Consumed

by Justin Alcala

Sergeant Nathaniel Brannick is trapped in Victorian London during a period of disease, crime, and insatiable vices. One night, Brannick returns from work to find an eerie messenger in his flat who warns him of dark things to come.

When his next case involves a victim who suffered from consumption, he uncovers clues that lead him to believe the messenger's warning. Despite his incredulity, he can’t help but wonder if the practical man he once was has been altered by an investigation encompassed in the paranormal. That is, until he meets the witch hunters, and everything takes a turn for the worse.

* * *

'Suspense builds all the way from the first page to the last page of Justin Alcala's CONSUMED. And a Victorian Britain backdrop enriches the story even more by creating a lively setting--a setting that will remained burned in readers' minds long after they finish the book. Readers will not be disappointed by this captivating novel, and I look forward to reading future works by the author.' - Chris Bedell, Burning Bridges

Genres: Fantasy, Horror, Mystery

258 pages, Paperback

First published September 11, 2014

About the author

Justin Alcala is a novelist, nerdologist and Speculative Literature Foundation Award Finalist. He’s the author of four novels including Consumed, (BLK Dog Publishing) The Devil in the Wide City (Solstice Publishing) Dim Fairy Tales (AllThingsThatMatterPress) and A Dead End Job (The Parliament House). His short stories have been featured in dozens of magazines and anthologies, including It Snows Here (Power Loss Anthology),The Offering (Rogue Planet Press Magazine) and The Lantern Quietly Screams (Castabout Literature). When he’s not burning out his retinas in front of a computer, Justin is a tabletop gamer, blogger, folklore enthusiast and time traveler. He is an avid quester of anything righteous, from fighting dragons to acquiring magical breakfast eggs from the impregnable grocery fortress.

Most of Justin’s tales and characters take place in The Plenty Dreadful universe, a deranged supernatural version of the modern world. When writing, Justin immerses himself in subject matter, from stuffy research to overseas travel. Much to the chagrin of his family, he often locks himself away in his office-dungeon, playing themed music over, and over, and over again. Justin currently resides with his dark queen, Mallory, their malevolent daughter, Lily, changeling son, Ronan, hellcat, Misery and hound of Ragnarök, Fenrir. Where his mind might be though is anyone’s guess.

Reviews

[Chris Baum · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sherlock Holmes-esque...This story was so multifaceted with character and plot development. It's many unexpected twists and turns made me devour it page by page. I could certainly see this becoming a film adaptation in the future--hopefully in the not too distant. I also read "A Forest Only Whispers" by this author, and I'll be reading other works by him; of this I'm certain!

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Detective Sergeant Nathaniel Brannick is a tortured soul with an unusual supernatural power: the ability to touch a dead body and see the last moments of the person’s life. A nice trick for a crime-solving detective, particularly in late 19th Century London, where modern forensics techniques are not an option. Brannick’s life at the start of the story is sad, as he deals with the recent death of his wife from Tuberculosis (Consumption), and his own illness that figures to end his life painfully in the near future. To cope with the pain of her final days, Brannick secured illegal opium for his wife, and now he partakes nightly in smoking the “tar” in order to ease his own pain and escape from his own anguish. Not a traditional hero.

The story provides an explanation for Brannick’s unusual post-death visions as he meets a pair of witch-hunters who are tracking an evil demon. The demon is never identified as a “vampire,” but the offspring of Vlad from Romania, whose victims drink human blood and have super-human abilities, certainly fit the bill. There is even a reference to Renfield, the escapee from an insane asylum, although the character is not developed or used. The Dracula references are, however, unmistakable. Brannick is visited by spirits, his dreams are haunted by visions, and he has actual battles with the undead. Beware the cemetery at night!

There is action, blood, betrayal, a tinge of romance, and a puzzle to be solved all woven together through the lens of Victorian England. The writer presents three different first-person narrators to recount the story, which creates a bit of confusion but creates a very personal story. The language of the book also re-creates Victorian England with an Arthur Conan Doyle feel filled with rich similes and detailed descriptions. You can smell the horse manure. Even if you don’t love the paranormal/fantasy story line, the texture of the prose makes the story compelling.

There are a few hiccups in the plot, and unfortunately the text is sprinkled with far too many copy-editing errors, which distract. The baseline plot is a fairly conventional vampire yarn, with the unique addition of the brother/sister demon-hunters. There are several plot threads that get lost, or are simply never relevant, but in the end the core story is compelling.

For fans of period writing, fans of vampire stories, and readers looking for an unconventional hero, this book will be satisfying and worth reading.

[Wanda Adams · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a whirlwind. When I first began reading it, I thought it was going to be about the consumption epidemic in London in the 1800s. Little did I know that it would take me on a journey to the Nosferatu and the world of vampires and vampire hunting.

London police detective Nathaniel Brannick and his partner James Davis are investigating a murder--or are they? A certain Miss Jacqueline McCann died, but was it murder? She had consumption, like so many people in London at the time, but did something or someone speed her death? What shadowy figure was seen in her flat just before she died? And was a brother-and-sister team from Transylvania involved?

Brannick's wife Catherine had recently died from consumption, and Brannick himself is afflicted with the disease. He attempts to hide this fact from not only his partner but everyone else on the police force for fear of losing his job.

As they search for clues in the potential murder/death, Brannick and Davis stumble upon many clues and unexplained instances, some of which send them down frightening paths, some of which send them down dead ends. They become involved in occult occurrences, and Brannick begins to understand more about himself than about the crime he's investigating.

Although the book contains many clues that the reader may pick up throughout the text, it also throws in a number of monkey wrenches to Brannick's story that may surprise readers in unexpected ways.

I enjoyed this book for many reasons. The writing is solid and descriptive but not complex. The author takes some unbelievable situations and explains them well. However, it's told in first-person voice, and the person who's telling the story changes without warning. Brannick is the predominant narrator, but sometimes it's someone else, and it took me a little while to figure that out.

The author also switches referring to some of the people in the book by his/her last name then by first name. For example, he refers to his partner as "Davis" in one paragraph and "James" in the next. I would have preferred one or the other. The book also contains some minor typos and punctuation issues, but those did not impair my overall enjoyment of the book.

I would particularly recommend this book to people who enjoy science fiction and/or fantasy.

[Kate Campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was incredibly excited to start reading ‘Consumed’ by Justin Alcala, and I can say without hesitation that I was not disappointed. It’s a book so descriptive and well written that you honestly feel as if you are walking the streets of Victorian London alongside the protagonist Nathaniel Brannick. From the very first page Alcala draws you back with a firm hand, to the dust and dirt of the lower class slums of London during the Victorian period. The settings are dark and ominous and you instantly feel the soot and grime settling on you as you walk alongside the characters.

The main criticism I have for 'Consumed’ was that it ended too quickly. Which in all fairness is more of a compliment. I honestly didn’t want this book to end, I would have been happy with it being much longer. In many respects this is a sign of a really good book. I sincerely hope that the author is considering writing a sequel, I think that the world Alcala has created has an awful lot more to give. I for one, am keeping my fingers crossed.

[Andrea Roche · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing, a triumph in it's execution.

This tale takes us back to the days of consumption and the pain and sorrow it brought to 19th century England.
Perfectly written this story not only keeps you enthralled it keeps you turning it's pages until the bitter end.
A fantastic bit of vampiric lore which not only has big screen potential but in it's written form drops you right there into Justin Alcala's perfectly described world.
The characters a trimmed in realism and completely fleshed out (vampire pun intended). Every single one has a savory backstory.
Reading I went through every phase of emotion. Alcala's writing is fantastic and had me jumping at shadows and tearing up at whim.
Technically the POV switches are done masterfully, within a line I knew whose POV I was reading and gleefully dove into that characters persona.
A must read for any period vampire lover.

[Gulen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Justin Alcala buradan tanıştığım bir yazar ve ilk kitabını okuma şerefine nail oldum. Kitap ile ilgili en önemli unsur kesinlikle vampirlerin vampir gibi olması. Hepsinin über seksi, çok yakışıklı, acayip sevilesi, aslında çok iyi varlıklar olarak betimlendiği günümüzde, eski usul korkulası ve tiksinilesi varlıklar olarak anlatılması hoşuma gitti. Kitap bir vampir kitabının olması gerektiği gibi groteskti. Bu açıdan konu güzeldi.

