Horror World Book Reviews
June, 2005

FIEND By Jemiah Jefferson
Reviewed by Nate Kenyon

I'm not a big fan of vampire fiction; I enjoyed the first two Lestat books by Anne Rice, as well as some of Poppy Z. Brite's work, but beyond that I've more or less stayed away from the genre. That said, after reading Fiend I am now a huge fan of the seriously talented Jemiah Jefferson.

Reading Jefferson's novel is like having an affair with an explosive, passionate and violent lover. Fiend is full of beautiful language ("In the afternoon dusk, ancient cobwebs and fragments of dead leaves fluttered in the spaces between the bars of the gates and damply latticed the grass") and shocking imagery. A word of warning: nothing is sacred here. Though the book is deeply concerned with love and religion, it does not pull any punches. There are moments that may offend the more sensitive Christian, and many vivid descriptions of graphic heterosexual and homosexual acts. The fact that Ms. Jefferson made me uncomfortable more than once (harder and harder to do these days), while keeping me absolutely riveted to every page, is a testament to her skill with the written word.

Fiend is the story of Orfeo Guiseppe Vittorio Ricari, a headstrong young man seduced first by his male tutor, and later by a pair of beautiful female vampires, Maria and Georgina. At first Orfeo acts as little more than a sex slave and personal servant, but he soon convinces the vampires that he deserves to be transformed into one of their own. And Orfeo is a worthy vampire indeed; at once passionate, brilliant, tortured, artistic and sensitive, he is a fascinating character, fully realized and given a unique voice by his creator.

Told almost entirely in flashback, Orfeo's long history includes his youthful beginnings in the Italian countryside, travels through Italy and Switzerland to Paris, where he is transformed and becomes a part of the French revolution. The story follows him through the centuries, as he battles his own personal demons and becomes more acutely aware of what it means to be a member of the undead. Finally he ends up in Berlin in the 1930s, where he is seduced by the eccentric and dangerous artist and actor Daniel Blum (a central character in at least one of Jefferson's earlier novels). Daniel is nothing like Orfeo; he is violent, arrogant and narcissistic. Nothing is sacred to Daniel, and this quickly becomes a point of contention between the two. Their relationship is at once passionate and dangerously explosive.

Orfeo is tortured and ashamed by the essence of what he has become, and what he must do to survive. Jefferson fills her book with both literal and figurative images of lust, gluttony and overwhelming thirst. The language of the novel reflects Orfeo's battle perfectly. Take this descriptive passage: "The restaurant Dumarchand's mouth was full, and excess patronage spilled and trickled from the corners." Those are some serious imaginative chops, in any genre. But the imagery seems almost effortless, blending seamlessly with the story and never once intruding to the point of annoyance.

This is at once a vast, sweeping epic and a dark, gritty little book dealing with the struggle between human need and a greater spiritual good. Fiend will remind some of Rice's work, but it is both more immediate and more graphic, while perhaps even more skillfully written. Jefferson is an extremely talented wordsmith, and she deserves to be read by a wide audience. I suspect that it will not be much longer before she is a household name in horror fiction.

Available from Leisure Books

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THE DEMONOLOGIST by Michael Laimo
Reviewed by Nanci Kalanta

Bev Mathers, a world famous rock star, ends his tour but starts a terrifying chapter in his life. A normally low-keyed guy, his thoughts and feelings are bordering on the psychotic; bizarre dreams and feelings of anger have Bev convinced he is losing his mind. An encounter with a local priest sheds some light on Bev's condition and he finds himself in a fight for his life and his very soul.

Laimo, in the tradition of Ed Lee, gives us a blood-soaked, intimate view of his version of hell.

The book is fast-paced and well written; my only complaint is the ending is over explained leaving little to the reader's imagination.

Available from Leisure Books

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DANCE OF DEATH, by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child
Reviewed by Mark Sieber

Pendergast junkies have been salivating over the next book in the series ever since the cliffhanger ending of the last book, Brimstone. Savvy readers realized that Pendergast's brother, Diogenes, rescued him from certain doom from the antagonist in that story. Why did Diogenes rescue Aloysious from certain doom in a trap set by the antagonist of the last book? What master plan of evil does he have in store?

Giving anything away would be a criminal act worthy of capital punishment, suffice to say that many of the characters from past books are on hand for this adventure. Margo Green, Bill and Nora Switchback, D'Agosta, and of course Pendergast himself, who is one of the most bewitching characters in modern genre fiction. The stakes are higher than in any other case we've read about in this series and do not be surprised to see catastrophic events unfold.

Some of the most enjoyable aspects of the novels of Preston and Child are the subplots especially when they deal with museum politics. Nora and Margo are on opposing sides of a controversial issue dealing with sacred Indian masks and whether they should be returned to the tribe is especially compelling.

Like all the their books, Preston Childs's Dance of Death runs at a breakneck pace and those that enjoyed the previous books will love this one. And if you think that Brimstone had the reader dying to know what happened next, wait until you get to the end of Dance of Death. It hits the shelves on June 14th. The next Pendergast book, Ace of Swords, isn't due until late next summer.

Dance of Death is due out June 14th and available at Barnes and Noble from Warner Books.

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RIVERSIDE BLUES by Erik Tomblin
Review by Ron Dickie

Fifty years ago, Gordon's wife Lily disappeared without a trace. Today, he still mourns her. Trying to keep himself occupied, Gordon goes about cleaning up their special place, a private spot along the river that runs behind his property. Upon doing so, Gordon makes a discovery that will lad him to the truth about his wife's disappearance, and the lies he has believed for the last half century begin to come to light.

Erik Tomblin has crafted a moody, atmospheric tale of love, loss and revenge. His writing evokes the Southern setting so completely, you'll find yourself sweating profusely, swatting at bugs that aren't there. Tomblin's characters are complete as well. You will find yourself mourning for Gordon's wife along with him, sharing his loss and depression.

From start to finish, BLUES grabbed me and held me. And do not, under any circumstances, try to guess where Tomblin is taking you with this one. The ending will leave you surprised but, I believe, very satisfied.

RIVERSIDE BLUES is evidence that Erik Tomblin is a name you should remember. His writing is rich, evocative, and colorful, and he tells a good solid story at the same time. Expect to see more great things from him. I do.

Available from Earthling Publications

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