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A review by melmarian
Death and the Maiden by Apinuch Petcharapiracht
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
3.5
"The living always move forward," Vikal says. "The dead own the past. The Messengers own nothing. You're still alive. Past flows inside you, present courses through your limbs, future lies ahead, endless. Please realize how important life is."
A gothic fantasy, from a Thai author. (It's actually my first time reading anything from a Thai author!). After the sun sets, the spirits who dwell in the tower wake up. The Defeated Gamblers are spirits who committed suicide because of--you've guessed it, gambling-- they are doomed to fall from the tower over and over again in this afterlife. The Lost Ones are children, victims of a serial killer that were trapped in the tower--bodily and spiritually--because their parents haven't found their bodies yet. The Messengers of Death can take form of nocturnal birds, and their job is to send the departed souls to their next destination, with a musical performance. One day, after an unspeakable tragedy occurred, one Messenger decided to adopt a kid, who later became his assistant.
There are 25 chapters in this book, including the epilogue, and they are titled with a piece of classical music. I have made a playlist on Spotify, you can look it up!
I really enjoyed this book, but I can't help but feel that it could be explored more. I also dislike the epilogue.
A gothic fantasy, from a Thai author. (It's actually my first time reading anything from a Thai author!). After the sun sets, the spirits who dwell in the tower wake up. The Defeated Gamblers are spirits who committed suicide because of--you've guessed it, gambling-- they are doomed to fall from the tower over and over again in this afterlife. The Lost Ones are children, victims of a serial killer that were trapped in the tower--bodily and spiritually--because their parents haven't found their bodies yet. The Messengers of Death can take form of nocturnal birds, and their job is to send the departed souls to their next destination, with a musical performance. One day, after an unspeakable tragedy occurred, one Messenger decided to adopt a kid, who later became his assistant.
There are 25 chapters in this book, including the epilogue, and they are titled with a piece of classical music. I have made a playlist on Spotify, you can look it up!
I really enjoyed this book, but I can't help but feel that it could be explored more. I also dislike the epilogue.