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The Borden Dispatches #1
Maplecroft
Lizzie Borden took an axe and gave her mother forty whacks; and when she saw what she had done, she gave her father forty-one....
The people of Fall River, Massachusetts, fear me. Perhaps rightfully so. I remain a suspect in the brutal deaths of my father and his second wife despite the verdict of innocence at my trial. With our inheritance, my sister, Emma, and I have taken up residence in Maplecroft, a mansion near the sea and far from gossip and scrutiny.
But it is not far enough from the affliction that possessed my parents. Their characters, their very souls, were consumed from within by something that left malevolent entities in their place. It originates from the ocean’s depths, plaguing the populace with tides of nightmares and madness.
This evil cannot hide from me. No matter what guise it assumes, I will be waiting for it. With an axe.
The people of Fall River, Massachusetts, fear me. Perhaps rightfully so. I remain a suspect in the brutal deaths of my father and his second wife despite the verdict of innocence at my trial. With our inheritance, my sister, Emma, and I have taken up residence in Maplecroft, a mansion near the sea and far from gossip and scrutiny.
But it is not far enough from the affliction that possessed my parents. Their characters, their very souls, were consumed from within by something that left malevolent entities in their place. It originates from the ocean’s depths, plaguing the populace with tides of nightmares and madness.
This evil cannot hide from me. No matter what guise it assumes, I will be waiting for it. With an axe.
435 pages, Paperback
First published September 2, 2014
210 people are currently reading
11.1k people want to read
About the author
Cherie Priest
75books4,287followersCherie Priest is the author of about thirty books and novellas, most recently the modern gothics It Was Her House First, The Drowning House, and Cinderwich. She's also the author of the Booking Agents mysteries, horror projects The Toll and The Family Plot � and the hit YA graphic novel mash-ups I Am Princess X and its follow up, The Agony House. But she is perhaps best known for the steampunk pulp adventures of the Clockwork Century, beginning with Boneshaker. She has been nominated for the Hugo Award and the Nebula Award, and the Locus award � which she won with Boneshaker.
Cherie has also written a number of urban fantasy titles, and composed pieces (large and small) for George R. R. Martin’s shared world universe, the Wild Cards. Her short stories and nonfiction articles have appeared in such fine publications as Weird Tales, Publishers Weekly, and numerous anthologies � and her books have been translated into nine languages in eleven countries.
Although she was born in Florida on the day Jimmy Hoffa disappeared, for the last twenty years Cherie has largely divided her time between Chattanooga, TN, and Seattle, WA � where she presently lives with her husband and a menagerie of exceedingly photogenic pets.
Cherie has also written a number of urban fantasy titles, and composed pieces (large and small) for George R. R. Martin’s shared world universe, the Wild Cards. Her short stories and nonfiction articles have appeared in such fine publications as Weird Tales, Publishers Weekly, and numerous anthologies � and her books have been translated into nine languages in eleven countries.
Although she was born in Florida on the day Jimmy Hoffa disappeared, for the last twenty years Cherie has largely divided her time between Chattanooga, TN, and Seattle, WA � where she presently lives with her husband and a menagerie of exceedingly photogenic pets.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 958 reviews
November 2, 2015
I've been hearing good things about this book for a long while now, and having just finished it, I have to say I wasn't disappointed.
The book is set in the 1890's. The primary character is Lizzy Borden. Genre-wise it's somewhere between urban fantasy, historical fiction, mystery, and Lovecraftian horror.
It's a cool, unique concept for a book.
A few comments on the novel, in no particular order.
1. I listened to this on Audio, and because of that, I'm going to have a different experience from the raw text of the book, and that's actually a bit of a shame in this case. As I think I might have enjoyed the book more if I'd read it off the page.
The primary reason for this is that the male narrator wasn't everything I would have hoped for. He wasn't bad, but he wasn't great, either. He was merely okay, and that was to the detriment of my book reading experience.
2. It's epistolary. By which I mean it's a collection of letters and journal entries from different people, that, when taken together, outline the shape of a story.
It's an interesting format, and not one that you see very often. But it's very well executed, and even if you're unfamiliar with the style, it shouldn't throw you off much, especially if you're used to stories with multiple POV characters.
One potential downside is that the lack of an overarching narrator means that your hand isn't being held through the story. So unless you're good at keeping track of dates in your head, you might miss the fact that a week has gone by. And that might cause some unfortunate confusion.
(This would have been less of an issue with me if I'd been reading a text book and could have merely flipped back to see what a previous date was. So the Audiobook bit me on the ass there.)
3. The language was lovely. Since it's set 100 years back, and composed of written documents, the language is formal and ornate. (Without being opaque) Some of it's still lingering in my head. (As you can see up above when I wrote, "that was to the detriment of my book reading experience.")
My one problem again, stems from the fact that I was doing this as an audiobook. Sometimes when things were tense and I really wanted to skip a little bit of the 1890's verbal ornateness, but I wasn't able to because of the format. I never wanted to skip much, maybe half a paragraph. And it speaks well of the tension in the book that I occationally wanted to skim a bit (something I very rarely do.)
And now that I think of it, I think this quibble might be laid at the feet of the audiobook, too. It could be my desire to skip a bit was more because of the measured delivery of the narrator rather than the nature of the text itself. I found myself becoming irritated that the narrator wasn't reading more quickly sometimes...
4. There was a *really* nice element of mystery in this book. I won't say anything more about it, but Priest did a really nice job of incorporating that into the story....
5. It was tense, but not truly horrific or terrifying. Nothing gruesome. Nothing so horrifying that was going to keep me up at night. I liked that.
6. Great supernatural elements. Clever, unique, and well-integrated into the story.
7. Really great character voices. Each of the POV characters was distinctly different and exceptionally well-realized. In this case the audiobook narrators really added something to the book.
At first, I was thinking of giving this book four stars, primarily because of the slight irritations caused by the audiobook. But after writing this up, I realize that there's more than enough excellent elements in here to overbalance those quibbles.
Is is worth your time? Absolutely. Doubly so if you have a passing interest in the time period, mysteries, and/or wonderfully integrated elements of the lovecraftian mythos.
The book is set in the 1890's. The primary character is Lizzy Borden. Genre-wise it's somewhere between urban fantasy, historical fiction, mystery, and Lovecraftian horror.
It's a cool, unique concept for a book.
A few comments on the novel, in no particular order.
1. I listened to this on Audio, and because of that, I'm going to have a different experience from the raw text of the book, and that's actually a bit of a shame in this case. As I think I might have enjoyed the book more if I'd read it off the page.
The primary reason for this is that the male narrator wasn't everything I would have hoped for. He wasn't bad, but he wasn't great, either. He was merely okay, and that was to the detriment of my book reading experience.
2. It's epistolary. By which I mean it's a collection of letters and journal entries from different people, that, when taken together, outline the shape of a story.
It's an interesting format, and not one that you see very often. But it's very well executed, and even if you're unfamiliar with the style, it shouldn't throw you off much, especially if you're used to stories with multiple POV characters.
One potential downside is that the lack of an overarching narrator means that your hand isn't being held through the story. So unless you're good at keeping track of dates in your head, you might miss the fact that a week has gone by. And that might cause some unfortunate confusion.
(This would have been less of an issue with me if I'd been reading a text book and could have merely flipped back to see what a previous date was. So the Audiobook bit me on the ass there.)
3. The language was lovely. Since it's set 100 years back, and composed of written documents, the language is formal and ornate. (Without being opaque) Some of it's still lingering in my head. (As you can see up above when I wrote, "that was to the detriment of my book reading experience.")
My one problem again, stems from the fact that I was doing this as an audiobook. Sometimes when things were tense and I really wanted to skip a little bit of the 1890's verbal ornateness, but I wasn't able to because of the format. I never wanted to skip much, maybe half a paragraph. And it speaks well of the tension in the book that I occationally wanted to skim a bit (something I very rarely do.)
And now that I think of it, I think this quibble might be laid at the feet of the audiobook, too. It could be my desire to skip a bit was more because of the measured delivery of the narrator rather than the nature of the text itself. I found myself becoming irritated that the narrator wasn't reading more quickly sometimes...
4. There was a *really* nice element of mystery in this book. I won't say anything more about it, but Priest did a really nice job of incorporating that into the story....
5. It was tense, but not truly horrific or terrifying. Nothing gruesome. Nothing so horrifying that was going to keep me up at night. I liked that.
6. Great supernatural elements. Clever, unique, and well-integrated into the story.
7. Really great character voices. Each of the POV characters was distinctly different and exceptionally well-realized. In this case the audiobook narrators really added something to the book.
At first, I was thinking of giving this book four stars, primarily because of the slight irritations caused by the audiobook. But after writing this up, I realize that there's more than enough excellent elements in here to overbalance those quibbles.
Is is worth your time? Absolutely. Doubly so if you have a passing interest in the time period, mysteries, and/or wonderfully integrated elements of the lovecraftian mythos.
November 1, 2014
I really enjoy Cherie Priest's work, and this is no exception. It's a reinvention of Lizzie Borden as a bit of a Supernatural heroine. There's a lesbian love story involved too. Lots of great lady characters and super creepy horror. I really enjoyed it and if you're an urban fantasy fan, this is a nice twist on that genre! Stand-alone I believe though!
September 17, 2014
3.5 stars I liked this, but it felt overly long, and could have used better pacing. It's also kind of weird to essentially rewrite what we know of history to recast a murderer as a heroine. At first glance it seems like a Abe Lincoln, Vampire Slayer-type mash-up, but it's really closer to the idea of giving Jack the Ripper good reasons, albeit supernatural reasons, to commit his gruesome crimes. I also wish we'd spent more time on the actual Borden murders--everyone here seems to avoid talking about or even thinking about it too much.
Still, the old-timey horror style is interesting, as is the nature of the creature feature. Whether we saw enough of all that, and whether there's enough here to sustain a sequel, is another story. I'd read book two, though.
Still, the old-timey horror style is interesting, as is the nature of the creature feature. Whether we saw enough of all that, and whether there's enough here to sustain a sequel, is another story. I'd read book two, though.
March 24, 2015
The horror elements were decent, but not very original -- Lovecraft by way of , and nowhere close to as creepy as either.
Didn't particularly care for any of the characters, but they were moderately developed. Didn't see any reason besides name recognition for the use of a real historical figure. The romance was weak, mostly because Nance was so unappealing and the grounding of the relationship never explained.
