Evening's Empire / David Herter

Evening's Empire

category: fantasy, author:

David Herter

original copyright 2002

read in August 2012

Agamedes' opinion: 6 out of 10, read to pass the time

I quite enjoyed this book. I'm just not sure what to make of it...

The local library has classified it as "horror". Okay, I can see why: mysterious small town, mysterious villagers, mysterious deaths and disappearances. But that's about it. There is no actual horror.

The book's blurb calls this a "fantasy". I could live with that. Though mysterious cities built by alien creatures usually imply science fiction. Except that there's no real science. Unless you count the central theme of cheese-making.

And it's that cheese theme that really has me confused! I kept expecting it to mean something! Or perhaps it does... The aliens are mistaken for rats.

Does this sound just a bit confusing? Well... it is. Especially when you throw in a Jules Verne opera, a river under the ocean, Captain Nemo, very peculiar villagers, the Anti-Cheese League...

Perhaps there are just too many ideas?

Full marks for building the mood. Full marks for a faithful following of traditional scary novels. Then the scary ending... just fades away.

Okay, it's fun. I enjoyed it. I liked the characters: the good ones, not the weird ones! The good characters acted for the general good; I like that. Just not sure what to make of the whole book! Perhaps it's too far out of my usual genre.

..o0o..

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