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mxsallybend's review against another edition
5.0
With the third novel of her Nemesis of the Gods saga, Catherine Cavendish shifts the mood and feel away from the Victorian Gothic of Wrath of the Ancients, past the New Gothic of Waking the Ancients, and into the realm of Modern Horror with Damned by the Ancients. It's a move I wasn't expecting, but one which works exceptionally well, perfect for exploring new facets of the mystery, and entirely suited to the new fears at its heart.
The story takes us, once again, into the haunted halls and cursed cellar of Villa Dürnstein, once home to Dr. Quintillus. Where the first book saw a young woman facing those horrors, and the second a couple, this time we have a family - including a precious, slightly odd young girl and her dolls. The first half of the story has a very Poltergeist feel to it, and you'll understand how much of a compliment that is if you share my love for the original. The addition of a child is neither clichéd nor tedious, but entirely chilling. As for the hauntings inside the house, they are not dissimilar from the first two books, but experiencing them through different eyes changes the feel of the tale, leaving us to fear not for the woman at the forefront of the tale, but for that child.
Once again, we get that abrupt shift in the second half of the novel to past events, exploring more of Dr. Quintillus' history, and shedding more light on the women in his life (and death). Maybe it's because all the pieces are starting to fall into place, but this time around that shift was neither as jarring as in the first book, nor as unwelcome as in the second book. What's more, it takes us away from the contemporary story just long enough for us to be suitably shocked by the developments waiting when we fast forward once again.
Somehow, against all odds and expectations, Cavendish has presented us with the strongest book in the series, finding ways to reinvigorate a haunting we thought already explored, and offering new surprises that lead to a satisfying climax. If Damned by the Ancients is then end, then it's a damned fine one, and if there are more stories to be told, then I look forward to seeing how Cavendish reinvents the tale next.
https://femledfantasy.home.blog/2018/09/28/book-review-damned-by-the-ancients-by-catherine-cavendish/
The story takes us, once again, into the haunted halls and cursed cellar of Villa Dürnstein, once home to Dr. Quintillus. Where the first book saw a young woman facing those horrors, and the second a couple, this time we have a family - including a precious, slightly odd young girl and her dolls. The first half of the story has a very Poltergeist feel to it, and you'll understand how much of a compliment that is if you share my love for the original. The addition of a child is neither clichéd nor tedious, but entirely chilling. As for the hauntings inside the house, they are not dissimilar from the first two books, but experiencing them through different eyes changes the feel of the tale, leaving us to fear not for the woman at the forefront of the tale, but for that child.
Once again, we get that abrupt shift in the second half of the novel to past events, exploring more of Dr. Quintillus' history, and shedding more light on the women in his life (and death). Maybe it's because all the pieces are starting to fall into place, but this time around that shift was neither as jarring as in the first book, nor as unwelcome as in the second book. What's more, it takes us away from the contemporary story just long enough for us to be suitably shocked by the developments waiting when we fast forward once again.
Somehow, against all odds and expectations, Cavendish has presented us with the strongest book in the series, finding ways to reinvigorate a haunting we thought already explored, and offering new surprises that lead to a satisfying climax. If Damned by the Ancients is then end, then it's a damned fine one, and if there are more stories to be told, then I look forward to seeing how Cavendish reinvents the tale next.
https://femledfantasy.home.blog/2018/09/28/book-review-damned-by-the-ancients-by-catherine-cavendish/
kirkw1972's review against another edition
3.0
I was quite lost with this one although I didn't hate it. I think now knowing it's the third in the series and I needed the previous two books to really understand what was going on. It is a good horror story and I saw someone compare it to Poltergeist which struck me as a really good comparison. It's suitable creepy and I could really visualise everything and see the build up to the end of the book. I normally enjoy this author when I've read some previous works so I think I'm going to go back to the start and then try it again.
spookshow's review against another edition
4.0
I received a copy from the publisher via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Actual rating of 3.5 stars.
