So I've been a fan of Cherie Priest for quite a while now, but I haven't been all that great with actually reading all her novels. Then Maplecroft came out, and the twitterverse exploded with positive praise. Then again, what I saw was mostly retweets from Priest herself. So was this really positiveness? Or had she simply nailed the methods of Twitter promotion?

Then Halloween came. And Maplecroft seemed like the perfect book to be reading while the kiddies come to the door for their sugar fix. And so my local independent bookstore got another sale.

So quick summary: Maplecroft is the story of Lizzie Borden (of nursery rhyme fame), taking place a few years after the murder of her parents. In Priest's alternate history, those murders (and other creepy things going on around Fall River, MA) were due to some kind of insanity-inducing horror from the sea. The plot revolves around a threat ominously approaching, a doctor slowly losing his marbles, and the struggles of Lizzie and her sister Emma, living in a town where everyone assumes Lizzie killed her parents (despite her acquittal).

Does it sound Lovecraftian? Yeah, it's Lovecraftian. Without apology. But let me say: I've read Lovecraft. I can't stand Lovecraft. His ideas were great; his execution was painful. Priest gets the feeling spot on, and avoids all of the struggle with storytelling that Lovecraft had.

This novel was fantastic. The imagery of the book was spot on (though on a quick re-scan of the book, I'm not finding good pull-out quotes). It was some kind of gestalt of text that painted a picture of a dour place, with ominousness hanging just out of sight. Scarily, it makes me want to visit. (But then I searched for Fall River, MA on Google Maps. Don't do that. It's all sunny and peaceful, and on a large river, not the ocean.) The coast I imagine when I read this reminds me more of northern Oregon (where I've actually visited when it was overcast and cold).

The story is told in "diary entry" form, from the point of view of a number of different characters. So it's all first-person, but we shift from person to person as different portions of the story are told. It's especially effective here, where priest is trying to show the emotional unraveling of her characters.

Was it a good Halloween book? Yes, indeed. A good book for the Fall, and for Winter. And if you hate sunshine, probably good for Spring, too. :)

5 of 5 stars.

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I have read a number of Cherie Priests books and I always think they are interesting...but they never really draw me in and make me want to read more. I was curious to check out this new series by her and see if I found it more engaging than her Clockwork Century series. This ended up being an odd book. I enjoyed the writing style and thought the story was intriguing...but by the end of it all I was ready to be done with the book and didn't really want to read more about this world or the characters.

Lizzie (Lizbeth) Borden and her sister Emma live on the outskirts of Fall River and are outcasts of the community. You see something happened to Lizzies parents, something evil, and Lizzie took care of them; shes been proven innocent but everyone knows that Lizzie did something awful. Now Lizzie and her sister struggle to fight against this evil anyway they can. However, the evil is slow and creeping and taking over more of the town everyday.

The book takes place in the 1890s, its more of a horror than anything and very much derived from Lovecraft's whole Cthulhu mythos. There is a lot about madness, murder, and people going insane because of a dark and invasive power. There are a number of very graphic and violent scenes and this lends the book a very "horror" feel...some of the scenes are downright chilling. There is also a supernatural element. The pace of the story is very deliberate and at times it lags a bit.

The book is done as journal entries by a number of different characters. This is a good format for slowly unrolling the mystery of the madness that is affecting this small town. However, it is a format that makes it hard to engage with the characters. Priest does do a very good job of altering sound of the narration of different characters as they slowly descend into madness.

I will say this is not a book for those with weak stomachs. The scenes are disgusting, graphic, and downright disturbing at times.

The way everything ties up is very ambiguous and kind of left me cold. I understand it's supposed to be all mysterious, but I would have liked a little bit more wrap-up. This appears to be the first book in a series, so maybe well get more wrap up in future books.

Overall this was an odd book, that is well written but a bit slow moving. It is mostly a horror with some mystery and not a read for the faint of heart. While I found the concept and premise intriguing, the story did get a bit boring at points and I struggled to stay engaged in it at times. If you are a fan of Priests Clockwork Century series (and general writing style) and enjoy horror I would recommend checking this book out.

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I tried and tried, put the book down, came back and tried and tried again to no avail. I could not get into this book at all. After getting half way into the book and at my wits end, I wondered if perhaps it was just me. I looked through some reviews and found it was not just me. Though many people loved this book, many others found it boring, just plain blah.
I felt the story jumped around so much, speaking from different characters minds throughout the story and this confused me most of all. I wanted so much to like this book, but found the storyline ridiculous and silly.

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Lizzie Borden and her older, disabled sister Emma live in Fall River, Massachusetts. A few years back, they went through trying times when their parents died in an unexpected and rather gruesome manner. Despite the trial and a verdict of innocent, Lizzie is still treated with suspicion by the townsfolk. Hence, Emma and Lizzie moved to a manor house, Maplecroft, on the outskirts of town. While their parents may have been the first to succumb to a madness that originates from the depths of the sea, they are not the last. Hence, the need for Lizzies axe.

This tale was rich in character development and suspense. Indeed, I felt it shared a kinship with Mary Shelleys Frankenstein and Bram Stokers Dracula. The tale opens slowly as one becomes acquainted with Lizzie and Emma. The story is told through a series of journal entries and personal letters, giving the narration a very personal note. With each letter, each journal entry, we got another small glimpse that something wasnt quite right. Emma, a renowned biologist (although she has to use a male pen name in this time period of late 1800s), studies the progression of the madness and ultimately the creatures themselves. Lizzie, having to take a more practical stand, has muscles gained from the need to swing an axe (for wood or defense), carry her disabled sister from room to room when she is ill, and the general running of a manor house. She doesnt understand the evil madness but she vows to end it.

As we delve deeper into the story, we become more aware of the connection to the ocean and the madness the great need for the water, the avoidance of bright light, the heavy desire to venture to the seashore. This is where tiny tendrils of Lovecraftian horror start to entangle themselves into the plot. The lengthy build up is worth the mystery as we gain further knowledge via the Fall River doctor and his strange encounters with the afflicted.

The tale also has a simple romance on the side. Let me say that one of the main characters is homosexual, and it is no big deal. Sure, some of the characters have time period views, but those views dont permeate the story. It was very well done and so refreshing to see a main character, a full, well-rounded, character doing all these plot-oriented things, who just happens to also be gay.

I loved this book; didnt want to put it away. I thoroughly enjoyed the build up of suspense and the bioscience. I liked that the center of the mystery was so vast and not completely discernible by the characters. I had the pleasure of hearing Priest talk about this book and about how she wasnt too keen on writing a sequel. As an impresed reader, I am very glad to hear that there will indeed be a sequel. Thank you Ms. Priest!

The Narration: The narration was also excellent. Having two readers to pass back and forth the male and female parts brought out the richness of the personal letters and journal entries. The regional accents came through clearly. Both Mitchell and Wayne imbued the characters with a range of emotions, as the story demanded.

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