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Symphony for the Devil
It's been eight months since the events of Blackmoore, and now Trevor Blackmoore, Braxton Volaverunt, Cheri Hannifin, and Braxton's best friend J.T. Oliver are embarking on a new chapter of their lives in the great northwest metropolis of Seattle. Trevor and Cheri are beginning their freshman year at the University of Washington, and Braxton and J.T.'s band are heading into the studio to complete their first album with Arcadia Records. Kathryn Blackmoore, Trevor's mother, and the seductive stone fox of the family and president of Blackmoore World Corp. is finding uneasy freedom as a woman in her late forties finally free of the curse of the Blackmoores and rediscovering what it means to be a woman finally without obligation to anyone but herself.
Now fully aware of their shared lineage and the growing threat of the Dark God of the Wood-whose name has been lost to time-and the faithful human and supernatural disciples who are poised to attack, the two young men find that their love-which is bound in blood and prophecy-is the only thing they have to rely on to keep them safe.
As Trevor and Braxton exit Bellingham, leaving the ruins of the Volaverunt home in their wake, two other Blackmoores fill their place. Francesca Blackmoore, the beautiful and exotic cousin from Italy, who stayed behind after the chaos and terror of Christmas Eve, and Mary-Margaret Blackmoore from Ireland, an accomplished and world renowned solo violinist who has come to Bellingham to teach Music Theory at Fairhaven University and who reluctantly takes up residence with her cousin and Trevor's great aunt Mabel Blackmoore-also known as Queen Mab-who resides in her great Victorian mansion with the youthful and mysterious violin playing spirit Michael Donovan.
A tapestry of deceit, family loyalties, tragic love, and lives lost too soon begins to unfold as two newcomers enter Trevor and Mary-Margaret's lives. When the tight-knit clan of witches is struck with a terrible and inexplicable tragedy, Mary-Margaret is pulled deeper and deeper into the hypnotic world of the sullen but loyal ghost Michael Donovan-revealing the key to the very plot that may destroy them all.
Spanning more than a hundred years, Symphony for the Devil goes from present to past and back again, revealing new truths and pulling back the earth to expose the great roots of the Blackmoores and their world, and we learn that it's not just one tree, but a great forest-a forest that has only just begun to reveal all that's hidden within its shadows.
Now fully aware of their shared lineage and the growing threat of the Dark God of the Wood-whose name has been lost to time-and the faithful human and supernatural disciples who are poised to attack, the two young men find that their love-which is bound in blood and prophecy-is the only thing they have to rely on to keep them safe.
As Trevor and Braxton exit Bellingham, leaving the ruins of the Volaverunt home in their wake, two other Blackmoores fill their place. Francesca Blackmoore, the beautiful and exotic cousin from Italy, who stayed behind after the chaos and terror of Christmas Eve, and Mary-Margaret Blackmoore from Ireland, an accomplished and world renowned solo violinist who has come to Bellingham to teach Music Theory at Fairhaven University and who reluctantly takes up residence with her cousin and Trevor's great aunt Mabel Blackmoore-also known as Queen Mab-who resides in her great Victorian mansion with the youthful and mysterious violin playing spirit Michael Donovan.
A tapestry of deceit, family loyalties, tragic love, and lives lost too soon begins to unfold as two newcomers enter Trevor and Mary-Margaret's lives. When the tight-knit clan of witches is struck with a terrible and inexplicable tragedy, Mary-Margaret is pulled deeper and deeper into the hypnotic world of the sullen but loyal ghost Michael Donovan-revealing the key to the very plot that may destroy them all.
Spanning more than a hundred years, Symphony for the Devil goes from present to past and back again, revealing new truths and pulling back the earth to expose the great roots of the Blackmoores and their world, and we learn that it's not just one tree, but a great forest-a forest that has only just begun to reveal all that's hidden within its shadows.
641 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 24, 2017
4 people want to read
About the author
Marcus James
25 books11 followers“Some writers have great ideas but fail with the delivery. That is not the case for our author. He has developed his craft and whittled it to perfection”-Wesley Thomas, bestselling author of Nightmare Fuel.
Marcus James is the author of nine novels, including the award-winning Blackmoore Legacy series of books and the 2020 International Book Awards Finalist, Ghosts of Blood and Bone. He is an avid devourer of food, drinks, and horror films, along with every book that catches his eye. He lives in the Pacific Northwest. He is 37 years old.
