Take a photo of a barcode or cover
A review by penguin_emperor_of_the_north
The Jewel of Seven Stars by Bram Stoker
3.0
Turns out there's 2 ending to this book, they're both available here on bramstoker.org but I recommend and prefer the earlier 1903 version. I guess the 1912 revision was made because the earlier one was too much of a downer but the revised ending is far too simplistic for my taste.
The first half really dragged; the inciting incident is that Abel Trelawney is found unconscious in his bedroom and then his daughter (Margaret), Malcolm (the narrator) and some others are called on to stand vigil over him until he recovers. Hearing about people standing watch through the night gets rather boring and the mystery isn't investigated enough to make that part very interesting.
Things pick up after and their further plans for the Great Experiment where they will (even bigger spoiler)
Which leads to a really interesting chapter where the narrator reflects on the implications of successfully resurrecting Tera, mainly on the religious implications if rituals of Egyptian deities are shown to work, what would that mean for worship of God? There's more in there about how their possible scientific knowledge would affect the world to but I found the religious musings most interesting (and they were wrote that way too, the scientific musings felt a bit tacked on). But that was a really interesting chapter that really shows that Malcolm's in this for his love of Margaret and has great misgivings going forward.
Finally, the ending, in the 1912 version. However, in the 1903 version . Chilling.
The 1903 ending leaves it. That set my brain to whirring.
Overall, intriguing ending aside, the book drags. I can't say I'd go out of my way to get it but since it's easily available online at bramstoker.org or Project Gutenberg it's worth a try.
The first half really dragged; the inciting incident is that Abel Trelawney is found unconscious in his bedroom and then his daughter (Margaret), Malcolm (the narrator) and some others are called on to stand vigil over him until he recovers. Hearing about people standing watch through the night gets rather boring and the mystery isn't investigated enough to make that part very interesting.
Things pick up after
Spoiler
Trelawney wakes up and we're caught up on his and Corbeck's previous ventures in EgyptSpoiler
resurrect the long dead Egyptian Queen Tera because they think ancient Egyptians were far more scientifically advanced than given credit for and possibly more advanced than even turn of the century Europe.Which leads to a really interesting chapter where the narrator reflects on the implications of successfully resurrecting Tera, mainly on the religious implications if rituals of Egyptian deities are shown to work, what would that mean for worship of God? There's more in there about how their possible scientific knowledge would affect the world to but I found the religious musings most interesting (and they were wrote that way too, the scientific musings felt a bit tacked on). But that was a really interesting chapter that really shows that Malcolm's in this for his love of Margaret and has great misgivings going forward.
Finally, the ending, in the 1912 version
Spoiler
the experiment fails, everyone lives, Margaret and Malcolm get married and live happily ever after in an Egyptian sorceress free world . . . Yay . . . good for them but very basic, especially considering they didn't really need to struggle for that endSpoiler
everyone but Malcolm dies in the experiment and Tera's body disappears. Malcolm even carried her out of the smoke filled experiment chamber thinking he was saving Margaret. And it just ends with him finding his compatriots' bodiesThe 1903 ending leaves it
Spoiler
open ended what happens next and what Tera's motivations might even be. Maybe she'll just meld into society, maybe she'll want to reestablish an empire. Who knows? But the fact that she's just gone after the experiment and the book just endsOverall, intriguing ending aside, the book drags. I can't say I'd go out of my way to get it but since it's easily available online at bramstoker.org or Project Gutenberg it's worth a try.