- Paperback: 390 pages
- Publisher: PYR BOOKS (Oct 25 2011)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1616145293
- ISBN-13: 978-1616145293
- Product Dimensions: 22.8 x 15.2 x 2.5 cm
- Shipping Weight: 340 g
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #724,377 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
Product Details |
Product Description
Product Description
This is a stunning debut novel filled with ghoulish mysteries, romance and adventure. Jacob Aldridge is still utterly devastated by the death of his fiancee when he suddenly encounters her doppelganger. Livia Aram's uncanny resemblance to the late Rhoda Carothers so transcends coincidence that Jacob becomes obsessed with her. The intensity of his passion terrifies her until her compassion is roused by his desperate plight. A demon is stalking him, a succubus-like entity that feeds on human pain and desire. With the help of Jacob's sister, Cecily, and Livia's guardian, the mysterious Dr. Chang, can they overcome the demon before all is lost?
About the Author
Michaele Jordan is an avid writer and fantasy fan. This is her debut novel.
Tag this product(What's this?)Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organize and find favorite items. |
Customer Reviews
|
There are no customer reviews yet on Amazon.ca
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
4.5 out of 5 stars (4 customer reviews)
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wildly Impressive... YES!, Oct 8 2011
By Richard Brookes "Rumpled Writer" - Published on Amazon.com
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Mirror Maze (Paperback)
I admit to being doubtful about a novel set in Victorian England and dealing with demons and all sorts of supernatural happenings. But I was immediately engaged by the style and clarity of the author's prose. Her dialogue surely displays the flavor and parlance one associates with the Victorian era and her knowledge of the history of the time is impressive. I would think that it comes from years of interest in the period, or exceptional research, or both. The details she utilizes in her wonderful descriptive writing adds immensely to the verisimilitude of the scenes and events. Her characters are proper English gentry, except for a few rounders and Asian types that are not so gentile, plus one very nasty demon. Character development is very satisfying and the personalities are revealed gradually as the story progresses. The story IS a "maze" and sometimes requires careful reading to make sure a pertinent occurrence or dialogue is not missed. I was amused and entranced by the way the demon was made to be so very devious despite the fact that it was always obliged to tell the truth. As the plot progresses and becomes ever more convoluted, I despaired that Ms. Jordan was going to be able to tie up the loose ends without resorting to magical chicanery. But she resolves all the issues with excitement, without deceit and within the logic of the story. So you can put down the book having read a jolly good story and not feeling cheated by a weak ending. I see room for a sequel...
4.0 out of 5 stars
Complex Victorian Mysticism, May 22 2012
By TammyJo Eckhart "TammyJo Eckhart" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Mirror Maze (Paperback)
Ah, Mysticism. We often think of the Victorian era as one of prudishness but in truth it was a period of great advancements in many aspects of life as well as a return to more pagan ways of looking at the world. Michaele Jordan offers us not only her knowledge of the Victorian period in the narrative but also also in the notes she includes about events and culture that most of us would simply wonder about or skip over as we read. The period was complex and so too is this novel.Our main characters are connected by blood in some fashion. Some of these by birth such as the brother and sister couple Jacob and Cecily or by vow that mingles families in marriage. Some of this relationships are also mingled by blood used in arcane rites that crosses generations with blessings and curses alike. These bonds are complicated and even by the final chapters Jordan is revealing new connections between characters. It requires some effort to keep track of it all.
The hierarchy of life in the Victorian era is well captured in the descriptions and actions of the characters. We see the contradictions between status in public and in private that do indeed exist in the public and private records from the period. This is most telling in the lives of the women we encounter but it is certainly there for the men and for characters of all classes.
While the prose is reflective of the period it also places a barrier between the story and the casual reader. This is not a tale to just read as the TV is playing or while your mind is other matters; you need to give this novel your full attention to fully appreciate it. This might be a down side for some readers.
Was this a fun read? Not particularly but it was an engaging fantasy with a lot of historical details I could appreciate.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent in Every Way, Mar 17 2012
By Barb Caffrey "writer-for-hire" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Mirror Maze (Paperback)
Michaele Jordan's "Mirror Maze" is an intriguing dark fantasy-romance set in the Victorian Era. It features three main characters: Jacob Aldridge, his sister, Cecily Beckwith, and his eventual love interest, Livia Aram. At the start of the story, Jacob is grieving, as he's lost his fiancée, Rhoda Carothers, a spirited American whom he clicked with in every conceivable way. He is moody, distracted, and grieving much harder than Cecily had expected, even knowing that Rhoda was the love of Jacob's life.Then the plot thickens; it seems that a succubus-like entity has targeted Jacob over due to his very real grief. This entity (let's just call it a demon and save steps) causes many problems before Cecily is able to find a magician to dispell the negative influences, a mysterious man named Dr. Chang. But this causes further problems, because Chang's ward is Livia Aram -- a "dead ringer" (pun intended) for Jacob's late fiancée, Rhoda. Which causes Jacob more pain, until Livia and Jacob come to an understanding and marry.
Of course, this being a convoluted plot, things do not end there; Cecily next becomes enmeshed, and only the appearance of her long-lost (and presumed dead) husband, Colonel Oliver Beckwith, manages to save her due to some unusual magics the Colonel picked up along the way -- he manages to get Cecily out of the "mirror maze" for which this book is named by appropriating a mirror Chang had, and punishes Chang for what the Colonel feels is Chang's negligence in allowing Cecily to become enmeshed. (There is an argument to be made that Chang did this on purpose, and the Colonel makes that argument, but I wasn't absolutely sure the Colonel was right.)
At any rate, as this is a dark fantasy-romance, there's plenty of sex -- not all of the life-affirming sort, lots of romance, great Victorian atmosphere and historical accuracy, and an outstanding plot that works on every level.
This is one of the best debut novels I've ever read in the dark fantasy novel; it also is the best fantasy-romance (and possibly the best SF/F story overall) I've read in 2012. That's why I urge you to read MIRROR MAZE at your earliest opportunity, then go read everything else Ms. Jordan has ever put out.
Five stars, highly recommended.
Barb Caffrey
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
- Books > Horror > Ghosts
- Books > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > Horror > Ghosts
- Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Fantasy
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
