ISBN: 0-312-85608-3 Order from: Amazon.com
A borderline horror novel with an unconvincing villain, hazy but effective black sorcery, too much foreshadowing, and a few red-shirts.
Reviewed by David on January 10, 1999
Genre: Fantasy (Voodoo)
Synopsis: Years ago, when Shane LaFitte, a vodoun priest from Haiti, tried to stop his former friend Arnez from delving into the blackest of sorceries, a terrible tragedy resulted. Now, as Arnez's plan to gain the ultimate power using a mass human sacrifice nears completion, the desperate Shane, and a few unsuspecting bystanders are all that stand between New Orleans and unspeakable horrors. However, before engaging Arnez and his criminal and magical allies, Shane must first convince the others that he is not a psychotic criminal.
Full Review: The first part of the book tells the story of Shane LaFitte, using rather clumsy foreshadowing. Most of the book describes a handful of inhabitants of New Orleans, all in some way affected by the dark influence of Arnez, now a crime lord. Despite the use of Voodoo, and several other African-Caribbean cults, the book lacks color and conviction. While not reaching the over-saturation of the New Orleans Gothic style of modern horror, the book falls short in being rather superficial in both style and characterization. It is difficult to care deeply about any of the characters as the viewpoint shifts every few pages. The exotic rituals and magic come off as flat as pop-magazine descriptions.
The villain of the piece suffers from being too dark: he is a cipher whose only passions are the accumulation of power and his cruelty. His occasional ranting on the power and his own ability do not provide insight into his motivation or ultimate goals. It is difficult to imagine the black sorcerer as a former friend of the hero Shane.
This book falls short in several areas and provides little entertainment value.
Overall: 4; Plot: 4; Characters: 4.5; Style: 4; World-building: 4; Originality: 4;
Copyright date 1998, Tom Doherty Associates (Tor), March 1998, Cloth
ISBN: 0-312-85608-3 Order from: Amazon.com