Wolf and his organization, which was the most intriguing part (aside from the supernatural element itself) was totally wasted as that aspect was never developed and in fact did nothing plot-wise.
Not a terrible book, but a disappointing one.
Didn't particularly care for any of the characters, but they were moderately developed. Didn't see any reason besides name recognition for the use of a real historical figure. The romance was weak, mostly because Nance was so unappealing and the grounding of the relationship never explained.
Wolf and his organization, which was the most intriguing part (aside from the supernatural element itself) was totally wasted as that aspect was never developed and in fact did nothing plot-wise.
Not a terrible book, but a disappointing one.
October 3, 2018
And here a naggy rant comes, as promised, but no worries, it ain't gonna be too bad. It's not like I hated the book, not at all. But...
There might be minor spoilers, just so you know. ;)
I'm giving it a solid 3 stars, but I had to force myself to finish it, it's true. I guess I set my expectations too high, because it started off so very well. Ah, dear brothers and sisters in shadows of tombs, just think about it - historical figure, and quite ambiguous one - , in lovecraftianesque story, a cold blooded spinster with an axe - that should be quite a feast for any horror fan!
I still find the idea great, by the way. And, although I have a very mixed feelings about the murderers glorified in any way, just this time I was going to give it a go, because hey! there probably was Cthulhu or Shub-Niggurath or some other slimy cutie lurking in the shadows and fogs of the River Fall.
So with this interesting idea as a background it had a great atmosphere of alien murderous stuff waiting outside Lizzie's door in the darkness and trying to suffocate her with rotten fish stink. Also, there was a scientist getting obsessed by weird specimen and becoming someone - or something - else. Which was really impressive. Priest gave a convincing picture of madness sneaking silently into one's sober brain and leading him (or her) to total batshit crazy.
But some ideas were unexpectedly left behind, it seemed like the author simply forgot about them or suddenly changed her mind .
The whole thing was about a 100 pages too long because of never ending inner monologues so repetitive and boring, that I was skipping some in the end. And all those descriptions going in circles. Some characters were not very well developed and some were simply annoying, some were smart because the author told you so, but you couldn't really see it for yourself. And there was Nance, goddamit! I was waiting for Cthulhu to snatch her the sooner the better, alas, he never did, plus in fact there was no Cthulhu. . And there was no humour. Like, at all. But I think Aaronovitch spoiled me. And it's not like someone promised humour anyway, so I should chill down.
This book left me unsatisfied and not in a good way. There are some burning unanswered questions left and I think readers will learn the answers in the next book (books?) in series, but I seriously doubt if I care to know what happens next to Lizzie, Emma, doctor or inspector Wolf. And especially Nance.
There might be minor spoilers, just so you know. ;)
I'm giving it a solid 3 stars, but I had to force myself to finish it, it's true. I guess I set my expectations too high, because it started off so very well. Ah, dear brothers and sisters in shadows of tombs, just think about it - historical figure, and quite ambiguous one - , in lovecraftianesque story, a cold blooded spinster with an axe - that should be quite a feast for any horror fan!
I still find the idea great, by the way. And, although I have a very mixed feelings about the murderers glorified in any way, just this time I was going to give it a go, because hey! there probably was Cthulhu or Shub-Niggurath or some other slimy cutie lurking in the shadows and fogs of the River Fall.
So with this interesting idea as a background it had a great atmosphere of alien murderous stuff waiting outside Lizzie's door in the darkness and trying to suffocate her with rotten fish stink. Also, there was a scientist getting obsessed by weird specimen and becoming someone - or something - else. Which was really impressive. Priest gave a convincing picture of madness sneaking silently into one's sober brain and leading him (or her) to total batshit crazy.
But some ideas were unexpectedly left behind, it seemed like the author simply forgot about them or suddenly changed her mind .
The whole thing was about a 100 pages too long because of never ending inner monologues so repetitive and boring, that I was skipping some in the end. And all those descriptions going in circles. Some characters were not very well developed and some were simply annoying, some were smart because the author told you so, but you couldn't really see it for yourself. And there was Nance, goddamit! I was waiting for Cthulhu to snatch her the sooner the better, alas, he never did, plus in fact there was no Cthulhu. . And there was no humour. Like, at all. But I think Aaronovitch spoiled me. And it's not like someone promised humour anyway, so I should chill down.
This book left me unsatisfied and not in a good way. There are some burning unanswered questions left and I think readers will learn the answers in the next book (books?) in series, but I seriously doubt if I care to know what happens next to Lizzie, Emma, doctor or inspector Wolf. And especially Nance.
September 24, 2015
Up front: I'm adding a star for personal reasons. I was born in Fall River, and as an older child, moved to Providence, so a Lovecraftian Lizzie Borden tale feels like it was created just for me!
'Maplecroft' begins after Lizzie has been legally exonerated for the axe murders of her parents, although suspicion in town still rides high against her. She lived a somewhat isolated life, caring for her frail and sickly sister, Emma. Their main "social" contact is with Emma's doctor. Aside from her quotidian tasks, Lizzie spends her time dispatching semi-aquatic inhuman monsters that keep nosing around the house - and spending time in her basement laboratory investigating what these malefic mysteries might be.
Meanwhile, her sister Emma busies herself with correspondence and investigations under her secret alter-ego identity: the renowned but reclusive marine biologist E.A. Jackson.
Now, Priest plays loose in this book not only with reality and history, but with geography. An awful lot is switched around to fit her tale, to the point where using the historical characters seems almost besides-the-point. I was OK with doing away with the servants who lived in the Borden mansion in order to accentuate the sisters' isolation, but I did wish that the time period and sense of place had been more carefully crafted.
At the time that this novel is set, Fall River was a bustling mill town. It was in the middle of a major boom - within Lizzie's lifetime, the population had increased five-fold. It was the textile center of the USA, known as 'Spindle City.' The character of the community had quickly changed as well, with a major influx of French-speaking immigrants from Canada. Not one iota of any of that is referenced in the book. Instead, the town feels sleepy and quiet, with a relentlessly British feel (with the exception of Lizzie's Irish 'friend' who comes to visit from Boston.)
In addition, a major theme of the book centers around the ocean. There are multiple descriptions of crashing waves, walking along the shore picking up 'sea glass' and other sea life, etc. Too bad Fall River is not actually on the ocean. It has waterfront, yes, but if you run down to the water from the Borden mansion at 306 French St, you're on the Taunton River, not even Mount Hope Bay. It's near Battleship Cove, a location chosen for its calm waters and lack of crashing waves.
These things made me go "hmmph."
Regardless, I still very much enjoyed the tale, and will be promptly moving on to the just-released sequel.
'Maplecroft' begins after Lizzie has been legally exonerated for the axe murders of her parents, although suspicion in town still rides high against her. She lived a somewhat isolated life, caring for her frail and sickly sister, Emma. Their main "social" contact is with Emma's doctor. Aside from her quotidian tasks, Lizzie spends her time dispatching semi-aquatic inhuman monsters that keep nosing around the house - and spending time in her basement laboratory investigating what these malefic mysteries might be.
Meanwhile, her sister Emma busies herself with correspondence and investigations under her secret alter-ego identity: the renowned but reclusive marine biologist E.A. Jackson.
Now, Priest plays loose in this book not only with reality and history, but with geography. An awful lot is switched around to fit her tale, to the point where using the historical characters seems almost besides-the-point. I was OK with doing away with the servants who lived in the Borden mansion in order to accentuate the sisters' isolation, but I did wish that the time period and sense of place had been more carefully crafted.
At the time that this novel is set, Fall River was a bustling mill town. It was in the middle of a major boom - within Lizzie's lifetime, the population had increased five-fold. It was the textile center of the USA, known as 'Spindle City.' The character of the community had quickly changed as well, with a major influx of French-speaking immigrants from Canada. Not one iota of any of that is referenced in the book. Instead, the town feels sleepy and quiet, with a relentlessly British feel (with the exception of Lizzie's Irish 'friend' who comes to visit from Boston.)
In addition, a major theme of the book centers around the ocean. There are multiple descriptions of crashing waves, walking along the shore picking up 'sea glass' and other sea life, etc. Too bad Fall River is not actually on the ocean. It has waterfront, yes, but if you run down to the water from the Borden mansion at 306 French St, you're on the Taunton River, not even Mount Hope Bay. It's near Battleship Cove, a location chosen for its calm waters and lack of crashing waves.
These things made me go "hmmph."
Regardless, I still very much enjoyed the tale, and will be promptly moving on to the just-released sequel.
September 4, 2014
Most of us are at least vaguely familiar with the story of Lizzie Andrew Borden, a young woman accused of killing her father and her stepmother with an axe in 1892 and subsequently acquitted. The murders remain a mystery to this day � while Lizzie was released, no one else was ever accused and she remained the prime suspect, at least in the eyes of the community.
Despite being ostracized by her small community, Lizzie refused to leave Fall River, choosing instead to stay there in relative isolation for the rest of her long life, even after her older sister abandoned her. But why would she do that? And how was she acquitted in the first place when the evidence against her was overwhelming? What if there was something larger at play, something too horrible to even contemplate? What if poor Lizzie served as a guardian against some nameless evil set on destroying inhabitants of her small town?
"This evil cannot hide from me. No matter what guise it assumes, I will be waiting for it. With an axe."
The story is told mainly in first person, from Lizzie’s point of view, with other people’s diary entries, eyewitness accounts, personal correspondence and such inserted between chapters. The story couldn’t have been told as effectively by Lizzie alone. Although they might seem like a burden at first, other characters� accounts quickly become a welcome addition, providing insight we would otherwise be denied.
Maplecroft is researched to the finest of details and extremely well crafted. Cherie Priest is a force to be reckoned with; she has been nominated for many literary awards in the past, including Hugo, Nebula and Locus. I’m sure Maplecroft will easily follow in those footsteps. After all, it is a brilliantly done Lovecraftian horror filled with monsters that provoke absolute dread. It truly is horror at its finest, one that is sure to withstand the test of time.
Those of you who are more squeamish should perhaps read a sample first, but true horror enthusiasts like myself have a lot to look forward to. Highly recommended.
