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exlibriscass's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
๐๐ฉ๐ช๐ด ๐ฆ๐ท๐ช๐ญ ๐ค๐ข๐ฏ๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ต ๐ฉ๐ช๐ฅ๐ฆ ๐ง๐ณ๐ฐ๐ฎ ๐ฎ๐ฆ. ๐๐ฐ ๐ฎ๐ข๐ต๐ต๐ฆ๐ณ ๐ธ๐ฉ๐ข๐ต ๐จ๐ถ๐ช๐ด๐ฆ ๐ช๐ต ๐ข๐ด๐ด๐ถ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ด, ๐ ๐ธ๐ช๐ญ๐ญ ๐ฃ๐ฆ ๐ธ๐ข๐ช๐ต๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ง๐ฐ๐ณ ๐ช๐ต. ๐๐ช๐ต๐ฉ ๐ข๐ฏ ๐ข๐น๐ฆ.
Lizzie Borden x Lovecraftian water horrors told through varying perspectiveโs journal entries - add some absolutely phenomenal writing and you have a recipe for an amazing book!
It definitely had a bit of a slow start but once freaky things started happening I was hooked. I loved how things were revealed overtime and the slow ramp up of the horror going from the background to the foreground. I also appreciated how fleshed out and real the different characters felt.
There obviously was a lot of divergence from the actual history of Lizzie Borden but it was a really interesting backdrop for the overall story so I donโt think that took away from my enjoyment of the novel.
badseedgirl's review
2.0
The word to best describe my reaction to Maplecroft by Cherie Priest would have to be ambivalent. I did not love it, and I could not say I hated it. I might also have used the word frustrating. Yes, I think frustrating is probably the better word.
First, the entire book was written in journal and letter form, a literary devise I find annoying unless it is done exceptionally well. At times I thinks having all the characters writing down their feelings in long, chatty journal entries or letters is a lazy way to show character development and motivation. This was really just a small annoyance to me and could have overlooked it if it was not for the other glaring problem. This novel was a 400 plus page set-up for a second book.
There were questions, after questions, after questions posed by this novel, none of which were answered by the end of the book. Characters were introduced at the beginning of the book never to be heard from for the rest book. Every journal/letter brought a new question, which would be fine if at any time a chapter ended by answering one. I was kind of annoyed at the end of the book to realize what was happening. I felt like I had been bamboozled in some way.
I will say I liked the concept of the novel. The idea of a creatures from the sea was intriguing, a sort of โmissing linkโ between the time when all life was of the sea and when creatures first crawled from that same sea. But, this is not a concept that Ms. Priest created, but is instead reminiscent of the Lovecraft Cthulhu entity. I was not particularly impressed with any of the characters. They all seemed incredibly self-possessed. That may have been a result of the journal/letter aspect of the novel. I found Emma to be particularly guilty of the self-centeredness. By the end of the novel I wanted to punch her in her whiny blood spewing mouth. But hey, that was just me.
I am not totally willing to write off this series. I will get around to reading the second book Chapelwood, but I did remove my name off the reserve list for it, so I guess I will not be doing it for a while.
2 out of 5 stars.
First, the entire book was written in journal and letter form, a literary devise I find annoying unless it is done exceptionally well. At times I thinks having all the characters writing down their feelings in long, chatty journal entries or letters is a lazy way to show character development and motivation. This was really just a small annoyance to me and could have overlooked it if it was not for the other glaring problem. This novel was a 400 plus page set-up for a second book.
There were questions, after questions, after questions posed by this novel, none of which were answered by the end of the book. Characters were introduced at the beginning of the book never to be heard from for the rest book. Every journal/letter brought a new question, which would be fine if at any time a chapter ended by answering one. I was kind of annoyed at the end of the book to realize what was happening. I felt like I had been bamboozled in some way.
I will say I liked the concept of the novel. The idea of a creatures from the sea was intriguing, a sort of โmissing linkโ between the time when all life was of the sea and when creatures first crawled from that same sea. But, this is not a concept that Ms. Priest created, but is instead reminiscent of the Lovecraft Cthulhu entity. I was not particularly impressed with any of the characters. They all seemed incredibly self-possessed. That may have been a result of the journal/letter aspect of the novel. I found Emma to be particularly guilty of the self-centeredness. By the end of the novel I wanted to punch her in her whiny blood spewing mouth. But hey, that was just me.
I am not totally willing to write off this series. I will get around to reading the second book Chapelwood, but I did remove my name off the reserve list for it, so I guess I will not be doing it for a while.