Ancak, belki de ilk kitap olması sebebi ile hikaye akışında boşluklar vardı, ancak bunun da olması normal. Dracula Untold döneminde iyi geldi, gözünüzü seveyim günün trendlerine kapılıp övmeyin şu Vlad Tepes'i, adam bildiğin psikopattı.

[CurleySue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite the glaring proofreading errors in this book it's worth the read. Alcala has done his due diligence when it comes to research. His tale is one we thought we knew. Plan to be surprised and entertained.

The first person narrative is not my favorite voice, but you can't help but be drawn in by his flawed yet resourceful Scotland Yard bloodhound.

Hemingway said, "There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed." Alcala has left blood on his keys with this one. All I have to say is, "what's next?"

[Richard Denham · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant and original title by Justin Alcala. I understand he has written other titles but this is the first of his I have read. First of all, and you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but the cover instantly drew me in and set me up for the sort of title I was going to read. Nathaniel Brannick makes an interesting and intriguing protagonist and the otherworld-esque Victorian Britain makes a great backdrop. I look forward to reading more by this author.

[Dean Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant book!

What a story, crafted perfectly to draw you in and keep you hooked until the final page.

Loved the tale and how it brought a new slant to the well written stories of vampires.

Highly recommended.

[Danyel Anastasiou · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great horror mystery novel. It held my interest throughout the book. I'm looking forward to the next book!

[Jacqueline Owens · Rating 4 out of 5]

Justin Alcala’s action-packed folkoric romp into an alternative and much seedier Victorian London is a worthy contribution to dark vampire tales. Nathaniel Braddick is a lost man, despite rising to the rank of Detective Sergeant in a grim and corrupt London constabulary. His beloved wife, Catherine, has recently died a lingering death from consumption, and he is drowning his heartbreak in opium to shut out the worldly sorrows all around him: epidemics of cholera and consumption that have the locals in a panic, his mounting debts and his daily grind at work dealing with a gallimaufry of lazy, mendacious, and downright nasty colleagues and superiors. As well as hiding his growing opium addiction from work, Nathan is hiding other secrets: his little understood psychic powers, an ‘echo’ that enables him to see a murder victim’s last moments if he can touch the victim’s body, or part of it, and ‘witches’ mark’ on his wrist – a birthmark of an overturned cross.

Nathan’s benighted life is disrupted by strange one-armed intruder into his rooms, who delivers a message of evil tidings, before flapping away like a crow, then the next day at work, by being given the case of a young Irish woman who died, possibly of consumption, or possibly a reason connected to the sinister foreigner who visited her rooms shortly before she was found dead. Nathan is soon combing the meanest streets of Victorian London with his fat and lascivious partner Detective Seargeant James Davis. As he gets deeper into the mire, Nathan starts to uncover a web of low-life dwellings and former crims, a devout but deadly brother and sister pair of Romanian vampire hunters, and the machinations of evil spirits getting cleverer at every corner.

Alcala’s romp into the filthier corners of the Victorian underworld, in both senses of the world, is a worthy successor to the penny dreadful style of Hammer House of Horror films, and alternative realities like The Difference Engine: it’s just a whole lot more unsavoury. Blood, guts, pus, and other suppurations are everywhere, and the level of crime is so base it would make Fagin’s hair curl. As well as Nathan’s jaundiced viewpoint, we also have segments from the POV of Vasilica and Vasile Ivanescu, the brother and sister itinerant vampire hunters driven by their Christian quest to rid the world of nosferatu one stake at a time, and more amusingly, a former infantryman, Solider, now a one-eyed, one-armed wreck using his military skills to survive.
It's a pacy read, to the point of being slightly overwhelming at times, and I would have appreciated a few more lulls to catch up with the action, and for a change in tone, and in particular more from the dryly witty voice of Soldier. I also was a bit distracted by some of the language: Alcala has clearly researched the time period well, and delivers a convincing Victorian London sunk into depravity and crime, but some of the words were slightly jarring. I am not sure that ‘b**ls**t’ was a swear word of that era, and there are inconsistent tenses and missing words which dragged me out of the action. A good proofreader or copy editor could have smoothed away some of these jarring moments.

In summary though, Alcala paints many vivid scenes and does justice to a roving cast of people with varying levels of mortal sin on their souls. It definitely kept me reading and engaged with the fate of his flawed hero, Nathan, the fallen police officer and possible vampire hunter.

I received a free copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review.

