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Miserere: An Autumn Tale
The Night Shade Books edition of Miserere is not the same as the JABberwocky edition. If you're reading the NSB print edition or listening to the NSB audiobook, those are the 1st edition and they bear very little resemblance to the new JABberwocky edition.
Exiled exorcist Lucian Negru deserted his lover in Hell in exchange for saving his sister Catarina's soul, but Catarina doesn't want salvation. She wants Lucian to help her fulfill her dark covenant with the Fallen Angels by using his power to open the Hell Gates. Catarina intends to lead the Fallen's hordes out of Hell and into the parallel dimension of Woerld, Heaven's frontline of defense between Earth and Hell. When Lucian refuses to help his sister, she imprisons and cripples him, but Lucian learns that Rachael, the lover he betrayed and abandoned in Hell, is dying from a demonic possession. Determined to rescue Rachael from the demon he unleashed on her soul, Lucian flees his sister, but Catarina's wrath isn't so easy to escape!
Exiled exorcist Lucian Negru deserted his lover in Hell in exchange for saving his sister Catarina's soul, but Catarina doesn't want salvation. She wants Lucian to help her fulfill her dark covenant with the Fallen Angels by using his power to open the Hell Gates. Catarina intends to lead the Fallen's hordes out of Hell and into the parallel dimension of Woerld, Heaven's frontline of defense between Earth and Hell. When Lucian refuses to help his sister, she imprisons and cripples him, but Lucian learns that Rachael, the lover he betrayed and abandoned in Hell, is dying from a demonic possession. Determined to rescue Rachael from the demon he unleashed on her soul, Lucian flees his sister, but Catarina's wrath isn't so easy to escape!
280 pages, Paperback
First published June 21, 2011
54 people are currently reading
4290 people want to read
About the author
T. Frohock
17 books332 followers
I have a Patreon, where you can find short stories and articles on demonology and angelology.
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T. Frohock has turned a love of history and dark fantasy into tales of deliciously creepy fiction. A real-life cyborg, T has a cochlear implant, meaning she can turn you on or off with the flick of a switch. Make of that what you will. She currently lives in North Carolina, where she has long been accused of telling stories, which is a southern colloquialism for lying.
Check out my newsletter for updates and more.
T. Frohock has turned a love of history and dark fantasy into tales of deliciously creepy fiction. A real-life cyborg, T has a cochlear implant, meaning she can turn you on or off with the flick of a switch. Make of that what you will. She currently lives in North Carolina, where she has long been accused of telling stories, which is a southern colloquialism for lying.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 243 reviews
May 22, 2025
The author has recovered the rights to the book and relaunched it ... today! So, a good time to give it a try.
Like many books this year Miserere took me a long time to read. That's not a reflection on its quality.
On casual inspection you might be forgiven for thinking that this is a religious book &/or YA. It's neither of those things though and if you read it you'll soon be disabused of the notion.
Frohock paints an interesting secondary world where multiple (possibly all) real world faiths feature but they are treated as religions invented in any good fantasy, i.e. they're presented as rich and intriguing but with not even the slightest attempt to convert you (did you feel compelled to start following The Seven, or the Old Gods of the North after reading GRRMs Game of Thrones?).
This is a grown-up, gripping, dark, swords and sorcery fantasy with one of the most stomach turning demon appearances I've read. Written for adults. So give it a go!
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Join my 3-emails-a-year newsletter #prizes
...
Like many books this year Miserere took me a long time to read. That's not a reflection on its quality.
On casual inspection you might be forgiven for thinking that this is a religious book &/or YA. It's neither of those things though and if you read it you'll soon be disabused of the notion.
Frohock paints an interesting secondary world where multiple (possibly all) real world faiths feature but they are treated as religions invented in any good fantasy, i.e. they're presented as rich and intriguing but with not even the slightest attempt to convert you (did you feel compelled to start following The Seven, or the Old Gods of the North after reading GRRMs Game of Thrones?).
This is a grown-up, gripping, dark, swords and sorcery fantasy with one of the most stomach turning demon appearances I've read. Written for adults. So give it a go!
Join my Patreon
Join my 3-emails-a-year newsletter #prizes
...
March 11, 2018
For a debut novel Miserere: An Autumn Tale was very good. I liked the dark atmosphere a lot and strong female characters, especially Rachael, too. I had some doubts about the christian magical system (or whatever you call it) described in the novel, but it was still very well done. Interesting idea of the Woerld as a parallel plane of our world where - surprise, surprise! - all human kind's religions past and present and fictional live peacefully in a pseudo-middle ages. Well, almost peacefully... And 10 stars for the great exorcism scene!
The dislikes.. Some melodramatic moments could be avoided, I guess, while I liked the romance line in it. The supervillaneous villain made me roll my eyes a bit too often... It could be done more subtly. However - it's a debut novel, so let's not be too picky.
My real problem with the book was that it seemed that the author couldn't decide what exactly was she writing and for whom - was it more fantasy with horror elements or a horror with YA elements, or fantasy romance? Both Rachael and Lucian were in their forties or so, but their dialogues and thoughts sometimes made me think they were much younger (and I'm not even getting to Catarina...). So it's hard to decide who is the target audience for the novel.
I'll put frowning aside, because I enjoyed the whole thing quite a lot. I rate it something between 3,5 and 4, closer to 4 stars.
The dislikes.. Some melodramatic moments could be avoided, I guess, while I liked the romance line in it. The supervillaneous villain made me roll my eyes a bit too often... It could be done more subtly. However - it's a debut novel, so let's not be too picky.
My real problem with the book was that it seemed that the author couldn't decide what exactly was she writing and for whom - was it more fantasy with horror elements or a horror with YA elements, or fantasy romance? Both Rachael and Lucian were in their forties or so, but their dialogues and thoughts sometimes made me think they were much younger (and I'm not even getting to Catarina...). So it's hard to decide who is the target audience for the novel.
I'll put frowning aside, because I enjoyed the whole thing quite a lot. I rate it something between 3,5 and 4, closer to 4 stars.
October 4, 2015
I had never heard of this book until Gavin DNFed it. Others might have thought: oh, Gavin couldn't finish it, I should stay away from this. But no, not me. I'm brave like that. And I like a challenge. And the cover looked pretty cool in a templar-y middle age-y kind of way. And I read the words 'hell' and 'demonic' in the blurb. I should have known better.
The bad
Gripe #1: this book is pretty much boring to death from beginning to end. Well the first 30% aren't that bad but then it's all blah blah blah this and blah blah blah that. The pace picks up a bit towards the end but Frohock had already lost me at that point.
Gripe #2: the mc is a complete wimp. I guess that poor Lucian is supposed to be a reluctant hero but he is just too pathetic for my taste. He constantly feels sorry for himself, he lets his bitchy sister boss him around, he feels guilty for abandoning Rachael blah blah blah. It's a never-ending pity party.
Gripe #3: where are the demons? This book is supposed to be about hell and demonic possession for God's sake! Cerberus and a miserable wyrm were not nearly enough to satisfy my demonic craving.
Gripe #4: the ending.
The good
#1 The premise: exorcists, fallen angels, hell, demons, possessions… This should have been a great book.
#2 Rachael: the book would have been MUCH more exciting had it been narrated by Rachael. The few enjoyable passages were the ones told from her POV. Her character is quite complex and has much more depth than Lucian.
#3 Catarina: lots of wasted potential there but she still is a pretty good villain. Being Lucian's arch nemesis she deserved a much bigger part in the story and I would have liked for her character to be more developed. Unfortunately it didn't happen here.
This could have been a fantastic story but poor execution on Frohock's part ruined it all. Gavin did not recommend the book to me and in turn I will not recommend it to you;o)
The bad
Gripe #1: this book is pretty much boring to death from beginning to end. Well the first 30% aren't that bad but then it's all blah blah blah this and blah blah blah that. The pace picks up a bit towards the end but Frohock had already lost me at that point.
Gripe #2: the mc is a complete wimp. I guess that poor Lucian is supposed to be a reluctant hero but he is just too pathetic for my taste. He constantly feels sorry for himself, he lets his bitchy sister boss him around, he feels guilty for abandoning Rachael blah blah blah. It's a never-ending pity party.
Gripe #3: where are the demons? This book is supposed to be about hell and demonic possession for God's sake! Cerberus and a miserable wyrm were not nearly enough to satisfy my demonic craving.
Gripe #4: the ending.
The good
#1 The premise: exorcists, fallen angels, hell, demons, possessions… This should have been a great book.
#2 Rachael: the book would have been MUCH more exciting had it been narrated by Rachael. The few enjoyable passages were the ones told from her POV. Her character is quite complex and has much more depth than Lucian.
#3 Catarina: lots of wasted potential there but she still is a pretty good villain. Being Lucian's arch nemesis she deserved a much bigger part in the story and I would have liked for her character to be more developed. Unfortunately it didn't happen here.
This could have been a fantastic story but poor execution on Frohock's part ruined it all. Gavin did not recommend the book to me and in turn I will not recommend it to you;o)
December 28, 2012
This was a SUPER inventive and dark world-building novel. Definitely epic fantasy leaning, meaty and engrossing about Heaven and Hell and demon battling and love. I really enjoyed it, and the fact it was a first novel was even cooler, and it felt much meatier than the relatively short 300 pages, which is interesting.
There are some GREAT characters and relationships (and a LOT of drama) that keep you page-turning. Recommended to CS Friedman fans, or Sarah Monette fans.
There are some GREAT characters and relationships (and a LOT of drama) that keep you page-turning. Recommended to CS Friedman fans, or Sarah Monette fans.
March 26, 2013
4.5 stars. Review originally posted at The BiblioSanctum
Books like Miserere are why I'm glad I make it a personal rule to finish reading all books I start. It's always tempting to put a title away for something else when the story doesn't capture me right away, and certainly I had my doubts that this one would be right for me when I first began. But sometimes, a book can be full of surprises.
I ended up loving Miserere. All I needed was some time to get into it, and part of the reason is its pacing. It's the kind of book that takes its time revealing itself to you, doling out details about its world in a trickle as you read. I was unable to make heads or tails of the story until I understood a bit of the context, that the universe of Miserere is made up of four planes: Heaven, Earth, Woerld, and Hell. Woerld is sort of like the first line of defense against Hell and its demons, as it were; all the religions there work to keep Fallen hordes from breaking through to Earth. It is in Woerld where the book mostly takes place.
Exorcist and man of faith Lucian Negru has been in exile for sixteen years, banished for abandoning his lover Rachael in Hell in exchange for the life of his twin sister, Catarina. Catarina, however, didn't want to be saved, as she'd sold her soul to the Fallen for the chance to rule Woerld. Lucian was crippled and imprisoned when he refused to go along with her plans, until one day he escapes and endeavors to save Rachael, who has since made it back from Hell, albeit possessed by a demon that is slowly taking over and killing her.
Along the way, Lucian also rescues Lindsay, a young Earth girl who had slipped through the Veil into Woerld, just as he had many years before. Like Lucian, Lindsay possesses special powers, and will one day become one of the Kathoros, able to activate magic through prayer. Lucian is determined to make it his duty to train and protect her, but that's easier said than done with Catarina's minions on his tail and traitors at the heart of the Kathoroi.
Such a rich world, with so much history and background. I don't think I was able to absorb it all until a third of the way through the book, mostly because not everything's explained right away. You're meant to be thrown into Miserere without much guidance, letting the story do the job of explaining the details as it progresses. Call me impatient, but I don't usually enjoy books like that; I much prefer it when the setting and characters are set up early so I know what I'm in for. But still, Miserere ended up making it up to me in spades!
Contrary to its description and the nature of its themes, this book isn't really about religion, though religious philosophies and the notion of faith are interwoven into the story. More significant are the ideas of redemption and mercy, of finding the strength and reason to go on again even after falling from grace. It's also about love, of whether or not it is possible to trust again after betrayal.
