The Bone Curse

Title: The Bone Curse
Author: Carrie Rubin
Genre: Thriller, Supernatural, Medical
Source: eBook via Netgalley
Rating: 3 out of 5

While in the catacombs in Paris, med student Ben Oris gets cut by a old bone .  His friend Laurette feels there is danger and evil lingering in his blood because the wound will not heal.  She believes he is cursed.  Ben scoffs at the idea of a curse and heads home to resume his life as normal.  When people in his life are suddenly falling gravely, terminally ill Ben begins to wonder if there is some truth to Laurette's fears.  He agrees to meet with Laurette's friends and family who practice Vodu (not to be confused with Vodoo) to find a cure for the disease he unwittingly has unleashed.  All the while he must fend off a dark priest who wants to use Ben's blood for his own evil purposes.

I will start this off with that I received this novel from Netgalley for an honest review.  That being said the cover and synopsis drew me into the story.  The occult is something that I find interesting and fascinating  and Carrie Rubin does a good job at bringing it alive in her novel.  You honestly don't know what you are getting into when you begin this book.

What i liked about this book is that it dealt with something a little different from somethings I have read in the past.  When Voodoo is mentioned in novels is portrayed in a specific way, Carrie Rubin does it differently and makes it a point to have Laurette express the difference between Voodoo and Vodou and the spiritual aspect of it.  When Laurette expressed her fears about the curse, the reader feels that fears. I found it interesting that it seemed the book was portraying the idea that the search of knowledge does not being with what you do or don't know but what you are willing to accept.  Until Ben was willing to accept the idea of a curse and Vodou was he able to appropriately begin his search for answers.

The story takes a little while to develop as it takes a while for Ben to come to terms with the idea of the occult and the possibility that curses exist.  Carrie Rubin does a great job at bringing his skeptism alive as he searches for medical answers to why his cut won't heal, or why people in his life are conveniently become ill with a mysterious disease.  The characters are interesting enough, but I am not sure if there is much character development within them.  They appear to be somewhat of one dimensional, but then again the focus of the novel is on the curse not so much the characters themselves.  Almost as if the curse itself was a character.  

It is one of those books that pulls you into the story and makes you wonder where the story is headed and what roles certain elements will play later in the novel. If you are looking for something a little different than the normal, something that goes outside the typical subject of the occult then pick this book up.  If you enjoy medical thrillers, then give this one a shot.

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.