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A review by thecanary
Brimstone by Cherie Priest
3.0
This author has been on my radar ever since I first came across the happy chatter surrounding her debut novel Boneshaker. So when I saw this latest book pop up on my radar, I had to read it. That the blurb promised a character with a tortured past was just icing on the cake.
Set against a backdrop of 1920’s spiritualism in small-town Florida, this book follows the two characters as they come to terms with what the spirit haunting Tomas is about. On the one hand we have 22-year-old spinster and budding psychic Alice Dartle, traveling to a spiritualist haven in Florida. On the other, local town tailor and World War I veteran Tomas Cordero who is haunted not just by fire, but by his war experiences and the untimely death of his beloved wife and best friend.
As Alice takes her first tentative steps as a psychic amid a supportive spiritualist community, Thomas is plagued with mysterious fires that ignite around his home. Is he doing it himself? Is it a restless spirit? Is he in danger?
(This is a book. Of course we are all in grave danger.)
The back of the book blurb codes for dramatic and epic storyline, while the actual story falls more along the lines of mystery and historic suspense, with little-to-no romance. It builds steadily, slowly, but without the high octane energy of an action thriller that I had expected from the author of Boneshaker.
In her 2011 review of Boneshaker, my reading partner in crime said that this author was one to watch. I agree. Priest’s prose and world building continue to be exceptional. And whereas all of Boneshaker’s characters suffered from a mild case of one-dimensionality, Brimstone gives us, on the whole, a fully fleshed out Tomas and a fully realized plot. The jury is still out on Alice and her friends, who developed that odd tendency to act in whatever way the plot needs at about the half-way mark.
If you’re a fan of alternative histories with magic elements, this one might be for you. Get this book for its paranormal mystery amid a gorgeous backdrop of historical Florida, and for the many ways the book makes you worry and agonize over Tomas’ plight, right up to the final resolution.
Book provided for review by the publisher.
Set against a backdrop of 1920’s spiritualism in small-town Florida, this book follows the two characters as they come to terms with what the spirit haunting Tomas is about. On the one hand we have 22-year-old spinster and budding psychic Alice Dartle, traveling to a spiritualist haven in Florida. On the other, local town tailor and World War I veteran Tomas Cordero who is haunted not just by fire, but by his war experiences and the untimely death of his beloved wife and best friend.
As Alice takes her first tentative steps as a psychic amid a supportive spiritualist community, Thomas is plagued with mysterious fires that ignite around his home. Is he doing it himself? Is it a restless spirit? Is he in danger?
(This is a book. Of course we are all in grave danger.)
The back of the book blurb codes for dramatic and epic storyline, while the actual story falls more along the lines of mystery and historic suspense, with little-to-no romance. It builds steadily, slowly, but without the high octane energy of an action thriller that I had expected from the author of Boneshaker.
In her 2011 review of Boneshaker, my reading partner in crime said that this author was one to watch. I agree. Priest’s prose and world building continue to be exceptional. And whereas all of Boneshaker’s characters suffered from a mild case of one-dimensionality, Brimstone gives us, on the whole, a fully fleshed out Tomas and a fully realized plot. The jury is still out on Alice and her friends, who developed that odd tendency to act in whatever way the plot needs at about the half-way mark.
If you’re a fan of alternative histories with magic elements, this one might be for you. Get this book for its paranormal mystery amid a gorgeous backdrop of historical Florida, and for the many ways the book makes you worry and agonize over Tomas’ plight, right up to the final resolution.
Book provided for review by the publisher.