Speaking of which, one of the first things that struck me about this book is how beautiful the writing is. I felt that the interplay of emotions between Lucian and Rachael unfolded very naturally and was presented almost perfectly, as were the descriptions of Lucien's mixed feelings for his traitorous sister. And yet, the writing was not at all flowery to the point of distracting, nor did it disrupt the flow of the story, which made this a very easy and smooth read. The execution in the details was also phenomenal; I am thinking of one scene in particular involving an exorcism that is quite possibly one of the most awesome and yet horrifying things I've ever read.
I just breezed through the second half of this book, since by then it had me completely hooked. One night, I found myself still up at 3am because I'd lost track of the hours reading this. I'm so glad I kept my mind open and gave this book a little time, as the reward was very much worth it.
Books like Miserere are why I'm glad I make it a personal rule to finish reading all books I start. It's always tempting to put a title away for something else when the story doesn't capture me right away, and certainly I had my doubts that this one would be right for me when I first began. But sometimes, a book can be full of surprises.
I ended up loving Miserere. All I needed was some time to get into it, and part of the reason is its pacing. It's the kind of book that takes its time revealing itself to you, doling out details about its world in a trickle as you read. I was unable to make heads or tails of the story until I understood a bit of the context, that the universe of Miserere is made up of four planes: Heaven, Earth, Woerld, and Hell. Woerld is sort of like the first line of defense against Hell and its demons, as it were; all the religions there work to keep Fallen hordes from breaking through to Earth. It is in Woerld where the book mostly takes place.
Exorcist and man of faith Lucian Negru has been in exile for sixteen years, banished for abandoning his lover Rachael in Hell in exchange for the life of his twin sister, Catarina. Catarina, however, didn't want to be saved, as she'd sold her soul to the Fallen for the chance to rule Woerld. Lucian was crippled and imprisoned when he refused to go along with her plans, until one day he escapes and endeavors to save Rachael, who has since made it back from Hell, albeit possessed by a demon that is slowly taking over and killing her.
Along the way, Lucian also rescues Lindsay, a young Earth girl who had slipped through the Veil into Woerld, just as he had many years before. Like Lucian, Lindsay possesses special powers, and will one day become one of the Kathoros, able to activate magic through prayer. Lucian is determined to make it his duty to train and protect her, but that's easier said than done with Catarina's minions on his tail and traitors at the heart of the Kathoroi.
Such a rich world, with so much history and background. I don't think I was able to absorb it all until a third of the way through the book, mostly because not everything's explained right away. You're meant to be thrown into Miserere without much guidance, letting the story do the job of explaining the details as it progresses. Call me impatient, but I don't usually enjoy books like that; I much prefer it when the setting and characters are set up early so I know what I'm in for. But still, Miserere ended up making it up to me in spades!
Contrary to its description and the nature of its themes, this book isn't really about religion, though religious philosophies and the notion of faith are interwoven into the story. More significant are the ideas of redemption and mercy, of finding the strength and reason to go on again even after falling from grace. It's also about love, of whether or not it is possible to trust again after betrayal.
Speaking of which, one of the first things that struck me about this book is how beautiful the writing is. I felt that the interplay of emotions between Lucian and Rachael unfolded very naturally and was presented almost perfectly, as were the descriptions of Lucien's mixed feelings for his traitorous sister. And yet, the writing was not at all flowery to the point of distracting, nor did it disrupt the flow of the story, which made this a very easy and smooth read. The execution in the details was also phenomenal; I am thinking of one scene in particular involving an exorcism that is quite possibly one of the most awesome and yet horrifying things I've ever read.
I just breezed through the second half of this book, since by then it had me completely hooked. One night, I found myself still up at 3am because I'd lost track of the hours reading this. I'm so glad I kept my mind open and gave this book a little time, as the reward was very much worth it.
January 14, 2012
http://www.rantingdragon.com/miserere...
Miserere is the debut novel of Teresa Frohock, released mid-2011 by Night Shade Books. A mesmerizing dark fantasy that showcases Frohock’s admirable talent as a writer, Miserere is an utterly compelling tale and pleasure to read.
The story takes place primarily in Woerld, one of a hierarchy of parallel dimensions that also include Hell, Earth and Heaven. Woerld is located between Hell and Earth and acts as a frontline of defense against the Fallen Angels of Hell, who seek to invade the higher planes to wage war on Heaven itself. Sixteen years ago, Lucian Negru, an exorcist and holy warrior of the Christian bastion of Woerld, deserted his lover Rachael in Hell to save his twin sister Catarina’s soul. However, Catarina did not want salvation. Having allied herself with the Fallen, she seeks her brother’s assistance to open the Hell Gates and allow the demons passage. However, Lucian denies her, and as a result, she has him crippled and imprisoned, hoping to wear him down until he finally complies. He is further tormented by the guilt of betraying the one he loved, and when he hears that Rachael is dying due to a demonic wyrm that possesed her in Hell, Lucian escapes, fleeing his sister’s fortress in a last desperate hope of repairing the damage he wrought. However, Catarina has grown strong in dark magic and her wrath—and that of the Fallen—is not easily escaped.
This is a debut?
First, I have to say that if I didn’t know better, I would never have guessed that Miserere was a debut novel. The writing is extremely polished, with effortlessly flowing prose and just the right complexity of language. There were countless times during reading where I paused momentarily to admire Frohock’s way with words. In fact, I’ve read many books by much more experienced writers that don’t even come close to achieving such beautiful prose. I realize that this is a subjective evaluation and different writing styles suit different readers, however, Frohock’s writing worked exceptionally well for me and I believe I would have a lot of trouble trying to find a single phrase I would change. The story itself has substantial depth and the characters ring true, while the narrative remains compelling and is never bogged down with pointless exposition or info-dumping.
The greatest battles are those we wage within
While the concept of demonic forces threatening to break free of Hell and overun worlds may seem somewhat familiar, Miserere goes far beyond that. Although we are made aware of these larger conflicts and their far-reaching consequences, the real story Frohock tells is far more human and much closer to home. Miserere is in essence a character driven work, and the most substantial conflicts we see are not between the legions of hell and defenders of heaven but within the mind of the individual. Lucian’s is a story of betrayal, regret, and redemption as he tries to make amends for past mistakes. Likewise, Rachael battles with not only the demon within her but with fading hope, loss of faith in both her god and herself, and an inability to trust born of betrayal. Lucian’s foundling, Lindsay, must also find strength in the face of loss, fear, and the unknown.
The characters themselves are extremely well realized. They are believably imperfect individuals that are easy to relate to and the mistakes they make are those we can all understand. Likewise, the stuggles they face are those that will be familiar to almost all of us to some extent. Even the most morally reprehensible character is not wholly evil and does not act without reason. Furthermore, most are a fair bit older than many fantasy protagonists—Lucian, Rachael, and Catarina are around forty—and thus their characters already have decades of history and experience to draw on.
Are you afraid of the dark?
Miserere is undeniably a work of dark fantasy and, as such, often deals with the less pleasant aspects of the human experience. It also contains numerous horror elements, some of which are quite grotesque and moderately graphic, and Frohock does not pass over subjects such as death, injury, rape, manipulation, and abuse. While the descriptions are never gratuitous, it makes for a thought-provoking yet somewhat unsettling read that is perhaps not suited for the faint of heart. Those who prefer their fantasy with a darker edge, however, will not be disappointed.
It is a difficult and complex task to write fiction that draws on religious themes without running the risk of alienating a percentage of readers. Overall, Frohock does what I would consider an extremely good job of this, though those who are very strict in their interpretation of scripture may find some fault that I have overlooked. Nevertheless, I can’t see it causing much trouble for most fantasy fans, religious or not. All in all, the various real world religions on Woerld are generally portrayed in quite a favorable light, existing in a much more cooperative state than in our world, and not one is advocated as inherently superior to others. Additionally, although the novel draws heavily on Judeo-Christian mythology and features prayer as a focal point for magic, it never comes across as preachy or condescending. As someone with a rather passionate distaste for books of any type masquerading as something different to gain readers, I never once felt I was reading religious fiction disguised as a fantasy.
Parting is such sweet sorrow!
Miserere isn’t a particularly long novel compared to most fantasy works, and Frohock fits an admirable amount of story, world building, and character development in a minimal number of words. Nevertheless, I thought perhaps the last quarter could have been a little longer. While I wouldn’t consider any parts of the novel slow and the story never dragged, there was quite a big buildup before the resolution, which all happened very quickly. While it was extremely well done and still very satisfying, I couldn’t help but wish for a bit more. Nevertheless, this is just as likely due to the fact that I very much enjoyed the novel and didn’t want it to end rather than any substantial flaw.
While this novel stands quite well on its own, there is still much of Woerld left to explore, not to mention that the greater threat to Woerld, Earth, and Heaven may be considered set back or delayed rather than completely eliminated. While I don’t particularly require perfectly resolved, tidy endings, I know that many other readers differ in this preference. Those who do will be pleased to hear that this is not really the end of the tale and that Frohock intends to write more novels set in Woerld and continuing the story from different viewpoints.
Why should you read this book?
All in all, Miserere is an enthralling and memorable book that I found extremely hard to put down. If you are a fan of dark, beautifully written fantasy, set in a fascinating world and featuring well developed characters, then I would suggest you get your hands on a copy of Frohock’s debut as soon as possible. If you are looking for a light and upbeat read, are not a fan of dark fantasy, or are easily put off by moderate gore and distressing themes, you might look elsewhere. Personally, I can’t wait to read more from this talented author and can hardly wait for the next installment.
Miserere is the debut novel of Teresa Frohock, released mid-2011 by Night Shade Books. A mesmerizing dark fantasy that showcases Frohock’s admirable talent as a writer, Miserere is an utterly compelling tale and pleasure to read.
The story takes place primarily in Woerld, one of a hierarchy of parallel dimensions that also include Hell, Earth and Heaven. Woerld is located between Hell and Earth and acts as a frontline of defense against the Fallen Angels of Hell, who seek to invade the higher planes to wage war on Heaven itself. Sixteen years ago, Lucian Negru, an exorcist and holy warrior of the Christian bastion of Woerld, deserted his lover Rachael in Hell to save his twin sister Catarina’s soul. However, Catarina did not want salvation. Having allied herself with the Fallen, she seeks her brother’s assistance to open the Hell Gates and allow the demons passage. However, Lucian denies her, and as a result, she has him crippled and imprisoned, hoping to wear him down until he finally complies. He is further tormented by the guilt of betraying the one he loved, and when he hears that Rachael is dying due to a demonic wyrm that possesed her in Hell, Lucian escapes, fleeing his sister’s fortress in a last desperate hope of repairing the damage he wrought. However, Catarina has grown strong in dark magic and her wrath—and that of the Fallen—is not easily escaped.
This is a debut?
First, I have to say that if I didn’t know better, I would never have guessed that Miserere was a debut novel. The writing is extremely polished, with effortlessly flowing prose and just the right complexity of language. There were countless times during reading where I paused momentarily to admire Frohock’s way with words. In fact, I’ve read many books by much more experienced writers that don’t even come close to achieving such beautiful prose. I realize that this is a subjective evaluation and different writing styles suit different readers, however, Frohock’s writing worked exceptionally well for me and I believe I would have a lot of trouble trying to find a single phrase I would change. The story itself has substantial depth and the characters ring true, while the narrative remains compelling and is never bogged down with pointless exposition or info-dumping.
The greatest battles are those we wage within
While the concept of demonic forces threatening to break free of Hell and overun worlds may seem somewhat familiar, Miserere goes far beyond that. Although we are made aware of these larger conflicts and their far-reaching consequences, the real story Frohock tells is far more human and much closer to home. Miserere is in essence a character driven work, and the most substantial conflicts we see are not between the legions of hell and defenders of heaven but within the mind of the individual. Lucian’s is a story of betrayal, regret, and redemption as he tries to make amends for past mistakes. Likewise, Rachael battles with not only the demon within her but with fading hope, loss of faith in both her god and herself, and an inability to trust born of betrayal. Lucian’s foundling, Lindsay, must also find strength in the face of loss, fear, and the unknown.
The characters themselves are extremely well realized. They are believably imperfect individuals that are easy to relate to and the mistakes they make are those we can all understand. Likewise, the stuggles they face are those that will be familiar to almost all of us to some extent. Even the most morally reprehensible character is not wholly evil and does not act without reason. Furthermore, most are a fair bit older than many fantasy protagonists—Lucian, Rachael, and Catarina are around forty—and thus their characters already have decades of history and experience to draw on.
Are you afraid of the dark?
Miserere is undeniably a work of dark fantasy and, as such, often deals with the less pleasant aspects of the human experience. It also contains numerous horror elements, some of which are quite grotesque and moderately graphic, and Frohock does not pass over subjects such as death, injury, rape, manipulation, and abuse. While the descriptions are never gratuitous, it makes for a thought-provoking yet somewhat unsettling read that is perhaps not suited for the faint of heart. Those who prefer their fantasy with a darker edge, however, will not be disappointed.
It is a difficult and complex task to write fiction that draws on religious themes without running the risk of alienating a percentage of readers. Overall, Frohock does what I would consider an extremely good job of this, though those who are very strict in their interpretation of scripture may find some fault that I have overlooked. Nevertheless, I can’t see it causing much trouble for most fantasy fans, religious or not. All in all, the various real world religions on Woerld are generally portrayed in quite a favorable light, existing in a much more cooperative state than in our world, and not one is advocated as inherently superior to others. Additionally, although the novel draws heavily on Judeo-Christian mythology and features prayer as a focal point for magic, it never comes across as preachy or condescending. As someone with a rather passionate distaste for books of any type masquerading as something different to gain readers, I never once felt I was reading religious fiction disguised as a fantasy.
Parting is such sweet sorrow!
Miserere isn’t a particularly long novel compared to most fantasy works, and Frohock fits an admirable amount of story, world building, and character development in a minimal number of words. Nevertheless, I thought perhaps the last quarter could have been a little longer. While I wouldn’t consider any parts of the novel slow and the story never dragged, there was quite a big buildup before the resolution, which all happened very quickly. While it was extremely well done and still very satisfying, I couldn’t help but wish for a bit more. Nevertheless, this is just as likely due to the fact that I very much enjoyed the novel and didn’t want it to end rather than any substantial flaw.
While this novel stands quite well on its own, there is still much of Woerld left to explore, not to mention that the greater threat to Woerld, Earth, and Heaven may be considered set back or delayed rather than completely eliminated. While I don’t particularly require perfectly resolved, tidy endings, I know that many other readers differ in this preference. Those who do will be pleased to hear that this is not really the end of the tale and that Frohock intends to write more novels set in Woerld and continuing the story from different viewpoints.
Why should you read this book?
All in all, Miserere is an enthralling and memorable book that I found extremely hard to put down. If you are a fan of dark, beautifully written fantasy, set in a fascinating world and featuring well developed characters, then I would suggest you get your hands on a copy of Frohock’s debut as soon as possible. If you are looking for a light and upbeat read, are not a fan of dark fantasy, or are easily put off by moderate gore and distressing themes, you might look elsewhere. Personally, I can’t wait to read more from this talented author and can hardly wait for the next installment.
November 14, 2014
Miserere
DNF 65%
This really should have been a good read. Teresa Frohock's world was an intriguing concept. It just failed to transition from a fantastic idea into an entertaining story. Which was a shame as I was quite enthusiastic about reading this story.
The world of Miserere consisted of four interlinked parallel dimensions. Heaven, Earth, Woerld, and Hell. The action in this story takes place in Woerld, the dimension that shields Earth and Heaven from Hell. The Fallen Angels and Demons of Hell are stirring and readying to make the break from Hell into Woerld. Only former exorcist Lucian Negru can stand against them. Unfortunately he is suffering a crisis of faith and is crippled with guilt after trading the soul of his lover to a demon in order to save his twin sister. To make matters even worse Lucian's sister Catarina had no interest in being saved and is slowly losing her soul to a demon and trying to drag Lucian down with her.
The characters were fine, if a little dull. Lucian was a likable guy suffering from doubt and guilt after his betrayal. He is offered the chance at redemption and grasps his chance. The lover he betrayed, Rachael, is also an interesting and likable character. She is possessed by a demon and slowly losing the battle for her body and soul. Lucian's sister, Catarina, is suitably villainous. I even liked the explanation provided by Teresa Frohock for Catarina's worsening behavior. She trades parts of her humanity and feelings to a demon in exchange for power.
I just wish the story had matched the world-building. It was far to slow paced and I often found myself bored while listening to the audio version. I persevered for a while in the hopes the action would pick up but it just never did. I even took a break and then returned with the intent of finishing the final third of the story, but that did not help. Rather than suffer through the final third I decided to just call it quits.
Rating: 2 stars.
Audio Note: I think Eileen Stevens did an acceptable job. She conveyed the sad feel of the story well. She did read a bit slow for my liking which might have been a contributing factor to the slow paced feel of this story. I'm willing to try her again at some point.
DNF 65%
This really should have been a good read. Teresa Frohock's world was an intriguing concept. It just failed to transition from a fantastic idea into an entertaining story. Which was a shame as I was quite enthusiastic about reading this story.
The world of Miserere consisted of four interlinked parallel dimensions. Heaven, Earth, Woerld, and Hell. The action in this story takes place in Woerld, the dimension that shields Earth and Heaven from Hell. The Fallen Angels and Demons of Hell are stirring and readying to make the break from Hell into Woerld. Only former exorcist Lucian Negru can stand against them. Unfortunately he is suffering a crisis of faith and is crippled with guilt after trading the soul of his lover to a demon in order to save his twin sister. To make matters even worse Lucian's sister Catarina had no interest in being saved and is slowly losing her soul to a demon and trying to drag Lucian down with her.
The characters were fine, if a little dull. Lucian was a likable guy suffering from doubt and guilt after his betrayal. He is offered the chance at redemption and grasps his chance. The lover he betrayed, Rachael, is also an interesting and likable character. She is possessed by a demon and slowly losing the battle for her body and soul. Lucian's sister, Catarina, is suitably villainous. I even liked the explanation provided by Teresa Frohock for Catarina's worsening behavior. She trades parts of her humanity and feelings to a demon in exchange for power.
I just wish the story had matched the world-building. It was far to slow paced and I often found myself bored while listening to the audio version. I persevered for a while in the hopes the action would pick up but it just never did. I even took a break and then returned with the intent of finishing the final third of the story, but that did not help. Rather than suffer through the final third I decided to just call it quits.
Rating: 2 stars.
Audio Note: I think Eileen Stevens did an acceptable job. She conveyed the sad feel of the story well. She did read a bit slow for my liking which might have been a contributing factor to the slow paced feel of this story. I'm willing to try her again at some point.
November 14, 2019
Miserere!
I really enjoyed this book. I was a bit unsure at first after reading the descriptions, but it had such good reviews I had to give it a try.
I was not disappointed. It is a rather quick read, but fast paced and entertaining.
It is a dark tale, but a good one. A different spin on the battle between Heaven and Hell. I highly recommend it.
I really enjoyed this book. I was a bit unsure at first after reading the descriptions, but it had such good reviews I had to give it a try.
I was not disappointed. It is a rather quick read, but fast paced and entertaining.
It is a dark tale, but a good one. A different spin on the battle between Heaven and Hell. I highly recommend it.
April 27, 2017
"She thought she heard him say he was sorry.
Or maybe that, too, was white noise blowing in the background; words as sterile as the loneliness engulfing her life. The deed was done and though time had not healed her, she had reconciled herself to her emptiness.
His remorse shouldn’t matter to her one way or another. But it did."
Or maybe that, too, was white noise blowing in the background; words as sterile as the loneliness engulfing her life. The deed was done and though time had not healed her, she had reconciled herself to her emptiness.
His remorse shouldn’t matter to her one way or another. But it did."
May 17, 2016
"You're not going to heaven,
Eat a thousand crackers, sing a million hymns.
None of you are going to heaven.
You're not my children; you're a bad game of Sims."**
I am an ardent and proud atheist. In fact, I sometimes think I go a step beyond, into anti-theism. But lurking in the lizard-jelly back of my brain is an envy of those who have faith. It seems like it would be so peaceful and satisfying to be all "Jesus, take the wheel!" whenever life gets too stressful or hectic. Alas, I no longer believe in faeries or ents or flying spaghetti monsters, so I have to slog through adult life just blindly taking responsibility for my own life choices and their consequences.
But man, I would believe if the God in this real world was like the God in Miserere: An Autumn Tale. This G-O-single-D provides magic to his followers. MAGIC. There is an actual and immediate interaction with the Holy Father God Lord. That's a deity I could get behind.
"The books you think I wrote are way too thick.
Who needs a thousand metaphors to figure out you shouldn't be a dick?"**
And the writing is so good! Tortured and tormented characters just trying to do the right (or O so wrong) thing. Dog-demons. Soul-swords. Killer man-eating flora. All kinds of crazy shit!
Recommended for anyone that enjoys solid stand-alone fantasy novels, and the heady mix that can come from magic and Christian spirituality.
**Lyrics taken from Bo Burnham's "From God's Perspective," which you can listen to right here
Eat a thousand crackers, sing a million hymns.
None of you are going to heaven.
You're not my children; you're a bad game of Sims."**
I am an ardent and proud atheist. In fact, I sometimes think I go a step beyond, into anti-theism. But lurking in the lizard-jelly back of my brain is an envy of those who have faith. It seems like it would be so peaceful and satisfying to be all "Jesus, take the wheel!" whenever life gets too stressful or hectic. Alas, I no longer believe in faeries or ents or flying spaghetti monsters, so I have to slog through adult life just blindly taking responsibility for my own life choices and their consequences.
But man, I would believe if the God in this real world was like the God in Miserere: An Autumn Tale. This G-O-single-D provides magic to his followers. MAGIC. There is an actual and immediate interaction with the Holy Father God Lord. That's a deity I could get behind.
"The books you think I wrote are way too thick.
Who needs a thousand metaphors to figure out you shouldn't be a dick?"**
And the writing is so good! Tortured and tormented characters just trying to do the right (or O so wrong) thing. Dog-demons. Soul-swords. Killer man-eating flora. All kinds of crazy shit!
Recommended for anyone that enjoys solid stand-alone fantasy novels, and the heady mix that can come from magic and Christian spirituality.
**Lyrics taken from Bo Burnham's "From God's Perspective," which you can listen to right here
June 27, 2011
I saw a review for MISERERE the other day that marveled at the fact that this is Teresa Frohock's first book. I understand the feeling: MISERERE is so accomplished, so polished and sophisticated. The plot is amazing, complex and fantastic, sweeping in scope and teeming with colorful characters: I was fascinated. I haven't read a great deal of this type of fiction. (I guess I'd call it Epic Fantasy.) But Frohock has made a convert out of me. I can't wait to see what she does next.
September 20, 2011
This book was sent to me by mistake, and the seller told me to keep it rather than reimbursing what return shipping would cost.
I'm so glad the mixup occurred. I tend to read multi-volume epic fantasy and would not have spontaneously chosen this book; however, I very much enjoyed the story, the worldbuilding, and the characters. I'll happily read another book by Ms. Frohock.
Miserere can definitely be viewed as dark fantasy, but the thread of hope I like in my reads is there. The main characters have believable flaws and believable--painful--history with one another, and they remain true to that without letting it overcome them.
Rachael was an awesome heroine, strong, able to take care of herself, and in possession of enough wits to realize when she couldn't do something on her own.
