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Wormwood #1
Wormwood
As 1756 London is engulfed in total darkness, Agetta Lamian, a young housemaid for scientist Dr. Sabian Blake, discovers that her employer has recently acquired the Nemorensis, a legendary book that holds the key to unlocking the secrets of the universe and that warns of a potential apocalypse as a comet called Wormwood threatens to collide with London. Reprint.
272 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2004
61 people are currently reading
1226 people want to read
About the author
G.P. Taylor
80 books192 followers (born 1958 in Scarborough, North Yorkshire), pen-name G.P. Taylor, is the author of the best-selling novels Shadowmancer, Wormwood and Tersias. Before taking up writing full-time, he was an Anglican vicar in the village of Cloughton, North Yorkshire.
His works reflect his faith, carrying Christian messages like The Chronicles of Narnia of C.S. Lewis. He began to write his works to counter the increasing number of works, such as Harry Potter and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, that he believed were encouraging children to investigate the occult. His works have also garnered some controversy however, because whilst Taylor has claimed to be "an authority on Wicca and paganism", his books have been considered offensive by some neopagans for describing them as being tricked by the Devil.
His works reflect his faith, carrying Christian messages like The Chronicles of Narnia of C.S. Lewis. He began to write his works to counter the increasing number of works, such as Harry Potter and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, that he believed were encouraging children to investigate the occult. His works have also garnered some controversy however, because whilst Taylor has claimed to be "an authority on Wicca and paganism", his books have been considered offensive by some neopagans for describing them as being tricked by the Devil.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 173 reviews
December 7, 2009
To be honest, by the end of this book I didn't particularly care if the comet smashed into earth or not.
February 28, 2009
What a nightmare.
As I started to read the book, I had this ominous feeling that I am going to regret it. Guess what? I did. BIG TIME. I am telling the honest-to-goodness truth when I say that this is, by far, the WORST BOOK I HAVE EVER READ IN MY ENTIRE LIFE.
But it seems that I am fated to encounter this worm-eaten book. As fate would have it, this is the only book that I found in our house that I have not yet read.
I have this constant headache while I am reading the book. Totally tepid plot. Amazingly boring characters. I found no emotional attachment to ANY of the characters. They could all die for all I care. One is not given a clear idea of where a character really belongs in the order of things. If I may quote Kara DioGuargi's fave line, "Who are you?" Well, that would be the question that I would ask very single one of those stupid underdeveloped characters.
I do wonder if the author has any idea of what is going on in the story. There is just no unity in all the little plots that he tossed in the major plot.
Well, one decent thing that came out of this horrifying experience would be that I finally learned to check the reviews first before reading a book.
Saves you time. Saves you from headache.
As I started to read the book, I had this ominous feeling that I am going to regret it. Guess what? I did. BIG TIME. I am telling the honest-to-goodness truth when I say that this is, by far, the WORST BOOK I HAVE EVER READ IN MY ENTIRE LIFE.
But it seems that I am fated to encounter this worm-eaten book. As fate would have it, this is the only book that I found in our house that I have not yet read.
I have this constant headache while I am reading the book. Totally tepid plot. Amazingly boring characters. I found no emotional attachment to ANY of the characters. They could all die for all I care. One is not given a clear idea of where a character really belongs in the order of things. If I may quote Kara DioGuargi's fave line, "Who are you?" Well, that would be the question that I would ask very single one of those stupid underdeveloped characters.
I do wonder if the author has any idea of what is going on in the story. There is just no unity in all the little plots that he tossed in the major plot.
Well, one decent thing that came out of this horrifying experience would be that I finally learned to check the reviews first before reading a book.
Saves you time. Saves you from headache.
August 26, 2009
This book is about confusion: the confusion of the Londoners as a comet approached the city closer and closer in the middle of the 18th century; the confusion of Sabian Blake, who knew more about the sky-dragon, thanks to a dangerous book of secret knowledge sent to him by a mysterious person. And the readers are supposed to be confused too: characters appearing suddenly from alleyways, doing their own things, seemingly unconnected with the other events in the book, and then fleeting away as if they don't have anything to do anymore with the plot, and then appearing again under disguises, to the point that I wonder just who is the main character actually.
Yes, it's a maze, or perhaps - since a maze is supposed to make people get lost while a labyrinth is not - a labyrinth that will finally lead us to an exit, where finally we have enough light to make sense of everything.
At the beginning, the book was pretty blatant though, describing the protagonist Blake as a scientist and a Cabalist right on the first page, instead of letting us find it out gradually. This rather spoils the fun of getting the truth about our hero (for lack of a better word); it's as if he is just thrown to our face and we just have to digest the fact that he is everything as he is described.
After a few chapters, the book begins to take pace, and that's when everything gets really exciting, with creatures lying in the dark ready to leap at you, and the world sliding into disgrace, to be conquered by a harlot.
Enticingly, menacingly dark, and violent but not vulgar, the book is a fascinating blend of history, science, religion, and magic, although I wish Blake's status as a scientist/Cabalist could have helped him more. In this book, he was just more like a pawn, a lost sheep struggling with his science only to know that there were things more beyond his grasp; and how it hurt his pride so much to find out that what he had thought as things he'd done by his profane human might were actually some kind of divine help. Instead of just swinging his swords now and then, it would be more in-line with his character if he used some scientific or esoteric knowledge he had to at least save himself. Something like, say, Horatio Lyle would do.
What some readers may be concerned about Wormwood is the lack of morality shown by the characters, although this poses no problem for me. They gave out to temptation, greed and anger; nobody, even Blake with his conscience to try and save Londoners, is squeaky, glitteringly clean or innocent. Abram Rickards surely lacked morality, laughing while stuffing exploding crystals into the 'stink hole' of a beastly creature - but, for what he was, that's just what was expected of him. And that is what makes him memorable.
A precious addition to the bookshelves of people who love fantasy.
Yes, it's a maze, or perhaps - since a maze is supposed to make people get lost while a labyrinth is not - a labyrinth that will finally lead us to an exit, where finally we have enough light to make sense of everything.
At the beginning, the book was pretty blatant though, describing the protagonist Blake as a scientist and a Cabalist right on the first page, instead of letting us find it out gradually. This rather spoils the fun of getting the truth about our hero (for lack of a better word); it's as if he is just thrown to our face and we just have to digest the fact that he is everything as he is described.
After a few chapters, the book begins to take pace, and that's when everything gets really exciting, with creatures lying in the dark ready to leap at you, and the world sliding into disgrace, to be conquered by a harlot.
Enticingly, menacingly dark, and violent but not vulgar, the book is a fascinating blend of history, science, religion, and magic, although I wish Blake's status as a scientist/Cabalist could have helped him more. In this book, he was just more like a pawn, a lost sheep struggling with his science only to know that there were things more beyond his grasp; and how it hurt his pride so much to find out that what he had thought as things he'd done by his profane human might were actually some kind of divine help. Instead of just swinging his swords now and then, it would be more in-line with his character if he used some scientific or esoteric knowledge he had to at least save himself. Something like, say, Horatio Lyle would do.
What some readers may be concerned about Wormwood is the lack of morality shown by the characters, although this poses no problem for me. They gave out to temptation, greed and anger; nobody, even Blake with his conscience to try and save Londoners, is squeaky, glitteringly clean or innocent. Abram Rickards surely lacked morality, laughing while stuffing exploding crystals into the 'stink hole' of a beastly creature - but, for what he was, that's just what was expected of him. And that is what makes him memorable.
A precious addition to the bookshelves of people who love fantasy.
June 23, 2019
So this Blake guy has a creepy old book that everyone thinks is a myth....
Well, it's not. He has cracked the code and discovered that something terrible is going to come from the skies and cause chaos....hmmmmm, OK.
It turns out to be a COMET, which may or may not hit LONDON. Fair enough.
We get a little insight into the life of Blake's housekeeper who meets some sort of WITCH for some reason - not quite sure. STICK WITH IT...
A few brief moments of intriguing guff which you keep in the back of your mind knowing you will need it later and all will make some sort of sense........you hope.........
We get GHOSTS with skeleton faces with snakes in them. FLOATING orbs for some reason. Grave robbing? Yeah, why not. More floating things .....ETC
You begin to daydream. You imagine that COMET falling from the sky and KILLING BLAKE. Maybe it kills the housekeeper too. Infact, maybe it kills everyone in the BOOK so it ends and you can carry on doing the good things in life like watching TV or sleeping on the SOFA and drinking cold coffee when you wake up wondering what time it is and where you are ....... Sounds like a plan
Well, it's not. He has cracked the code and discovered that something terrible is going to come from the skies and cause chaos....hmmmmm, OK.
It turns out to be a COMET, which may or may not hit LONDON. Fair enough.
We get a little insight into the life of Blake's housekeeper who meets some sort of WITCH for some reason - not quite sure. STICK WITH IT...
A few brief moments of intriguing guff which you keep in the back of your mind knowing you will need it later and all will make some sort of sense........you hope.........