Despite being ostracized by her small community, Lizzie refused to leave Fall River, choosing instead to stay there in relative isolation for the rest of her long life, even after her older sister abandoned her. But why would she do that? And how was she acquitted in the first place when the evidence against her was overwhelming? What if there was something larger at play, something too horrible to even contemplate? What if poor Lizzie served as a guardian against some nameless evil set on destroying inhabitants of her small town?
"This evil cannot hide from me. No matter what guise it assumes, I will be waiting for it. With an axe."
The story is told mainly in first person, from Lizzie’s point of view, with other people’s diary entries, eyewitness accounts, personal correspondence and such inserted between chapters. The story couldn’t have been told as effectively by Lizzie alone. Although they might seem like a burden at first, other characters� accounts quickly become a welcome addition, providing insight we would otherwise be denied.
Maplecroft is researched to the finest of details and extremely well crafted. Cherie Priest is a force to be reckoned with; she has been nominated for many literary awards in the past, including Hugo, Nebula and Locus. I’m sure Maplecroft will easily follow in those footsteps. After all, it is a brilliantly done Lovecraftian horror filled with monsters that provoke absolute dread. It truly is horror at its finest, one that is sure to withstand the test of time.
Those of you who are more squeamish should perhaps read a sample first, but true horror enthusiasts like myself have a lot to look forward to. Highly recommended.
December 23, 2014
Did I really just read that? Ugh, I did.
I decided to read this book because I had a Fantasy novel itch I needed to scratch, and I took the advice of a certain ex-child actor whom I follow on ŷ and picked it up. My own distaste aside, I will attempt to give an objective review of the book (not).
There are two separate issues to address: the rather inexplicable plot and the clumsily crafted characters with their corresponding "themes." Ms. Priests' prose, while not exactly breathtaking, is clean and worthy of a 3-4 star rating, which is why this review is a 2 star and not just 1.
The book takes place in the 1890s and revolves around two eccentric adult sisters, both with a penchant for "science," living isolated from the rest of the town in a house called Maplecroft. The eldest is supposedly a highly celebrated marine biologist actively publishing under a male pen name despite, due to Consumption, never performing any research or even being capable of walking along the beach most of the time. The youngest has a "laboratory" in the basement that is central to the plot but, as far as anyone can tell, she does not actually do anything in it.
Ms. Priest uses these sisters to awkwardly address issues of sexism and sexual identity in the 19th century, but her handling of the topic is flat and underdeveloped. One of the sisters is a lesbian (gasp!) who must hide this fact from society. Not exactly a novel plot point or a particularly insightful commentary on Victorian culture. The other sister, the one writing under a pen name, confesses in the space of one line that she considers herself to be a man in a woman's body. That's it. Just one line out of nowhere, never mentioned again and totally incongruent . Her character is actually the girliest in the book-- she is the utterly helpless damsel in distress.
Oh, to be fair to her, I should also mention that there's a fumbling, half baked attempt to address religion in 10th century culture. One of the characters is an atheist you see, but he can't tell anyone. Ms. Priest mentions this sporadically without any context, it has no bearing to the story, and the character didn't even seem upset about it.
Although I applaud her attempt to weave themes and morals into her stories much the way I would if she were and 8th grader and I was her English teacher, she would have done better to just stick to the plot....
Or would she have? This brings me to the plot itself, which makes no sense.
[SPOILER ALERT] It starts out intriguing and compelling, sort of slows down at about 1/4 of the way through, then rapidly descends into melodramatic nonsense. The story revolves around the fact that some pieces of sea glass turn people into weird monsters.... except a smelly jelly fish thing can do that, too, but that only happened to the one guy... but not everyone is affected, apparently, because the sisters both handle the sea glass and the smelly jelly fish and remained totally human the entire time. Also, these people-turned-monsters eerily chant "out out out," but it is never revealed why they wan't to go "out" or where they might go if they did... Only one of them ended up going anywhere at all, but she was supposed to be half-cured, the rest of them stayed around. One of them develops gills in one paragraph, but then that's never mentioned again
Then there's something or another about the sea and some amorphous evil there, which is THE central plot piece and woefully undeveloped.... All I can tell you is gelatinous creatures come out of it and crawl up to Maplecroft all the time, but no reason is ever given as to why they go only to Maplecroft and nowhere else or why they come out of the sea at all. At first you think they might be drawn to the evil sea glass the sisters keep, but then you learn that there's lots of it all over town The question of whether or not these creatures used to be human is brought up several times, but never answered. I can also tell you that the sea sometimes makes a scary noise that's like a machine and one of the people-turned-monsters made that noise, too, but none of the rest of them did.
There is a turning point where the sisters and their atheist friend "discover" that the people-turned-monsters and the gelatinous sea creatures must be afflicted by some form of tetanus, but somehow also tetanus is the only way to kill them.... or something? That's why an iron axe works best...? Something about tetanus needing oxygen and as such the gelatinous sea monsters weren't exposed to it under water and are susceptible to it (FYI: tetanus is actively killed by oxygen, she might be thinking about rust...?). But wait I thought they had tetanus...? And the humans-turned-monsters live above the sea where there's oxygen so they must have been exposed to iron/rust... and don't they all have tetanus anyway??? Wait. I'm confused.
Needless to say, I do not recommend the book.
I decided to read this book because I had a Fantasy novel itch I needed to scratch, and I took the advice of a certain ex-child actor whom I follow on ŷ and picked it up. My own distaste aside, I will attempt to give an objective review of the book (not).
There are two separate issues to address: the rather inexplicable plot and the clumsily crafted characters with their corresponding "themes." Ms. Priests' prose, while not exactly breathtaking, is clean and worthy of a 3-4 star rating, which is why this review is a 2 star and not just 1.
The book takes place in the 1890s and revolves around two eccentric adult sisters, both with a penchant for "science," living isolated from the rest of the town in a house called Maplecroft. The eldest is supposedly a highly celebrated marine biologist actively publishing under a male pen name despite, due to Consumption, never performing any research or even being capable of walking along the beach most of the time. The youngest has a "laboratory" in the basement that is central to the plot but, as far as anyone can tell, she does not actually do anything in it.
Ms. Priest uses these sisters to awkwardly address issues of sexism and sexual identity in the 19th century, but her handling of the topic is flat and underdeveloped. One of the sisters is a lesbian (gasp!) who must hide this fact from society. Not exactly a novel plot point or a particularly insightful commentary on Victorian culture. The other sister, the one writing under a pen name, confesses in the space of one line that she considers herself to be a man in a woman's body. That's it. Just one line out of nowhere, never mentioned again and totally incongruent . Her character is actually the girliest in the book-- she is the utterly helpless damsel in distress.
Oh, to be fair to her, I should also mention that there's a fumbling, half baked attempt to address religion in 10th century culture. One of the characters is an atheist you see, but he can't tell anyone. Ms. Priest mentions this sporadically without any context, it has no bearing to the story, and the character didn't even seem upset about it.
Although I applaud her attempt to weave themes and morals into her stories much the way I would if she were and 8th grader and I was her English teacher, she would have done better to just stick to the plot....
Or would she have? This brings me to the plot itself, which makes no sense.
[SPOILER ALERT] It starts out intriguing and compelling, sort of slows down at about 1/4 of the way through, then rapidly descends into melodramatic nonsense. The story revolves around the fact that some pieces of sea glass turn people into weird monsters.... except a smelly jelly fish thing can do that, too, but that only happened to the one guy... but not everyone is affected, apparently, because the sisters both handle the sea glass and the smelly jelly fish and remained totally human the entire time. Also, these people-turned-monsters eerily chant "out out out," but it is never revealed why they wan't to go "out" or where they might go if they did... Only one of them ended up going anywhere at all, but she was supposed to be half-cured, the rest of them stayed around. One of them develops gills in one paragraph, but then that's never mentioned again
Then there's something or another about the sea and some amorphous evil there, which is THE central plot piece and woefully undeveloped.... All I can tell you is gelatinous creatures come out of it and crawl up to Maplecroft all the time, but no reason is ever given as to why they go only to Maplecroft and nowhere else or why they come out of the sea at all. At first you think they might be drawn to the evil sea glass the sisters keep, but then you learn that there's lots of it all over town The question of whether or not these creatures used to be human is brought up several times, but never answered. I can also tell you that the sea sometimes makes a scary noise that's like a machine and one of the people-turned-monsters made that noise, too, but none of the rest of them did.
There is a turning point where the sisters and their atheist friend "discover" that the people-turned-monsters and the gelatinous sea creatures must be afflicted by some form of tetanus, but somehow also tetanus is the only way to kill them.... or something? That's why an iron axe works best...? Something about tetanus needing oxygen and as such the gelatinous sea monsters weren't exposed to it under water and are susceptible to it (FYI: tetanus is actively killed by oxygen, she might be thinking about rust...?). But wait I thought they had tetanus...? And the humans-turned-monsters live above the sea where there's oxygen so they must have been exposed to iron/rust... and don't they all have tetanus anyway??? Wait. I'm confused.
Needless to say, I do not recommend the book.
January 6, 2015
I understand all the reasons some readers have for not liking this book, but as for me it is like Cherie Priest took a lot of things I don't like (foreshadowing), a lot of those I do, and mashed them all together creating one compact and great story.
In Maplecroft nobody knows the truth about the notorious Lizzy Borden and the murders of her father and stepmother. She is not a murderess unless you consider monster killings murders. Andrew Borden and his wife started to change and Lizzy was forced to act.
The first great thing is that Cherie Priest took a well known story, believed to be unsolved even, combined lovecraftian elements with her own and got an extraordinary book.
Maplecroft is written as a series of testimonies from different people, their accounts taken from personal journals, professional ones, personal and professional letters, newspaper articles and even a telegram. You mostly know who will live through the ordeal (even foreshadowing works perfectly here), and yet you'll find yourself anxiously waiting for the danger to pass.
The characters are Maplecroft's greatest strength and its weakness. I loved Lizzy. After the trial, she was caring for her ill and weak sister Emma, occasionally fighting fish-like humanoid creatures that come from the ocean. Nevertheless, she is human and one can only take enough ostracism and loneliness. The rest of the characters around her are, while crucial for most if not for the whole story, not as great as Lizzy. At, least they annoyed me.
Her lover, Nance, is childish, while Emma comes out of all this looking utterly ungrateful (when someone takes care of you for years, let them have one moment of happiness without complaining and whining). The good doctor Owen Seabury basically starts as a coward whose first instinct when he sees someone in need is to move away, but ends up as worthy as any hero I've read.