[Bruce Perrin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Suspense Drives this Historical Fantasy of Nosferatu and Necromancers

“You have to wake up from this ridiculous dream world of yours. There’s no nosferatu, necromancers, or missions from God. It’s just two crazed foreigners, a dead girl, and a pair of dim-witted detectives involved in a set of bizarre circumstances.” So said Nathan Brannick, protagonist of Consumed to one of those “crazed foreigners” about three-fourths of the way through the book. And it highlights one of the main reasons I really enjoyed the story. There are so many twists, so many paths I thought I was on but wasn’t, that for much of the story I was no more confident of my interpretation of events than Nathan was of his reality. I really enjoyed the suspense.

Underlying this tension is an intricate web of crosses and double-crosses among the forces of evil. A master tasks a slave with retrieving a source of power, but the slave decides to use that power against the master. The slave, in turn, takes an apprentice, who then plots to use that same power toward his/her own ends. And so on. It’s a fabric of evil, slowly unraveling violently as the plot advances. And then, there is the question of whether Nathan’s observations can be believed at all or are they just the product of the opium he turned to after his wife died? Perhaps his partner is the better source of fact? Can we believe the foreign witch-hunters who are apparently driven by the vision of an obsessive father? And finally, the unease is supported by a skillful mixing of history (e.g., Vlad the Impaler), folklore (e.g., Spring-heeled Jack), and fiction (everything else). It’s difficult to tell in which world you’re standing.

There are, however, a few issues that may reduce the effect of the book for any particular reader. For one, there are a number of errors in word usage and grammar. Most are minor, such as the misuse of then/than, but others may produce a bit of confusion, “… maybe he’ll at least confirm who that nutter, Mr. Feld, was why we found sitting outside the pub door.” More significantly, the story is told from the perspective of at least four different people, but these shifts come without warning. I was sometimes a couple of pages into a chapter before I figured out whose thoughts I was reading. Perhaps the author did that intentionally, but for my taste, the technique is more confusing than suspenseful.

While the shifts in point-of-view are somewhat disruptive, overall, Consumed is an exceptional read, filled with well-told, often-violent scenes of the unmasking of evil in Victorian London.

[Laurel Heidtman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Consumed is a really good paranormal story. The main character is Nathan Brannick, police detective sergeant in Victorian London, whose wife has recently died of consumption (tuberculosis). He’s also contracted the disease from her. While she was still alive, they started using opium—her for her physical pain and him for his emotional pain. He’s now an addict, but he’s keeping both it and his disease hidden from his employers and his partner.

Nathan and his partner are given the case of a woman who was at first thought to have died from consumption, but they determine she was murdered. For the first few chapters, the novel seems to be a murder mystery, except for the mention of Nathan’s “echo.” He can touch a recently murdered victim and “see” what occurred in the moments before the death. But when two new characters are introduced, the paranormal aspect of the story really takes off. They are a brother and sister from Transylvania and are hunters of supernatural creatures.

As I said, Consumed is really good, but there are problems with the execution of the story. For one thing, it needs a copyedit. I simply corrected in my mind as I read because I did enjoy the story, but it would be so much better if the many grammar and punctuation issues were addressed. Another problem is that the viewpoint changes. For the first five chapters, the story is told from Nathan’s point of view, but in chapter six it changes to the viewpoint of Vasile, the male hunter. It confused me at first, but then I figured it out. The rest of the book was the same way, bouncing from Nathan to Vasile and once to another character named Timothy. I don’t mind that and have read other books that did that, but it would help to put the character’s name at the start of the chapter to alert readers to the viewpoint change.

If it weren’t for the copyediting issues and the viewpoint changes, I would give this book a solid five stars. As it is, I can’t give it more than four.

[Nathaniel Henderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Consumption brims with snappy writing, vivid details, and time-period language that creates a visceral atmosphere.

I could feel the grit under my fingernails, smell the rancid streets, and hear the raspy voices of beggars. Characters dripped with personality and presence, reaching out from the pages to grab hold of me.

The main character, Nathaniel Brannik, is an intriguing, flawed character (and also shares my name, points for that); a detective searching for a killer, addicted to opium in his efforts to hide his own sickness. As we are pulled into the mystery of his case, we are also pulled into the mystery of who he is, and how it relates to the paranormal forces running amok in London and elsewhere.