2 out of 5 stars.
being_b's review
3.0
It is possible this book is most fun for people who are more knowledgeable about Lizzie Borden than I am-- I know only the bare bones of the history. Without more knowledge to support me, the characters felt thin. This may be partially due to the conceit that all the text in the novel is meant to be letters and diary entries written by the characters. The period-appropriate emotional reserve expressed in the writing meant the characters' interior lives were more told than shown.
Which is really a pity, because science! horror! lesbians! is totally my jam.
Also, and this really bugged me, there are several scenes of Lizbeth Borden outside, in her nightdress, killing things with an axe, and then having trouble breathing because of her corset. To which I say two things: 1) Why is she sleeping in her corset? and 2) Given how unconventional she is in so many other ways, and how isolated the sisters are, why does she wear a corset when she hunts at all??
Which is really a pity, because science! horror! lesbians! is totally my jam.
Also, and this really bugged me, there are several scenes of Lizbeth Borden outside, in her nightdress, killing things with an axe, and then having trouble breathing because of her corset. To which I say two things: 1) Why is she sleeping in her corset? and 2) Given how unconventional she is in so many other ways, and how isolated the sisters are, why does she wear a corset when she hunts at all??
killerkakez1224's review
4.0
This book presents an alternative narrative to a well known tale, adding in the supernatural. Priest kept the language, the flow, very much to period, and I think that would be a turn off to some readers. It is a hard read, the language is languid and time consuming, the vocabulary is antiquated, though for me that was part of the charm. I will be pursuing the second novel shortly.
tiarala's review
4.0
Lovecraftian horror is not what I expected from this book but I was delighted by the first appearance of Miskatonic University. In the beginning I wasn't sure how I felt about the style, written in a series of journal entries and letters, but as the story continued it was clear why Priest chose this method. Lots of great surprises came out as we explored an alternate history of Lizzie Borden's tale. It's the stuff of nightmares in the best possible way.
posies23's review
4.0
In MAPLECROFT, Cherie Priest combines two apparently disparate elements -- Lovecraftian horror and accused (but not convicted!) axe murderer Lizzie Borden -- and creates a cohesive, compelling thriller.
From a writing standpoint, Priest is firing on all cylinders here. Multiple POV characters, diary entries, letters, and newspaper clippings tell the story of Lizzie, her sister Emma, and their attempts to save their townspeople from mysterious creatures who may (or may not) be the result (or cause) of the strange transformations and murders happening around them. Priest's prose is amazingly well-polished, with each voice sounding unique and with each new POV change adding to and shifting the narrative.
The narrative itself is an updating of Lovecraft's "cosmic monsters," and while it deals with the same ideas as Lovecraft, Priest avoids many of Lovecraft's weaknesses, while still achieving the same "creeping horror" that Lovecraft was capable of when he was at his best. (Honestly, Priest's is one of the best of the recent glut of "Lovecraftian" novels.)
Beyond the Lovecraftian angle, though, the novel deals with all sorts of issues that add depth and suspense to the overall effect of the book. Without giving too much away from the overall plot, the characters deal with social mores and gender roles, issues of chronic illnesses, PTSD, and more. Priest is a talented enough writer that these themes develop naturally over the course of the novel, and are naturally worked into the character's development and the overall storyline.
On the down side, the novel felt a little long to me, and there were a few sections that dragged a bit. Nothing damaging to the overall novel, but just a bit of tightening up here and there. (And actually, now that I think about it, this might have been a nod to Lovecraft's writing and plotting, which frequently did the same thing. So . . . maybe it's more of a 4.5 out of 5?)
From a writing standpoint, Priest is firing on all cylinders here. Multiple POV characters, diary entries, letters, and newspaper clippings tell the story of Lizzie, her sister Emma, and their attempts to save their townspeople from mysterious creatures who may (or may not) be the result (or cause) of the strange transformations and murders happening around them. Priest's prose is amazingly well-polished, with each voice sounding unique and with each new POV change adding to and shifting the narrative.
The narrative itself is an updating of Lovecraft's "cosmic monsters," and while it deals with the same ideas as Lovecraft, Priest avoids many of Lovecraft's weaknesses, while still achieving the same "creeping horror" that Lovecraft was capable of when he was at his best. (Honestly, Priest's is one of the best of the recent glut of "Lovecraftian" novels.)
Beyond the Lovecraftian angle, though, the novel deals with all sorts of issues that add depth and suspense to the overall effect of the book. Without giving too much away from the overall plot, the characters deal with social mores and gender roles, issues of chronic illnesses, PTSD, and more. Priest is a talented enough writer that these themes develop naturally over the course of the novel, and are naturally worked into the character's development and the overall storyline.
