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mike_brough's review
4.0
A young girl finds an occult manual and brings on The Auguries preceding the End Times. Two people, one an academic and the other a 'diplomat', are engaged in a race to stop her before she completes the destruction of the world.
Reminiscent of James Herbert at his best.
Reminiscent of James Herbert at his best.
kbranfield's review
3.0
3.5 stars.
The Auguries by F.G. Cottam is an intriguing blend of occult and horror elements.
Fourteen year old altar boy Andrew Baxter is disturbed enough about troubling occurrences during a recent funeral to talk to his parish priest Father Gould. During the course of their discussion, the term "the unrestful dead" immediately comes to the priest's mind. In an effort to learn more information, Gould reads a monograph by Professor Juliet Harrington in which a rumored book, Almanac of Forbidden Wisdom, might be responsible for recent tragic events.
It turns out Britain's Home Secretary also believes this book containing numerous spells is at the heart of their country's latest catastrophes. He convinces Juliet to travel to Germany in hopes of learning where German alchemist Gunter Keller (who was burned at the stake centuries earlier) hid the Almanac. As these cataclysmic events continue at an alarming rate in Britain, the fate of the world rests on Juliet locating and neutralizing the book. Will she accomplish this near herculean task?
Unbeknownst to Gould or Juliet, the Almanac of Forbidden Wisdom has fallen into the hands of young local girl in his parish. She does not comprehend the correlation between her experiments and the tragic events occurring in Britain. And even if she does eventually figure out the connection, will she stop performing the spells in the book?
Juliet is aided by translator Paul Beck as they scour Keller's long ago writings that begin in 1528. They uncover alarming information that in turn leads to their frenetic attempts to track down the writings of other people involved with the spells in the Almanac of Forbidden Wisdom. Juliet also knows how to stop the current catastrophes from continuing, but she must locate the book. She is edging ever closer to uncovering the Almanac's whereabouts but will Juliet get there before it is too late?
The Auguries features an interesting premise but the pacing is slow and some passages are a bit repetitious. The translations of the centuries old works are quite fascinating. However, the story arc in the present hinges on unrealistic circumstances surrounding the novel's antagonist. The horror and occult aspects of the storyline are extremely well written and very interesting. F.G. Cottam brings the novel to an ambiguous conclusion that is rather frustrating. A bit of a mixed bag, but an overall entertaining read.
The Auguries by F.G. Cottam is an intriguing blend of occult and horror elements.
Fourteen year old altar boy Andrew Baxter is disturbed enough about troubling occurrences during a recent funeral to talk to his parish priest Father Gould. During the course of their discussion, the term "the unrestful dead" immediately comes to the priest's mind. In an effort to learn more information, Gould reads a monograph by Professor Juliet Harrington in which a rumored book, Almanac of Forbidden Wisdom, might be responsible for recent tragic events.
It turns out Britain's Home Secretary also believes this book containing numerous spells is at the heart of their country's latest catastrophes. He convinces Juliet to travel to Germany in hopes of learning where German alchemist Gunter Keller (who was burned at the stake centuries earlier) hid the Almanac. As these cataclysmic events continue at an alarming rate in Britain, the fate of the world rests on Juliet locating and neutralizing the book. Will she accomplish this near herculean task?
Unbeknownst to Gould or Juliet, the Almanac of Forbidden Wisdom has fallen into the hands of young local girl in his parish. She does not comprehend the correlation between her experiments and the tragic events occurring in Britain. And even if she does eventually figure out the connection, will she stop performing the spells in the book?
Juliet is aided by translator Paul Beck as they scour Keller's long ago writings that begin in 1528. They uncover alarming information that in turn leads to their frenetic attempts to track down the writings of other people involved with the spells in the Almanac of Forbidden Wisdom. Juliet also knows how to stop the current catastrophes from continuing, but she must locate the book. She is edging ever closer to uncovering the Almanac's whereabouts but will Juliet get there before it is too late?
The Auguries features an interesting premise but the pacing is slow and some passages are a bit repetitious. The translations of the centuries old works are quite fascinating. However, the story arc in the present hinges on unrealistic circumstances surrounding the novel's antagonist. The horror and occult aspects of the storyline are extremely well written and very interesting. F.G. Cottam brings the novel to an ambiguous conclusion that is rather frustrating. A bit of a mixed bag, but an overall entertaining read.
norwegianforestreader's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Cannibalism, Child death, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Dementia, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Islamophobia, Kidnapping, Murder, Torture, War, and Violence
Minor: Medical content, Rape, and Vomit
annarella's review
4.0
An exciting, engaging and entertaining mix of different genres.
It's a book that keeps you hooked till the last, never bores and will make you read as fast as you can.
I liked the plot, the atmosphere and the well written cast of characters.
I look forward to reading other books by this author.
Recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
It's a book that keeps you hooked till the last, never bores and will make you read as fast as you can.
I liked the plot, the atmosphere and the well written cast of characters.
I look forward to reading other books by this author.
Recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
wyddwig's review
medium-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
As a fan of Cottam, I was honestly disappointed with this. While serviceable as a “race to the finish” style whodunnit to stop the apocalypse, the characters don’t develop or overcome any flaw throughout the story. The main “flaw” of the protagonist, Juliet, seems to be that she’s not able to have a successful romantic relationship and, at 35, is now too old to achieve this (although, typically of Cottam’s other works, she does end up in a relationship by the end).
Despite this, I would probably have given this 3 stars if it weren’t for the repeated and unnecessary references to one of the POV characters being “on the spectrum” (always framed negatively) as a way to explain a clear empathy disorder.It doesn’t help that she was the villain of the story, and that the text confirms what is initially a childish, uninformed insult when another POV character “diagnoses” her on sight.
Despite this, I would probably have given this 3 stars if it weren’t for the repeated and unnecessary references to one of the POV characters being “on the spectrum” (always framed negatively) as a way to explain a clear empathy disorder.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Ableism
Constant reference to a character being “on the spectrum” as an insultjoelene's review
3.0
This book had so much potential! However, the pacing faltered in places, the characters were a little flat, the ending was extremely anticlimactic, and the running joke about the teen not being on the spectrum was, in my opinion, in poor taste. Overall, it was rather disappointing.
tessav's review
2.0
Apart from an interesting premise, this book failed to impress me. I've often seen it said that authors should "show and not tell" when writing. There is an awful lot of telling in this one, which means you feel nothing for any of the characters and the story is quite unemotional.
The 14 year old antagonist, regardless of whether she is or isn't "on the spectrum", or her supposedly high intelligence, is wholly unbelievable, as are the other teen characters. Our adult protagonist isn't much better, and she can only be described as boring.
Even the 16th century diary which provides the backstory uses language and ideas which don't feel right for the time it was supposed to have been written.
If you're looking for something just to pass the time, then this may be for you, but leave it on the shelf if you're looking for a story to lose yourself in.
The 14 year old antagonist, regardless of whether she is or isn't "on the spectrum", or her supposedly high intelligence, is wholly unbelievable, as are the other teen characters. Our adult protagonist isn't much better, and she can only be described as boring.
Even the 16th century diary which provides the backstory uses language and ideas which don't feel right for the time it was supposed to have been written.
If you're looking for something just to pass the time, then this may be for you, but leave it on the shelf if you're looking for a story to lose yourself in.
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