Marcus James is the author of nine novels, including the award-winning Blackmoore Legacy series of books and the 2020 International Book Awards Finalist, Ghosts of Blood and Bone. He is an avid devourer of food, drinks, and horror films, along with every book that catches his eye. He lives in the Pacific Northwest. He is 37 years old.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
March 4, 2017
Marcus James is back to thrill us all over again. With a gift for storytelling and a passion that bleeds into every page, he brings us more words of wonder and excitement.
Continuing on from the Blackmoore saga, we dive further into the characters, as well as be introduced to some new ones. The author doesn’t skimp when it comes to characterizations. These ‘characters’ could just as easily be real people that we know and love. He pours life and vulnerability and history into every person that graces the story. He gives us everything we could possibly want from a novel, not just in terms of the characters he crafts, but the tales he tells. He really cares about what the reader wants.
Eight months after the events of Blackmoore, Trevor and co are now residing in Seattle, some are continuing their education, while others are making their first studio album. Exciting times! But wait, things go downhill rather quickly as the story unfolds.
Aware of a threat they face, two men discover that their love is the only thing that can keep them safe from the dark forces that wish them harm.
Trevor and Braxton leave Bellingham, and are replaced by two other Blackmoores.
This tale will leave you breathless, it bundles together so many parts of life. It deals with a rather tragic love story, betrayal, death, bravery, witchcraft, and much more.
This novel is one of a kind and stands out from the crowd. Marcus has done a terrific job of bringing us an original story that extends from Blackmoore.
I adored this novel, and without giving too much away, the ending will blow your mind. You’ll delve deeper into every aspect of this story - past and present - than you ever anticipated. You’ll be terrified and unsettled, yet be craving to read more.
The author has a way of hooking you in. You’ll be spellbound by this novel, unable to eat, sleep, or think about anything other than this book.
A thrilling journey with ups and downs, posing important issues of what family means, and how far you’ll go for love.
A love story, a tense tale, twists and turns, all wrapped into marvelous writing and with a fast pace. Yeah, you’ll adore this book. But a word of warning, it’s not always going to be an easy read. There are emotional moments, unsettling moments, and downright creepy moments.
But regardless, you’ll still be itching to read on and on. You’ll be stuck in that bookworm dilemma that few genuinely gifted authors inflict upon hardcore readers. You’ll want to keep reading and reading, yet you won’t want the story to end.
Breathless. Sensational. Riveting. Unnerving. Compelling. A page-turner if there ever was one!
Continuing on from the Blackmoore saga, we dive further into the characters, as well as be introduced to some new ones. The author doesn’t skimp when it comes to characterizations. These ‘characters’ could just as easily be real people that we know and love. He pours life and vulnerability and history into every person that graces the story. He gives us everything we could possibly want from a novel, not just in terms of the characters he crafts, but the tales he tells. He really cares about what the reader wants.
Eight months after the events of Blackmoore, Trevor and co are now residing in Seattle, some are continuing their education, while others are making their first studio album. Exciting times! But wait, things go downhill rather quickly as the story unfolds.
Aware of a threat they face, two men discover that their love is the only thing that can keep them safe from the dark forces that wish them harm.
Trevor and Braxton leave Bellingham, and are replaced by two other Blackmoores.
This tale will leave you breathless, it bundles together so many parts of life. It deals with a rather tragic love story, betrayal, death, bravery, witchcraft, and much more.
This novel is one of a kind and stands out from the crowd. Marcus has done a terrific job of bringing us an original story that extends from Blackmoore.
I adored this novel, and without giving too much away, the ending will blow your mind. You’ll delve deeper into every aspect of this story - past and present - than you ever anticipated. You’ll be terrified and unsettled, yet be craving to read more.
The author has a way of hooking you in. You’ll be spellbound by this novel, unable to eat, sleep, or think about anything other than this book.
A thrilling journey with ups and downs, posing important issues of what family means, and how far you’ll go for love.
A love story, a tense tale, twists and turns, all wrapped into marvelous writing and with a fast pace. Yeah, you’ll adore this book. But a word of warning, it’s not always going to be an easy read. There are emotional moments, unsettling moments, and downright creepy moments.
But regardless, you’ll still be itching to read on and on. You’ll be stuck in that bookworm dilemma that few genuinely gifted authors inflict upon hardcore readers. You’ll want to keep reading and reading, yet you won’t want the story to end.
Breathless. Sensational. Riveting. Unnerving. Compelling. A page-turner if there ever was one!
May 12, 2017
What a great read! Loved every page. I look forward to seeing what the Blackmoore's are up to next!
September 19, 2024
There's just something about a gothic witch family that just hits, especially in the spooky season.