As I said the whole book is one huge collage of retold events and thoughts, and you can see the gradual changes in characters (especially the doctor). Another thing, even repetitions are well incorporated into the story. Considering what is happening in this town, it's no wonder that some people's thoughts end up jumbled and they repeat the same thing more than a few times.
All this is only small part of this novel. There is so much to be said about the characters and the thing they are fighting, but obviously the best way to experience it is to read it. Even if you are not a fan of Lovecraft, you may like this book.
In Maplecroft nobody knows the truth about the notorious Lizzy Borden and the murders of her father and stepmother. She is not a murderess unless you consider monster killings murders. Andrew Borden and his wife started to change and Lizzy was forced to act.
The first great thing is that Cherie Priest took a well known story, believed to be unsolved even, combined lovecraftian elements with her own and got an extraordinary book.
Maplecroft is written as a series of testimonies from different people, their accounts taken from personal journals, professional ones, personal and professional letters, newspaper articles and even a telegram. You mostly know who will live through the ordeal (even foreshadowing works perfectly here), and yet you'll find yourself anxiously waiting for the danger to pass.
The characters are Maplecroft's greatest strength and its weakness. I loved Lizzy. After the trial, she was caring for her ill and weak sister Emma, occasionally fighting fish-like humanoid creatures that come from the ocean. Nevertheless, she is human and one can only take enough ostracism and loneliness. The rest of the characters around her are, while crucial for most if not for the whole story, not as great as Lizzy. At, least they annoyed me.
Her lover, Nance, is childish, while Emma comes out of all this looking utterly ungrateful (when someone takes care of you for years, let them have one moment of happiness without complaining and whining). The good doctor Owen Seabury basically starts as a coward whose first instinct when he sees someone in need is to move away, but ends up as worthy as any hero I've read.
As I said the whole book is one huge collage of retold events and thoughts, and you can see the gradual changes in characters (especially the doctor). Another thing, even repetitions are well incorporated into the story. Considering what is happening in this town, it's no wonder that some people's thoughts end up jumbled and they repeat the same thing more than a few times.
All this is only small part of this novel. There is so much to be said about the characters and the thing they are fighting, but obviously the best way to experience it is to read it. Even if you are not a fan of Lovecraft, you may like this book.
September 12, 2016
What did I just read?
I sort of liked this book. I love historical fiction & the setting of this one, 1890's Massachusetts, was pleasing. I enjoyed the epistolary format as well, with the different voices of the various characters.
But, on the other hand, I don't really get it. Maybe because I've never read Lovecraft, and this is supposed to be Lovecraftian mythology (Chthulhu, I think).
The ending was the biggest disappointment for me. I really didn't understand the resolution at all. I know there is a sequel, but it looks like it takes place in a completely different location and is thirty years later (Lizzie is 60). I'm sort of interested in it, just because a bad ass sixty-year old axe wielding heroine sounds engaging.
But this ending. What?
I sort of liked this book. I love historical fiction & the setting of this one, 1890's Massachusetts, was pleasing. I enjoyed the epistolary format as well, with the different voices of the various characters.
But, on the other hand, I don't really get it. Maybe because I've never read Lovecraft, and this is supposed to be Lovecraftian mythology (Chthulhu, I think).
The ending was the biggest disappointment for me. I really didn't understand the resolution at all. I know there is a sequel, but it looks like it takes place in a completely different location and is thirty years later (Lizzie is 60). I'm sort of interested in it, just because a bad ass sixty-year old axe wielding heroine sounds engaging.
But this ending. What?
January 7, 2020
Before you read too much of my blather, the gist of this review will be that this book was Not For Me. Those two stars mean, "not to my tastes or preferences," not "this book is very flawed and here's why." The review might still be of interest for you for the purposes of finding out if the book might be For You.
Maplecroft is an epistolary novel that posits the what if of: What if Lizzie Borden famously murdered her parents for a good reason? And what if that reason was sea monsters? The book picks up after the murders, and after Lizzie has been acquitted at trial. She is now going by the name "Lizbeth," and is in a relationship with the actress Nance O'Neil. She seems to be studying the strange piece of glass that caused all of this, and she has pulled several unnatural creatures from the ocean. There are also POVs from the doctor and other townspeople.
Firstly, I'm just not into Lovecraftian/Chthulu/monster from the deeps type stuff. There's no hook there for me that has ever made a story about those things interesting. Secondly, the reason I wanted to read this book in the first place was the chance to read the story from Lizzie's perspective, with a fun fantastical twist. Nobody to this day knows if Borden did murder her parents (the weird behavior that was attributed to her seems just as likely to have come from shoddy police interrogation techniques and trauma response as it does coming from guilt). BUT. If she did do it, the why of why she might have done that seems in real life much more interesting to me than she did it because a creepy thing from the sea was possessing them. That just takes away all my interest in her motives.
Plus, . Booo.
There was also just something about the voice this was told in that put me to sleep while I was listening. The audio production wasn't that great, but it wasn't bad. The story just wasn't there for me, although there were moments where narrators other than Lizzie were telling their parts where I was slightly more intrigued. I probably won't be reading any more from this author.
Maplecroft is an epistolary novel that posits the what if of: What if Lizzie Borden famously murdered her parents for a good reason? And what if that reason was sea monsters? The book picks up after the murders, and after Lizzie has been acquitted at trial. She is now going by the name "Lizbeth," and is in a relationship with the actress Nance O'Neil. She seems to be studying the strange piece of glass that caused all of this, and she has pulled several unnatural creatures from the ocean. There are also POVs from the doctor and other townspeople.
Firstly, I'm just not into Lovecraftian/Chthulu/monster from the deeps type stuff. There's no hook there for me that has ever made a story about those things interesting. Secondly, the reason I wanted to read this book in the first place was the chance to read the story from Lizzie's perspective, with a fun fantastical twist. Nobody to this day knows if Borden did murder her parents (the weird behavior that was attributed to her seems just as likely to have come from shoddy police interrogation techniques and trauma response as it does coming from guilt). BUT. If she did do it, the why of why she might have done that seems in real life much more interesting to me than she did it because a creepy thing from the sea was possessing them. That just takes away all my interest in her motives.
Plus, . Booo.
There was also just something about the voice this was told in that put me to sleep while I was listening. The audio production wasn't that great, but it wasn't bad. The story just wasn't there for me, although there were moments where narrators other than Lizzie were telling their parts where I was slightly more intrigued. I probably won't be reading any more from this author.
November 28, 2014
1.5
I admit that I went into this book with some hesitation. I was interested in the plot - the idea of Lizzie Borden's (alleged) murder of her parents being of supernatural causes which are still threatening the town - sounded right up my alley. But I had read a previous work by Priest, , but I was less than impressed.
That said, I had heard some good things and was interesting in the material enough to give it a go. All I can say is Cherie Priest is officially off my 'authors to read' list.
I will say that some of the ideas were interesting, and I don't think this book annoyed me quite as much as 'Boneshaker', thus the bump up to 2 instead of down to 1 (at least at the time of writing this review) - but, still.
The biggest issue is the writing, really. Written as various diary entries and letters and things, we get a glimpse of Lizzie, her sister Emma, Dr. Seabury, who becomes a big part of the story, Lizzie's girlfriend Nance, the bad guy who goes insane, whose name currently eludes me, and several others.
The most interesting of these was Dr. Seabury and Inspector Wolf (who we see in other pieces, but mostly Seabury's). If the story had focused on these more, then it could've been better, overall.
But the other characters grew wearisome by the end - especially Emma, who I sort of hated by the end, but also Lizzie's was a bit tedious by the end.
I think, mostly, there's too much repetition. Every piece is written in a sort of stream of consciousness, and goes off on tangents, only then to go back to the point. While I understand this is often how people think, and maybe even how they write journal entries, it made for tiring reading. Every vignette ended up repeating points as you would travel away from them and then come back again. It just got so repetitive and ruined all narrative flow.
Also, I just didn't feel a lot of tension. Priest seemed to want to really develop the various relationships, and this could've been interesting if well-done, but often came across as too soap-operay and seemed to distract from, more than enhance, the more interesting story going on.
And, lastly, I found the final confrontation and big showdown to be far too simple, far too cheesy, and just far too uninteresting and uninspired for the prose I'd suffered through to get there...
I'm giving this two stars, but it probably only deserves 1. I'm bumping it up to two for the ideas present within, not the execution, and for that gorgeous cover.
I admit that I went into this book with some hesitation. I was interested in the plot - the idea of Lizzie Borden's (alleged) murder of her parents being of supernatural causes which are still threatening the town - sounded right up my alley. But I had read a previous work by Priest, , but I was less than impressed.
That said, I had heard some good things and was interesting in the material enough to give it a go. All I can say is Cherie Priest is officially off my 'authors to read' list.
I will say that some of the ideas were interesting, and I don't think this book annoyed me quite as much as 'Boneshaker', thus the bump up to 2 instead of down to 1 (at least at the time of writing this review) - but, still.
The biggest issue is the writing, really. Written as various diary entries and letters and things, we get a glimpse of Lizzie, her sister Emma, Dr. Seabury, who becomes a big part of the story, Lizzie's girlfriend Nance, the bad guy who goes insane, whose name currently eludes me, and several others.
The most interesting of these was Dr. Seabury and Inspector Wolf (who we see in other pieces, but mostly Seabury's). If the story had focused on these more, then it could've been better, overall.
But the other characters grew wearisome by the end - especially Emma, who I sort of hated by the end, but also Lizzie's was a bit tedious by the end.
I think, mostly, there's too much repetition. Every piece is written in a sort of stream of consciousness, and goes off on tangents, only then to go back to the point. While I understand this is often how people think, and maybe even how they write journal entries, it made for tiring reading. Every vignette ended up repeating points as you would travel away from them and then come back again. It just got so repetitive and ruined all narrative flow.
Also, I just didn't feel a lot of tension. Priest seemed to want to really develop the various relationships, and this could've been interesting if well-done, but often came across as too soap-operay and seemed to distract from, more than enhance, the more interesting story going on.
And, lastly, I found the final confrontation and big showdown to be far too simple, far too cheesy, and just far too uninteresting and uninspired for the prose I'd suffered through to get there...
