The Book of Shadows
By James Reese
ISBN 0-06-621015-1
With his debut novel James Reese has masterfully written a tale of
witchcraft, familiars, witch trials and blood & gore. It is a mixture
between Anne Rice’s narrative and erotica. The story takes place in 19th
century Brittany, where a young child named Hurculine is taken to a convent
to be raised after her mother dies a mysterious death. She leads a life of
solitude and is educated by the nuns at the convent to believe that
witchcraft is heresy. She is only saved by two elementals (Father Louis and
Madeline) and with the help of a witch named Sabastiana. They teach Hurculine
about her history and she becomes a very powerful witch. Sabastiana gives
Hurculine a gift of her own Book of Shadows. It is a book that records all of a
witch's history, spells and journals and which aids Hurculine in her quest down
her path of enlightenment.
Reese creates each character, from Hurculine to Madeline to Sabastiana with
so rich a history that the story comes to life with a fervor and its
own pulse of life. Any reader could not put down this book for very
long, specially those interested in the appeal of witchcraft. It is
absorbing, fascinating and vibrant, satisfying from the first page of the
story right down to the very last page.
Sheal
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