My review of "Angel Time" by Anne Rice

“Angel Time,” by Anne Rice is a departure from her previous work. In the past Anne’s characters struggled with the fact that their very existences were unredeemable. Characters like Lestat struggled against their innate evil, but were doomed to live with it. This new novel reflects Anne’s Christian conversion and offers her protagonist salvation. This is a surprising change for those who follow Anne’s work.

The story is based on a man named Toby O’Dare. The character is a contract killer fallen into despair after the completion of his latest assignment. In this moment of utter melancholy an angel name Malchiah reveals himself to Toby. The angel not only tells Toby that God has forgiven him, but also offers the opportunity to work on God’s behalf. Through Angel Time, a method of time travel Malchiah uses, Toby is brought to the past where he must use his skills to save lives instead of taking them.

Anne tells this story with the same flowing descriptions we are accustomed to reading. We can literally see the ruins of San Juan Capistrano, the opulence of the Mission Inn. What impressed me the most was how she explained Toby’s tragic past, particularly the event which causes him to turn his back on God. I can’t remember a scene in any of Anne’s previous works with such a strong emotional impact.

What troubled me about the novel was how “easy” Toby’s redemption is. I don’t come from a strong Christian background, so the idea that God can simply forgive you no matter what you’ve done is a bit jarring for me. I would have liked the book to have been a bit longer, too. Half the novel successfully covers Toby’s past and present. I think some more danger during Toby’s time in the past would have generated a bit more suspense.

Toby O’Dare was not as engaging to me as some of Anne’s other characters. It may be because I am still accustomed to those evil but utterly compelling vampires and witches she created. But the novel is definitely an enjoyable read. I am eager to see how Toby’s character develops in the sequel and what new adventures Malchiah will send his way.

Zangetsu by jason zapata

Why do you still believe you wander alone
Can you not feel my presence in this place
Hear my footsteps on this path I retrace
Through the course of your flesh and bone

Our reunion is something you still postpone
Senescent doubts and fears haunt your face
Specters of your past we could easily erase
If only you would call my strength your own

Unrest in this place reflects how you appear
A defeated warrior nursing wounded pride
This is no temple in which I wish to reside
So let my resolution finally reach your ear

I only wait for your resolve to be sincere
When I have seen you put your fear aside
I will return to the empty sheath at your side
And you will realize I have never left here

My Review of Brom's, "The Child Thief"

“The Child Thief” is Brom’s third major publication and first full length novel. Having read Brom’s previous work “The Plucker”, I was excited to hear about his dark retelling of the classic Peter Pan Myth. When I got my hands on the novel itself, I was very surprised. This wasn’t an illustrated story like “The Devil’s Rose” or “The Plucker”, but a true full length novel. As usual the story is illustrated, but the art takes a back seat for the writing with this venture.

Brom takes ownership of the classic story boldly. His Peter Pan is a cunning and dangerous being seeking troubled and runaway children in modern day settings like New York City. But the children he takes don’t realize they aren’t going to be playing games in Neverland. Deftly weaving in myths and threads from history, Brom creates his own dangerous magical world. Readers will be impressed by how neatly the themes of Avalon and the lost colony of Roanoke are sewn together.

Though there are many allusions, this story has Brom’s gothic and violent style all over it. This is not a story for the faint of heart and I think the amount of killing which happens in the novel my scare off some readers expecting the more typical Peter Pan story. This is a dark fantasy and one needs to read the story with that in mind.

But for those who are used to Brom’s work it is an enjoyable and memorable ride. Those who read “The Child Thief” will never quite see Peter Pan the same way again. But when Peter gives you that mischievous smile, you’ll find yourself smiling back. For Peter’s smile is a most contagious thing.

My Review of Alice Sebold's, "The Lovely Bones"

“The Lovely Bones,” by Alice Sebold is a beautifully written drama. This was a difficult piece of work to write well. Child rape and murder was not an easy subject for the author to base the novel on. The unique approach Sebold took to writing this story makes it not just bearable to read, but a rewarding experience.

The Lovely Bones centers on the death of Susie Salmon and how it affects her friends and family through the years. Susie is brutally murdered early in the novel which takes place in the 1970’s. The era is an important detail. Child rapists and killers weren’t the criminal phenomena back then as they are now. This gives the circumstances to Susie’s death credibility. Again, praise needs to be given to the author for expressing the horror Susie faces without crossing over into the grotesque.

The story also avoids the hackneyed “angry spirit searching for its murderer” milieu. Susie is watching her family from heaven and she doesn’t exhibit any overt signs of unrest. Though there is the suspense of a murder investigation and the flight of Susie’s killer, the story is far from a crime drama. Sebold’s tale focuses instead on how the people who knew Susie change after her death.

In heavy detail the reader is shown how absolutely devastating the murder is to the Salmon family. At times you can almost visualize yourself seated amongst the grieving family, feeling the intense pain of their loss. This is both a detrimental and positive thing. A large portion of the novel deals with the grieving process and this demands an emotional endurance from the reader they may not have expected.

I can only say that the reward for reading The Lovely Bones is well worth the effort. Sebold takes what is now an almost everyday tragedy and makes it into a worthy story. If you finish the novel or find yourself faltering please read the “Words To Live By,” interview between Alice Sebold and David Mehegan of the Boston Globe.