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theesotericcamel's review
5.0
This book was a lot of fun to read. It is a strange blend of fiction and fact... but mostly fiction. An interesting literary experiment of creating a fictional story using the format of a classic grimoire with annotations. This is not Donald Tyson's first time creating this sort of fiction. He had already written his own take on the legendary "Necronomicon" about two years prior to this. But "Liber Lilith" is decidedly less fantastical and more rooted in the grimoire structures of say "The Sworn Book of Honorus" or "The True Grimoire" or "The Black Dragon." And it is clear that Donald Tyson put a lot of research into creating an authentic-feeling grimoire. One that takes Gnosticism as its spiritual paradigm, and delves into the darker implications of the Demiurge.
The book is actually divided into three parts. Four if you count the introduction, that presents credible historical evidence of "Liber Lilith's" provenance. The first consists of the grimoire "Liber Lilith" itself, that has all the trappings of authenticity. The second part of the book is the journal of Karl Steiger, the unfortunate occultist who discovered the grimoire and decided to put it into practice. We follow Mr. Steiger's harrowing descent into madness at the hands of the spirit Lilith. The third part consists of an analysis of both the grimoire proper and Steiger's journal. And this is where Donald Tyson cleverly reveal the research behind this book, while at the same time adding to it's air of authenticity. All the parts work together to tell a great horror story in an unconventional way. Make no mistake, although there are real techniques of magick revealed through the story as in any work of occult fiction. However, you would not want to put this grimoire into practice due to it's dark and destructive nature. There is no need to worry about any of that happening though, because it is a work of fiction... Right?
The book is actually divided into three parts. Four if you count the introduction, that presents credible historical evidence of "Liber Lilith's" provenance. The first consists of the grimoire "Liber Lilith" itself, that has all the trappings of authenticity. The second part of the book is the journal of Karl Steiger, the unfortunate occultist who discovered the grimoire and decided to put it into practice. We follow Mr. Steiger's harrowing descent into madness at the hands of the spirit Lilith. The third part consists of an analysis of both the grimoire proper and Steiger's journal. And this is where Donald Tyson cleverly reveal the research behind this book, while at the same time adding to it's air of authenticity. All the parts work together to tell a great horror story in an unconventional way. Make no mistake, although there are real techniques of magick revealed through the story as in any work of occult fiction. However, you would not want to put this grimoire into practice due to it's dark and destructive nature. There is no need to worry about any of that happening though, because it is a work of fiction... Right?
eltcic's review
5.0
Very interesting read! It's very clear that a tremendous amount of research went into it. The author skillfully mixes fact and fiction to the point where you can't see where one ends and the other begins, and each section of the book will fascinate you in a different way. The story at the beginning of the grimoire contains some divergences from the generally accepted gnostic myth, therefore if you're interested in gnosticism make sure to read other works as well.
Also, a note: look for editions where the grimoire is written in a legible font! The intricate gothic font that was originally employed, though very fitting for the contents, really slowed down the read.
Also, a note: look for editions where the grimoire is written in a legible font! The intricate gothic font that was originally employed, though very fitting for the contents, really slowed down the read.
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