spiders 'n snakes is the opening chronicle in the saga, Madman Chronicles: The Warrior. Dragon riders gather to bury the dead at the culmination of a five-year apocalyptic world war. And the dead are many. They fill vehicles and buildings in every stage of decomposition. They're steam-shoveled into piles, dumped into manmade canals then set on fire. War refuses to stop, driven by monsters from the top. Wulf, Leader of Lords of the Dragon, an armed and mounted society of warriors, descends into the earth on a mission to discover a place to take his people, where they might enjoy life with their families and finally be rid of the manifest destiny shoved down their throats by prevailing world governments. His people are comprised mostly of the lower echelons of society, minorities, 1%er outlaws, the poor and insignificant. They are the ones who fight wars and, in the case of The Great Conflict, have paid the blood and guts price when politics got out of hand and the wiggly wobbly top spun into chaos. Having survived the war, they recognize a tiny window of opportunity. So Wulf ventures into the labyrinth, a torturous system of tunnels and chambers deep in the earth. There he faces mutant creatures, the horrifying discovery of an underground arena used by a society from the past to commit atrocities including suicide by lottery, human sacrifice and infanticide. When he escapes the labyrinth, Wulf goes into the city as part of a commission to consider a treaty offered by the government. He faces the unfeasible intrigue of allies and authors of treaties. Nobody in the room senses the climber pounding through the earth. Wulf blabbers and drools, makes a fool of himself in a room full of neckties, to battle the assassin and block its way. The steppenwulf aspect of himself, the vampire he denies, slams him down to save his man self and explodes into action. Excellent Sherry Vero Beach Immerse yourself in this voyeuristic world with a junket through a timeless labyrinth and an abyss of imagination. The book is like an all day multi layered tasty jawbreaker - very complex and delightfully mystical down to the very last bit. The story opens at the conclusion of the world conflict in the year 2010 with Wulf saying a farewell to his loved and trusted friend, Hood. The farewell is an elaborate high ceremony at the Stone Mountains behind the City of the Rock. Wulf is a descendant of the North American Peoples and a member of Lord of the Dragon. He created a community known as the Cave of the Dark Heart. With help from the ancient Book of the See, Wulf along with his staunch companion, genus Cajun Angelo, boldly search for a secure haven for his people. The reader will jump in and out of dreams into nightmares in a flash of a thunderbolt. In one mad dream Wulf experiences an intense vision of "a worm crawled out of her mouth, white and fat, burrowing itself between her bleeding lips, feeding." Meet the soul hopping Patron who is "fueled by hate and a burning lust for revenge." There is nothing cookie cutter about this book. It has a distinct style all its own. It is written with an elaborate herculean and provocative style. This book aggressively takes on in limitless futuristic action the very human elements of mistrust, fears, abuse, sex, tenderness, love, and the dynamics in all relationships. This is not a book you can skim. The author vibrantly interweaves creativity, intensity and exquisite detail. Mr. Sterner also provides music that may be downloaded from his site that correlates to the chapters in the book. A unique concept that should not be missed by the reader. The Madman Chronicles: The Warrior offers an adult cerebral momentousness makings of a first rate epic. Sherry Russell Author/reviewer