We get GHOSTS with skeleton faces with snakes in them. FLOATING orbs for some reason. Grave robbing? Yeah, why not. More floating things .....ETC
You begin to daydream. You imagine that COMET falling from the sky and KILLING BLAKE. Maybe it kills the housekeeper too. Infact, maybe it kills everyone in the BOOK so it ends and you can carry on doing the good things in life like watching TV or sleeping on the SOFA and drinking cold coffee when you wake up wondering what time it is and where you are ....... Sounds like a plan
Read
November 4, 2020This was an absurd tale, difficult to plod through. Some of the descriptive language is excellent (hence the 3 stars) but the premise is so weak. I hated reading it but had to force myself to finish. It is Christian lit set up to rival Harry Potter, and it does a very poor job. If anything, I feel the GP Taylor books are more anti religious than any of the HP series. There is a huge build-up to the climactic battle at the end, but then it's over inside one paragraph like some afterthought. The years since my reading it haven't lessened the damage :(
June 19, 2011
The back of the book doesn’t do this novel justice! I bought it because it was a dollar, and I really didn’t want to read it, but I needed to spend another dollar to get free shipping. This book is phenomenal! It is fast paced and has tons of twists and turns. What the back of the book doesn’t tell you is this is about the end of the world, angels, demons, and witchcraft. If I had known that, I would have picked it up right away. Disregard that this book takes place in the 1700s, especially if you aren’t into that time period. The book is wonderfully written, and it’s not drawn out and drab like most books taking place in the 1700s.
Upon completion of the novel, I found out that Wormwood was actually the second book in a four book series. I’m ecstatic because, while Wormwood can stand alone, I now have other books in the series to read, such as the prequel Shadowmancer (book 1), and the sequels Tiresias (book 3), and The Shadowmancer Returns (book 4). I will be picking these books up after I finish my ”to read” list and have a free moment… so it may be a while, but I’m excited nonetheless...
To see my full review:
http://bookvacations.wordpress.com/20...
Upon completion of the novel, I found out that Wormwood was actually the second book in a four book series. I’m ecstatic because, while Wormwood can stand alone, I now have other books in the series to read, such as the prequel Shadowmancer (book 1), and the sequels Tiresias (book 3), and The Shadowmancer Returns (book 4). I will be picking these books up after I finish my ”to read” list and have a free moment… so it may be a while, but I’m excited nonetheless...
To see my full review:
http://bookvacations.wordpress.com/20...
September 30, 2016
I'll usually finish a book even if it's shit, but for this i'm making an exception. I can't muster up the willpower to start chapter 5 so in the bin it goes!
January 2, 2009
Taylor's story redeemed itself in the last hundred pages, but his story telling was juvenile at best. (Having said that, I now note the book's back cover categorizes Wormwood as "Youth/Teen Fiction." As such, I'd cut it more slack, though writers shouldn't be given a bye because they write for youth or children. If anything, the standards for those markets should be more exacting.)
The book opens with a lot of over-wrought fantasy about skyquakes and skydragons. Supposedly educated Englishmen (early eighteenth century) say things like, "an earthquake of such significance that it altered time." "The cacaphony of sleep" and "became increasingly aware" were a couple phrases I chortled over.
The characters are not engaging. I suspected Agetta was the protagonist (who cared what happened to Blake?), but didn't particularly care what happened to her until well after the middle of the book.
Having allowed his enlightened characters to preach early in the book, Taylor lets the other side preach later. Still, sentences like the following come off as sermons: "Give a man a secret, write it in some ancient language and bind it in an old book. Then tell him it is from another world and if used in the right way will bring him wealth and power ... written by the greatest liar of them all." (All the more so since Dan Brown has proved it's true. ;-) )
We learn of angels that "stripped him of every feather and took away his power." I guess if it worked for Samson....
Generally I like books with maps. The exception, however, is when the map doesn't match the story--as it doesn't in Wormwood.
In sum, not a complete waste of time, but disappointing considering the buzz Shadowmancer received.
The book opens with a lot of over-wrought fantasy about skyquakes and skydragons. Supposedly educated Englishmen (early eighteenth century) say things like, "an earthquake of such significance that it altered time." "The cacaphony of sleep" and "became increasingly aware" were a couple phrases I chortled over.
The characters are not engaging. I suspected Agetta was the protagonist (who cared what happened to Blake?), but didn't particularly care what happened to her until well after the middle of the book.
Having allowed his enlightened characters to preach early in the book, Taylor lets the other side preach later. Still, sentences like the following come off as sermons: "Give a man a secret, write it in some ancient language and bind it in an old book. Then tell him it is from another world and if used in the right way will bring him wealth and power ... written by the greatest liar of them all." (All the more so since Dan Brown has proved it's true. ;-) )
We learn of angels that "stripped him of every feather and took away his power." I guess if it worked for Samson....
Generally I like books with maps. The exception, however, is when the map doesn't match the story--as it doesn't in Wormwood.
In sum, not a complete waste of time, but disappointing considering the buzz Shadowmancer received.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 13, 2011
I spent most of the book trying to decide if I liked it or not. Very interesting. Well written. But odd. By the time I finished it, though, I decided I did like it. An intriguing read, though a bit difficult to get into.
December 18, 2011
Doh nyesel banget ambil buku ini saat bookswap IRF 2011.
Tema nda jelas, jalan cerita nda jelas, akhir cerita juga membuat kening berkerut.
Kalo ibarat makanan, ini makanan basi, keras saat dikunyah, dan sangat butuh minum saat menelannya.
Calon untuk dibuang jauh-jauh.
Tema nda jelas, jalan cerita nda jelas, akhir cerita juga membuat kening berkerut.
Kalo ibarat makanan, ini makanan basi, keras saat dikunyah, dan sangat butuh minum saat menelannya.
Calon untuk dibuang jauh-jauh.
May 29, 2021
There isn’t much about this book that I liked. Agetta got on my nerves and I didn’t really care for her. The only two I wanted to see more of were the angels and there wasn’t much of them until near the end of the book end by then I had stopped caring. There were too many story lines that took too long to connect and make sense. I didn’t like it, didn’t like the characters, didn’t care for the ending. I think this honestly should have been a bigger book so that the characters and stories could have been explored more in depth. Too many things just didn’t make sense or didn’t work.
June 18, 2017
I can't imagine a more inherently flawed book. No element or aspect is handled well. I don't even know where to start, such is the depth and breadth of the damage. Characters? No. That would be too broad. Their motivations, their dialogue, their existence, even, are just some of the areas that come into question... And that's just the characters. I could dissect worldbuilding, storytelling and pacing in such a manner, too, but the book hasn't inspired that kind of criticism.
And I guess that's the issue. At no point is it offensive, and at no point is it awful. You can certainly accuse it of being boring, and there are so, so many details you could challenge, but I just can't think why you'd want to. It straddles the line between bad and decent, with no saving grace but no killer blow.
I wouldn't tell anyone not to read it, but I certainly wouldn't recommend it. If you own it, you could do worse. If it's 50p at the charity shop, fill your boots. If you're not sure, there's only one way to find out. But that's about the highest praise I can give a book that's probably best described as insipid.
And I guess that's the issue. At no point is it offensive, and at no point is it awful. You can certainly accuse it of being boring, and there are so, so many details you could challenge, but I just can't think why you'd want to. It straddles the line between bad and decent, with no saving grace but no killer blow.
I wouldn't tell anyone not to read it, but I certainly wouldn't recommend it. If you own it, you could do worse. If it's 50p at the charity shop, fill your boots. If you're not sure, there's only one way to find out. But that's about the highest praise I can give a book that's probably best described as insipid.
June 11, 2012
Okay, I know I was really torturing myself reading this after I hated Shadowmancer with a passion, but it was in the house. I paid 15p for it ages ago.
The good things about this book: it IS better than Shadowmancer. It feels less over the top preachy although it goes more into this territory later on in the story.
The problems with this novel are: I honestly could not tell which characters were the ones that were meant to be sympathetic.
(spoilers from here on in)
Blake? I know the author set him up as the strawman scientist who thinks he can find out everything through the use of science and evidence.
Agetta? She does a lot of stealing and stuff and I thought at first she was the antagonist.
This guy, honestly cannot write characters at all in my opinion. They're all flat and a lot of the time seem to exist to demonstrate the author's views/the opposite to the author's views. Hence why Blake got slapped down by the angel for attempting to use the scientific method. Half the cast I've already forgotten about and I only put the book down about 15 minutes ago.
The plot was stupid and it seemed like a lot of elements were just tossed in there as regards the world building. In other words this was just all round a bad novel.
The good things about this book: it IS better than Shadowmancer. It feels less over the top preachy although it goes more into this territory later on in the story.
The problems with this novel are: I honestly could not tell which characters were the ones that were meant to be sympathetic.
(spoilers from here on in)
Blake? I know the author set him up as the strawman scientist who thinks he can find out everything through the use of science and evidence.
Agetta? She does a lot of stealing and stuff and I thought at first she was the antagonist.
This guy, honestly cannot write characters at all in my opinion. They're all flat and a lot of the time seem to exist to demonstrate the author's views/the opposite to the author's views. Hence why Blake got slapped down by the angel for attempting to use the scientific method. Half the cast I've already forgotten about and I only put the book down about 15 minutes ago.
