The Old Power Returns

Darksome Thirst #2

by Morven Westfield

Having solved the mystery of the paranormal stranger in Darksome Thirst , Alicia Anderson decides to learn more about this world she never knew existed by joining Matricaria's coven. Little did she know that she'd need every skill she learned.

Genres: Witchcraft, Vampires

320 pages, Paperback

First published June 17, 2007

About the author

Author of two novels (Darksome Thirst and The Old Power Returns), producer of a podcast called "Vampires, Witches, and Geeks" (now in hiatus), Morven has also written for a number of non-fiction publications including The Witches Almanac.

Set in the late 1970s in the town of Danforth, Massachusetts (a thinly disguised Framingham) amid burgeoning high tech, her novels feature a coven of witches and a computer professional who together try to solve the mystery of the man who appears to be, unbelievably, a vampire.

Morven is a member of Broad Universe, the Horror Writers Association (HWA), and New England Horror Writers.

Reviews

[Claudia · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you have questions about modern day Wicca, this book will tell you everything you want to know, including some things you think are secret. Doing that within the dialogue was a little off putting. People don't usually converse in lecture or essay form. The constant reminder that Wicca is all white and positive and absolutely sparkly irritated me. Most people who explore the Craft do so for other reasons than to find a place to volunteer. They do it because they want more personal power. Witches working at the co-op isn't nearly as much fun as witches who have baby corpses hanging in the basement next to their wintering geraniums. Malodorous claims over and over that they don't proselytize or troll for converts while putting an ad in the local paper trolling for converts. It was just too confusing. Their claim to always follow the Rede-do no harm- is like Christians who claim to never break a commandment. The dark part of the Craft is much more mesmerizing. The book is a slow read. Not much happens until the end and then it falls short of being horror. It's more supernatural fantasy in my opinion. It also needed some editing. A full page of dialogue consisting of who wants beer with pizza and who wants wine could have been summed up in a couple of sentences or left out entirely.

Bram Stoker drew from European legend to establish the parameters of what a vampire could and could not do. Ann Rice expanded on those folk tales and released her vampire, Lestat from some of the chains of classic vampirism. Westfield can't make up her mind whether her vampire is old school or new. Wesley can enter a room without anyone seeing him but he has to travel with a coffin filled with dirt on a train, while Frederick sleeps wherever he wants to. He can only come out at night but he plays basketball and bowls. They both eat steak and have sex but can't seem to figure out how to get themselves a proper place to live.

The witches are all goodness and light and walk two inches off the ground. They are princess witches. Alicia is afraid of her shadow but approaches a coven to answer questions about her nervousness? In the end they are absolved of personal responsibility when a magical sword kills the vampire kitty. I would have been happier if they had doused the vampire with gasoline and lit him on fire with a burning stake to the heart.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in eastern Massachusetts, this takes place in the 1980s computer industry. Alicia is a young woman who recently fought a vampire named Wesley at a high-tech company. She had help from a modern-day witch named Matricaria (by day, she is a fellow computer named Meg). Wesley died in a major explosion at the company. Or did he?

In this book, Alicia and Meg are at a new employer. Meg has become part of a coven, and both she and Alicia still feel that same ancient, evil hunger, like something, or someone, is coming for them. Perhaps Wesley is still alive, or it could be Frederick, a recently living person, now a vampire, now living in the same town. He patrols Route 9, the main thoroughfare through town, needing a constant supply of, preferably female, blood. His victims don’t turn into vampires, but they have no memory of their encounter with him.

Because of their past dealings with Wesley, the coven doesn’t hesitate to take steps to prepare for whatever is coming. They prepare a number of spells and protections. Alicia is at the center of all this, and has become a sort of junior member of the coven, so she is taught some wiccan methods of protection.

This is a rather “quiet” novel, but a really good novel. The author certainly knows her way around Wicca; this is almost more of a Wiccan novel than a vampire novel. For the squeamish, this is not a very bloody novel. It is very much worth reading.