I very much enjoyed this book, as can be proven by: a) I read it when I should have been doing other things, b) it kept me up past my bedtime, c) parts of it gave me teary eyes. I would have probably given it five stars if it had been longer. Yeah, sucker for epic, that's me.
I'm so glad the mixup occurred. I tend to read multi-volume epic fantasy and would not have spontaneously chosen this book; however, I very much enjoyed the story, the worldbuilding, and the characters. I'll happily read another book by Ms. Frohock.
Miserere can definitely be viewed as dark fantasy, but the thread of hope I like in my reads is there. The main characters have believable flaws and believable--painful--history with one another, and they remain true to that without letting it overcome them.
Rachael was an awesome heroine, strong, able to take care of herself, and in possession of enough wits to realize when she couldn't do something on her own.
I very much enjoyed this book, as can be proven by: a) I read it when I should have been doing other things, b) it kept me up past my bedtime, c) parts of it gave me teary eyes. I would have probably given it five stars if it had been longer. Yeah, sucker for epic, that's me.
October 25, 2011
http://staffersmusings.blogspot.com/2...
Religion is a touchy subject matter, isn't it? Focusing on subjects of faith and belief can easily become unhinged. Preaching or flippancy are equally likely and this is especially true when the a novel is told from only one sect's point of view (in this case, Christian). I've been caught unawares by 'Christian fiction' masquerading as fantasy a time or two and I pretty well irks me every time, although erotica masquerading as Urban Fantasy is worse. It's not that I'm trying to avoid all things Christian, I'm just saying I want to know what I'm getting into beforehand. Thus I approached Miserere, Teresa Frohock's debut novel, with some trepidation.
I shouldn't have worried. Miserere while grounded in Christian myths isn't really about religion. Frohock is just more overt in her use of forms and traditions than the average fantasy novel. Go pick up any epic fantasy and there are sure to be dozens of ideas pulled from the Bible. The very notion of the prophesied savior is about as close to a Jesus Christ parallel as it gets. Instead of covering up her use of religious myths by changing the names and places Frohock just goes with it, grounding her story and world in a familiar form that is instantly recognizable even to antireligionists (which is actually a real term, who knew?).
In a city ruled by Hell's vicars, exiled exorcist Lucian Negru has been crippled and imprisoned by his sister, Catarina. Sixteen years ago, he deserted his lover in Hell to save Catarina's soul. Instead of salvation, she wants Lucian to help her fulfill a dark covenant with the Fallen Angels by opening the Gates of Hell into Woerld, Heaven's first line of defense in the war for Earth's souls. Knowing the evil in what she asks, Lucian flees, lamed but not broken, to the last place he thought he would ever go back to - the Citidal, home of God's chosen warriors. Rachael, the lover he spurned, will judge him, holding his life in her hands.
War between Heaven and Hell, angels and demons, with mortals caught in between makes Miserere something like a sequel to John Milton's Paradise Lost/Paradise Regained written with modern understanding of character and plot. While the novel itself is a fairly tight story of redemption for Lucian and salvation for Rachael, there is a larger arc at play that hints at some final conflict between the Fallen and God's Kingdom. Very traditional in narrative voice and structure, Frohock utilizes several points of view from the limited third person. It's briskly paced and never lets up the tension. The bad guys turn stomachs and the good guys are all that holy warriors should be albeit with a surfeit of chinks in their armor.
All of that sounds pretty run-of-the-mill of the mill now that I actually write it and that's wrong because Miserere is anything but run-of-the-mill. A tight plot, an interesting world, and something much like the Dan Brown knack for the religious 'what if', makes Miserere an absolute pleasure to read. From the moment Frohock revealed her world as one grounded in our own, she captured me, driving forward with a desire to fit all the pieces together. How does Woerld work? What purpose does it serve? How do people get there? She doesn't answer all the questions, thankfully leaving many unanswered even as the novel came to an end.
I say thankfully because any exposition would have only served to drag down the carefully cultivated pace. Miserere is a first installment and I appreciate Frohock's patience - show me now, tell me later. This is a mantra becoming more and more prevalent in fantasy especially among this year's crop of debut authors, perhaps most notably those coming out of Night Shades New Voices Program. I've read 8 of them (out of 15) so far and all seem to have made a commitment to telling a story first, a fact I think 'big fat fantasy' forgot somewhere in the early 90's. At times it can make me page flip to figure out whether or not I missed some explanation, but when choosing between pace and story or didactics and world building I'm going to choose the former every time (as long as the latter is sufficient).
All that amounts to Miserere being a very, very good novel, but I feel compelled to hold back from calling it a great one. And the reason is quite simple - Frohock never asks why. As her characters undergo trials and tribulations not one, even the most tortured, asks: why is God putting me through this? Why should I serve a God who would steal me from my home, kill my brother, and pit me against the hordes of Hell? My one true love betrayed me and sent me to Hell, why shouldn't I turn my back on all that's holy? None of these kinds of questions are asked, or answered, and I think the novel is worse off for it.
Still, I absolutely devoured it. Finished in two nights of reading, Miserere is a tremendously successful fantasy novel. Frohock's characters are interesting and fleshed out, with decades of history behind them. She puts them in a setting that is as strange as it is familiar striking a beautiful balance between the fantastic and the mundane. I don't hesitate to call it one of the best debuts I've read this year (although that list is getting long) and I highly recommend it regardless of genre predilections.
The next installment, Dolorosa: A Winter's Dream, is supposedly due out next year and will pick up right where Miserere left off. However, it appears the author is currently working on The Garden, an unrelated novel set in 1348 on the Iberian Peninsula. In either case, I'm eagerly looking forward to Teresa Frohock's future work.
Religion is a touchy subject matter, isn't it? Focusing on subjects of faith and belief can easily become unhinged. Preaching or flippancy are equally likely and this is especially true when the a novel is told from only one sect's point of view (in this case, Christian). I've been caught unawares by 'Christian fiction' masquerading as fantasy a time or two and I pretty well irks me every time, although erotica masquerading as Urban Fantasy is worse. It's not that I'm trying to avoid all things Christian, I'm just saying I want to know what I'm getting into beforehand. Thus I approached Miserere, Teresa Frohock's debut novel, with some trepidation.
I shouldn't have worried. Miserere while grounded in Christian myths isn't really about religion. Frohock is just more overt in her use of forms and traditions than the average fantasy novel. Go pick up any epic fantasy and there are sure to be dozens of ideas pulled from the Bible. The very notion of the prophesied savior is about as close to a Jesus Christ parallel as it gets. Instead of covering up her use of religious myths by changing the names and places Frohock just goes with it, grounding her story and world in a familiar form that is instantly recognizable even to antireligionists (which is actually a real term, who knew?).
In a city ruled by Hell's vicars, exiled exorcist Lucian Negru has been crippled and imprisoned by his sister, Catarina. Sixteen years ago, he deserted his lover in Hell to save Catarina's soul. Instead of salvation, she wants Lucian to help her fulfill a dark covenant with the Fallen Angels by opening the Gates of Hell into Woerld, Heaven's first line of defense in the war for Earth's souls. Knowing the evil in what she asks, Lucian flees, lamed but not broken, to the last place he thought he would ever go back to - the Citidal, home of God's chosen warriors. Rachael, the lover he spurned, will judge him, holding his life in her hands.
War between Heaven and Hell, angels and demons, with mortals caught in between makes Miserere something like a sequel to John Milton's Paradise Lost/Paradise Regained written with modern understanding of character and plot. While the novel itself is a fairly tight story of redemption for Lucian and salvation for Rachael, there is a larger arc at play that hints at some final conflict between the Fallen and God's Kingdom. Very traditional in narrative voice and structure, Frohock utilizes several points of view from the limited third person. It's briskly paced and never lets up the tension. The bad guys turn stomachs and the good guys are all that holy warriors should be albeit with a surfeit of chinks in their armor.
All of that sounds pretty run-of-the-mill of the mill now that I actually write it and that's wrong because Miserere is anything but run-of-the-mill. A tight plot, an interesting world, and something much like the Dan Brown knack for the religious 'what if', makes Miserere an absolute pleasure to read. From the moment Frohock revealed her world as one grounded in our own, she captured me, driving forward with a desire to fit all the pieces together. How does Woerld work? What purpose does it serve? How do people get there? She doesn't answer all the questions, thankfully leaving many unanswered even as the novel came to an end.
I say thankfully because any exposition would have only served to drag down the carefully cultivated pace. Miserere is a first installment and I appreciate Frohock's patience - show me now, tell me later. This is a mantra becoming more and more prevalent in fantasy especially among this year's crop of debut authors, perhaps most notably those coming out of Night Shades New Voices Program. I've read 8 of them (out of 15) so far and all seem to have made a commitment to telling a story first, a fact I think 'big fat fantasy' forgot somewhere in the early 90's. At times it can make me page flip to figure out whether or not I missed some explanation, but when choosing between pace and story or didactics and world building I'm going to choose the former every time (as long as the latter is sufficient).
All that amounts to Miserere being a very, very good novel, but I feel compelled to hold back from calling it a great one. And the reason is quite simple - Frohock never asks why. As her characters undergo trials and tribulations not one, even the most tortured, asks: why is God putting me through this? Why should I serve a God who would steal me from my home, kill my brother, and pit me against the hordes of Hell? My one true love betrayed me and sent me to Hell, why shouldn't I turn my back on all that's holy? None of these kinds of questions are asked, or answered, and I think the novel is worse off for it.
Still, I absolutely devoured it. Finished in two nights of reading, Miserere is a tremendously successful fantasy novel. Frohock's characters are interesting and fleshed out, with decades of history behind them. She puts them in a setting that is as strange as it is familiar striking a beautiful balance between the fantastic and the mundane. I don't hesitate to call it one of the best debuts I've read this year (although that list is getting long) and I highly recommend it regardless of genre predilections.
The next installment, Dolorosa: A Winter's Dream, is supposedly due out next year and will pick up right where Miserere left off. However, it appears the author is currently working on The Garden, an unrelated novel set in 1348 on the Iberian Peninsula. In either case, I'm eagerly looking forward to Teresa Frohock's future work.
April 3, 2013
http://bastardbooks.blogspot.com/2013...
Miserere: An Autumn Tale is the debut novel by Teresa Frohock, and it's beautifully written as promised in the very first paragraph. In the midst of the oldest and longest war in history, in a complex world and universe, a simple tale is told about a man who has loved, betrayed, and sacrificed much as he goes on a journey to save the life of the person he once abandoned. Crippled and broken, he'll risk it all once again for the one he once loved, and still loves, to protect the world from his sister's evil machinations. Highly recommended read, and it's the first of, what I understand, an intended trilogy.
I know some readers would be concerned about the religious aspects of the novel, with fears of a novel being preachy and such. Rest assured there's nothing of the sort. This is a fantasy through and through, and while Christianity plays a big part of the narrative, it's hardly the only religion represented in this world. The extent of the role of religion is merely as a means to access the magic, and even then not a necessity, and a means to build up the mythology. If there's any preaching going on is a simple call for tolerance and unity, as all the different religions represent bastions that work together to protect our world from threats of the enemies. It warns about the about the consequences of segregation and hostility. But this is a fantasy story like any other, so don't concern yourself with the role Christianity may have on the story. It's but one perspective, and it's not pushed onto the reader.
This is an interesting universe with various parallel dimensions and how they influence each other. We have Heaven, Hell, Earth, and Woerld, where the story takes place. Woerld is a dimension that stands between Hell and Earth, and it protects us from the influence of the Fallen Angels and the demonic realm. If the story is to be believed, many of Earth's worst atrocities have direct links to failures in Woerld from protecting the barriers that dampen this influence. And now a Fallen Angel named Mastema is posed to gain access to Woerld and force his influence and whatever consequences it will have on humanity.
