A review by ajnel
Palace of Shadows by Ray Celestin

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

5.0

"Palace of Shadows" is a gothic horror set in the Yorkshire Moors in 1899.  The novel focuses on the lives of a number of people involved in the building of the largest manor house ever built and dark reasons for it being built as well as a number of unexplained deaths which occurred during the building process. Celestin, best known for his mafia-styled "City Blues Quartet", masterfully changes pace and adapts to the eerie oppressive writing style, so well known through the works of Arthur Conan Doyle.  On a secondary level, the novel is an absolute treasure trove of metaphors and remarks on the era, human nature, religion and so much more.  The juxtaposition between the "Palace of Shadows" and William Morris' "Red House" (Palace of Beauty) is something to behold.