The Necromancer

by George W.M. Reynolds, Dick Collins (Editor)

The beautiful, yet icy Musidora Sinclair hides a deadly secret. Once radiant and exuberant, her manner has become unnaturally cold and reserved. Even when wooed by King Henry VIII, who proposes to make her Queen of England, she responds only with seeming indifference. What is the explanation for her unusual behaviour? And then there is another mystery, much more terrible. On the Isle of Wight stands the ruined Castle of Danvers, whose forbidding walls conceal unspeakable horrors. In its Chamber of Mysteries, the names of five women are emblazoned in letters of fire-five women all seduced to a horrible fate by members of the Danvers family. What is the connection among these women? And what is Musidora's role in this diabolical affair? George W. M. Reynolds was the best-selling novelist of the Victorian era, much to the chagrin of his rivals Dickens and Thackeray. In The Necromancer (1851-2), a complex yet action-packed narrative spanning 150 years, he is at his best. This new edition, the first in over 120 years, includes the unabridged text of the original edition, as well as a new biographical sketch by Dick Collins, which corrects the errors of previous scholars and gives the first-ever accurate look at the details of Reynolds's life.

Genres: Classics, Gothic, Horror, Victorian

592 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1857

About the author

George William MacArthur Reynolds was a journalist and, as author of "penny dreadful" serials, one of the most popular authors of Victorian England. He was also a leading proponent of the working-class Chartist movement for expanded suffrage and other populist Parliamentary reforms.

During his lifetime, Reynolds greatly outsold Dickens and Thackery, and on his death, he was described by The Bookseller as 'the most popular writer of our times'.

Reviews

[Pallavi · Rating 3 out of 5]

*Breathe in Breathe out*
This has got to be my first official book review ever. And I couldn't have chosen a better book to crack the account with :)

George Reynolds was one of the first few to toss around serialization, keeping people ravenous for the next issue of the novel. Am so glad I wasn't born then cause I'd have never survived the agony.
Necromancer is a special book! It teaches u the spelling of 'chilliness' and all the association words.
Lionel Danvers can be shelved in my list of 'Irresistibly Hot' Anti-Heroes. Reynolds sure did make DIABOLICAL sound like an 'IN' thing.

The plot revolves around a string of beautiful girls disappearing off the face of the planet after being wooed by the Nefarious clan of Danvers. The mystery is thick and the back stories keep you glued even though the outcome of every story is pretty predictable. What makes Musidora different is that she's been through something sinister and escaped it, only just. Forcing herself to pack ice into her veins she goes about her life till everything falls apart again.
Grippin' story. The twist floats on the surface almost but I can bet my pointed canines that it'll still keep ur pages turning.
Reynolds may not be remembered now.....But Boy! People sure don't know what they're missing out on.

[Mel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reynolds is rapidly turning into one of my favourite authors. This is the third book I've read of his and I totally loved it. He has a glorious wordy Victorian style I love. This was a lovely supernatural tale about a man who had sold his soul to the devil and needed to offer up virgin sacrifices in order to escape his bargain. Reynolds did a lovely job of intertwining the different histories of the family who over the space of 150 years had fallen victim to Danvers. What I liked was that Danvers always rescued the women from a worst fate in order to get them to fall in love with him. The story was very long and in places more historical romance than occult thriller but there was always plenty going on behind the scenes. Definitely one I would recommend. It was perfect to finish reading on Halloween.

[David Fraser · Rating 4 out of 5]

An absorbing "Penny Dreadful" first published in serial form in 1851-1852 and then as a book in 1857. Not the equal of Reynolds's masterpiece "The Mysteries of London," but still a good read. The Valancourt Books edition has an excellent biographical sketch of Reynolds and a fine afterword. Four stars rather than four because the book was just a little too long. It is a shame that Reynolds, once THE bestselling author in Victorian England has been all but forgotten.

Of humorous interest is the fact that Reynolds apparently loved the word "beauteous." It appears in this book more times than the reader can shake a stick at.