Mastema was an interesting choice as a Fallen Angel chosen as the story's main threat. In some mythologies he's known as the Satan, as evil incarnate; a destroyer. In others, he's a demon that is in the service of God and serves a role of tempting humanity as a test. Sometimes a demon, in others a Fallen Angel, so there's a richness of mythology that one can use to speculate of the role of Mastema and his place in the hierarchy of the Fallen within the story in Miserere . Which makes me wonder, speculating that Mastema could potentially be considered Satan, what role would Lucifer have here, if any?
Speaking of Lucifer, I couldn't help but notice the resemblance of the name to that of Lucian, our main character. "Lucifer" means "bringer of light", while "Lucian" means "light" so it can't be a coincidence, and it exhorts the readers to parallel them. I mean, both are known as betrayers; they betrayed the person (or entity) they loved the most. They were both the favorites, in Lucian's case the favorite pupil (and of course had a lover), and both very beloved by those they betrayed and pretty much everyone. If some mythologies are to be believed, it could be said that both had great compassion, and probably it was that compassion that in some manner led to their eventual betrayals and downfall. Lucian also commands the Hell Gates, a very rare ability. Also, after his betrayal you can say Lucian was living a Hell of sorts in the hands of his sister, who broke him both physically and emotionally. For these reasons there could something more to this Lucian character than what meets the eye, or he's simply used a symbol. Maybe I'm just over-analyzing the issue, but regardless, it made the story more interesting for me as it gives it a different perspective through which to look at the events.
Miserere is well written by an author who shows great command of the English language. As mentioned previously, the first paragraph is a good one and is representative of some of the novel's best aspects. Frohock knows how to stage a scene, each chapter designed carefully with proper location details and how she goes about setting the mood and atmosphere with a combination of sounds, visual cues and character observations and inferences.
The novel features various point of views, but most at a limited capacity, keeping the focus on two or three through much of the novel. I personally like that balance, and I have to say that I liked all of them. I don't recall reading from any point of view that made me feel any type of agony of wanting to switch to a different one. They all had something to add to the story, and Frohock's deft characterization allowed for this success. It also helped that all the point of views had their stories interconnected with one another, so you never really felt like you were abandoning a plot thread to follow a new one. It was all relevant to all the characters involved. Personally I'm not a big fan of books that have many point of views, but the way it was handled in Miserere , and the potential to explore the world at a bigger capacity along with various interesting characters which really didn't get much time in the action, I think Frohock should really consider expanding the cast.
As much as I loved reading this novel, there were a couple of issues that prevented me from enjoying it even more. The superficial portion of the story, from an event perspective, was too simplistic in a some manner, too straightforward, which for me is usually not a problem, but as the story went along we kept getting reminders of some of the complexities of the events that occurred in the past, events that are the catalyst for much of the story Miserere is telling. As more of the past got revealed through the book, I just couldn't help feeling it outshone the story we were currently experiencing. The good thing is that Frohock has some good material to work with if she ever plans to write some sort of prequel, though I'm personally averse at reading these sorts of stories.
Another issue I encountered was a predictability that factored in as it regards to the role and alliance of a certain character, which wasn't as effective from a mystery perspective nor a thriller perspective, so when the supposed twist came it didn't pack the punch it could've. It was obvious to the reader what was going on with this character, and I didn't get the feeling from Frohock that she cared much to hide it from the readers, but it could've been handled better. Lastly, I felt the climax action portion was a bit prolonged when I thought that it should have been handled in a quicker and more economical manner. Other than these, I really don't have anything else to complain about, other than I wanted to read more of Catarina, but I can't blame the author from writing such an awesome, disturbing, and cruel character right?
That's the thing, I thought Frohock wrote good characters. All of them seemingly broken, and quite flawed and weak, yet juxtaposed with levels of strength and even perfection evident during other times, maybe even at the very same time. All of it exhibited best with the brother and sister combination of Lucian and Catarina. In Catarina we see a woman who's talented and beautiful, but at the same time is quite deranged and lives a life in denial. She's pretty much the most powerful character introduced in the novel, yet the most unstable of them and seems incapable of functioning without her brother, who's always been there for her to clean up her messes. Obsessed with the love for his brother, yet the most cruel of people. Lucian is both emotionally broken and physically crippled, yet has to live carrying the burden of his sister's and his own sins. In the past he was the best pupil, a very powerful person in his own right, but the love for his sister and his enabling ways put the lie to his strength. A broken man, who struggles to even walk, and now he has the burden of saving the world, and even more difficult, facing the sins of his past. The duality of strength and weakness found in these two characters, and these facets influence how they face their respective tribulations.
A myriad of themes were tackled in Miserere in an interesting fashion. Disabilities and over-coming them, even finding strength when times are most desperate. The importance of responsibility and teaching it, particularly taking responsibility for one's actions and facing the consequences of them. The dangers of over protection, of not allowing people to learn from their mistakes, and sheltering from reality and enabling that falseness of denial. The constant battle for your alliances for your love, loyalty, and trust at times forcing you to choose between family and friends and at times forcing you to make immoral and unethical decisions. The importance of tolerance. And we've barely begun to scratch the surface.
Additionally I liked how the novel was properly framed, it began with an idea and came full circle in the end. The story in part was at its essence the pursuit of an opportunity, and with that opportunity a shot at redemption, at a second chance. We use opportunity and second chance interchangeably, but I got the impression (even if I misinterpreted it) that Frohock went out of her way to make a distinction between the two. I gathered that opportunity was more of a journey, a position one has to earn, something you give yourself, while a second chance is merely something that is given (not necessarily earned) and part of the goal after one achieves the aforementioned opportunity. And it's Lucian's journey to give himself this opportunity, and from there come whatever it may.
Miserere: An Autumn Tale is simply a very good read from start to finish. A commendable effort from a debut author who I have no doubt will become even better. So give this novel a shot, heck you might even learn a thing or two about the multiple uses of owning a pet demon. I'm a big urban fantasy fan, and even though this isn't remotely close to it, in some ways it made me feel like I was reading events that happen behind the curtain of some of those urban fantasy I like to read, so it gave me that different perspective too. Good characters, well written, a good study of the human condition, good drama, good action, and an awesome antagonist; I don't think there's much more to ask, other than go and give this novel a try. And Mrs. Frohock, I'm eagerly waiting for the sequel, and I'm sure I'm not alone in this.
Miserere: An Autumn Tale is the debut novel by Teresa Frohock, and it's beautifully written as promised in the very first paragraph. In the midst of the oldest and longest war in history, in a complex world and universe, a simple tale is told about a man who has loved, betrayed, and sacrificed much as he goes on a journey to save the life of the person he once abandoned. Crippled and broken, he'll risk it all once again for the one he once loved, and still loves, to protect the world from his sister's evil machinations. Highly recommended read, and it's the first of, what I understand, an intended trilogy.
I know some readers would be concerned about the religious aspects of the novel, with fears of a novel being preachy and such. Rest assured there's nothing of the sort. This is a fantasy through and through, and while Christianity plays a big part of the narrative, it's hardly the only religion represented in this world. The extent of the role of religion is merely as a means to access the magic, and even then not a necessity, and a means to build up the mythology. If there's any preaching going on is a simple call for tolerance and unity, as all the different religions represent bastions that work together to protect our world from threats of the enemies. It warns about the about the consequences of segregation and hostility. But this is a fantasy story like any other, so don't concern yourself with the role Christianity may have on the story. It's but one perspective, and it's not pushed onto the reader.
This is an interesting universe with various parallel dimensions and how they influence each other. We have Heaven, Hell, Earth, and Woerld, where the story takes place. Woerld is a dimension that stands between Hell and Earth, and it protects us from the influence of the Fallen Angels and the demonic realm. If the story is to be believed, many of Earth's worst atrocities have direct links to failures in Woerld from protecting the barriers that dampen this influence. And now a Fallen Angel named Mastema is posed to gain access to Woerld and force his influence and whatever consequences it will have on humanity.
Mastema was an interesting choice as a Fallen Angel chosen as the story's main threat. In some mythologies he's known as the Satan, as evil incarnate; a destroyer. In others, he's a demon that is in the service of God and serves a role of tempting humanity as a test. Sometimes a demon, in others a Fallen Angel, so there's a richness of mythology that one can use to speculate of the role of Mastema and his place in the hierarchy of the Fallen within the story in Miserere . Which makes me wonder, speculating that Mastema could potentially be considered Satan, what role would Lucifer have here, if any?
Speaking of Lucifer, I couldn't help but notice the resemblance of the name to that of Lucian, our main character. "Lucifer" means "bringer of light", while "Lucian" means "light" so it can't be a coincidence, and it exhorts the readers to parallel them. I mean, both are known as betrayers; they betrayed the person (or entity) they loved the most. They were both the favorites, in Lucian's case the favorite pupil (and of course had a lover), and both very beloved by those they betrayed and pretty much everyone. If some mythologies are to be believed, it could be said that both had great compassion, and probably it was that compassion that in some manner led to their eventual betrayals and downfall. Lucian also commands the Hell Gates, a very rare ability. Also, after his betrayal you can say Lucian was living a Hell of sorts in the hands of his sister, who broke him both physically and emotionally. For these reasons there could something more to this Lucian character than what meets the eye, or he's simply used a symbol. Maybe I'm just over-analyzing the issue, but regardless, it made the story more interesting for me as it gives it a different perspective through which to look at the events.
Miserere is well written by an author who shows great command of the English language. As mentioned previously, the first paragraph is a good one and is representative of some of the novel's best aspects. Frohock knows how to stage a scene, each chapter designed carefully with proper location details and how she goes about setting the mood and atmosphere with a combination of sounds, visual cues and character observations and inferences.
The novel features various point of views, but most at a limited capacity, keeping the focus on two or three through much of the novel. I personally like that balance, and I have to say that I liked all of them. I don't recall reading from any point of view that made me feel any type of agony of wanting to switch to a different one. They all had something to add to the story, and Frohock's deft characterization allowed for this success. It also helped that all the point of views had their stories interconnected with one another, so you never really felt like you were abandoning a plot thread to follow a new one. It was all relevant to all the characters involved. Personally I'm not a big fan of books that have many point of views, but the way it was handled in Miserere , and the potential to explore the world at a bigger capacity along with various interesting characters which really didn't get much time in the action, I think Frohock should really consider expanding the cast.
As much as I loved reading this novel, there were a couple of issues that prevented me from enjoying it even more. The superficial portion of the story, from an event perspective, was too simplistic in a some manner, too straightforward, which for me is usually not a problem, but as the story went along we kept getting reminders of some of the complexities of the events that occurred in the past, events that are the catalyst for much of the story Miserere is telling. As more of the past got revealed through the book, I just couldn't help feeling it outshone the story we were currently experiencing. The good thing is that Frohock has some good material to work with if she ever plans to write some sort of prequel, though I'm personally averse at reading these sorts of stories.
Another issue I encountered was a predictability that factored in as it regards to the role and alliance of a certain character, which wasn't as effective from a mystery perspective nor a thriller perspective, so when the supposed twist came it didn't pack the punch it could've. It was obvious to the reader what was going on with this character, and I didn't get the feeling from Frohock that she cared much to hide it from the readers, but it could've been handled better. Lastly, I felt the climax action portion was a bit prolonged when I thought that it should have been handled in a quicker and more economical manner. Other than these, I really don't have anything else to complain about, other than I wanted to read more of Catarina, but I can't blame the author from writing such an awesome, disturbing, and cruel character right?
That's the thing, I thought Frohock wrote good characters. All of them seemingly broken, and quite flawed and weak, yet juxtaposed with levels of strength and even perfection evident during other times, maybe even at the very same time. All of it exhibited best with the brother and sister combination of Lucian and Catarina. In Catarina we see a woman who's talented and beautiful, but at the same time is quite deranged and lives a life in denial. She's pretty much the most powerful character introduced in the novel, yet the most unstable of them and seems incapable of functioning without her brother, who's always been there for her to clean up her messes. Obsessed with the love for his brother, yet the most cruel of people. Lucian is both emotionally broken and physically crippled, yet has to live carrying the burden of his sister's and his own sins. In the past he was the best pupil, a very powerful person in his own right, but the love for his sister and his enabling ways put the lie to his strength. A broken man, who struggles to even walk, and now he has the burden of saving the world, and even more difficult, facing the sins of his past. The duality of strength and weakness found in these two characters, and these facets influence how they face their respective tribulations.
A myriad of themes were tackled in Miserere in an interesting fashion. Disabilities and over-coming them, even finding strength when times are most desperate. The importance of responsibility and teaching it, particularly taking responsibility for one's actions and facing the consequences of them. The dangers of over protection, of not allowing people to learn from their mistakes, and sheltering from reality and enabling that falseness of denial. The constant battle for your alliances for your love, loyalty, and trust at times forcing you to choose between family and friends and at times forcing you to make immoral and unethical decisions. The importance of tolerance. And we've barely begun to scratch the surface.
Additionally I liked how the novel was properly framed, it began with an idea and came full circle in the end. The story in part was at its essence the pursuit of an opportunity, and with that opportunity a shot at redemption, at a second chance. We use opportunity and second chance interchangeably, but I got the impression (even if I misinterpreted it) that Frohock went out of her way to make a distinction between the two. I gathered that opportunity was more of a journey, a position one has to earn, something you give yourself, while a second chance is merely something that is given (not necessarily earned) and part of the goal after one achieves the aforementioned opportunity. And it's Lucian's journey to give himself this opportunity, and from there come whatever it may.
Miserere: An Autumn Tale is simply a very good read from start to finish. A commendable effort from a debut author who I have no doubt will become even better. So give this novel a shot, heck you might even learn a thing or two about the multiple uses of owning a pet demon. I'm a big urban fantasy fan, and even though this isn't remotely close to it, in some ways it made me feel like I was reading events that happen behind the curtain of some of those urban fantasy I like to read, so it gave me that different perspective too. Good characters, well written, a good study of the human condition, good drama, good action, and an awesome antagonist; I don't think there's much more to ask, other than go and give this novel a try. And Mrs. Frohock, I'm eagerly waiting for the sequel, and I'm sure I'm not alone in this.
August 8, 2012
This book is pure, unadulterated, uncensored BEAUTY.
Well, forgive me, it took me a while to cook up the perfect sentence to describe this book. It has excellent prose—almost lyrical, and the characters are very well-made. Lucian's character was so real to me, I felt weird after finishing the book; like a very close friend of mine just disappeared. Yes, that's how involved I got.
And I think you already know that what I would say after my praise would just be more praises, so I'll cut to the chase: THIS THING IS EXQUISITE, PEOPLE. TO NOT READ IT WOULD BE A SACRILEGE TO ART.
Seriously.
Well, forgive me, it took me a while to cook up the perfect sentence to describe this book. It has excellent prose—almost lyrical, and the characters are very well-made. Lucian's character was so real to me, I felt weird after finishing the book; like a very close friend of mine just disappeared. Yes, that's how involved I got.
And I think you already know that what I would say after my praise would just be more praises, so I'll cut to the chase: THIS THING IS EXQUISITE, PEOPLE. TO NOT READ IT WOULD BE A SACRILEGE TO ART.
Seriously.
May 16, 2011
After reading the first couple chapters of Miserere for free thanks to a Night Shade promotion, I begged for an ARC (Teresa Frohock is a label mate of mine) - and wow, I'm so glad I got the chance to read one. The rest of the story delivered on the promise of those first chapters, big time.
Miserere is excellent dark fantasy, with fascinating worldbuilding and a cast of beautifully realized characters. At the center of the tale is Lucian Negru, a man struggling to escape the twin sister he once loved and vowed to protect, but who now seeks to irrevocably corrupt his soul along with her own. The painful, complex relationship between Lucian and his former lover Rachael - who Lucian betrayed and abandoned in hell to save his sister - is particularly well done, as is Lucian's journey toward forgiveness and redemption. Make no mistake, this is dark fantasy in truth - the author does a great job making certain scenes both creepy and horrific - but I highly recommend it for all but the most squeamish of fantasy readers.
Miserere is excellent dark fantasy, with fascinating worldbuilding and a cast of beautifully realized characters. At the center of the tale is Lucian Negru, a man struggling to escape the twin sister he once loved and vowed to protect, but who now seeks to irrevocably corrupt his soul along with her own. The painful, complex relationship between Lucian and his former lover Rachael - who Lucian betrayed and abandoned in hell to save his sister - is particularly well done, as is Lucian's journey toward forgiveness and redemption. Make no mistake, this is dark fantasy in truth - the author does a great job making certain scenes both creepy and horrific - but I highly recommend it for all but the most squeamish of fantasy readers.
May 5, 2015
I'm ashamed to say I've owned this since it was a new release and I only just got to it. I have to-read books that are older yet.
The good news is that books, unlike fruit, do not spoil, and this was a fantastic read. I blazed through in days. Frohock created a unique setting of Woerld, a kind of border realm between Earth and Hell, where gifted youngsters are pulled to act as guardians. This is by no means your average YA portal fantasy, though. The protagonist is Lucian, an older man broken and abused by his twin sister Catarina. It's rare to find heroes of faith, and Lucian is a bright speck in a dark, gritty world. His plight is utterly heartbreaking as he rebels against his sister, saves a newcomer to Woerld, and begins domino cascade that could shift the spiritual dynamics of their plane.
The good news is that books, unlike fruit, do not spoil, and this was a fantastic read. I blazed through in days. Frohock created a unique setting of Woerld, a kind of border realm between Earth and Hell, where gifted youngsters are pulled to act as guardians. This is by no means your average YA portal fantasy, though. The protagonist is Lucian, an older man broken and abused by his twin sister Catarina. It's rare to find heroes of faith, and Lucian is a bright speck in a dark, gritty world. His plight is utterly heartbreaking as he rebels against his sister, saves a newcomer to Woerld, and begins domino cascade that could shift the spiritual dynamics of their plane.
June 16, 2020
A very interesting and different fantasy in this standalone, debut novel by the author.
The author manages to build up a fantasy world, which hangs together well, and tell a story containing demonic horror, betrayal, love and redemption quite effectively, in just this one book leaving no loose ends demanding a sequel.
We’re confronted with a universe comprised of four domains - Heaven, Hell, our World and Woerld. Most of the action takes place in the last domain, one new to us readers. It’s a human world but populated by religiously committed people, from all our world’s established faiths, living together in relative harmony in their own ‘bastions’. This Woerld seems to be the front line in the battle between Heaven and Hell, and a protector of our world.
The author effectively creates this world with a ready made ‘magic system’, by placing a version of medieval Knights Templar style Christianity into it (most of the protagonists in this story are associated with this religious system although other religions get a look in). So, without too much effort, that gives you a prayer based, incantation-laden, magical artifice religious/magical system that would probably be familiar to many European and American (N & S) readers! In addition, the baddies, associated with hell, are rather demonic and debauched. It’s not a dissimilar religious conflict to that in The Exorcist or The Omen films - though the storyline here is better and deeper. However, chanting and praying in the face of danger is almost as good as a sword in this story, though swords are still important! Maybe my upbringing in an Irish Catholic community, with the incense and Latin mass, would help me understand the mystical side of the story a little better than those who’ve not experienced it. This isn’t a religious fiction representing a faith where the goodies are meek and mild, turn the other cheek and forgive their enemies - this ‘good side’ can be as ruthless and effective in the martial arts as the undoubtedly evil demonic forces.
The story is strong on characterisation with it concentrating on the complex triangle of love and betrayal between three individuals, with some others being brought in as the story progresses. No large scale battles but dark, physical and metaphysical conflicts between these people and their opponents. Personally I thought the portrayal of Catarina, allied with the dark forces, was very well done, especially the complex tie to her brother, and how she’s seduced into evil. And the betrayal of Rachael by Lucian seems unforgivable.
I’m a bit conflicted between 4* and 5*. The originality of the story with well drawn characters is counteracted for me by the slow pace of the storyline through the middle third of the book. Maybe too much soul searching (literally) by Lucian. As it’s a debut, and impressive for that, and as it kept my attention throughout, then 5*.
A bit surprised that the author hasn’t used this new, well constructed, world, as the basis for further novels.
The author manages to build up a fantasy world, which hangs together well, and tell a story containing demonic horror, betrayal, love and redemption quite effectively, in just this one book leaving no loose ends demanding a sequel.
We’re confronted with a universe comprised of four domains - Heaven, Hell, our World and Woerld. Most of the action takes place in the last domain, one new to us readers. It’s a human world but populated by religiously committed people, from all our world’s established faiths, living together in relative harmony in their own ‘bastions’. This Woerld seems to be the front line in the battle between Heaven and Hell, and a protector of our world.
The author effectively creates this world with a ready made ‘magic system’, by placing a version of medieval Knights Templar style Christianity into it (most of the protagonists in this story are associated with this religious system although other religions get a look in). So, without too much effort, that gives you a prayer based, incantation-laden, magical artifice religious/magical system that would probably be familiar to many European and American (N & S) readers! In addition, the baddies, associated with hell, are rather demonic and debauched. It’s not a dissimilar religious conflict to that in The Exorcist or The Omen films - though the storyline here is better and deeper. However, chanting and praying in the face of danger is almost as good as a sword in this story, though swords are still important! Maybe my upbringing in an Irish Catholic community, with the incense and Latin mass, would help me understand the mystical side of the story a little better than those who’ve not experienced it. This isn’t a religious fiction representing a faith where the goodies are meek and mild, turn the other cheek and forgive their enemies - this ‘good side’ can be as ruthless and effective in the martial arts as the undoubtedly evil demonic forces.
The story is strong on characterisation with it concentrating on the complex triangle of love and betrayal between three individuals, with some others being brought in as the story progresses. No large scale battles but dark, physical and metaphysical conflicts between these people and their opponents. Personally I thought the portrayal of Catarina, allied with the dark forces, was very well done, especially the complex tie to her brother, and how she’s seduced into evil. And the betrayal of Rachael by Lucian seems unforgivable.
I’m a bit conflicted between 4* and 5*. The originality of the story with well drawn characters is counteracted for me by the slow pace of the storyline through the middle third of the book. Maybe too much soul searching (literally) by Lucian. As it’s a debut, and impressive for that, and as it kept my attention throughout, then 5*.
A bit surprised that the author hasn’t used this new, well constructed, world, as the basis for further novels.
April 7, 2015
Review from Tenacious Reader: http://www.tenaciousreader.com/2015/0...
Miserere is an engaging, dark and unexpected book. I honestly was not sure where parts of this story were going, and I love that. I also love that this is not your cozy fantasy where people are generally safe, and its certainly not a clear cut good versus evil. There are shades of grey.
There are central features to the story that center on religion, but please do not mistake this for a religious book. I have to confess to having a bit of a knee-jerk reaction sometimes when a book starts referencing Christian beliefs. I start putting up defenses, waiting for the preachiness, attempts at conversion or even the judgmental subtexts that infer I will likely burn in hell for not following suit. Maybe that reaction is unwarranted in most cases, but regardless, it was definitely not warranted here. This is not a preachy or even religious book, religion is just an intricate part of the world (as it is in many fantasy stories as well as real world history). Religion adds another dynamic to the story and adds complexity to the world building. Using some known religions let Frohock build on the familiar.I don’t think that religion is any more prevalent in this than many other fantasy books, it just might feel that way at first because you are already familiar with it.
The story is fascinating. It takes place predominantly in Woerld, which is a realm or world that exists between our world and Heaven and Hell. Portal fantasies can have some prejudice against them, which is silly because I don’t understand how one fantastical element is better or more appealing than another fantastical element. To me it all comes down to execution, and this was incredibly well executed. And for anyone who is still leery given the portal aspect, I will also mention there is little focus on our world.