There are twists, adventure, excitement, and battles with otherworldly monstrosities.

The parts that knocked down my rating:

1. There are noticeable issues with the copy-editing, unfortunate given the beauty of the prose—and I stress: the prose themselves are enough to give this book a shot.
2. Consumption is told in first person, but not entirely from one person. On occasion, the transition from one character to another was not entirely clear, and took a handful of pages for me to figure out who I was following.
3. Nathaniel’s story—the investigation of a murdered woman—follows a more clear, linear path, while the other character(s) come at us with a less clear background. I certainly enjoy how the author gives different characters different moods, but more context earlier on would have be helpful.

The author certainly has talent, and a powerful voice, and with a bit of editing and fleshing out of transitions, I think he’ll be a great presence in the genre going forward.

3.75/5

[Robert Williscroft · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are a hard SciFi aficionado like me, you will need to suspend your critical disbelief for the entire story. If you do, you will experience a remarkable tale that takes place in Victorian London (mostly) in a world where demons, heaven, hell, angels, and other ephemeral beings really exist, although normal people do not experience them in their daily lives. The story unfolds mostly in the first person seen through several characters’ eyes. Typically, point-of-view changes with each chapter, but you will need several paragraphs to decide which character is narrating the story.

In outline, the plot is simple. Enter brother-sister witch hunters Vasile and Vasilica Ivanescu, whose purpose becomes clear as the story progresses. Their job is killing demonic bad guys while trying to ensure a normal existence for the everyday people of London. Brannick has a peculiar gift he calls an Echo that lets him experience the last few minutes of a dead victim’s life if he can touch the victim’s skin. We follow the detectives and the witch hunters until their paths inevitably converge, merge, separate, and finally come together as part of a greater plan.

Alcala writes in a prose similar to Arthur Conan Doyle, and it fits well into his Victorian London. The book has some serious editing shortcomings, however. The author confuses I and me several times; there and their several times; here instead of her. Also, suddenly in the middle of an action scene, the author substitutes them and their for him and his. This is inexcusable in written narratives. This should have been a 5-star story, but these egregious flaws pulled it down to 3.5 that I rounded up to 4-star.

[Chris Norbury · Rating 4 out of 5]

Justin Alcala's journey into Victorian England with a vampirish detective story is a winner. He writes eloquently, intelligently, and with a voice that evokes one of my writing heroes, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Alcala's style also harkens back to 19th-century writing--florid descriptions, highly detailed settings, and clear character descriptions.

I'm not much of a reader of fantasy or paranormal fiction, so I can't speak to the quality of the vampire and necromancer angle of the plot. But the storytelling is very good. Brannick is a likeably flawed hero and his relationship with Davis, his police partner, is believable with all the semi-good-natured back and forth sniping between the two. Supporting characters play a big role in adding flavor to the story.

Like other reviewers, I noted many typos and grammar goofs that took me out of the story far too many times. I also had trouble quickly recalling who of the three narrators was talking as the story progressed, which made for some confusion. But overall, this is a book worth buying for fans of the Victorian-era detective story (with a hint of supernatural).

[Yves Fey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a lot of fun—creepy fun. The author obviously relishes his world and creates a vivid ambiance. While a lot of the tropes are familiar they are given a new spin. It’s over the top but that’s part of the fun—though it did make it less scary, if not less creepy. The characters are distinctive. The detective was too casually brutal for my taste, but otherwise interesting. I’ve only got a couple of complaints. There was a lot of telling at the end, rather like old fashioned murder mysteries where it all gets explained. I think some of the needed information could have been parceled out. And, while the writing has flair, and some of the oddities seem to fit the period, there are some really weird, even contradictory choices of verb and/or adverb—all the more weird because mostly the prose flows really well. I’m not of the throw out all adverbs school, but might inflict that absurd “rule” on this writer. There were a lot of instances of choices that literally stopped me dead to go “What?” I’m deliberately not giving examples. But, since I was in the mood to go on a vampire hunt I mostly chose to ignore this flaw and enjoyed the trip.