April 26, 2017
**This book was reviewed for Manhattan Book Review**
*Explicit sexual situations*
Storythreads spanning generations, and eras, come together in this neo-gothic work by Marcus James. Symphony for the Devil is a novel of the mysterious, the supernatural, and the wondrous, both magickal and mundane. It is a tale of lasting legacy, and a cursed family. At present, the Blackmoore family curse is held abay, but proper homage must be paid. This is the second book in the Blackmoore Legacy series, and I would recommend reading them in order!
This tale revolves around several of the Blackmoore clan. There are Trevor and Braxton, far-distant cousins, and lovers. There is Mary-Margaret, another distant cousin, come from Ireland to go to university in the States. She is staying with Mabel, another of the clan, in a grand old home. Mary-Margaret is quite out of touch with her extended family's views on their gifts. She is blindly religious, and steps on many toes by condemning the gift, and Trevor and Braxton’s relationship. There is Kathryn and Francesca, working to improve the family standing and fortunes. And there is Michael Donovan, the spectral violinist.
This is a long novel, with lots going on. I particularly liked Donovan's storythread. Violins enchant me, as do those who play them. I admit, it was the cover that drew my attention to this work, precisely because of the violin. But the cover works well for the story as a whole.
James does a masterful job of keeping the threads together in the complex storyweaving. I loved the themes of tolerance throughout, and the not-so-subtle chastisement of organised religion’s persecution of things 'different’. Kathryn had a great point with the quote:
“God is not the church, and you cannot find him in there. God is in each and every single one of us, and if you believe that God is perfect, and that God doesn’t make mistakes, then you have to believe that each and every single person on this planet is exactly how God planned them to be.”
I love that quote, and feel its truth.
Another proofing would not be amiss, and a bit more showing vs telling is recommended. There is a lot of narrative vs dialogue here, and a lot of description, which is good, though sometimes it felt stifling to the story. Great amounts of narrative makes sense, as a descendent of the same lineage that gave us such classics as Bram Stoker’s Dracula, and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. Also, lotta use of pronouns, though I was able to suss out who was speaking/ being referred to, etc. I look forward to seeing James’ continue to grow as an author!
🎻🎻🎻🎻 Recommended. So reminded me of Grimm and Sleepy Hollow. The shows, that is. And Supernatural.
*Explicit sexual situations*
Storythreads spanning generations, and eras, come together in this neo-gothic work by Marcus James. Symphony for the Devil is a novel of the mysterious, the supernatural, and the wondrous, both magickal and mundane. It is a tale of lasting legacy, and a cursed family. At present, the Blackmoore family curse is held abay, but proper homage must be paid. This is the second book in the Blackmoore Legacy series, and I would recommend reading them in order!
This tale revolves around several of the Blackmoore clan. There are Trevor and Braxton, far-distant cousins, and lovers. There is Mary-Margaret, another distant cousin, come from Ireland to go to university in the States. She is staying with Mabel, another of the clan, in a grand old home. Mary-Margaret is quite out of touch with her extended family's views on their gifts. She is blindly religious, and steps on many toes by condemning the gift, and Trevor and Braxton’s relationship. There is Kathryn and Francesca, working to improve the family standing and fortunes. And there is Michael Donovan, the spectral violinist.
This is a long novel, with lots going on. I particularly liked Donovan's storythread. Violins enchant me, as do those who play them. I admit, it was the cover that drew my attention to this work, precisely because of the violin. But the cover works well for the story as a whole.
James does a masterful job of keeping the threads together in the complex storyweaving. I loved the themes of tolerance throughout, and the not-so-subtle chastisement of organised religion’s persecution of things 'different’. Kathryn had a great point with the quote:
“God is not the church, and you cannot find him in there. God is in each and every single one of us, and if you believe that God is perfect, and that God doesn’t make mistakes, then you have to believe that each and every single person on this planet is exactly how God planned them to be.”
I love that quote, and feel its truth.
Another proofing would not be amiss, and a bit more showing vs telling is recommended. There is a lot of narrative vs dialogue here, and a lot of description, which is good, though sometimes it felt stifling to the story. Great amounts of narrative makes sense, as a descendent of the same lineage that gave us such classics as Bram Stoker’s Dracula, and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. Also, lotta use of pronouns, though I was able to suss out who was speaking/ being referred to, etc. I look forward to seeing James’ continue to grow as an author!
🎻🎻🎻🎻 Recommended. So reminded me of Grimm and Sleepy Hollow. The shows, that is. And Supernatural.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews