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Archangel Morpheus
Jeffrey Allbright sells his Wisconsin family farm and leaves his fiancee behind to look for his brother, Jared, who was declared Missing in Action at the Battle of Cantigny during World War I. With only a handful of documents, a photograph, and a lead from a distant German cousin who fought on the other side of the war, he travels to France to begin his search.
After learning from the dead that his brother is not among them, Jeffrey travels to Morocco where he encounters conniving dragomen, the horrors of slavery, and a brewing anti-colonial revolution.
As Jeffrey becomes swept up in events both in the real world and in the world of dreams, the borders between sanity and insanity disappear. He travels to a place where angels and demons are not quite what they seem, dreams and waking experience co-mingle, time has no place, and danger lurks both without and within. The very powers of heaven and hell hedge up the way, testing the strength of his psyche, resolve, and love. He is helped in his quest by Mahanjero, a mystic African guide, and Burroughs, a strange mortal living in the dreamlands. But can he trust Burroughs or Mahanjero as he slips in and out of the waking world and the uncharted regions of dream? More importantly, can he trust himself to discern between what is real and what is not? Only Archangel Morpheus holds the answers.
After learning from the dead that his brother is not among them, Jeffrey travels to Morocco where he encounters conniving dragomen, the horrors of slavery, and a brewing anti-colonial revolution.
As Jeffrey becomes swept up in events both in the real world and in the world of dreams, the borders between sanity and insanity disappear. He travels to a place where angels and demons are not quite what they seem, dreams and waking experience co-mingle, time has no place, and danger lurks both without and within. The very powers of heaven and hell hedge up the way, testing the strength of his psyche, resolve, and love. He is helped in his quest by Mahanjero, a mystic African guide, and Burroughs, a strange mortal living in the dreamlands. But can he trust Burroughs or Mahanjero as he slips in and out of the waking world and the uncharted regions of dream? More importantly, can he trust himself to discern between what is real and what is not? Only Archangel Morpheus holds the answers.
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First published January 1, 2012
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About the author
Forrest Aguirre
47 books931 followersForrest's short fiction has appeared in over fifty venues, including Asimov's, Gargoyle, Apex, and Vasterien. He is a World Fantasy Award winner for his editorial work, with Jeff VanderMeer, on the Leviathan 3 anthology. His novel, Heraclix & Pomp was published October, 2014 by the Underland Press imprint of Resurrection House press. His shorter work has been collected in Fugue XXIX (Raw Dog Screaming Press), and is also available at the Kindle store or on Smashwords at:
https://www.smashwords.com/profile/vi...
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
May 12, 2014
Many of my complaints about authors involve them trying to cram too much into their writing, that many a story has been ruined for lack of a hatchet. Quite the opposite with Aguirre, as I think he could have added much more to this short work (just 107 Kindle pages) in which he displays considerable talent as well as considerable growth from earlier work.
"Archangel Morpheus," from the beginning, is not quite what it seems. It switches from first to third person, from Wisconsin to Germany to Africa, and from reality to dream and back again as the tale grows more and more absurd. Aguirre's strength is in the detail of his writing and he doesn't disappoint. The fantastic pantheon of characters that spring from the mind of the author - angels, demons, soldiers, slaves, and saints - are as enigmatic and real as his descriptions of events and places are vivid and dazzling. The madness of it all finally crosses the finish line with a satisfying and thoughtful hush.
Four solid stars to this and the pleasure of looking forward to reading more from Aguirre.
"Archangel Morpheus," from the beginning, is not quite what it seems. It switches from first to third person, from Wisconsin to Germany to Africa, and from reality to dream and back again as the tale grows more and more absurd. Aguirre's strength is in the detail of his writing and he doesn't disappoint. The fantastic pantheon of characters that spring from the mind of the author - angels, demons, soldiers, slaves, and saints - are as enigmatic and real as his descriptions of events and places are vivid and dazzling. The madness of it all finally crosses the finish line with a satisfying and thoughtful hush.
Four solid stars to this and the pleasure of looking forward to reading more from Aguirre.
August 13, 2013
This phantasmagorical adventure begins with a man named Jeffrey Allbright travelling to France, hoping to reconnect with his brother, a World War I soldier missing action. He soon discovers that France is not the final destination. With the help of a mystical African guide named Mahanjero, Allbright treks through Morocco and into a netherworld of intrigue and danger, dark carnivals and fun-house mirrors, and a city of oval jade structures inhabited by angels. It's a world that apparently intersects the infamous Interzone of William S. Burroughs, because Burroughs actually shows up to lend Jeffrey a hand (and a gun). Anyone who has listened to recordings of William S. Burroughs, reading or talking, can readily hear his voice when he delivers the two-word admonition to Jeffrey Allbright, "ride last," to keep from being shot in the back.
