The Sword and the Sunflower


Fiction - Fantasy - Epic
410 Pages
Reviewed on 11/19/2019
Buy on Amazon

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Author Biography

After five non-fiction I decided to take break. That break lasted all of two weeks. There was now a fiction waiting to be written.

I sat down and wrote a poem—a poem that just revealed itself to me in a matter of minutes, and that became the framework of the book.

    Book Review

Reviewed by K.C. Finn for Readers' Favorite

The Sword and the Sunflower is a work of fiction incorporating fantasy elements into real-world issues and was penned by author Mark Bradford. Utilizing the genre of magical realism, the work focuses on an alternate world where a grieving father takes on one last task as the assassin of a man he has never before met. When he discovers the truth of his assignment, the job sends him into yet deeper catastrophe, and the fantasy world in which it is told reflects back at us with many important questions about the nature of grief, family and the human spirit.

Through three sets of eyes, author Mark Bradford has created a literary masterpiece of magical realism that speaks to the true heart of its readers on every page. Though it’s difficult to encapsulate the plot here due to its fantastical and ethereal quality, readers must trust that the meandering threads do unite beautifully, resulting in the coming together of different souls whose lessons imparted to one another are also imparted to us. The writing is superb, with a flowing narrative quality that never jars, and often reads in poetical phrasing with beautiful timing and sound-play. What results is an epic fantasy journey that is closely connected with our own world, driven strongly by its characters and their deepest pain, but ultimately leads them towards a wider perspective and a fulfilling conclusion that will stick with you long after you close the covers. Overall, The Sword and the Sunflower is a highly recommended read.