Hide Me Among The Graves: A Novel [Hardcover]

Tim Powers sets many of his novels of the fantastic amidst historical events and personages and then tells the tale of a secret history of supernatural tragedy supported by the actual words of the writers in letters and poetry that precede each chapter. It is quite a trick and most would be advised not to try this at home, but Powers always succeeds and sometimes he succeeds brilliantly. Hide Me Among the Graves is one of those successes.

A very distant sequel to The Stress of Her Regard, Hide Me Among the Graves follows pre-Raphaelite painter Gabriel Dante Rossetti and poetess Christina Rosetti as they fight the Nephilic vampires banished at such high cost by the Romantic poets Byron and Shelley. Someone re-awoke the Nephilim and Christina invited one of the vampires, in the form of her uncle John Polidori, into her home and person as an unwitting fourteen year old. Now everyone is in danger of not only dying, but of never resting after death and of unimaginable suffering in either state. The Rossetti family is accompanied by an ex-prostitute, Adelaide and her erstwhile lover, the veterinarian John Crawford, who produced a daughter, thought dead but now revealed to be under threat from the Nephilim. All four are connected to the characters in The Stress of Her Regard by descent, with the exception of Adelaide.

And so the scene is set for a journey through a supernatural Victorian London never quite depicted before, despite the current fondness for alternate visions of all things Victorian. Hide Me Among the Graves reads like a rocket ship and is well worth the trip. Tim Powers love of complex mixtures of unlikely ingredients and intricate prose have often made the middle of his books over-crowded and over-wrought; this lone weakness is in no way apparant in Graves, all of the pieces and people fit together perfectly and work like clockwork. Powers love of the great poets shines here as it does in many of his works and hopefully will encourage readers to explore the source works. In contrast to Stress, Powers gives us female characters and viewpoints as actors in the drama and this is a wonderful addition. I have always loved the poetry of Christina Rossetti and Powers characterization of Christina is all that I or anyone else could wish. Adelaide, Maria and Johanna are women rather than fantasies too and though the love between the nephilim and the women lacks the cloying, desperate sexuality portrayed in Stress of Her Regard, I believe this to be Powers showing forbearance in an area that could weaken the book rather than a lack.

All in all a wonderful read that has more than renewed my admiration for Powers. I fully expect to see Hide Me Among the Graves on many best lists of the year and nominated for the major genre prizes. Highly recommended to fans of Victoriana, fantastic literature and adventure or just in search of a ripping good alternate history yarn.

Oh, Tim Powers. No other author could write so convincingly of fishy ghosts in the Thames, zombie kids and ethereal vampires stalking the Pre-Raphaelites.

For that is exactly what happens in "Hide Me Among The Graves," a distant sequel to Powers' classic "The Stress of Her Regard." This is a horror novel for people with a love of art and philosophy, entwined with grey mist, childhood nightmares and countless quotes of classic poetry -- as well as beloved poets and writers for both villains and heroes.

The Rossetti family has been haunted by the vampiric presence of their uncle, John Polidori, for countless years. But in 1862, Gabriel and his sister Christina begin to suspect that Gabriel's drug-addled wife Lizzie is being preyed on by not only Polidori, but another vampire. Meanwhile, John Crawford is contacted by an ex-prostitute named Adeleide McKee, with whom he once had a brief affair -- and, she now reveals, a daughter named Johanna.

So now McKee, Crawford and the Rossettis must join forces to save the souls of their loved ones -- to save Johanna from Polidori's clutches, and Lizzie from being enslaved as another vampire. When Lizzie dies unexpectedly, they have an opportunity to shatter Polidori's power.

Fast forward seven years. Both Gabriel and Crawford are shocked when their lost loved ones turn up in their homes -- one living, and one undead. Polidori's power has been shattered, but he's determined to regain it by using Christina's blood. Now the odd bunch must reunite before Polidori and his ancient queen use Johanna for their own ends, which could literally tear Britain apart.

"Hide Me Among the Graves" is a vampire novel for people who are literate, intelligent and intrigued by the arts (unlike books like "Twilight"). The book not only has famed poets and artists peppering its pages, but you can feel Powers' love for classic art and poetry seeping through the pages. It doesn't hurt that Powers writes like a poet, with lushly atmospheric prose that clings to you like gossamer-soft spiderwebs.

It's also scary. Really scary. Only a thin grey veil separates the humdrum world of London from the river of fishlike ghosts ("their arms waving like a moonlit kelp forest on the sea floor"), zombie fetii and ghostly vampires, and the people who see beyond that veil are changed forever. And his vampires are truly scary -- they can possess corpses, and they're violently jealous of the people they have claimed.

Powers also excels at taking real-life figures -- Swinbourne, Trelawny, the Rossettis -- and turning them into rich, well-rounded characters. Christina is a particularly compelling character: a devoutly religious woman who is constantly tempted by the dark side (specifically, her attraction to Polidori. Vampire incest?). Gabriel is also fascinating, as an artist tormented by his love for his self-destructing, delusional wife.

And the supporting characters -- the cold-as-ice Trelawny, the strong-willed ex-hooker Adelaide, and the fragile Crawford -- are just as well-rounded, fictional or non-fictional. It's a testament to Powers' skills that he can so easily interweave fact and fiction, giving supernatural explanations for real-life events like Siddal's death or Christina's rejection of her suitors.

"Hide Me Among The Graves" is a must-read for the literate vampire fan -- it's beautifully written, richly-characterized... and scary enough to keep you up at night.

At last foggy, atmospheric London has been used to it's full potential in this supernatural thrill ride. Powers takes us into the brilliant but tragic Rossetti family, as a young Christina reawaken the vampiric spirit of John Polidori (the one time doctor of Lord Byron). So begins a tale of magic, addiction, obsession, hungry ghosts and supnatural beings, who jealously guard their human familiars, violently killing anyone they perceive as a rival.
London 1862, Adelaide McKee informs John Crawford that he has a daughter and she has been taken by a vampiric ghost.
Now the adult Christina Rossetti, along with her sister Maria and brothers Gabriel and William find themselves in a battle to help save the young girl, destroy the Polidori being and so free themselves from Polidori's control.
Winding between the poets, artists, prostitutes and high society to the grim life of Londons 19th century poor, the religious social reformers and underground magicians this complex history unfolds.
They are advised by Trelawny, one of the characters from "The Stress of Her Regard", another tale of supernatural beings by Powers, which involved Trelawny, John Polidori, Percy Shelley and Lord Byron. Although there are references to this book, it's not necessary to have read it, prior to reading this novel.
The atmosphere, the pace, the settings, the era are all perfectly used by Powers to create a perfect storm of spooky, gothic chills. Using the real people of the time, who did have unusual histories, makes this imaginative plot work on so many levels. It's a marvelous tale, well written and probably, I think one of Tim Powers best.

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