I enjoyed this book very much. Forrest Aguirre is well versed in esoteric knowledge. There are references to magic circles, necromancy, Greek mythology (in one scene, Burroughs descends into the river Lethe of Hades wearing, of all things, a deep-sea diving suit), and even an indirect reference to the Egyptian practice of removing a body's vital organs in prior to mummification.
It's a wild ride. Don't stop reading until you break through to the other side.
I enjoyed this book very much. Forrest Aguirre is well versed in esoteric knowledge. There are references to magic circles, necromancy, Greek mythology (in one scene, Burroughs descends into the river Lethe of Hades wearing, of all things, a deep-sea diving suit), and even an indirect reference to the Egyptian practice of removing a body's vital organs in prior to mummification.
It's a wild ride. Don't stop reading until you break through to the other side.
December 24, 2014
I'd like to thank the author Forrest Aguirre for giving me a review copy of this book.
An adventure to find his brother traveling all over. Taken to a prison, attached and the conclusion was not what I expected.
Forrest Aguirre makes readers feel like they are part of the journey. His imagination is your movie ticket in the palm of your hands. A Must Read!
An adventure to find his brother traveling all over. Taken to a prison, attached and the conclusion was not what I expected.
Forrest Aguirre makes readers feel like they are part of the journey. His imagination is your movie ticket in the palm of your hands. A Must Read!
March 20, 2012
Disclaimer: Received this ebook for free for reviewing purposes from the author.
3 1/2 stars, I think? Prose was lovely, despite the need for more editing (I'm inclined to give self-pubbed fiction more leeway there anyway), and I loved the bizarre imagery. I didn't really feel emotionally invested in the story - which isn't a exactly a criticism, as I don't think emotional investment is a prerequisite for a good story, but it's something I feel a personal need for, and didn't get here. Despite that, I was curious enough about where the narrative was headed that it kept me reading. There were some aspects of the depictions of poc that made me uncomfortable, but I felt like it was something that was being done consciously, and I didn't fully understand the intent behind it, so I'm hesitant to criticize on that front.
Overall, an interesting experience and I'm glad to have read it.
3 1/2 stars, I think? Prose was lovely, despite the need for more editing (I'm inclined to give self-pubbed fiction more leeway there anyway), and I loved the bizarre imagery. I didn't really feel emotionally invested in the story - which isn't a exactly a criticism, as I don't think emotional investment is a prerequisite for a good story, but it's something I feel a personal need for, and didn't get here. Despite that, I was curious enough about where the narrative was headed that it kept me reading. There were some aspects of the depictions of poc that made me uncomfortable, but I felt like it was something that was being done consciously, and I didn't fully understand the intent behind it, so I'm hesitant to criticize on that front.
Overall, an interesting experience and I'm glad to have read it.
December 31, 2012
I received this as an eBook from the Author, with a request that I read it.
Thus far, this book is interesting. It started off slowly with some weird imagery and tongue-tangling prose, but rapidly moved to an interesting attempt to find a man who may - or may not - be dead.
There are some structural and linguistic hiccups that should be addressed, mainly in that the opening needs to be a prologue, and there needs to be less in-your-face writing and more writing. I think of Well of Souls when I write this, as I think in some ways there are comparisons.
I felt that the breaks between scenes are not smooth enough, and there are some grammar challenges.
However, overall this is a very good book, and a little fine tuning will make it an excellent read.
(Additional thought - this reminded me of the Mystery of Edwin Drood and also of Edgar Allen Poe's Raven poem, and several of his stories, including The Telltale Heart. Not something to read late at night.)
Thus far, this book is interesting. It started off slowly with some weird imagery and tongue-tangling prose, but rapidly moved to an interesting attempt to find a man who may - or may not - be dead.
There are some structural and linguistic hiccups that should be addressed, mainly in that the opening needs to be a prologue, and there needs to be less in-your-face writing and more writing. I think of Well of Souls when I write this, as I think in some ways there are comparisons.
I felt that the breaks between scenes are not smooth enough, and there are some grammar challenges.
However, overall this is a very good book, and a little fine tuning will make it an excellent read.
(Additional thought - this reminded me of the Mystery of Edwin Drood and also of Edgar Allen Poe's Raven poem, and several of his stories, including The Telltale Heart. Not something to read late at night.)
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews