made the figure a relatable character in the story.
Although interesting enough to stand on its own merit, I feel it is best to have read the prequel prior to picking this up. This book is the type of engrossing novel that would make a terrific end of summer read for all ages.