I'm giving this two stars, but it probably only deserves 1. I'm bumping it up to two for the ideas present within, not the execution, and for that gorgeous cover.
November 4, 2014
I finished this one a couple of nights ago and I've been (on and off) considering what to rate it. Many of you will "love" this book and I'm sure others will like it much more than I did. I have to go with a "not bad". This is a sort of down the middle rating between like and...blah.
The problem for me is what others will probably like best. This is an epistolary novel and we get a view primarily from Emma Borden's point of view though "Lizzie's" viewpoint also comes in as do others.
The plus side of what I'm about to say is, that the tension and the story builds slowly to a crescendo of horror taken directly from H.P.Lovecraft. (It was nice to see Miskatonic University mentioned, LOL)
The negative side of what I'm about to say is, that the tension and the story builds (excruciatingly) SLOWLY to a crescendo of horror taken directly from H.P.Lovecraft.
Priest is being very careful to include many of the details of the Borden's lives and weave stories around them that tie into the horror UF tale of the book. It's done very well and I want to say again, I'm sure this will be "a" if not "the" favorite part for some readers.
For me however I found these parts of the novel tedious and it turned what could nave been an excellent horror story into somewhat of a yawner.
So I think the psychological overtones are good, the mythology built atop Lovecraft's work also great. The books pacing left a lot to be desired for me.
I'd say try this one for yourself, on the whole I liked it, some of you will (I'm sure) love it.
The problem for me is what others will probably like best. This is an epistolary novel and we get a view primarily from Emma Borden's point of view though "Lizzie's" viewpoint also comes in as do others.
The plus side of what I'm about to say is, that the tension and the story builds slowly to a crescendo of horror taken directly from H.P.Lovecraft. (It was nice to see Miskatonic University mentioned, LOL)
The negative side of what I'm about to say is, that the tension and the story builds (excruciatingly) SLOWLY to a crescendo of horror taken directly from H.P.Lovecraft.
Priest is being very careful to include many of the details of the Borden's lives and weave stories around them that tie into the horror UF tale of the book. It's done very well and I want to say again, I'm sure this will be "a" if not "the" favorite part for some readers.
For me however I found these parts of the novel tedious and it turned what could nave been an excellent horror story into somewhat of a yawner.
So I think the psychological overtones are good, the mythology built atop Lovecraft's work also great. The books pacing left a lot to be desired for me.
I'd say try this one for yourself, on the whole I liked it, some of you will (I'm sure) love it.
September 15, 2016
This is pretty good. It is actually a cut above some of Priest's other work, not that Priest's other work is bad. It isn't. But this is better than the later Clockwork Century books. The novel concerns what "really" happened during Lizzie Borden's post-murder accusation career. It concerns freaky things that are connected to water. It's actually scary than Jaws. The book wins hands down in terms of atmosphere.
The story is told from different points of view via different dispatches from various characters, including Lizzie, her sister Emma, a doctor, and others. The voices are as quite as distinct as they could be, but once the story gets moving you really don't care about that.
It is rather spine tingling too.
The story is told from different points of view via different dispatches from various characters, including Lizzie, her sister Emma, a doctor, and others. The voices are as quite as distinct as they could be, but once the story gets moving you really don't care about that.
It is rather spine tingling too.
February 11, 2024
Boy did I want to like this. I grew up in the house just behind where the Borden murders happened. Lizzie Borden is part of Fall River heritage. But this just did not work. I found it repetitive, inconsistent and flat. Motivations and relationship dynamics were awkward and unearned. Don't even get me started on the random and tortured tetanus analogy.
It is getting two stars because the author clearly had an interest in the topic and attempted to do justice to the legends surrounding the Bordens.
It is getting two stars because the author clearly had an interest in the topic and attempted to do justice to the legends surrounding the Bordens.
October 13, 2014
I like Cherie Priest's ideas a lot, and even the writing when it works for me -- Bloodshot and Hellbent being books I totally adore. I like her characters, the way she picks people who other writers might overlook: the working mother of Boneshaker, the neurotic vampire and her found family of Hellbent, and here, Lizzie Borden -- yes, . She takes the two Bordens and makes them heroines, tries to change your perspective on the murder of the Borden parents, makes them women of learning and resolve, biting back against patriarchal society. And Lizzie's relationship with Nance O'Neil is explicitly a sexual one here, which... I'm not sure if I think it's a bit exploitative, using these real people in the service of this story. And yet I don't flinch if you go back further and use Chaucer or Gower or shakespeare, speculate about their relationships, so I guess it's just because they're that much closer to living memory. Either way, I do enjoy the way Priest chooses characters to weave her stories around.
The format is pretty cool, too: an epistolary novel, basically, very much in the same sort of vein as Dracula -- only here, it's a woman acquitted of murder versus stuff from the Cthulu mythos. I'm not sure how completely Priest draws on that or whether it's just nods in that direction, but she does a pretty good job of making the menace felt. One thing I didn't quite get was the tetanus stuff and how/why that worked, which weakened things for me a bit -- I felt like just a bit more explanation on that point would've helped, much as it might have gone against the grain of the mystery and the superstition that was wrapped around the scientific aspects.
It is a bit slow at some points -- the epistolary format doesn't help with that, since it gives us very explicit glimpses into how characters are feeling after the events they're recording, which can slow down the action as they introspect. But overall I thought it was interesting, and I'd definitely read more in the series, where I'm much less bothered about the Eden Moore books or even the Clockwork Century books, which I haven't read all of.
The format is pretty cool, too: an epistolary novel, basically, very much in the same sort of vein as Dracula -- only here, it's a woman acquitted of murder versus stuff from the Cthulu mythos. I'm not sure how completely Priest draws on that or whether it's just nods in that direction, but she does a pretty good job of making the menace felt. One thing I didn't quite get was the tetanus stuff and how/why that worked, which weakened things for me a bit -- I felt like just a bit more explanation on that point would've helped, much as it might have gone against the grain of the mystery and the superstition that was wrapped around the scientific aspects.
It is a bit slow at some points -- the epistolary format doesn't help with that, since it gives us very explicit glimpses into how characters are feeling after the events they're recording, which can slow down the action as they introspect. But overall I thought it was interesting, and I'd definitely read more in the series, where I'm much less bothered about the Eden Moore books or even the Clockwork Century books, which I haven't read all of.
Want to read
April 24, 2015 When mom wouldn't let me buy this because I already reached my book quota for the week..
August 26, 2015
Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales ()
Quick & Dirty: Lizzie Borden may be guilty of killing her parents, but only she and her sister know why she did it. Despite a slow start, this ended up being a captivating and addictive read.
Opening Sentence: No one else is allowed in the cellar.
The Review:
Everyone in the town of Fall River knows the story of Lizzie Borden, and everyone likes to think they know what actually happened. However, only Lizzie and her sister Emma know the real story, of how their father and stepmother began acting very strangely, and how the situation continued to escalate until Lizzie had no choice but to take matters (and an axe) into her own hands. Now, it’s two years later. Emma’s health is failing, and Lizzie has become obsessed with solving the mystery of what is going on in Fall River.
Dr. Owen Seabury saw Lizzie and Emma’s stepmother shortly before she was killed, and he could tell something was wrong. Because of that, he testified on Lizzie’s behalf at her trial, despite believing that she actually did commit the murders. Now, he’s been called to the house of a woman whose godson has also begun acting strangely. Upon further examination, Seabury notes that the godson’s behavior and appearance are exactly like that of Mrs. Borden. As more cases begin to pop up, Seabury realizes he must somehow get the Borden sisters to open up to him so they can work together to figure out this strange disease. Will the three of them be able to figure out what’s going on in this small town before it’s too late?
This book had been on my to-read list for a while before I found out I was going to get the chance to review it, so I was definitely excited when I found it waiting in my email. While there were some things that didn’t quite work, overall, this was quite an enjoyable and addictive read. You do have to get through the first 25 percent of the book before you hit the addictive part though. The first part is rather slow, as you’re being introduced to all the characters and getting used to the epistolary format � the story is told through the journal entries and letters of the characters. But once you hit the 25 percent mark and the action really gets started, the novel takes off. At that point, I had a very hard time putting the book down.
One other drawback is the epistolary format makes it hard to really connect to the characters. While you are still seeing the inner thoughts of the characters as you would in a “regular� book, there’s a distance that comes from reading about events that have already taken place. That distance remains throughout the story and I found myself not really liking anybody.
That all sounds really negative, but I can’t emphasize enough the addictive nature of this book. Despite the lack of connection to the characters, the overall story had me keenly interested. There’s an overall creepy atmosphere to the story � especially in Seabury’s parts as he examines patients � that just makes you want to find out more. If you’re a fan of alternate history, you owe it to yourself to give this one a try.
Notable Scene:
If someone had held me at gunpoint, I could not have explained why I was so reluctant to venture any farther onto the sand. I wriggled my toes inside my shoes, and the pebbles banked around the edges of the leather soles. But I couldn’t bring myself to do it, to venture any closer to the rushing, rumbling waves beyond the rocks.
Matthew only looked at me, or through me � past me, like he was looking hard at something just behind me. So effective was this gaze that I looked back to make sure I wasn’t blocking his view of something more interesting. But no. There was nothing behind me but the usual piers, shopfronts, passersby, and preening white gulls.
When I had finished double-checking and once I’d made myself certain that Matthew was, more or less, looking at me � I met his eyes again.
I shuddered. I took half a step’s retreat that almost sent me falling over the edge of the walkway planks, and I corrected myself in time to keep from harm. But I flailed. And when I had restored my body’s balance I clutched my coat more tightly across my chest. I released my hat, trusting it to remain affixed � or not caring if it abandoned me.
The young man was giving me that look, and it was a blinkless look that stared but saw nothing, and I’d seen it before. I knew that mindless set of the eyes and then, as the awkward moment stretched itself out long between us, I knew the cast of his skin. I thought of eggs, peeled and pickled in pondered the waterlogged flesh of the drowned.
And I remembered Abigail Borden.
FTC Advisory: Penguin/Roc provided me with a copy of Maplecroft. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,� or bribes were exchanged for my review.
Quick & Dirty: Lizzie Borden may be guilty of killing her parents, but only she and her sister know why she did it. Despite a slow start, this ended up being a captivating and addictive read.
Opening Sentence: No one else is allowed in the cellar.