On the down side, the novel felt a little long to me, and there were a few sections that dragged a bit. Nothing damaging to the overall novel, but just a bit of tightening up here and there. (And actually, now that I think about it, this might have been a nod to Lovecraft's writing and plotting, which frequently did the same thing. So . . . maybe it's more of a 4.5 out of 5?)
sandygx260's review
3.0
Brilliant idea. I was all over this, thinking this had to be the best book I'd read in ages.
Well, no. Unfortunately the story stumbled and flailed. I'm all for internalization, but not in the middle of sequences where the story needs to move along. Too much detail, distraction, and diversion hindered the story's progress to the point it felt like padding out the story just to make it a novel.
This book followed the opposite of one writer's advice... when things slowed down, he advised blowing something up just for the hell of it. At times this story tossed a sodden hoop skirt over the action.
Still, I'll see what part two holds for us.
Well, no. Unfortunately the story stumbled and flailed. I'm all for internalization, but not in the middle of sequences where the story needs to move along. Too much detail, distraction, and diversion hindered the story's progress to the point it felt like padding out the story just to make it a novel.
This book followed the opposite of one writer's advice... when things slowed down, he advised blowing something up just for the hell of it. At times this story tossed a sodden hoop skirt over the action.
Still, I'll see what part two holds for us.
kmheselton's review
5.0
My favorite book in 2014 so far. Such a great book! I'd never read anything vaguely Lovecraftian before, and if this is what those books are like, I will be starting soon!
jgintrovertedreader's review against another edition
4.0
A lot of authors whom I really like consistently list H. P. Lovecraft among their influences. Accordingly, I read a collection of his short stories several years ago and found myself disappointingly underwhelmed. I've never been able to pinpoint why. Short stories written by horror authors will generally scare me infinitely more than their novels. I have enough imagination to take a premise and run with it once the lights are out. I also prefer horror that doesn't spell out too many details. Again, give me just enough to scare myself and I'll be happy to fill in any blanks. H. P. Lovecraft does this. And yet I mostly find his stories overwrought and hysterical for no real reason. Maybe there aren't enough details? Maybe Cthulu and his ilk are beyond my powers of imagination? Or maybe his characters irritate me in the Gothic manner of Victor Frankenstein, who is mostly incapable of anything more than the vapors once he creates his Monster? Whatever it is, I'm most definitely not among Lovecraft's fans.
But this mashup of Lizzie Borden and Lovecraftian horrors absolutely worked for me.
We meet Lizzie and her sister Emma shortly after the notorious murder of their father and stepmother. The women are living in fear of an unnamed horror that is taking over their hometown. They're trying to research it and combat it as best they can but Emma is an invalid and Lizzie is--well, notorious Lizzie Borden. The horrors unfold slowly and the women reluctantly involve more characters in their research as the madness spreads.
The horror elements are clear enough to scare me yet they leave my imagination plenty of room to play. The tension builds and builds to the inevitable stormy conclusion. There's no real resolution because frankly, no one really knows what the hell just happened, but the immediate Problem is wrapped up nicely enough to satisfy most readers while leaving plenty of room for a sequel.
The--epistolary? not exactly the correct word, but close enough--format allows first-person access to many characters' thoughts and motivations, which adds some nice depth to relatively minor yet important characters. At the same time, it takes time away from Lizzie and Emma's development. I wish I had more time in their heads, so I knocked my rating back a star.
This was a perfect read for my annual October spooky-book-fest and I'll be searching out the second book in the Borden Dispatches.
But this mashup of Lizzie Borden and Lovecraftian horrors absolutely worked for me.
We meet Lizzie and her sister Emma shortly after the notorious murder of their father and stepmother. The women are living in fear of an unnamed horror that is taking over their hometown. They're trying to research it and combat it as best they can but Emma is an invalid and Lizzie is--well, notorious Lizzie Borden. The horrors unfold slowly and the women reluctantly involve more characters in their research as the madness spreads.
The horror elements are clear enough to scare me yet they leave my imagination plenty of room to play. The tension builds and builds to the inevitable stormy conclusion. There's no real resolution because frankly, no one really knows what the hell just happened, but the immediate Problem is wrapped up nicely enough to satisfy most readers while leaving plenty of room for a sequel.
The--epistolary? not exactly the correct word, but close enough--format allows first-person access to many characters' thoughts and motivations, which adds some nice depth to relatively minor yet important characters. At the same time, it takes time away from Lizzie and Emma's development. I wish I had more time in their heads, so I knocked my rating back a star.
This was a perfect read for my annual October spooky-book-fest and I'll be searching out the second book in the Borden Dispatches.