The plot was stupid and it seemed like a lot of elements were just tossed in there as regards the world building. In other words this was just all round a bad novel.
September 13, 2015
This is the story of Agetta Lamian, servant girl to Dr Sabian Blake, who discovers that a comet, Wormwood is on its way to obliterate London. Trying to save the world are the angels, one of whom is bound to save the life of Blake, while another is set to take over the body of Agetta.
I loved the descriptions and the setting of this story. It brings eighteenth century London to life with smells, sounds, people and emotions. But I was disappointed with the plot which seemed to add another person or character whenever it needed a twist or turn in the action. There too many characters some of whom were sadly abandoned along the way. The story would have been better if the main characters had caused some of their own problems rather than having yet another 'baddy' flung at them.
I loved the descriptions and the setting of this story. It brings eighteenth century London to life with smells, sounds, people and emotions. But I was disappointed with the plot which seemed to add another person or character whenever it needed a twist or turn in the action. There too many characters some of whom were sadly abandoned along the way. The story would have been better if the main characters had caused some of their own problems rather than having yet another 'baddy' flung at them.
February 23, 2017
Summary: Really clever, well thought out, hugely imaginative. Not really the sort of premise I like, but for me this book really worked. Highly recommended (but probably not for children - which it is aimed at, or religious readers who have difficulty realising this is pure fiction).
Plotline: Complex plot, layers and layers of deceit and plot twists. It all comes together in the end
Premise:Not my cup of tea with urban fantasy overtones, but very different.
Writing: Really imaginative with great descriptions. The characters throughout the book are universely unpleasant (even the angels), but with enough redeeming qualities to get us to the end. Very unusual and refreshing.
Ending: Oh yes. Predictable in outcome but not in much else
Pace: Never a dull moment!
Plotline: Complex plot, layers and layers of deceit and plot twists. It all comes together in the end
Premise:Not my cup of tea with urban fantasy overtones, but very different.
Writing: Really imaginative with great descriptions. The characters throughout the book are universely unpleasant (even the angels), but with enough redeeming qualities to get us to the end. Very unusual and refreshing.
Ending: Oh yes. Predictable in outcome but not in much else
Pace: Never a dull moment!
April 2, 2015
Published: 22/09/2005
Author: G.P. Taylor
Recomended for: fans of fantasty and young adults
I read this back of this book and thought it sounded 'okay' then after reading it I thought it was an amazing book! If you like books that are fast paced with plenty of twists and turns throughout then this is a good book for you! This book is part of an incredible series by G.P Taylor, it can be a stand alone book or be read in sequence. If you just read the back of this book then turn around and walk away then you will be missing out on a book that includes the end of the world, angels, demons and abit of witchcraft.
Author: G.P. Taylor
Recomended for: fans of fantasty and young adults
I read this back of this book and thought it sounded 'okay' then after reading it I thought it was an amazing book! If you like books that are fast paced with plenty of twists and turns throughout then this is a good book for you! This book is part of an incredible series by G.P Taylor, it can be a stand alone book or be read in sequence. If you just read the back of this book then turn around and walk away then you will be missing out on a book that includes the end of the world, angels, demons and abit of witchcraft.
August 7, 2008
I kept waiting for this book to get better. When I reached the end, all I could say was... 'That was it?!?' I kept waiting to find something about the characters I liked. Unfortunately I couldn't find any redeeming qualities to make me care if anyone in this story lived or died. The storyline was good enough to keep me from abandoning the book altogether and to continue reading in the hopes it would get better by the end. But ultimately I was dissapointed for my efforts. This is the first book I have read by G.P. Taylor. I can only hope his other books are better.
June 1, 2014
A comet is coming! The Earth is doomed! The End Times are here! This would be extremely worrying - maybe even upsetting! - if the world of Wormwood was populated with anything more than paper people, two dimensional at best.
I hated this book. Oh, I finished it alright, but I hated it while I was reading it and I hate it now, thinking about it afterwards.
Kill them all and let God sort it out.
I hated this book. Oh, I finished it alright, but I hated it while I was reading it and I hate it now, thinking about it afterwards.
Kill them all and let God sort it out.
February 24, 2019
Taylor manages to make a story about magic, science, and a massive comet hurtling toward the Earth boring somehow. None of the characters are very likable, and it's hard to like a story when you hate everybody in it. The blurb sounded interesting and I really wanted to like it, but the story was poorly executed.
August 23, 2012
It was a bit confusing at first but when the book got settled in it was pretty wicked. It's about the apocalypse(like everything else I read) And how the fate of the world tips at the naming of the comet that has appeared in the sky.
July 12, 2016
I read books for the characters - if I don't give a crap about the characters why would I give a crap that their world is ending? I found this book unfortunately fell into the not giving a crap. And so I stopped reading it on chapter 2.
August 7, 2012
Just unorganized and boring!
July 18, 2014
Such a letdown. Didn't connect with any of the characters, plot was lackluster, and the ending was anticlimactic.
July 18, 2012
I did not finish this book. I got half way and had had enough of it. It is really hard to follow. And to be honest rather boring.
September 3, 2014
I didn't appreciate the rabid sermonizing at the end of what was supposed to be a fantasy book.
December 7, 2019
Reading it was like watching a movie! Gripping read!
February 3, 2020
I enjoyed this novel.
I was so excited to see how it ends only to find out that it's a series.
I'm rooting for Blake and Agetta, so I hope I can find the sequel.
I was so excited to see how it ends only to find out that it's a series.
I'm rooting for Blake and Agetta, so I hope I can find the sequel.
Read
April 24, 2020Badly thought out. Badly written. Absolute rubbish. I
September 7, 2023
Shadowmancer Review
The Shadowmancer Returns Review
Wormwood Review
Tersias the Oracle Review
London, 1756.
Once upon a time, wise men who studied the stars were lead away from their practices and into the presence of Glory. Sabian Blake seems to be in a similar situation without recognizing the correlation but to be fair, He who lead the wise men and who leads the sky-dragon of this tale are of different standings: Light vs Dark. It's interesting in 2023, more aware than ever of media manipulation of events and elitist attitudes towards science and facts, that there are characters afoot that model these environments in this 2004 tale. An elite group with the resources and the power continually look for a new society at the expense of every one around them, at the pleasure of everyone's souls, and at the degradation of heavenly creatures. Everybody is a trophy to these shadowy aristocrats while everybody is also a means to abuse and livelihood to the poor and working class.
Here is a tale that dives into the humanity of angels as much as the deviltry of humans, answering whether the fallen can be redeemed or if they can go too far to turn back. How often do we see an exchange where our guardian angel promises to no longer guard his charge? Deception seems to reach each soul, perverting beauty, emblazoning lust in the guise of love, sparking pride like a forest fire, promising freedom at the cost of eternal damnation, and causing disdain for anything that sheds light on dark dealings or twisted perception. Lies are the new truth at the dawn of the new age. Blinded with unbelief, the impressionable cannot believe their own eyes.
Agetta is used to being used and overlooked, though she uses others and takes toxic advantage of being overlooked. A Cabalist astronomer thinks she is a simple maid, not the thief she is. A masked woman uses her femininity to manipulate Agetta into her cultic and occultic machinations, which Agetta's courageous and fighting spirit is all too easily cowed. Sabian is a man of science, with a smidgen of magic that he thinks he can explain. A fabled book of prophecy offers him an opportunity for renown and prestige but at a cost he can't imagine. One of Taylor's strongest points are his mythology and angel/demon encounters. This story has a stronger character build than Shadowmancer but both books have been page-turners. I would not go into this book for Christian philosophy though it is clearly a lean towards Christianity. It's a tale of myth, faith, and truth, so it could mislead if you're impressionable and not familiar with scripture nor mythological legends.
It's a fairly brutal environment. Alcoholism, thievery, Mohocks who don't need money but are known in history to abuse, mame and rape, and a rich seductress wife who seemingly drugs and rapes doctors (I could be wrong), and kidnapping, and Satanic magic, and Dracula's boat and black dog, and the streets of Jack the Ripper, etc. Taylor's macabre encounters of demons, ghosts, and even dead rising from the pits of plague is definitely to my liking though some may find it darker than they would want. Darkness exists so it is good to see it being battled.
"I am a man - it is forged within me not to give up without a struggle. So come and take what you want from me, but you will fight for my flesh and my soul knows no price." - Sabian
"I'll go with the angel. I want nothing to do with these people. Life is more than what I shall eat and the fine clothes of the ladies in Fleet Street." - Agetta
"Can't you see that this has come about by all of you who rejected the one that could redeem you? Humans have always relied on their own instincts to do right. You have searched for power and wealth, and have starved your souls with your fancy philosophies and none of you have noticed. It would be better that you believed in nothing than everything served to you as belief." - Abram
"We delude ourselves that it is so far in the future that it is of no consequence, we try with all our heart to taste human life, but once we take that step, like every addiction, the pit becomes our home and the body we then inhabit is an expression of our vice." - Tegatus
"I am nothing but an assassin for righteousness, never forget that. There is war in heaven, and for us to lose would mean the diabolical would have power over the world and we would all be destroyed. In this time and place, evil would triumph if I did nothing." - Raphael
Character reference:
Objects of note:
The Shadowmancer Returns Review
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Tersias the Oracle Review
London, 1756.
Once upon a time, wise men who studied the stars were lead away from their practices and into the presence of Glory. Sabian Blake seems to be in a similar situation without recognizing the correlation but to be fair, He who lead the wise men and who leads the sky-dragon of this tale are of different standings: Light vs Dark. It's interesting in 2023, more aware than ever of media manipulation of events and elitist attitudes towards science and facts, that there are characters afoot that model these environments in this 2004 tale. An elite group with the resources and the power continually look for a new society at the expense of every one around them, at the pleasure of everyone's souls, and at the degradation of heavenly creatures. Everybody is a trophy to these shadowy aristocrats while everybody is also a means to abuse and livelihood to the poor and working class.
Here is a tale that dives into the humanity of angels as much as the deviltry of humans, answering whether the fallen can be redeemed or if they can go too far to turn back. How often do we see an exchange where our guardian angel promises to no longer guard his charge? Deception seems to reach each soul, perverting beauty, emblazoning lust in the guise of love, sparking pride like a forest fire, promising freedom at the cost of eternal damnation, and causing disdain for anything that sheds light on dark dealings or twisted perception. Lies are the new truth at the dawn of the new age. Blinded with unbelief, the impressionable cannot believe their own eyes.
Agetta is used to being used and overlooked, though she uses others and takes toxic advantage of being overlooked. A Cabalist astronomer thinks she is a simple maid, not the thief she is. A masked woman uses her femininity to manipulate Agetta into her cultic and occultic machinations, which Agetta's courageous and fighting spirit is all too easily cowed. Sabian is a man of science, with a smidgen of magic that he thinks he can explain. A fabled book of prophecy offers him an opportunity for renown and prestige but at a cost he can't imagine. One of Taylor's strongest points are his mythology and angel/demon encounters. This story has a stronger character build than Shadowmancer but both books have been page-turners. I would not go into this book for Christian philosophy though it is clearly a lean towards Christianity. It's a tale of myth, faith, and truth, so it could mislead if you're impressionable and not familiar with scripture nor mythological legends.
It's a fairly brutal environment. Alcoholism, thievery, Mohocks who don't need money but are known in history to abuse, mame and rape, and a rich seductress wife who seemingly drugs and rapes doctors (I could be wrong), and kidnapping, and Satanic magic, and Dracula's boat and black dog, and the streets of Jack the Ripper, etc. Taylor's macabre encounters of demons, ghosts, and even dead rising from the pits of plague is definitely to my liking though some may find it darker than they would want. Darkness exists so it is good to see it being battled.
"I am a man - it is forged within me not to give up without a struggle. So come and take what you want from me, but you will fight for my flesh and my soul knows no price." - Sabian
"I'll go with the angel. I want nothing to do with these people. Life is more than what I shall eat and the fine clothes of the ladies in Fleet Street." - Agetta
"Can't you see that this has come about by all of you who rejected the one that could redeem you? Humans have always relied on their own instincts to do right. You have searched for power and wealth, and have starved your souls with your fancy philosophies and none of you have noticed. It would be better that you believed in nothing than everything served to you as belief." - Abram
"We delude ourselves that it is so far in the future that it is of no consequence, we try with all our heart to taste human life, but once we take that step, like every addiction, the pit becomes our home and the body we then inhabit is an expression of our vice." - Tegatus
"I am nothing but an assassin for righteousness, never forget that. There is war in heaven, and for us to lose would mean the diabolical would have power over the world and we would all be destroyed. In this time and place, evil would triumph if I did nothing." - Raphael
Character reference:
Objects of note:
May 16, 2023
"Banyak keinginan orang yang berasal dari halaman buku. Halaman buku seperti api yang mengobarkan imajinasi. Revolusi bisa dimulai dari satu kata, dan satu kalimat bisa memberi seseorang semangat untuk bertempur." -hlm. 106
Aku jujur syok waktu membaca buku ini, karena bener-bener jauh dari bayanganku sebelumnya. Aku kira bakalan berisi dunia fantasi yang melibatkan naga dan petualangan, selayaknya novel fantasi remaja pada umumnya. Tapi buku ini benar-benar berbeda 180 derajat.
Bercerita tentang dokter Blake yang menyadari adanya komet yang akan menghantam bumi beberapa hari setelah kejadian gempa-langit yang menggemparkan warga London. Di tengah kericuhan itu, dokter Blake menerima buku Nemorensis yang sudah memprediksi kejadian tersebut. Namun sayang, banyak yang menjatuhkan Blake beserta "temuannya" dan hanya menganggapnya mitos belaka. Sementara itu, Nemorensis menjadi hal yang paling dicari-cari oleh kalangan lain, atau di buku ini as a villain-nya.
