Hello,
I was able to read Jessica Verday's "Of Monsters and Madness" before the book's actual publication date. My thanks to the nice folks at NetGalley.com and EgmontUSA. This book is due to be published on September 9th, 2014. A second book, "The Ballad of Annabel Lee" is scheduled to be released Fall of 2015.
From NetGalley.com: "A romantic, historical retelling of classic Gothic horror featuring Edgar Allan Poe and his character Annabel Lee, from a NewYork Times best-selling author."
"Of Monsters and Madness" begins with a very gruesome scene involving Edgar and Annabel Lee. Edgar is one of her father's two assistants, the one who helps him with his gruesome experiments. This gives us an idea of what's coming.
The main character of this book is 16 year old Annabel Lee. She lived in Siam, which is now known as Thailand, for about 10 years with her Mom. Annabel Lee's Mom dies. Before she dies she sent a letter to Annabel's father in Philadelphia. Her parents have been estranged for several years. When Annabel's Grandpere (her grandfather) received the letter he sent for Annabel and her mother. Annabel's mother died before they can travel.
Annabel was very independent and self-sufficient while living in Siam, she served as her mother's assistant. Her mother helped a doctor with his patients. She learned a lot about medicine by helping her Mom. After being self sufficient for so long she arrives in Philadelphia and is introduced to a life of luxury with her father and grandfather. She has a dressing maid, a tutor who attempts to teach her to act with proper "decorum" and they have other servants.
But she also is introduced to a house full of secrets and a city with a serial killer. At her new house in Philadelphia she sees a raven, which in Siam which is considered a bad sign. It's also a "portent of secrets being kept". There are a lot of open secrets in this house, which everyone seems to know except for Annabel Lee. But Annabel has a lot of curiousity and isn't to be turned away from finding out what's going on. She goes to nearly any end, even risking her own life, to find out what's going on.
Among the things going on are a series of murders that are happening near the area she lives. Although nearly everything says this house and the people in it are very respectable, there's a not very well hidden air of mystery and something evil going on.
Obviously Edgar and Allan are the same person, why does no one else notice that? About the halfway point I was pretty sure I knew what was going to happen in the book.
What are the experiments her Father is conducting. Why do Allan and Edgar have so much in common, but we never see them together? Does Annabel want to find out the truth. These and other questions are answered in this book.
Unfortunately the best review I can give this book is a lukewarm review. I'd give this book a C, that almost feels generous though. Although this book ends with a cliffhanger, it's not something I'm dying to find out what happens.
themusicaddict
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