[Samantha Evergreen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an amazing story! First, you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but the cover but this one is so beautiful, I love the dark colors of it, it gives you a feeling of what your in for and within that cover is a story filled with ghosts and magic that keeps you reading on the edge of your seat as you turn every page. Brannick is a wonderful character and makes an interesting and intriguing protagonist to follow in the dark world of victoria Britain. If you Magical stories fulled with supernatural mystery this is the book for you. I read it in one sitting because I had to know what happens next, the author sets the scene and mood so you feel like your really there. All in all, this is a brilliant and original title by Justin Alcala. I can't wait to read his next book.

[Phillip Vega · Rating 5 out of 5]

Normally, I’m not drawn to Victorian-era novels. I’m glad I made an exception for this novel. Justin Alcala did an exceptional job building a world and luring the reader in from the beginning of his novel. The main protagonist’s, Sergeant Nathaniel Brannick, detective skills are stretched to the limit, as he delves deeper into the paranormal.

This is not your normal period-detective novel. The blend of investigative tropes and the paranormal will keep readers turning the page, as Consumed reaches its climactic conclusion. I highly recommend this brilliantly paced and written novel for anyone looking for a great paranormal mystery. Side note, do not read this in the dark! Well done, Justin Alcala. I look forward to reading your next novel.

[Julie Powell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was given a review copy of this book and I thought it was a curious mix of supernatural, paranormal and crime drama.

Set in seemingly Victorian England, a detective strives to solve macabre events whilst mourning the loss of his wife due to consumption.

Brannick faces unusual events after a visit from a 'messenger'.

This was a well-written and strange tale with characters that suited the plot and a great sense of place. I liked its oddness and shades of Sherlock Holmes.

Engaging and entertaining.

[Tracy Auerbach · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, particularly the mythology and old-fashioned monster elements. Nathan is a complex and enjoyable protagonist, and his journey was full of depth. The story itself was a bit slow to get going, and I found there were many tangents and a bit of an over-flooding of side characters and extraneous details, but the main plotline held my interest.

[Shara Godwinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. As a fan of monsters, historical settings, and crime stories, this was right up my alley. It left me with a very nostalgic feeling because it presented vampires the way that they're really supposed to be, as scary monsters. There were just so many elements in there that made me feel like this was a very genuine representation of vampires from someone who actually understands the lore of them. And I really liked the main character, Nathaniel Brannick as the detective who stumbles into the supernatural and is brought along on the ride. This story is a lot of fun to read.

[Russell Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the first page to the last Consumed will grab your attention and never let go. The story starts out as a crime thriller based on the streets of Victoria London, but it quickly turns into so much more. A fine piece of writing is underpinned by excellent research that brings a vision of a horror filled Vicorian London completely to life. In DS Nathaniel Brannick you have a central character who you scream at and cheer for in equal measure. In DS James Davis (his partner) you have a crude and often loathsome charcter who nevertheless acts as a perfect counterpoint to Brannick. Consumed is a refreshing and unique take on the Nosferatu/Vampire genre. It takes you into dark alleys and terrifying backrooms, but always keeps you hooked. A must read for any vampire lover and a great read even if you're not.

[Sarah Carter · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Everything was nearly perfect. Well, everything except for … the echo.”

Detective Sergeant Nathaniel Brannick recently lost his wife to consumption and is secretly fighting the disease himself. Then, a case comes across his desk that helps keep his mind off his pain during the day, but has him working with a partner that he can’t stand. A young woman is dead and while it appears she just passed away from consumption, too, some of the facts start pointing to a possible murder. Usually, Nathan can use his hidden talent of touching a person to see what their last memories were, but her body is buried before he can touch her. He calls this power “the echo.”
Consumed is written by a fellow BlkDog Publishing author. They are the company that published my book, The Ring. I’ve been trying to read through some of the books published by BlkDog and Consumed was next on my list.
As Nathan tries to track down who may have killed the young woman, he finds the diary of a demon hunter. Just as he starts to realize supernatural forces might be at play, he finds he’s in danger. Those hunting down innocents like the young woman are now hunting and tempting him to join them and use his power to the vampires’ advantage. He must choose between life eternally lived as a walking dead or fight evil and consumption.
I don’t read a lot of fantasy books and the last books I read with vampires was the Twilight series. I enjoyed reading Consumed for the storyline and how fast-paced the book was. I just don’t enjoy the vampire genre very much. However, lovers of fantasy and vampires will enjoy this book. The setting in Victorian London adds a lot to the book.

Read more here: https://sarahannecarter.com/consumed-...