The Review:
Everyone in the town of Fall River knows the story of Lizzie Borden, and everyone likes to think they know what actually happened. However, only Lizzie and her sister Emma know the real story, of how their father and stepmother began acting very strangely, and how the situation continued to escalate until Lizzie had no choice but to take matters (and an axe) into her own hands. Now, it’s two years later. Emma’s health is failing, and Lizzie has become obsessed with solving the mystery of what is going on in Fall River.
Dr. Owen Seabury saw Lizzie and Emma’s stepmother shortly before she was killed, and he could tell something was wrong. Because of that, he testified on Lizzie’s behalf at her trial, despite believing that she actually did commit the murders. Now, he’s been called to the house of a woman whose godson has also begun acting strangely. Upon further examination, Seabury notes that the godson’s behavior and appearance are exactly like that of Mrs. Borden. As more cases begin to pop up, Seabury realizes he must somehow get the Borden sisters to open up to him so they can work together to figure out this strange disease. Will the three of them be able to figure out what’s going on in this small town before it’s too late?
This book had been on my to-read list for a while before I found out I was going to get the chance to review it, so I was definitely excited when I found it waiting in my email. While there were some things that didn’t quite work, overall, this was quite an enjoyable and addictive read. You do have to get through the first 25 percent of the book before you hit the addictive part though. The first part is rather slow, as you’re being introduced to all the characters and getting used to the epistolary format � the story is told through the journal entries and letters of the characters. But once you hit the 25 percent mark and the action really gets started, the novel takes off. At that point, I had a very hard time putting the book down.
One other drawback is the epistolary format makes it hard to really connect to the characters. While you are still seeing the inner thoughts of the characters as you would in a “regular� book, there’s a distance that comes from reading about events that have already taken place. That distance remains throughout the story and I found myself not really liking anybody.
That all sounds really negative, but I can’t emphasize enough the addictive nature of this book. Despite the lack of connection to the characters, the overall story had me keenly interested. There’s an overall creepy atmosphere to the story � especially in Seabury’s parts as he examines patients � that just makes you want to find out more. If you’re a fan of alternate history, you owe it to yourself to give this one a try.
Notable Scene:
If someone had held me at gunpoint, I could not have explained why I was so reluctant to venture any farther onto the sand. I wriggled my toes inside my shoes, and the pebbles banked around the edges of the leather soles. But I couldn’t bring myself to do it, to venture any closer to the rushing, rumbling waves beyond the rocks.
Matthew only looked at me, or through me � past me, like he was looking hard at something just behind me. So effective was this gaze that I looked back to make sure I wasn’t blocking his view of something more interesting. But no. There was nothing behind me but the usual piers, shopfronts, passersby, and preening white gulls.
When I had finished double-checking and once I’d made myself certain that Matthew was, more or less, looking at me � I met his eyes again.
I shuddered. I took half a step’s retreat that almost sent me falling over the edge of the walkway planks, and I corrected myself in time to keep from harm. But I flailed. And when I had restored my body’s balance I clutched my coat more tightly across my chest. I released my hat, trusting it to remain affixed � or not caring if it abandoned me.
The young man was giving me that look, and it was a blinkless look that stared but saw nothing, and I’d seen it before. I knew that mindless set of the eyes and then, as the awkward moment stretched itself out long between us, I knew the cast of his skin. I thought of eggs, peeled and pickled in pondered the waterlogged flesh of the drowned.
And I remembered Abigail Borden.
FTC Advisory: Penguin/Roc provided me with a copy of Maplecroft. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,� or bribes were exchanged for my review.
February 14, 2016
So what do you get when Cherie Priest decides, in her infinite writerly wisdom, that she wants to combine two seemingly disparate tales into one fantastic and imaginative stew? You get Maplecroft, a surprisingly effective blend of Borden history and the mythos established by the great H.P. Lovecraft. It's a combination I would not expected to work as well as it does, and in another author's hands, it could have turned out to be something quite awful. But Cherie Priest is a master of making history, accurate or not, into something entertaining and unique.
First things first though...this is a novel told in an epistolary format, with the narrative being made up of a hodgepodge of personal memoirs, official correspondence, and general musings. This may be a turn-off to some people, as it tends to trade dramatic action for more insightful moments. Writing tends to bring out true feelings, and that is expressed well here, with characters sharing the fears, hopes, and desires that they may not be allowed to speak out loud. I think we get a true sense of who they are through what they write. True, we lose a bit of the environmental details that come from traditional first/third person writing, and like I said, the action isn't as visceral or impactful. But, thought it was a bit awkward for me at first, in the end I rather enjoyed how it was told. The epistolary format lent the novel an even greater sense of originality, while also giving it the weight of official historical records.
While it would be natural to assume that Lizzie Borden would be the primary character that we follow, we actually get several main POV characters (and they truly are POV, as we are reading from exactly their point of view as they have written it), which ultimately helps the story. Lizzie is the star, obviously, but just as important to the proceedings are her older sister Emma, as well as Dr. Owen Seabury. In fact, because of these varying viewpoints, we get to see things from multiple angles and perspectives, giving the whole affair a more complete feel.
While the basic story of Lizzie's possible culpability into the hatchet deaths of her parents is still there, it is supported by a framework of darkness and horror pulled straight from the Lovecraft catalog. While it can, at times, be distracting when an author borrows from an already established mythos, it's anything but distracting here. While Lovecraft may be a well known name, his works aren't necessarily common reading, and so what is borrowed still feels fresh. There are other pieces of the Borden's history that make an appearance here (Nance O'Neil, their home in Fall River), but most everything else is adjusted to serve the story.
In fact, one of the things that really stood out to me was how the alien nature of what was going on around them really affected the characters, leading some into madness and desolation. It's a key piece of Lovecraft's writing, and makes the supernatural tale that much darker. He believed that our mortal minds simply could not fathom the horrors awaiting just beyond our sight/comprehension, and that to even catch a glimpse would shred a man's mind. This is captured well here, though not overtly. In truth, because it is so subtle, it comes across naturally and in a believable fashion.
There are some parts that didn't work so well for me. Mainly; if humans are so weak and insignificant to the greater machinations at work, then why are humans required to realize the grand scheme? Why does it all fall apart without our involvement? While there were other minor nitpicks, they really didn't stand out enough to be mentioned, nor did they detract from the overall experience.
There are also some deep thoughts at play here, about divinity, human nature, and the lengths we'll go for the people we love (in both positive and negative examples). Several of the passages really made me pause and think, and I don't do that a lot with fiction. So kudos to Cherie Priest for writing something both entertaining as well as insightful. I enjoyed it so much that I actually went right from Maplecroft to . Gotta get that review up next!
First things first though...this is a novel told in an epistolary format, with the narrative being made up of a hodgepodge of personal memoirs, official correspondence, and general musings. This may be a turn-off to some people, as it tends to trade dramatic action for more insightful moments. Writing tends to bring out true feelings, and that is expressed well here, with characters sharing the fears, hopes, and desires that they may not be allowed to speak out loud. I think we get a true sense of who they are through what they write. True, we lose a bit of the environmental details that come from traditional first/third person writing, and like I said, the action isn't as visceral or impactful. But, thought it was a bit awkward for me at first, in the end I rather enjoyed how it was told. The epistolary format lent the novel an even greater sense of originality, while also giving it the weight of official historical records.
While it would be natural to assume that Lizzie Borden would be the primary character that we follow, we actually get several main POV characters (and they truly are POV, as we are reading from exactly their point of view as they have written it), which ultimately helps the story. Lizzie is the star, obviously, but just as important to the proceedings are her older sister Emma, as well as Dr. Owen Seabury. In fact, because of these varying viewpoints, we get to see things from multiple angles and perspectives, giving the whole affair a more complete feel.
While the basic story of Lizzie's possible culpability into the hatchet deaths of her parents is still there, it is supported by a framework of darkness and horror pulled straight from the Lovecraft catalog. While it can, at times, be distracting when an author borrows from an already established mythos, it's anything but distracting here. While Lovecraft may be a well known name, his works aren't necessarily common reading, and so what is borrowed still feels fresh. There are other pieces of the Borden's history that make an appearance here (Nance O'Neil, their home in Fall River), but most everything else is adjusted to serve the story.
In fact, one of the things that really stood out to me was how the alien nature of what was going on around them really affected the characters, leading some into madness and desolation. It's a key piece of Lovecraft's writing, and makes the supernatural tale that much darker. He believed that our mortal minds simply could not fathom the horrors awaiting just beyond our sight/comprehension, and that to even catch a glimpse would shred a man's mind. This is captured well here, though not overtly. In truth, because it is so subtle, it comes across naturally and in a believable fashion.
There are some parts that didn't work so well for me. Mainly; if humans are so weak and insignificant to the greater machinations at work, then why are humans required to realize the grand scheme? Why does it all fall apart without our involvement? While there were other minor nitpicks, they really didn't stand out enough to be mentioned, nor did they detract from the overall experience.
There are also some deep thoughts at play here, about divinity, human nature, and the lengths we'll go for the people we love (in both positive and negative examples). Several of the passages really made me pause and think, and I don't do that a lot with fiction. So kudos to Cherie Priest for writing something both entertaining as well as insightful. I enjoyed it so much that I actually went right from Maplecroft to . Gotta get that review up next!
June 24, 2015
The question is not "What is wrong?"
A closer query would be "What is different?" or "What is changing?"
Something is changing. Something is shifting, or slipping. I want to ask if I'm losing my mind, but who would answer? How on earth can I step outside my brain and ask it to evaluate, with all fairness, its effectiveness as a body-governing device?
It might only lie to me. How would I know?
What if.........
What if Lizzie Borden really did take an axe and kill her father and stepmother?
And what if she had a really good reason?
Is something insidious stalking the town of Fall River, Massachusetts?
The reviews for this book are all over the place. Even among my friends opinions vary greatly. I ended up rather enjoying the story, it wasn't perfect but I was entertained nonetheless. I had read several years ago and enjoyed the story but not quite enough to continue with her other books in "The Clockwork Century" series, I'm just not a big steampunk fan.
This book seemed to fit very nicely into my interest in Lovecraft, legends and "what if" tales. The difficulty with writing this type of psychological horror is maintaining a sense of dread or impending doom. This book had some of these moments
This was something else....a dull roar-a rumbling, rolling, washing sound that came with an added whisper. Not quite the ocean. Not quite a seashell, held up to my ear. not that sound exactly, but something like it.