I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I must admit that the premise interested me, hence why I requested it, but I didn't hold high hope for its execution. Boy, was I wrong!! Thank you Catherine for your story, I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Ryan, Yvonne and their nine year old daughter Heidi have recently moved to Vienna for Ryan's job. They found a big beautiful house that was relatively cheap for its size, everything was going well. That is, until Heidi tells her parents about the man she saw in the basement. The basement stands behind a large solid steel door, which is firmly closed behind numerous locks, so how is there someone down there? After going against the wishes of the landlord, and against better judgement, they hire a locksmith to open the door. Big mistake. What follows are nail biting and hair raising events all centered around Heidi, and Dr. Quintillas's (basement man) obsession with his one great love, Cleopatra. He wishes to resurrect her, and this time he is certain he will succeed, where before he failed.
The story starts in Vienna following the story and happenings of the small family in present day, about a third of the way through it switches to 1900-1908 and gives a bit of background on Quintillas and his previous attempt at raising Cleopatra. I found that the story's pacing was slightly interrupted by the switch, but once I got through it and back to the family in Vienna, I feel like it was appropriate because it gave more insight into Quintillas himself. As I haven't read warth of the ancients, I believe the switch was needed to give me a look into what happened before.
The creep factor was definitely there for this story and as I said at the start, I was pleasantly surprised. This is the first horror story I've read in a while that actually gave me the creeps at times. Well done. At times I felt it was a little repetitive, with the capture of the girl, then she escapes, then the capture, but overall, it made sense in the story itself.
What drew me to this story was the involvement of Egyptian mythology, and Cleopatra herself. While there wasn't actually a lot of the mythology itself in the story, it still entertained. I especially enjoyed the part with Klimt and him painting the portrait, very creepy.
Actual rating of 3.5 stars.
I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I must admit that the premise interested me, hence why I requested it, but I didn't hold high hope for its execution. Boy, was I wrong!! Thank you Catherine for your story, I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Ryan, Yvonne and their nine year old daughter Heidi have recently moved to Vienna for Ryan's job. They found a big beautiful house that was relatively cheap for its size, everything was going well. That is, until Heidi tells her parents about the man she saw in the basement. The basement stands behind a large solid steel door, which is firmly closed behind numerous locks, so how is there someone down there? After going against the wishes of the landlord, and against better judgement, they hire a locksmith to open the door. Big mistake. What follows are nail biting and hair raising events all centered around Heidi, and Dr. Quintillas's (basement man) obsession with his one great love, Cleopatra. He wishes to resurrect her, and this time he is certain he will succeed, where before he failed.
The story starts in Vienna following the story and happenings of the small family in present day, about a third of the way through it switches to 1900-1908 and gives a bit of background on Quintillas and his previous attempt at raising Cleopatra. I found that the story's pacing was slightly interrupted by the switch, but once I got through it and back to the family in Vienna, I feel like it was appropriate because it gave more insight into Quintillas himself. As I haven't read warth of the ancients, I believe the switch was needed to give me a look into what happened before.
The creep factor was definitely there for this story and as I said at the start, I was pleasantly surprised. This is the first horror story I've read in a while that actually gave me the creeps at times. Well done. At times I felt it was a little repetitive, with the capture of the girl, then she escapes, then the capture, but overall, it made sense in the story itself.
What drew me to this story was the involvement of Egyptian mythology, and Cleopatra herself. While there wasn't actually a lot of the mythology itself in the story, it still entertained. I especially enjoyed the part with Klimt and him painting the portrait, very creepy.
catsluvcoffee's review against another edition
4.0
Catherine Cavendish does it again with an eerie tale in Damned By the Ancients.
The Mortimer family has moved into a new home in Vienna, closer to Ryan’s new job. Very quickly, they realize that things aren’t what they seem. There is a padlock on the basement door and they are told by the owners that no one is allowed down there. Their daughter Heidi very quickly imparts some very disturbing information about their new home.
“Mum. Dad. There’s a man in the basement.”
Read more at Cats Luv Coffee
The Mortimer family has moved into a new home in Vienna, closer to Ryan’s new job. Very quickly, they realize that things aren’t what they seem. There is a padlock on the basement door and they are told by the owners that no one is allowed down there. Their daughter Heidi very quickly imparts some very disturbing information about their new home.
“Mum. Dad. There’s a man in the basement.”
Read more at Cats Luv Coffee
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