Annette's Book Spot: Poe

Showing posts with label Poe. Show all posts

Monday, September 16, 2019

Book Review: The Widow of Pale Harbor by Hester Fox #TheWidowofPaleHarbor

The Widow of Pale Harbor by Hester Fox book cover and review

The Widow of Pale Harbor offers a unique blend of creepy mystery surrounded by a touching romance.

Sophronia is the widow. Everyone in the little Massachusetts town of Pale Harbor thinks she killed her husband. And that she is a witch. She has secluded herself in Castle Carver, with her maid and close companion, Helen.

Strange things begin to happen in town--witchlike things. Dead animals and such. Sophronia finds strange messages and dead ravens outside her door. Who is doing this?

Gabriel is running from his past and trying to fulfill his dead wife's wishes by becoming the pastor of a small church in Pale Harbor. When he meets Sophie, he feels an instant attraction. Sophie's gardener dies because of a weird fall, and of course, everyone in town thinks Sophie killed him. Gabriel tries to convince the townspeople that Sohpie is innocent -- of everything. But the strange incidents continue to escalate, and Sophie and Gabriel realize every event can be linked to one of Edgar Alan Poe's popular stories.

Gabriel's and Sophie's relationship begins to heat up, as Helen becomes more and more distraught. Sophie is actually leaving the house at times, which means Helen can no longer protect her. The tension builds slowly as the romance heats up. It becomes a fight for survival--and true love.

The characters are deftly described, and I was cheering on their romance (as well as their survival!) The culprit is not clear until the end, and I was surprised. The pace isn't breakneck but moved enough to keep my interest. I was pleased with how quickly I moved through The Widow of Pale Harbor. It is an average length book (which in this day of bloated behemoth books is a good thing!)

If you like a dark, mysterious drama, with a strong romantic element, The Widow of Pale Harbor is your book!

Published by Graydon House, September 17, 2019
eARC obtained from Edelweiss and NetGalley
352 pages

Rating: 4/5

Tuesday, April 9, 2019

Book Review: The Raven's Tale by Cat Winters @catwinters

The Raven's Tale by Cat Winters book cover and review

I thoroughly enjoyed Winters’ delightfully macabre tale of the life of Edgar Allan Poe, The Raven’s Tale.

Poe had a difficult upbringing. His mother, an actress, died when Poe was very young, and he was taken in by the Allans. His new mother always loved him, but life with his father became very difficult. The more Poe became interested in writing, the more his father tried to dissuade him. Poe was accepted into the University of Virginia, but because he wouldn’t give up his writing, his father threatened to not allow him to attend, and in the end, made Poe’s short stay at the University almost impossible.

Winters writes the story as if it were written by Poe. She ads a character that is Edgar’s muse, a creepy woman Edgar names Lenore, who he can’t live without. She begins to grow feathers and is evolving into a raven. 😉 His father goes so far as to try to kill her. During his tenure at the University Poe has another muse vying for his attention, a man who wants Poe to stop writing the scary stories about death and write something that would make a name for him.

It is interesting how when Lenore is around, lines from Poe’s poetry pop into his head. Makes you wonder if this is really how it happened?? The tale is deftly told and kept my interest, and I felt such compassion for Edgar and his troubled life. I haven’t even talked about his doomed love life, which is also a large part of this sad story.

Those who are interested in Poe’s life can’t go wrong with The Raven’s Tale. As you probably are aware, Poe did come to know success and some happiness eventually. Winters adds a helpful Author’s Note that adds to the information given in the book. There’s a bibliography for further reading, as well as copious notes about where every line of poetry in the book came from. Some is written by Winters herself, in the style of Poe, which is excellent. I've read all of Winters' novels and am always impressed. She's a "must read" author for me. The Raven’s Tale would be an excellent addition to any curriculum examining the works of Edgar Allan Poe.

Published by Amulet, April 16, 2019
eARC obtained from Edelweiss
368 pages

Rating: 5/5

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Book Review: The Fall by Bethany Griffin

Although The Fall starts out really slowly, the creep factor builds and the tension mounts all the way through to the end.

Madeline Usher has been trapped by the House (of Usher). She is unable to leave and the house is literally sapping the life out of her. Just as her mother and other relatives before her, she has inherited the curse of the house.

How did she get to this point? The Fall is told by Madeline from two perspectives. A young, 9 or 10 year old Madeline and a 17 to 18 year old Madeline. This flipping back and forth really dragged on. Madeline has a twin brother who was sent away to boarding school when they were 8 years old. He rarely visited, and his parents sent him away to protect him from the house. They knew that the house had chosen Madeline for the curse.

There are a a lot of creepy, macabre things that happen. Their are three doctors that live with them, first to take care of Madeline's mother, then to take care of Madeline. Everyone around her ends up disappearing or dying and she is left alone with the strange doctors.

There's a machine they've built in a room that supposedly keeps the house from knowing what they are doing. This isn't explained very well; it's a plot device that never reaches its full potential, and that is too bad. I would have liked that to be better explained.

At the end, we only get the older Madeline's POV, and that's when the story gets very tense as she is trying to keep her sanity and figure out how to escape. It just takes way too long to get to that point.

I enjoyed the writing and the descriptions and I'm glad I read The Fall. Just be warned that this one creeps along slowly before eventually grabbing you. A great choice for the Halloween season, fans of Poe, and The Fall of the House of Usher will be intrigued by this homage.

Published by Greenwillow, October 7, 2014
eARC obtained from Edelweiss
432 pages

Rating: 3.5/5

Monday, September 1, 2014

Book Review: Of Monsters and Madness by Jessica Verday

I didn't really get much of a horrified feeling from Of Monsters and Madness, but I did enjoy the book.

The main characters are Annabel Lee and Allan Poe. Sound familiar? Annabel has lived in Siam most of her life with her mother. Now that her mother passed away, she has come to Philadelphia to live with her father and grandfather. This is quite an adjustment in cultures for Annabel.

She makes good friends with her maid, and her grandfather is very kind. But, her father is grumpy most of the time and makes Annabel feel like he doesn't approve. She also meets Allan and an immediate attraction is apparent. Almost too immediate.

There are a lot of secrets in this house. And Annabel has some of her own. She meets Allan's cousin, Edgar, who also works for her father. But no one will admit he even exists. Her father has a lab in the basement, and Annabel's curiosity and interest in science compels her to investigate. There are mysterious murders happening in Philadelphia.

You can probably see where this is going. It really didn't seem that scary. Kind of a classic horror feel, a la Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, which is OK. I enjoyed the references to Poe's work. Allan reads passages from The Tell-Tale Heart, The Raven, and of course Annabel Lee to Annabel as if he's just writing them.

The ending leaves much unresolved since this is the first in a series. Of Monsters and Madness kept my attention easily. The plot moves steadily and is easy to follow. I liked it enough to want to read more in the series. Annabel is a likable character, although she frustrated me at times by making some risky decisions.

Poe fans and lovers of gothic horror will find Of Monsters and Madness very appealing.

Published by EgmontUSA, September 9, 2014
eARC obtained from Edelweiss
288 pages

Rating: 4/5