Nevermore

Title: Nevermore

Author: David Niall Wilson

Genre: Paranormal, Suspense, Occult

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Lenore finds herself drawn to a tavern amidst a swamp, the Dismal swamp to be exact.  There she stares out the window at a specific tree; drawing.  Faces amongst the branches, one such face startles the young barmaid waiting on her.  She begins to tell Lenore the story of Thigpen an evil man who was killed the prior year.  As Lenore listens to Anita's story and continues to erase lines freeing the souls of those trapped within, Edgar is in the room next door writing when a story takes over and he writes the tale Anita is telling.  Together with Lenore, Anita, and a young boy named Tom become trapped within a tale of their own; they become pawns in a battle between good and evil, a battle against the Dismal Swamp itself.

I am a huge Edgar Allen Poe fan, especially the Raven, so much so that I have a tattoo on my calf making a reference to the writer.  So when I came across this novel and seen it included Lenore and Poe as central characters I decided, why not let's see.  This is the first book of his that I have picked up, and I have mixed feelings which seems to be happening a lot lately.  The story starts of incredibly slow, and confusing in the beginning as to what is happening and the importance of the events that are happening.  The middle part does pick up a little bit in pace in interest, but it is still a little difficult to get into.  It felt like there was a lot to the story that wasn't being told, more hidden beneath the words.

I liked the characters and personalities David gave to the characters especially Grimm.  I liked that a raven had personality and was as much a character as Poe or Lenore.  This would be great as a series as I could see Poe and Grimm acting in different capacities much like this story.  It is dark, magical, thrilling trip through time, magic, and even a little bit of love.  We see the romance between Lenore and Poe that fans may have thought about when reading "The Raven."  Which is enjoyed seeing a variation of Grimm's tale of The Raven included in this novel. 

I recommend this novel for those who like the paranormal, suspense, thriller, and magic.  Reading this book will make time disappear and make you want read more of Poe's stories with a different outlook on his tales.  I will give this a rating of 3 out of 5 stars.