French Quarter Nocturne Book Review

THE STORY:

Sam McCord is the dark hero of this epic tale of death and destruction inNew Orleans by the cataclysmic Katrina. Katrina not only leaves a hurricane ravaged city behind but unleashes all sorts of supernatural enemies of man all out for his blood and soul.

WHO'S WHO:

There are two main characters:

• Sam McCord the conflicted hero.

• Father Renfield, Sam’s best friend and right hand man with vampire qualities.

THIS IS HOT:

• The complexity of the characters: I found the main characters well developed and the layers being peeled away as you get into it are definitely worth the time spent glued to the pages. Its one of those books where you simply have to know..... 

• The writing style is rich and you can’t help but be both amused and awed by the double entendres littered throughout or the sagacious reasoning of the protagonist. I think the writer is quite philosophical and poetic which is in my opinion adds depth.

• Suspense  - There are great scenes  and those really hold the audience in a grip. Like the scene where Sam meets the serpent (I loved me idea of a serpent that’s vulnerable, Rind). This scene is so tightly woven that when the Padre’ jumped in with a witty remark I felt like a coiled spring being sprung loose. Or the one moment when Marie Laveau exchanges eyes with her boa constrictor. I read this and thought this book is freak galore (in a good way). What goes on in Roland’s mind?

• Father Renfield’s past that leaves me feeling he is the most badly dealt by fate. He is a man of the cloth yes _ but at what cost? Which is a real contradiction because priesthood is a calling and that should be a blessing?
• I have a number of favorite quotes that will stay with me forever. 

This is one of them, not necessarily the most outstanding but very appealing to me: 

“Her female intuition told her that you became a worse husband in direct proportion to your becoming a better man. In the last years I must admit you have become something of a nauseating saint, a man with all the virtues I despise and none of the vices I admire.”

NOT SO HOT:

•  The gramma and spelling errors. A round of editing  would be very good for this book but mind you, this does not detract much from the great read that it is.

• I also would have liked more development around certain themes for example, like Rind and her species, she is central to who Sam has become but so is Elu and his mother and the question is how and why. I have the when as somewhere in the last 180 years.

• I thought Sam McCord indulges his own thoughts a tad bit much. 

OVERALL:

The idea of a bad hero is very exciting and quite fascinating to watch. The great conflict is between the natural pull of the dark side within our hero and his desire to believe in what he calls the great Mystery (God), who remains an elusive concept to a great extend. But as all of us are both good and evil, McCord can’t help but make sure that goodwill is done for those most vulnerable in society and this pits him against powerful government figures and the master of all, Day Star, who has illusions of being Lucifer himself. You can imagine what happens when you have a delusional all powerful.

 I can’t wait to see what happens in the next instalment (Croal Nights) which the author was kind enough to send my way.

If  you enjoy urban fantasy that is brimming o'er with dark vengeful supernaturals, then I think this book is a must read.