Our protagonist, Lucian, is dubbed a traitor in Woerld. Even getting his perspective, you know he has betrayed someone he loves. Seeing him cope with this and slowly unraveling the motivation for the betrayal is fascinating. You really come to care about Lucian and try to understand and empathize with him. His life has not been easy, and the more you read, the more you can see that. His character and relationships are complex and I just couldn’t learn enough about him or the other people in his life quick enough.
Honestly, I am shocked at how much story and world building Frohock is able to pack into this book, as it is not terribly long when you look at the page count or length of the audiobook. Yet, looking back I feel like I experienced more with it than many books twice the length. I guess that means it is incredibly efficient, because I can’t think of areas I felt were sacrificed, skimmed over or lacked detail. Very well done. I look forward to reading whatever Frohock writes next.
Miserere is an engaging, dark and unexpected book. I honestly was not sure where parts of this story were going, and I love that. I also love that this is not your cozy fantasy where people are generally safe, and its certainly not a clear cut good versus evil. There are shades of grey.
There are central features to the story that center on religion, but please do not mistake this for a religious book. I have to confess to having a bit of a knee-jerk reaction sometimes when a book starts referencing Christian beliefs. I start putting up defenses, waiting for the preachiness, attempts at conversion or even the judgmental subtexts that infer I will likely burn in hell for not following suit. Maybe that reaction is unwarranted in most cases, but regardless, it was definitely not warranted here. This is not a preachy or even religious book, religion is just an intricate part of the world (as it is in many fantasy stories as well as real world history). Religion adds another dynamic to the story and adds complexity to the world building. Using some known religions let Frohock build on the familiar.I don’t think that religion is any more prevalent in this than many other fantasy books, it just might feel that way at first because you are already familiar with it.
The story is fascinating. It takes place predominantly in Woerld, which is a realm or world that exists between our world and Heaven and Hell. Portal fantasies can have some prejudice against them, which is silly because I don’t understand how one fantastical element is better or more appealing than another fantastical element. To me it all comes down to execution, and this was incredibly well executed. And for anyone who is still leery given the portal aspect, I will also mention there is little focus on our world.
Our protagonist, Lucian, is dubbed a traitor in Woerld. Even getting his perspective, you know he has betrayed someone he loves. Seeing him cope with this and slowly unraveling the motivation for the betrayal is fascinating. You really come to care about Lucian and try to understand and empathize with him. His life has not been easy, and the more you read, the more you can see that. His character and relationships are complex and I just couldn’t learn enough about him or the other people in his life quick enough.
Honestly, I am shocked at how much story and world building Frohock is able to pack into this book, as it is not terribly long when you look at the page count or length of the audiobook. Yet, looking back I feel like I experienced more with it than many books twice the length. I guess that means it is incredibly efficient, because I can’t think of areas I felt were sacrificed, skimmed over or lacked detail. Very well done. I look forward to reading whatever Frohock writes next.
December 4, 2015
"“I warned you.” Catarina’s pallid features swam out of the blackness.
“Remember that, Lucian. I warned you not to estrange yourself from me.” She raised her arms as the cloud surged overhead. A clap like thunder tore through the air. The flies descended."
Rating 4.5 (the ending felt somewhat in limbo)
Didn't expect to enjoy it this much ... it was often depressing through the first half, almost too dark ... and then it grew on me.
"Not even a rat stirred in the silence."
Nice, dark fantasy, a little different from my usual fare (not in a bad way).
Lucian Negru has betrayed his friends and his lover to protect his sister. After years in exile, he is a broken man. Catarina, his sister is the embodiment of depravity. Over the years she has lost almost everything that makes
a person human, and her so called love for her brother is a dark, sick, possessive, sick mockery of love ...and she will loose willingly even that to get what she want.
Lucian is living a life of a recluse.... his life is hell, or at least very near the literal one. Crippled in body and mind, running away (not the first time) after another of Cate's cruelties he unexpectedly meets an ally who helps him escape his sister and her supporters. Wandering the wastelands he meets a foundling, a young girl. Lindsay will accompany him on his road to redemption, helping him find the courage to face his past.
The writing was engaging, and even if this was not one of those books that make you smile and stretch or fist-pump at the last page... it is one of those that stick around for a long time.
The only thing that put me off a little in fact was the ending. It felt a little ... hanging in the air. I don't mind open endings, but this was not it.
.....and then I saw somewhere... Miserere: An Autumn Tale (Katharoi, #1), so there is a sequel and everything is fine.
February 9, 2014
I mainly picked this one up because 1) it recently went on sale for $2.99 on Amazon and 2) it had a 5 star review from Ilona Andrews that really piqued my interest (she kinda had me at Ladyhawke – loved that movie!)
This had all the right ingredients for a book that I’d like – it’s got a tortured hero, a strong heroine and a nasty villain; there’s magic, swords, betrayal, lost love and hope for redemption. Heaven, Hell, demons, battles, I can totally get down with all that stuff! But ehh, this one didn’t really do it for me, I found it kind of boring. Honestly? I enjoyed reading Andrews’ review more than the actual book.
While the characters were flawed and different, none of them were particularly complex. The book followed multiple POVs, but we had Lucien’s a lot and unfortunately, I found the dude to be pretty dull. And I can get on board with lots of angsty angst but there are instances where it doesn’t work for me and bogs the story down - this was one of those cases.
On the positive side, the writing was good and the world building was interesting. And I thought the whole “oh you think things are bad now? Well it’s about to get so, so much worse” vibe throughout the book was done really well by the author. I would try another book by her, just not a sequel to this one.
This had all the right ingredients for a book that I’d like – it’s got a tortured hero, a strong heroine and a nasty villain; there’s magic, swords, betrayal, lost love and hope for redemption. Heaven, Hell, demons, battles, I can totally get down with all that stuff! But ehh, this one didn’t really do it for me, I found it kind of boring. Honestly? I enjoyed reading Andrews’ review more than the actual book.
While the characters were flawed and different, none of them were particularly complex. The book followed multiple POVs, but we had Lucien’s a lot and unfortunately, I found the dude to be pretty dull. And I can get on board with lots of angsty angst but there are instances where it doesn’t work for me and bogs the story down - this was one of those cases.
On the positive side, the writing was good and the world building was interesting. And I thought the whole “oh you think things are bad now? Well it’s about to get so, so much worse” vibe throughout the book was done really well by the author. I would try another book by her, just not a sequel to this one.
September 13, 2013
SUMMARY: Definitely pick this one up - great, edgy storytelling in a unique setting.
I just finished Teresa Frohock's Misere and felt the need to put up a review right away. This is going on my short-list of novels that not everyone knows about, but should be reading.
I'm a bit miffed that there isn't a series of Autumn Tale novels out there yet. Finished knowing that this was the first of her novels, but still went to her website - just to be sure. Not sure why I went through that disappointment.
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE
I kind of wish that the focus was on one of the non-Christian religions within the storyline. That would have made the read more complex and challenging, but I feel like Frohock could have pulled it off. Even by taking the more familiar route, I still appreciated how well Frohock balanced the religion / magic aspect without making it about Christianity. Nicely done.
WHAT I LIKED
Frohock's writing is exceptional in how it drew me into the characters, setting and worldbuilding. There's a touch of modernness to aspects of the story and, though skeptical when I hit that stage of the story, Frohock was able to shift into her own worldbuilding easily from there. Much appreciated.
I loved that this story pulled no punches. Brutal in some areas without crossing the line into too much horror. When I reached the final pages of the book, my thoughts were "Well, what kind of awful situation is she going to put these characters through?" I had no idea who would live, who would die and who would hope that they had died. Love that mystery in a good novel!
I just finished Teresa Frohock's Misere and felt the need to put up a review right away. This is going on my short-list of novels that not everyone knows about, but should be reading.
I'm a bit miffed that there isn't a series of Autumn Tale novels out there yet. Finished knowing that this was the first of her novels, but still went to her website - just to be sure. Not sure why I went through that disappointment.
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE
I kind of wish that the focus was on one of the non-Christian religions within the storyline. That would have made the read more complex and challenging, but I feel like Frohock could have pulled it off. Even by taking the more familiar route, I still appreciated how well Frohock balanced the religion / magic aspect without making it about Christianity. Nicely done.
WHAT I LIKED
Frohock's writing is exceptional in how it drew me into the characters, setting and worldbuilding. There's a touch of modernness to aspects of the story and, though skeptical when I hit that stage of the story, Frohock was able to shift into her own worldbuilding easily from there. Much appreciated.
I loved that this story pulled no punches. Brutal in some areas without crossing the line into too much horror. When I reached the final pages of the book, my thoughts were "Well, what kind of awful situation is she going to put these characters through?" I had no idea who would live, who would die and who would hope that they had died. Love that mystery in a good novel!
January 10, 2012
Miserere: An Autumn Tale is an excellent debut novel and a great character-driven, dark fantasy book. It has strong world-building and well-developed main characters, both of which are handled in a way that sets it apart as different from a lot of fantasy. The strength of this book has certainly put Teresa Frohock on my radar as an author to watch.
A battle between heaven and hell is a very familiar basic plotline, but one of the things I really appreciated about this novel was that it was not the usual take on this sort of story. Other than one very short part, it is not set on earth, but a completely different place with its own set of rules. Woerld is a very complex place where all religions work together to keep the Fallen in hell where they belong.
Another aspect of the book I appreciated was that the main character, Lucian, was a 40-year-old man who actually acted his age. Likewise, the woman he betrayed in the past, Rachael, is also a mature woman worthy of respect for her strength of character and fairness. These two characters really made the book for me, and I'm excited to read the next book when it is available.
Detailed Review
A battle between heaven and hell is a very familiar basic plotline, but one of the things I really appreciated about this novel was that it was not the usual take on this sort of story. Other than one very short part, it is not set on earth, but a completely different place with its own set of rules. Woerld is a very complex place where all religions work together to keep the Fallen in hell where they belong.
Another aspect of the book I appreciated was that the main character, Lucian, was a 40-year-old man who actually acted his age. Likewise, the woman he betrayed in the past, Rachael, is also a mature woman worthy of respect for her strength of character and fairness. These two characters really made the book for me, and I'm excited to read the next book when it is available.
Detailed Review
November 12, 2015
Great read. Despite my early misgivings - I don't like books that mix our real world and high fantasy - I enjoyed the book immensely. Only one scene took place on Earth, the rest of the book was all about Woerld and Hell. I was fascinated by the author's world-building, by all the religions working together against a common enemy, the Fallen. But what made the book for me, were the characters: Lucian and his twin sister Catarina, Rachael, Lindsay - their relationships, their depth made the story special... Most intriguing - at least for me - were the twisted, dark, obsessive feelings Catarina had for Lucian, that was quite creepy.
I had to take away one star, though, because the ending at the Citadel felt rushed after the extensive set-up. I guess the author wanted to leave the book open-ended enough for another installment, yet I hoped for something... bigger, for a bang at the very end.
I had to take away one star, though, because the ending at the Citadel felt rushed after the extensive set-up. I guess the author wanted to leave the book open-ended enough for another installment, yet I hoped for something... bigger, for a bang at the very end.
March 29, 2018
Honestly, this is generally a book I would steer away from. As an atheist, books with overtly religious tones annoy me. But, after reading Mrs. Frohock's Los Nefilim series I decided to devour everything I could find by her, and I'm delighted I did.
Read the description of the book for yourself and know that the writing is intelligent and beautiful, gorgeous even.
I want more.
She's a highly underrated author and I encourage you to read all of her works.
Read the description of the book for yourself and know that the writing is intelligent and beautiful, gorgeous even.
I want more.
She's a highly underrated author and I encourage you to read all of her works.
September 1, 2014
4.5/5 stars
If Miserere were a recipe, it would read something like this:
Combine a generous helping of a complex world, multifaceted characters, and a unique plot. Top with a liberal dash of fantastic writing. Mix well. Bake.