[Steve Lindahl · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love novels with characters who change over the course of the book. The character of Detective Sergeant Nathaniel Brannick in Consumed fits that bill well. He has changed significantly prior to the start of the story, due to the long illness and death of his wife, Catherine. He continues to change as the pages turn and he is forced to respond to situations he never imagined possible. However, Consumed goes a step further. The novel itself changes. It begins as a detective novel set in nineteenth century London, with a number of similarities to the Sherlock Holmes stories, but ends reading more like Dracula. The process is a slow one with various paranormal elements added along the way. I liked this unusual style.

Brannick is a wonderful character. The depth of his love for his departed wife is clearly shown through her death's effect on his relationships with others, especially with his partner, Detective Sergeant James Davis. Davis and Brannick are friends, but they have very different work styles and personal ethics. Davis is often unfaithful to his wife, which is particularly irritating to Brannick who would give anything to have his wife back. Davis is also crude and often jumps to conclusions.

Consumed is very well written, with a good amount of attention to detail. Here's an example when Justin Alcala introduces Davis:

A pink-faced fellow with a long mustache, jolly grin and a yellowed porkpie hat bobbed his bushy brow farcically at me.

There's a lot of graphic blood and guts throughout the book, which is to be expected in both detective and vampire novels.

I recommend Consumed to people who enjoy paranormal mysteries.

[Lina Hansen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
What a great story premise. Set in the seedier side of Victorian London, the novel introduces Detective Nathanial Brannick. His wife having died from consumption, he’s given the case of a young Irishwoman who suffered from the same wasting disease that is now ravaging Brannick himself. To ease the pain, he’s consuming opium – the archetypal flawed detective. There’s more to it. Like a bloody birthmark on his wrist and an eerie gift he calls the “echo”, a gift that allows him to “see” what occurred to the recently deceased in the moments before their death. Add to that a strange emaciated dark chap popping into Brannick’s bedroom one night, and you get the beginnings of a grand tale about vampires, vampire hunters, and even ghosts. Think Sherlock Holmes, Nosferatu, and Van Helsing all rolled into one.
The story is rich, and over-opulent in its setting, bursting at the seams not with aspidistra, lace doilies, and antimacassars, but instead the sharp reek of November fog, the mud banks of the Thames, and a world where all is lost, including lives. As Brannick and his police chum plod on, the investigation spins out of control, carried across into a paranormal world that might well be born of an opium dream.
As I said, I loved the premise, enjoyed the setting – but there were so many serious punctuation and grammar issues, I kept getting bumped out of the reading experience time and time again. In addition, I see stylistic issues. The voice as such works (three cheers for somebody who can actually generate voice), but it isn’t stable, and in an effort to create the Victorian look and feel the author strays into over-descriptiveness, spikes his narrative with adverbs, and has his characters “burble”, where a simple “he said” would have done a far better job.
Plus, the novel switches perspective after the first few chapters, and that came as a big surprise. Not a pleasant one, I have to say.
So, all in all, while there is a lot to be loved about “Consumed” (and I so wanted to love it), there are also issues which prevent me from giving this the higher ranking I had in mind at the outset.

[Robyn (Bookends and Biscuits) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good romp of a story. Involving vampires, vampire hunters, police and even ghosts. The main protagonist is a policeman who has recently lost his wife to consumption and is now suffering from himself. We see him delving into a mystery about a potential murder which slowly gets more and more out of hand.
Its humorous, adventurous and fun. I would have given it a higher rating however there were a couple of editing errors e.g missing words or incorrectly spelt and the main 'murder' it's based on felt like a stretch as most of the police force think its accidental with the main character pushing on through to convince everyone its a murder, my brain maybe unduly thinks that especially in the time that its set not many police would be looking to increase the amount of murders around. However, it's a minor point and still a really fun read.

[Virginia Babcock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! Victorian England + Vampire

Follow Nathan through the nightmares of his life as he tries to survive TB and opium while doing his duty as a Scotland Yard policeman. The author does an excellent job evoking Victorian England and then takes you on a wild ride amongst the Nosferatu. Not only does the author pay homage to Bram Stoker, but we get a different perspective/take on the tale that makes it feel new. To me this book had two halves, the first a Scotland Yard mystery and the second, Renfield, Vlad, and vampire hunters, oh my! Excellent book that I had to finish ASAP.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great read.