"That sound...that sound, it came from his mouth. It was the song of something dying. Something that never did live."
but had a hard time sustaining the feeling, at least for me. Multiple POVs including Lizzie, her sister Emma, the local town doctor, a professor from Miskatonic University give a wide look at the story from different angles. There is also a mysterious character sent from Boston to help with the investigation whose identity is never fully explained but I assume that and other dangling threads will be answered in future books. All in all I enjoyed the story and will certainly give any future books a once over.
3.5 rounded to 4
Can it be that ugly and easy?
We crawled primordial from the water, our grand-ancestors times a million generations; we escaped the tides, the sharks, and the leviathans of the deep, only to find ourselves on land-where we became the things we'd sought to escape, and we invented gods to blame. Not gods of the ocean, for we'd been to the ocean, and seen that the water was empty of the divine. Not gods of the earth, for we have walked upon the dirt, and we are alone here.
So we install our gods in the sky, because we haven't yet eliminated the firmament as a possibility.
A closer query would be "What is different?" or "What is changing?"
Something is changing. Something is shifting, or slipping. I want to ask if I'm losing my mind, but who would answer? How on earth can I step outside my brain and ask it to evaluate, with all fairness, its effectiveness as a body-governing device?
It might only lie to me. How would I know?
What if.........
What if Lizzie Borden really did take an axe and kill her father and stepmother?
And what if she had a really good reason?
Is something insidious stalking the town of Fall River, Massachusetts?
The reviews for this book are all over the place. Even among my friends opinions vary greatly. I ended up rather enjoying the story, it wasn't perfect but I was entertained nonetheless. I had read several years ago and enjoyed the story but not quite enough to continue with her other books in "The Clockwork Century" series, I'm just not a big steampunk fan.
This book seemed to fit very nicely into my interest in Lovecraft, legends and "what if" tales. The difficulty with writing this type of psychological horror is maintaining a sense of dread or impending doom. This book had some of these moments
This was something else....a dull roar-a rumbling, rolling, washing sound that came with an added whisper. Not quite the ocean. Not quite a seashell, held up to my ear. not that sound exactly, but something like it.
"That sound...that sound, it came from his mouth. It was the song of something dying. Something that never did live."
but had a hard time sustaining the feeling, at least for me. Multiple POVs including Lizzie, her sister Emma, the local town doctor, a professor from Miskatonic University give a wide look at the story from different angles. There is also a mysterious character sent from Boston to help with the investigation whose identity is never fully explained but I assume that and other dangling threads will be answered in future books. All in all I enjoyed the story and will certainly give any future books a once over.
3.5 rounded to 4
Can it be that ugly and easy?
We crawled primordial from the water, our grand-ancestors times a million generations; we escaped the tides, the sharks, and the leviathans of the deep, only to find ourselves on land-where we became the things we'd sought to escape, and we invented gods to blame. Not gods of the ocean, for we'd been to the ocean, and seen that the water was empty of the divine. Not gods of the earth, for we have walked upon the dirt, and we are alone here.
So we install our gods in the sky, because we haven't yet eliminated the firmament as a possibility.
July 27, 2015
If somebody told you they were reading a book in which Lizzie Borden fights Lovecraftian horrors with her infamous axe, you might snicker a little. You might think, "Oh, great. Another historical fiction gag a la . Special." I've been awaiting Maplecroft's release for a long while now, mainly on the strength of Cherie Priest's general badassery, but also because for a historical horror and Lovecraft/ian junkie, that's actually an impossible pitch to resist. It could have been ridiculous, and I'd probably have enjoyed it anyway.
Fortunately, snickering is not the order of the day, and the good news is that it's not one bit cheeseball. In fact Priest has crafted a somber and deeply disturbing story of two intelligent women of independent means (and scandalous reputation), small-town mistrust, and a creeping contagion that threatens not only the coastal Massachusetts town of Fall River, but possibly the entire human race. Maplecroft is set in the handful of years after Lizzie Borden was acquitted of the heinous 1892 axe murders of her father and stepmother. Of course there's more to that story than meets the eye, and therein begins the tale.
Despite being written in the oft-maligned epistolary style, Maplecroft moves along at a satisfying clip through the letters and diaries of the Borden sisters, Lizbeth (her preferred name) and invalid Emma, Fall River's stalwart local doctor, and a number of mysterious "authorities," one of whom is a peculiar marine biologist from Miskatonic University. The sense of the uncanny, of things that just should not be lurking right outside the safe home Lizbeth has built for her sister and herself, builds slowly, but plateaus over and over again as escalating events among their friends and neighbors threaten -- once again -- to destroy not only their hard-won independence, but also their sanity.
Dark, uncanny and action-packed (also thoroughly gross and reeking of the foetid depths), Maplecroft would be a thrilling stand-alone New-Lovcraftian creation, though I'll admit I'm pleased to see by the subtitle that Borden and her trusty axe will be back.
Fortunately, snickering is not the order of the day, and the good news is that it's not one bit cheeseball. In fact Priest has crafted a somber and deeply disturbing story of two intelligent women of independent means (and scandalous reputation), small-town mistrust, and a creeping contagion that threatens not only the coastal Massachusetts town of Fall River, but possibly the entire human race. Maplecroft is set in the handful of years after Lizzie Borden was acquitted of the heinous 1892 axe murders of her father and stepmother. Of course there's more to that story than meets the eye, and therein begins the tale.
Despite being written in the oft-maligned epistolary style, Maplecroft moves along at a satisfying clip through the letters and diaries of the Borden sisters, Lizbeth (her preferred name) and invalid Emma, Fall River's stalwart local doctor, and a number of mysterious "authorities," one of whom is a peculiar marine biologist from Miskatonic University. The sense of the uncanny, of things that just should not be lurking right outside the safe home Lizbeth has built for her sister and herself, builds slowly, but plateaus over and over again as escalating events among their friends and neighbors threaten -- once again -- to destroy not only their hard-won independence, but also their sanity.
Dark, uncanny and action-packed (also thoroughly gross and reeking of the foetid depths), Maplecroft would be a thrilling stand-alone New-Lovcraftian creation, though I'll admit I'm pleased to see by the subtitle that Borden and her trusty axe will be back.
September 3, 2014
3.5 Priest’s talent is evident from the action scenes to the voice she gives her characters setting a tone of madness, desperation, fear and darkness. From the beginning, we get a sense of the wrongness around Falls River and slowly we along with the character's piece together and being to understand, although neither they nor we will ever fully understand what has occurred. Lizzie is an unexpected hero in all of this. She is an axe wielding, intelligent woman who with the aid of Emma has set up quite an elaborate laboratory and library at Maplecroft. Priest fleshed Lizzie out showing us both the strong and weak side of her, she even presents a lover into the mix, and I loved the drama and complications it caused. Much like the Overlook Hotel (Shining, Stephen King) we slowly see these characters unhinge as the full reality of what is occurring comes to life and their desperate attempts to stop it had me flipping the pages. For me, the multiple perspectives both enhanced the tale and hurt it. By using multiple perspectives, we can see what is happening in a larger senseas itprovides firsthand accounts. All of this added tension and a creep factor that will make you squirm. It allowed Priest to create scenes that were unsettling and gory. You could feel the wrongness as it took hold, and I enjoyed it. However, the multiple perspectives also keep me from fully immersing myself in the tale and characters creating a disconnect.
Received copy from publisher. Full review can be found at Caffeinated.
Received copy from publisher. Full review can be found at Caffeinated.
September 8, 2014
"Fall River is going to hell, one man at a time. One woman. One child."
If you think you know the story of Lizzie Borden and why she may or may not have murdered her father and step-mother with an axe in 1892, you may want to reconsider. Cherie Priest has written one humdinger of a gothic horror story here. At the center is Lizzie, of course, her older sister, Emma, and the large home they share, Maplecroft (which is what Lizzie actually dubbed their home in real life). The story has a bit of a slow start but it's not long before the nightmarish tale starts to gain strength and traction with each new bizarre happening. While Lizzie is the center point, each chapter gives a different perspective from other main characters in the form of journal entries, letters, and just the workings of their inner musings. It's a different way to tell a story and for those accustomed to the first person narrative so common in urban fantasy today it may require a bit of an adjustment. It did for me but once I was hooked, I was hooked. The story was suitably compelling and sinister, complete with a horrific descent into madness in the vein of Jack Torrance in Stephen King's . This is a must read for fans of the macabre.
If you think you know the story of Lizzie Borden and why she may or may not have murdered her father and step-mother with an axe in 1892, you may want to reconsider. Cherie Priest has written one humdinger of a gothic horror story here. At the center is Lizzie, of course, her older sister, Emma, and the large home they share, Maplecroft (which is what Lizzie actually dubbed their home in real life). The story has a bit of a slow start but it's not long before the nightmarish tale starts to gain strength and traction with each new bizarre happening. While Lizzie is the center point, each chapter gives a different perspective from other main characters in the form of journal entries, letters, and just the workings of their inner musings. It's a different way to tell a story and for those accustomed to the first person narrative so common in urban fantasy today it may require a bit of an adjustment. It did for me but once I was hooked, I was hooked. The story was suitably compelling and sinister, complete with a horrific descent into madness in the vein of Jack Torrance in Stephen King's . This is a must read for fans of the macabre.
March 29, 2016
I'M DISAPPOINTED. I was all into it, but then about twenty pages from the end I started getting confused about how she could possibly end it satisfactorily. Answer -- she DIDN'T. I feel like throwing it against the wall and giving it one goddamn star, but I can't dismiss how invested I was from about 1/3 of the way in, till I realized that it was all a SETUP FOR THE FRICKIN SEQUEL!!! Urgh! *facepalm*
September 15, 2017
This was basically the perfect Lovecraftian narrative; creeping horror, startling gore, insidious madness juxtaposed with outright violent lunacy, and told entirely in letters. I'd thought I was getting a bit jaded as far as Lovecraftian-inspired tales were concerned but this was excellent. The ending was *slightly* anticlimactic but not enough to spoil it, and anyone whining that a "Cthulhu vs Lizzie showdown" never happens is...ill-informed. It would be pointless, as would literally everything else if Cthulhu showed up.
A good horror novel by itself, I think, and added depth for those familiar with the mythos. Plus, axe-wielding early-30s lesbian badass Lizzie Borden. Loved it.