Savor.
Read my full review here:
http://www.bookwormblues.net/2012/06/...
If Miserere were a recipe, it would read something like this:
Combine a generous helping of a complex world, multifaceted characters, and a unique plot. Top with a liberal dash of fantastic writing. Mix well. Bake.
Savor.
Read my full review here:
http://www.bookwormblues.net/2012/06/...
October 14, 2015
3.5
Catarina
Rachael
Catarina
Rachael
August 10, 2016
Have you ever read a book and wished you could chat with the author to find out what they meant at a certain part? To learn what went into the crafting of a character or plot line? Well I've been chatting with Teresa Frohock a bit on Twitter for a while now, with the intent to read her book. Then I was struck with the idea of actually livetweeting my read the way I livetweet TV shows. Ms. Frohock loved the idea and as a result, I got to have the most wonderful reading experience with a great book and a fantastic author.
Misere is a tale of hope and redemption, of love and of faith. But it is not a tale involving pretty flowers (in fact, there is one not-so-pretty flower that would make an interesting Valentine's Day gift) nor is it a sweet love story. Frohock delves into the darkest emotions and desires with Miserere and, perhaps the only flaw I have with this book is that she could have gone even deeper.
From the first chapter, I was pleasantly overwhelmed by the subtext that teased out the relationship between Lucian, his twin sister Catarina and Rachael, the lover he betrayed. They are all older characters who have faced severe and even physically debilitating hardships. What they face in the story is just as likely to lead to their deaths as to their redemption, and the reader is often uncertain of which the character truly wants. This sets Miserere apart from many of the other books in the fantasy genre that feature naive young protagonists setting out on glorious adventure with the promise of a happy and heroic ending.
Actually, there is a young protagonist here - a girl named Lindsay who is pulled through the Veil from Earth into Woerld. She is drawn to Lucian and the exiled knight must choose whether or not to keep his promise, or open the Gates of Hell to save her. Lucian's dealings with her are touching and a little heartbreaking as, through Lindsay, you learn bits and pieces about his relationship with Catarina and the guilt he feels over her current sinister condition.
There is a lot of religious reference that could easily turn some readers off. I love religion, but due to my upbringing with an overbearing Christian mother, I have no interest in being preached at. Miserere does not shy away from the religious references, but it never proselytizes and there's no whining over why God might be punishing a particular character. It's quite clear that each character is responsible for their own predicament or that of others around them. They remain true to their faith and I really like that faith is the source of actual magic. I am curious as to how the same would work within the other religions - which is the other thing I like about this book. While you don't get to spend much time with the other sects, they are there and they all *gasp* get along.
Something else that pleases me about Miserere is Frohock’s treatment of female characters. As in, there is no difference between the women and the men. They are each considered capable in their various roles, and Frohock did not feel the need to justify or even point this fact out. Men and women are simply equals.
Imagine that. A fantasy book that actually frees itself from the prejudices of our reality.
As I mentioned, I really like the book's darkness. This is one of the few truly dark fantasy books I've read and it's definitely something I want more of. I enjoy the rainbows and dragons and happy endings as much as the next reader, but sometimes, I want to read books that aren't afraid to be just for adults.
See more reviews at
The BiblioSanctum
Misere is a tale of hope and redemption, of love and of faith. But it is not a tale involving pretty flowers (in fact, there is one not-so-pretty flower that would make an interesting Valentine's Day gift) nor is it a sweet love story. Frohock delves into the darkest emotions and desires with Miserere and, perhaps the only flaw I have with this book is that she could have gone even deeper.
From the first chapter, I was pleasantly overwhelmed by the subtext that teased out the relationship between Lucian, his twin sister Catarina and Rachael, the lover he betrayed. They are all older characters who have faced severe and even physically debilitating hardships. What they face in the story is just as likely to lead to their deaths as to their redemption, and the reader is often uncertain of which the character truly wants. This sets Miserere apart from many of the other books in the fantasy genre that feature naive young protagonists setting out on glorious adventure with the promise of a happy and heroic ending.
Actually, there is a young protagonist here - a girl named Lindsay who is pulled through the Veil from Earth into Woerld. She is drawn to Lucian and the exiled knight must choose whether or not to keep his promise, or open the Gates of Hell to save her. Lucian's dealings with her are touching and a little heartbreaking as, through Lindsay, you learn bits and pieces about his relationship with Catarina and the guilt he feels over her current sinister condition.
There is a lot of religious reference that could easily turn some readers off. I love religion, but due to my upbringing with an overbearing Christian mother, I have no interest in being preached at. Miserere does not shy away from the religious references, but it never proselytizes and there's no whining over why God might be punishing a particular character. It's quite clear that each character is responsible for their own predicament or that of others around them. They remain true to their faith and I really like that faith is the source of actual magic. I am curious as to how the same would work within the other religions - which is the other thing I like about this book. While you don't get to spend much time with the other sects, they are there and they all *gasp* get along.
Something else that pleases me about Miserere is Frohock’s treatment of female characters. As in, there is no difference between the women and the men. They are each considered capable in their various roles, and Frohock did not feel the need to justify or even point this fact out. Men and women are simply equals.
Imagine that. A fantasy book that actually frees itself from the prejudices of our reality.
As I mentioned, I really like the book's darkness. This is one of the few truly dark fantasy books I've read and it's definitely something I want more of. I enjoy the rainbows and dragons and happy endings as much as the next reader, but sometimes, I want to read books that aren't afraid to be just for adults.
See more reviews at
The BiblioSanctum
July 4, 2011
You may also read my review here: http://www.mybookishways.com/2011/07/...
Miserere is a hard one to review. Not because I didn’t like it, actually, I adored it, but it is simultaneously one of the most complex, yet compulsively readable novels I’ve ever read. Topping out at just under 300 pages, Ms. Frohock manages to pack a wallop of a story into her pages. Lush and emotional, it takes the reader on a journey about betrayel and redemption, and leaves them gasping. Ok, that was my journey, but still. There’s potential for war raging between the Fallen and the forces that would keep them from passing through the land that stands between Hell and Earth, the place called Woerld. I pictured a layer cake, with Heaven on top, then Earth, Woerld, and Hell on the bottom, with the Crimson Veil as the divide between Woerld and Earth. Woerld is Earth’s last defense against the hordes of Hell, and Lucien’s twin sister, Catarina, is determined that they should be let loose. Needless to say, this would be very, very bad, and Lucien, his new charge Lindsay, and Rachael, will do anything to stop her. Here’s the problem: Catarina has held Lucien as her prisoner forever, after he abandoned Rachael at the gates of Hell to save his sister’s soul. This was not to be however, and Catarina has become a monster, in league with the foulest of evil. Her consort is a Cerebus, and she takes pleasure in the pain of others, especially those who Lucien cares about. Foundlings that slip through the Veil are taken in by Elders, such as Lucien and Rachael, and are taught to fight against the threat that is the Fallen. Rachael was eventually brought out of Hell, but not before a demon, the Wyrm, invaded her body, and is possessing her more and more each day. She’s fought the Wyrm so far, but her time is short, and Lucien knows he must exorcise the demon before it’s too late. Then there’s the matter of his new foundling, Lindsay, who’s burgeoning power may be more like his than he’d like to believe.
I really loved the concept behind Woerld, where emissaries representing the world’s religions converge to aid each other in a common goal, defense against the Fallen. Yes, Christianity is explored here, but this is not a “Christian” novel, it is firmly a fantasy, with horror elements, and uses the tenets of faith as a thread that binds our heroes together. Not to mention, if you have a story involving fallen angels and demons, there will more than likely be religious elements involved. More so for me, however, was the emphasis on the power of love and loyalty, and the lengths we will go to in order to save the ones we love. I don’t consider myself to be a “religious” person, and I really enjoyed the themes used to tell Lucien and Rachael’s story. The author does not shy away from powerful imagery, and her descriptions of the Wastelands and Woerld served to fully immerse me in the novel. Magic is thick and plentiful, and make no mistake, Catarina is one of the nastiest villians I’ve encountered in a long time, even as she desperately tries to regain the love of her twin brother, although that love is twisted and perverted as a result of her own greed and selfishness. I particularly enjoyed the bond that forms between Lucien and Lindsay and how Lucien’s undying love for Rachael carries him through, even as he knows he may very well be judged harshly. If you enjoy rich fantasy, chills, intrigue, and angel and demon lore, you’ll love this book!
Miserere is a hard one to review. Not because I didn’t like it, actually, I adored it, but it is simultaneously one of the most complex, yet compulsively readable novels I’ve ever read. Topping out at just under 300 pages, Ms. Frohock manages to pack a wallop of a story into her pages. Lush and emotional, it takes the reader on a journey about betrayel and redemption, and leaves them gasping. Ok, that was my journey, but still. There’s potential for war raging between the Fallen and the forces that would keep them from passing through the land that stands between Hell and Earth, the place called Woerld. I pictured a layer cake, with Heaven on top, then Earth, Woerld, and Hell on the bottom, with the Crimson Veil as the divide between Woerld and Earth. Woerld is Earth’s last defense against the hordes of Hell, and Lucien’s twin sister, Catarina, is determined that they should be let loose. Needless to say, this would be very, very bad, and Lucien, his new charge Lindsay, and Rachael, will do anything to stop her. Here’s the problem: Catarina has held Lucien as her prisoner forever, after he abandoned Rachael at the gates of Hell to save his sister’s soul. This was not to be however, and Catarina has become a monster, in league with the foulest of evil. Her consort is a Cerebus, and she takes pleasure in the pain of others, especially those who Lucien cares about. Foundlings that slip through the Veil are taken in by Elders, such as Lucien and Rachael, and are taught to fight against the threat that is the Fallen. Rachael was eventually brought out of Hell, but not before a demon, the Wyrm, invaded her body, and is possessing her more and more each day. She’s fought the Wyrm so far, but her time is short, and Lucien knows he must exorcise the demon before it’s too late. Then there’s the matter of his new foundling, Lindsay, who’s burgeoning power may be more like his than he’d like to believe.
I really loved the concept behind Woerld, where emissaries representing the world’s religions converge to aid each other in a common goal, defense against the Fallen. Yes, Christianity is explored here, but this is not a “Christian” novel, it is firmly a fantasy, with horror elements, and uses the tenets of faith as a thread that binds our heroes together. Not to mention, if you have a story involving fallen angels and demons, there will more than likely be religious elements involved. More so for me, however, was the emphasis on the power of love and loyalty, and the lengths we will go to in order to save the ones we love. I don’t consider myself to be a “religious” person, and I really enjoyed the themes used to tell Lucien and Rachael’s story. The author does not shy away from powerful imagery, and her descriptions of the Wastelands and Woerld served to fully immerse me in the novel. Magic is thick and plentiful, and make no mistake, Catarina is one of the nastiest villians I’ve encountered in a long time, even as she desperately tries to regain the love of her twin brother, although that love is twisted and perverted as a result of her own greed and selfishness. I particularly enjoyed the bond that forms between Lucien and Lindsay and how Lucien’s undying love for Rachael carries him through, even as he knows he may very well be judged harshly. If you enjoy rich fantasy, chills, intrigue, and angel and demon lore, you’ll love this book!
April 11, 2017
I finally had hit the bottom of my reading stack and was looking around for things to read, I saw that a few goodread folks I trust had read this, and being the hoarder I am...I HAD it, but never cracked it.
Yay for boredom, and for once I took reviewers advice, This is an amazing world and a great tale, I loved the twist on the religious aspects and I felt for the characters and you could FEEL the good and evil in this story.
Step out if you haven't read this, and do.
Yay for boredom, and for once I took reviewers advice, This is an amazing world and a great tale, I loved the twist on the religious aspects and I felt for the characters and you could FEEL the good and evil in this story.
Step out if you haven't read this, and do.
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