Post by Absinthe on Nov 10, 2013 11:51:38 GMT -6
Passion rules the heart and terror rules the night¡
South Carolina, 1788. The African beauty emerging from his family crypt is a stranger to Julian Mouret, the refined owner of Lion¡¯s Court plantation. A dancer and a mystery, she spins a strange, dark, and impossible tale of peril and flight. Though he fears she must surely be mad, the handsome slave owner is soon himself a slave, lost to the seductions of this enchantress called Anika and determined to lead her North to safety.
But there can be no safe haven for Julian or the exquisite Gullah girl who has bewitched him, not while monsters roam the night. A series of horrifying mutilation murders screams of the presence of ¡°plat-eyes¡±¡ªshape-shifting blood-sucking supernatural creatures feeding at will on the plantation workers¡ªand only Anika can end the rampage. But to face the vampire horde she will have to master the darkness within. And the price of victory in the battle ahead may well be the eternal soul of the man she is coming to love.
Wow what a ride, Naima Haviland’s The Bad Death takes you way down South…..all they way to hell. Percieved as a prologue to Bloodroom (my review here) we find Julian Mouret presiding as young master over Lion’s Court, a prosperous rice plantation in South Carolina. Not all is as it seems however, there is a strange plague infecting the residents and the slaves. One young female slave, Anika is privy to the bitter truth of this rampant illness which ultimately ends in The Bad Death. Anika is torn between two men, Julian and Marcus and she is determined to save them both. Not only does she make Buffy look like a novice in training, she recieves help from a ‘hag’ (Natalie) who is riding her. Natalie’s influence is pivotal to the story, so I recommend reading Bloodroom first. I can’t help but adore Julian in this story, where he was seductive and somewhat evil in Bloodroom, here he is vulnerable and naive to a point, ruled by his passion and belief in science over superstition.
There are a cast of interesting characters you will meet, each of them will touch you in their own way, Pallas, Anika’s best friend who will cause Anika to question her ability to overcome evil. Tumba, her shaman uncle who has unimaginable power over the dead. Risa, a dear friend who cares for the victims and Marcus, Julian’s rival for Anika’s passion. Julian’s mother, Elizabeth is a force to be reckoned with and exhibits the true character and strength of the Southern woman. She made me proud to be from the South.
The Bad Death is not just a tale of horror, it is a study in the deep South’s slave culture (Gullah) of the late 1700′s. Naima has done extensive research and takes the reader to places we would never dare tread alone. At first it was a little difficult to follow as the slaves intermix their speech with their native dialect, but there is a dictionary to refer to and before long I was following every word. It is not often you can read a work of fiction and learn so much. I love Naimia’s style of writing. She has the ability to make a story come alive. I give The Bad Death 4.5 stars only because it is not for everyone. If you want a quick horror fix, this is not for you, but if you are ready to sit down and lose yourself in a true horror novel, get lost in The Bad Death, it rivals the classics.
South Carolina, 1788. The African beauty emerging from his family crypt is a stranger to Julian Mouret, the refined owner of Lion¡¯s Court plantation. A dancer and a mystery, she spins a strange, dark, and impossible tale of peril and flight. Though he fears she must surely be mad, the handsome slave owner is soon himself a slave, lost to the seductions of this enchantress called Anika and determined to lead her North to safety.
But there can be no safe haven for Julian or the exquisite Gullah girl who has bewitched him, not while monsters roam the night. A series of horrifying mutilation murders screams of the presence of ¡°plat-eyes¡±¡ªshape-shifting blood-sucking supernatural creatures feeding at will on the plantation workers¡ªand only Anika can end the rampage. But to face the vampire horde she will have to master the darkness within. And the price of victory in the battle ahead may well be the eternal soul of the man she is coming to love.
Wow what a ride, Naima Haviland’s The Bad Death takes you way down South…..all they way to hell. Percieved as a prologue to Bloodroom (my review here) we find Julian Mouret presiding as young master over Lion’s Court, a prosperous rice plantation in South Carolina. Not all is as it seems however, there is a strange plague infecting the residents and the slaves. One young female slave, Anika is privy to the bitter truth of this rampant illness which ultimately ends in The Bad Death. Anika is torn between two men, Julian and Marcus and she is determined to save them both. Not only does she make Buffy look like a novice in training, she recieves help from a ‘hag’ (Natalie) who is riding her. Natalie’s influence is pivotal to the story, so I recommend reading Bloodroom first. I can’t help but adore Julian in this story, where he was seductive and somewhat evil in Bloodroom, here he is vulnerable and naive to a point, ruled by his passion and belief in science over superstition.
There are a cast of interesting characters you will meet, each of them will touch you in their own way, Pallas, Anika’s best friend who will cause Anika to question her ability to overcome evil. Tumba, her shaman uncle who has unimaginable power over the dead. Risa, a dear friend who cares for the victims and Marcus, Julian’s rival for Anika’s passion. Julian’s mother, Elizabeth is a force to be reckoned with and exhibits the true character and strength of the Southern woman. She made me proud to be from the South.
The Bad Death is not just a tale of horror, it is a study in the deep South’s slave culture (Gullah) of the late 1700′s. Naima has done extensive research and takes the reader to places we would never dare tread alone. At first it was a little difficult to follow as the slaves intermix their speech with their native dialect, but there is a dictionary to refer to and before long I was following every word. It is not often you can read a work of fiction and learn so much. I love Naimia’s style of writing. She has the ability to make a story come alive. I give The Bad Death 4.5 stars only because it is not for everyone. If you want a quick horror fix, this is not for you, but if you are ready to sit down and lose yourself in a true horror novel, get lost in The Bad Death, it rivals the classics.
Attachments:
