"Blaze" review

Blaze is not just a Stephen King novel. It's billed as "the last Richard Bachman novel". For those of you not in the know, Richard Bachman was King's pseudonym for a time, under which he published some of his early novels. Bachman's true identity was revealed with the release of Thinner, and King released a statement that Bachman had died from "cancer of the pseudonym". Blaze recounts the story of a man (last name, Blaze) whose partner in crime has come up with the ultimate job. But before the job goes down, Blaze's partner is killed. Or is he?

As a thriller, Blaze works wonderfully. Better still, however, is the way that King/Bachman gives readers a glimpse into the life of Blaze. Whether its his childhood or his mind, King never fails to entertain in this sense. There is a sense of tragedy and loss surrounding the book, and perhaps some of King's farewell to Bachman is encompassed in these pages. The book also shows that King can write a great novel in a short space (when he wants to). In about 300 pages, he creates characters and a story that is hard to forget.

My rating: 9/10

Coming Soon: The Dark Half, Duma Key, and Warbreaker.