A good horror novel by itself, I think, and added depth for those familiar with the mythos. Plus, axe-wielding early-30s lesbian badass Lizzie Borden. Loved it.
February 13, 2024
It started of mediocre, improved in the middle, and ended lackluster, in my opinion.
September 23, 2015
3.5/5
I was curious to discover the novel since its release but it’s true that I really tried it now with the release of the second volume. I must say that I was anxious to see what the author had managed to feature with two well-known characters such as Emma and Lizzy Borden.
The novel is divided into various sections that allow us to follow different protagonists throughout history and so have some varied POVs. Yet more particularly, we follow the two sisters, and a doctor of the family who will become an ally during this particular period. The story begins with the death of Emma and Lizzy’s parents and the innocence of the young woman. To live out of sight, the two girls will reside at Maplecroft, a home away from everything. Alas, despite their isolation, the problems are just beginning. Indeed, it seems that an epidemic is spreading in the city, an epidemic changing people into something quite indefinable and leaving only corpses behind.
Teaming up together, Dr. Owen, Emma and Lizzy will try to understand what is happening and how to solve this problem which only grows. I was curious to see where it would all lead us even if it was sometimes not very credible � I admit that I had a little trouble to really understand what it all meant and I even thought it was possible to have aliens even if it seemed pretty strange regarding the history. I do not know why I immediately thought of that but I’m sure that we’ll know more with the second volume.
I often have a little trouble to really connect to m/m or f/f romance, but even if we have a little of that here, being in the background and not very cultivated in the story, I didn’t have any problems to appreciate the relationship of the two young women presented.
In all cases the novel was a good introduction and I am curious to see what will happen later because many ideas are put forward.
I was curious to discover the novel since its release but it’s true that I really tried it now with the release of the second volume. I must say that I was anxious to see what the author had managed to feature with two well-known characters such as Emma and Lizzy Borden.
The novel is divided into various sections that allow us to follow different protagonists throughout history and so have some varied POVs. Yet more particularly, we follow the two sisters, and a doctor of the family who will become an ally during this particular period. The story begins with the death of Emma and Lizzy’s parents and the innocence of the young woman. To live out of sight, the two girls will reside at Maplecroft, a home away from everything. Alas, despite their isolation, the problems are just beginning. Indeed, it seems that an epidemic is spreading in the city, an epidemic changing people into something quite indefinable and leaving only corpses behind.
Teaming up together, Dr. Owen, Emma and Lizzy will try to understand what is happening and how to solve this problem which only grows. I was curious to see where it would all lead us even if it was sometimes not very credible � I admit that I had a little trouble to really understand what it all meant and I even thought it was possible to have aliens even if it seemed pretty strange regarding the history. I do not know why I immediately thought of that but I’m sure that we’ll know more with the second volume.
I often have a little trouble to really connect to m/m or f/f romance, but even if we have a little of that here, being in the background and not very cultivated in the story, I didn’t have any problems to appreciate the relationship of the two young women presented.
In all cases the novel was a good introduction and I am curious to see what will happen later because many ideas are put forward.
August 13, 2024
DNF at 52% Maplecroft started off good but the farther into the book I went I lost interest in the book I got the book from the library to see if I would like it before I bought my own copy of the book and I won't be buying my own copy of the book. I tried to push myself to try to finish the book but couldn't.
December 17, 2014
This is a fun read! It is full of explicit scenes of horrific gore, but it also introduces a reimagined Lizzie Borden as warrior and hero, giving an alternate reason for her ax expertise.
I was reminded of 19th century gothic romances by the book’s construction. Each character keeps a journal and the chapters alternate between several people writing of their lives, adventures and feelings. But while the basic style is a reminder of the Victorian manners of earlier authors writing for ‘penny dreadfuls�, especially similar to how Bram Stoker’s ‘Dracula� was put together, Cherie Priest has carefully maintained a 2014 voice and the shorter descriptions required for the modern YA reader. However, there ARE more descriptions of relationship issues than the fan of action/horror stories may be comfortable with. The journals of the women in particular have a chic-lit flavor, even though they also write of horrors, blood and scientific matters.
Awful manlike things are coming from somewhere unknown. All that Lizzie and Emma, Lizzie’s older sister, know for sure is the horrible creatures come to their house at night trying to attack them. Also, strange stones which used to be part of a necklace that Mrs. Borden wore make everyone who comes near them feel odd, VERY odd, particularly when they hum.
Poor Lizzie and poor consumptive Emma. The two are fighting monsters that nobody else knows about or believes exist. It has been two years since the death of the older Bordens and Lizzie’s trial for their murder. Now that the legal system is done with the Borden daughters, the two sisters are in a frantic search for answers. Both have become scientists of a kind - Emma has hidden her expertise behind a male persona, writing under a pen name in respectable science journals, while Lizzie conducts more arcane experiments from ancient books about alchemy. They struggle alone, trying to find something, anything, to explain why their parents had tried to kill them and why these monsters are attacking them. But despite numerous experiments and research, they have discovered very little.
Time is running out. There are more and more midnight monsters, too many for Lizzie to kill while protecting her bedridden sister. An unexpected visit from Lizzie’s lover, the actress Nance O’Neil, causes a serious strain on the relationship between Emma and Lizzie. Worse, townspeople are becoming infected with some strange wasting disease, similar to what the elderly Bordens appeared to have. And now, a mysterious Inspector Simon Wolf is suspecting the Bordens may be part of what is happening, whatever it is, and is poking around. The women cannot trust anyone to believe the truth. Limited resources, exposure of their secret identities and death are a constant threat. What to do? Perhaps the next book will hold more answers.
While very fun to read, no one should mistake this book as anything but chic-lit horror entertainment. Plus, there are a few things that bothered me. The sisters were a tad slow on the uptake when it came to figuring out connections between mysteries, somewhat lacking in caution about the humming stones, and way too secretive for their own good. There also was a serious editing problem which was dreadfully distracting in the flow of an otherwise exciting conclusion. However, once I got over the idea of Lizzie Borden as a secret action hero instead of historical murderess, I liked the novel. Based on the fact that while a few things came to a head and some things were clearer by the end of the book, a lot remains undiscovered, so I am very sure there is a sequel coming.
I was reminded of 19th century gothic romances by the book’s construction. Each character keeps a journal and the chapters alternate between several people writing of their lives, adventures and feelings. But while the basic style is a reminder of the Victorian manners of earlier authors writing for ‘penny dreadfuls�, especially similar to how Bram Stoker’s ‘Dracula� was put together, Cherie Priest has carefully maintained a 2014 voice and the shorter descriptions required for the modern YA reader. However, there ARE more descriptions of relationship issues than the fan of action/horror stories may be comfortable with. The journals of the women in particular have a chic-lit flavor, even though they also write of horrors, blood and scientific matters.
Awful manlike things are coming from somewhere unknown. All that Lizzie and Emma, Lizzie’s older sister, know for sure is the horrible creatures come to their house at night trying to attack them. Also, strange stones which used to be part of a necklace that Mrs. Borden wore make everyone who comes near them feel odd, VERY odd, particularly when they hum.
Poor Lizzie and poor consumptive Emma. The two are fighting monsters that nobody else knows about or believes exist. It has been two years since the death of the older Bordens and Lizzie’s trial for their murder. Now that the legal system is done with the Borden daughters, the two sisters are in a frantic search for answers. Both have become scientists of a kind - Emma has hidden her expertise behind a male persona, writing under a pen name in respectable science journals, while Lizzie conducts more arcane experiments from ancient books about alchemy. They struggle alone, trying to find something, anything, to explain why their parents had tried to kill them and why these monsters are attacking them. But despite numerous experiments and research, they have discovered very little.
Time is running out. There are more and more midnight monsters, too many for Lizzie to kill while protecting her bedridden sister. An unexpected visit from Lizzie’s lover, the actress Nance O’Neil, causes a serious strain on the relationship between Emma and Lizzie. Worse, townspeople are becoming infected with some strange wasting disease, similar to what the elderly Bordens appeared to have. And now, a mysterious Inspector Simon Wolf is suspecting the Bordens may be part of what is happening, whatever it is, and is poking around. The women cannot trust anyone to believe the truth. Limited resources, exposure of their secret identities and death are a constant threat. What to do? Perhaps the next book will hold more answers.
While very fun to read, no one should mistake this book as anything but chic-lit horror entertainment. Plus, there are a few things that bothered me. The sisters were a tad slow on the uptake when it came to figuring out connections between mysteries, somewhat lacking in caution about the humming stones, and way too secretive for their own good. There also was a serious editing problem which was dreadfully distracting in the flow of an otherwise exciting conclusion. However, once I got over the idea of Lizzie Borden as a secret action hero instead of historical murderess, I liked the novel. Based on the fact that while a few things came to a head and some things were clearer by the end of the book, a lot remains undiscovered, so I am very sure there is a sequel coming.
February 10, 2015
There was a lot of buzz around this book. The concept is quite bold: Lizzie Borden gone Lovecraft. I found it slow to start. The build up is gradual and creepy. This is real, old-fashioned horror. It doesn't dwell too much on the gore, but the atmosphere is what gets you. You know things in Fall River are going to hell. Perhaps literally.
The story is told in letter form, mostly between Lizzie, her sister Emma, their Doctor, and then a scattering of other characters. The relationship of Lizzie and her lover is very well done, and raises the stakes--as though Lizzie's reputation isn't tenuous enough, after the local police failed to convict her for the murders of her father and stepmother. This is where the famed tale of Lizzie Borden and her axe come into play. Lizzie really did kill them... because they were becoming hideous monsters. And now, the rest of town is slowly succumbing to the same fate.
This is the first in a series, though it resolves so neatly in one book, I wonder where things can go from here.
The story is told in letter form, mostly between Lizzie, her sister Emma, their Doctor, and then a scattering of other characters. The relationship of Lizzie and her lover is very well done, and raises the stakes--as though Lizzie's reputation isn't tenuous enough, after the local police failed to convict her for the murders of her father and stepmother. This is where the famed tale of Lizzie Borden and her axe come into play. Lizzie really did kill them... because they were becoming hideous monsters. And now, the rest of town is slowly succumbing to the same fate.
This is the first in a series, though it resolves so neatly in one book, I wonder where things can go from here.
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