Title: The Book of Shadows
Author: James Reese
Publisher: Harper Collins Date: Dec. 2002
I read this a few years ago and the lush imagery of this author's settings and character descriptions still haunts me. James Reese is a *master* of describing such things. It may sound a little odd of me, a Tolkeine-phile, to place such a title upon an author other then my favorite, but Mr. Reese well deserves it.
The Book of Shadows is the first of apparently a series about a young hermaphrodite witch called Herculine. The story of Herculine is described with elegant detail and fine craftsmanship. A highly readable work that drops the reader into a 17/18th century world of sensual horror and burgeoning madness. Some folks have compared Mr. Reese's work to Anne Rice's or Laurell K. Hamilton's. I think it would be better to compare it to Jacqueline Carey's luminous and yet dark novels of sensuality, betrayal, and violence.
I highly recommend this book. If you're looking for actual information about witchcraft, forget it. If you're looking for an amazingly good read, however, that can just suck you in for hours, pick this book up. It's well worth it.
Originally Published: 2/22/2007
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