Di tengah obsesi Blake dengan Nemorensis dan juga London yang semakin tidak karuan, segala upaya telah dikerahkan untuk meminimalisir dampak jatuhnya komet tersebut ke bumi, bersamaan dengan Blake yang mencoba mengontrol dirinya dari obsesinya itu.
Mungkin secara sepintas itu terlihat seperti novel fantasi biasa ya. Tapi bisa kubilang di sini tone-nya cukup gelap. Dengan setting London dan juga suasana yang dibuat se-chaos mungkin, novel ini juga sanggup menghadirkan kengerian. Belum lagi makhluk-makhluk aneh yang diciptakan oleh penulis juga sukses melengkapi kengerian itu.
Aku gak tau sih pada waktu kapan setting waktu di dalam novel ini, karena aku merasa kayak lagi baca novel klasik. Gaya bahasanya juga mendukung banget. Suram banget deh pokoknya aura dari novel ini. Sedikit banyak mengingatkanku sama novel Theresa-nya Emile Zola.
Tapi surprisingly novel ini mempunyai daya tarik seiring aku ngikutin ceritanya. Meskipun endingnya bukan sesuatu yang wow, tapi aku menemukan beberapa hal yang mungkin bisa jadi plot twist di dalam buku ini. Nggak lebay lah ya menurutku. Meskipun banyak yang gak suka sama buku ini karena kedengarannya gak make sense, dan juga genre yang "nggak jelas", aku pribadi justru tersedot sama cara penulis menuliskan ceritanya.
Entah kenapa ya kayaknya aku suka novel yang ditulis pakai gaya bercerita gini. Modern but classical writting is a chef's kiss! Cuman emang iya sih, tokoh-tokohnya absurd abis. Fantasi di sini kebanyakan pakai sihir & setan gitu.
Bisa dibilang ini hidden gem.
Aku jujur syok waktu membaca buku ini, karena bener-bener jauh dari bayanganku sebelumnya. Aku kira bakalan berisi dunia fantasi yang melibatkan naga dan petualangan, selayaknya novel fantasi remaja pada umumnya. Tapi buku ini benar-benar berbeda 180 derajat.
Bercerita tentang dokter Blake yang menyadari adanya komet yang akan menghantam bumi beberapa hari setelah kejadian gempa-langit yang menggemparkan warga London. Di tengah kericuhan itu, dokter Blake menerima buku Nemorensis yang sudah memprediksi kejadian tersebut. Namun sayang, banyak yang menjatuhkan Blake beserta "temuannya" dan hanya menganggapnya mitos belaka. Sementara itu, Nemorensis menjadi hal yang paling dicari-cari oleh kalangan lain, atau di buku ini as a villain-nya.
Di tengah obsesi Blake dengan Nemorensis dan juga London yang semakin tidak karuan, segala upaya telah dikerahkan untuk meminimalisir dampak jatuhnya komet tersebut ke bumi, bersamaan dengan Blake yang mencoba mengontrol dirinya dari obsesinya itu.
Mungkin secara sepintas itu terlihat seperti novel fantasi biasa ya. Tapi bisa kubilang di sini tone-nya cukup gelap. Dengan setting London dan juga suasana yang dibuat se-chaos mungkin, novel ini juga sanggup menghadirkan kengerian. Belum lagi makhluk-makhluk aneh yang diciptakan oleh penulis juga sukses melengkapi kengerian itu.
Aku gak tau sih pada waktu kapan setting waktu di dalam novel ini, karena aku merasa kayak lagi baca novel klasik. Gaya bahasanya juga mendukung banget. Suram banget deh pokoknya aura dari novel ini. Sedikit banyak mengingatkanku sama novel Theresa-nya Emile Zola.
Tapi surprisingly novel ini mempunyai daya tarik seiring aku ngikutin ceritanya. Meskipun endingnya bukan sesuatu yang wow, tapi aku menemukan beberapa hal yang mungkin bisa jadi plot twist di dalam buku ini. Nggak lebay lah ya menurutku. Meskipun banyak yang gak suka sama buku ini karena kedengarannya gak make sense, dan juga genre yang "nggak jelas", aku pribadi justru tersedot sama cara penulis menuliskan ceritanya.
Entah kenapa ya kayaknya aku suka novel yang ditulis pakai gaya bercerita gini. Modern but classical writting is a chef's kiss! Cuman emang iya sih, tokoh-tokohnya absurd abis. Fantasi di sini kebanyakan pakai sihir & setan gitu.
Bisa dibilang ini hidden gem.
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