AUTHOR: Robert Masello DATE RELEASE: September 18, 2018 PUBLISHED BY: 47North SERIES: Standalone SYNOPSIS (FROM GOODREADS): Bram Stoker kept secret a tale even more terrifying than Dracula. It begins among the Carpathian peaks, when an intrepid explorer discovers a mysterious golden box. She brings it back with her to the foggy streets of Victorian London, unaware of its dangerous power…or that an evil beyond imagining has already taken root in the city. Stoker, a successful theater manager but frustrated writer, is drawn into a deadly web spun by the wealthy founders of a mission house for the poor. Far from a safe haven, the mission harbors a dark and terrifying secret. To save the souls of thousands, Stoker—aided by the explorer and a match girl grieving the loss of her child—must pursue an enemy as ancient as the Saharan sands where it originated. Their journey will take them through the city’s overgrown graveyards and rat-infested tunnels and even onto the maiden voyage of the world’s first “unsinkable” ship… ABOUT THE AUTHOR (FROM GOODREADS): Robert Masello is an award-winning journalist, TV writer, and the bestselling author of many novels and nonfiction books. His most recent thriller, entitled THE EINSTEIN PROPHECY (47 North), hit the # 1 spot in the Amazon Kindle store. Previous books include BLOOD AND ICE, THE MEDUSA AMULET, and THE ROMANOV CROSS, all published by Bantam/Random House. He is also the author of two popular studies of the Occult -- FALLEN ANGELS AND SPIRITS OF THE DARK and RAISING HELL: A CONCISE HISTORY OF THE BLACK ARTS. His books on writing include WRITER TELLS ALL, A FRIEND IN THE BUSINESS, and the classroom staple, ROBERT'S RULES OF WRITING. His TV credits include such popular shows as "Charmed," "Sliders," Early Edition," and "Poltergeist: the Legacy." A native of Evanston, Illinois, he studied writing at Princeton University under Robert Stone and Geoffrey Wolff, and now lives a few blocks from the beach in Santa Monica, CA. THE REVIEW: *Thank you to 47North (via NetGalley) for approving my request to read this eARC, in exchange for an honest review. This is a spoiler-free review. Every thoughts, feelings, and opinions about this review is solely MINE. * This novel tells about the supernatural adventure of Bram Stoker, a theater manager and an aspiring writer; and Minvera "Mina" Harcourt, an explorer of ancient artifacts. Set in the gothic London (around Victorian era), their lives are got tangled when Harcourt have in her possession a mysterious gold box while Stoker came across Lucinda Watts at a bridge on his way home. Told in their prespective third -person POV (points of view), it has set a series of unexplainable events that somehow involve familiar names like Henry Irving, Conan Doyle, and the like. This is my first time to read one of the works of Masello and I was so surprised upon reading because I never expected famous people of the past will be present in this novel. I absolutely love that he basically reimagine the characters of Stoker, Doyle, Irving and the rest in this story. It even made me wonder if this actually happened in our history or that he made it more interesting by involving them in his "world". It is like filling-the-gaps of their lives, probably making the readers like me to imagine what is it like back then. I like his writing style and creativity! However, I almost did not finish this as the first few chapters are slow and I felt it was dragging. There are some instances or scenarios that I felt that they are not necessary for the story. I cannot find a connection to those specific scenes. But as I continue to read, the pace picked up and the story got more intense - filled with unexplained mystery and full of suspense. It was so intriguing (which got me excited) and was truly set you at the edge of your seat. RATING: 4 out of 5 stars
If you are looking for a unique, historical mystery book - then I recommend this! Not only it has a mystery element but also, you will be able to imagine your favorite historical personalities what were their lives during the Victorian era.
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Meet DesA bookworm who loves dark chocolates, skincare, Japanese anime and tea but have an affair with coffee. Want to know me more? Click here. Reader's BadgeCategories
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