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Inside Drops of Crimson |
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In This Issue
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Fathom by Cherie
Priest
Review by Dennis R.
Upkins |
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 I
was never that big on ghost stories, Southern Gothic or
Southern tales in general (Kate Chopin not withstanding) but
Cherie Priest made me a believer with Four and Twenty
Blackbirds and the subsequent titles in the Eden Moore
series, Wings to the Kingdom and Not Flesh Nor Feathers.
I wasn't completely into the genre of steampunk yet (I was
on my way though), but Tanglefoot converted me.
Werewolves? I could take them or leave them. But Priest
reminded me why they've stood the test of time in this genre
with Dreadful Skin.
So what makes Priest such a phenom? A multitude of things,
actually, but chief among them is that she has mastered the
elusive art of excellent storytelling.
Priest knows to hook the reader in the first few sentences
and to always leave the reader wanting more. She writes to
the skeptic, not the believer. Meaning she writes to the
reader who wouldn't be interested in this genre and owes no
allegiance to the book or the author. So if that reader
isn't hooked in the first few pages, they aren't finishing
the book. Priest understands that if she can convert a
skeptic into a believer, then she's penned a true literary
gem; a universal story with compelling characters complex
plots which any audience will enjoy.
Recognizing everyone deserves to have their story told,
Priest doesn't shy away from casting minority characters in
central and leading roles. I was amazed at the accuracy and
the respectability in which Priest handled Moore. A heroine
of color, Moore was the proverbial lioness. She was as
strong, clever and indomitable a lead as any caucasian
counterpart would've been. More than ever, examples like
this are desperately needed in the publishing industry and
the media in general.
All of this is to say, I've been a doting fanboy of Priest's
work for many years and was all to eager to pick up her
latest novel, Fathom.
____________________
"I can't fathom them and neither can you."
The ageless water witch Arahab has been scheming for aeons,
gathering the means to awaken the great Leviathan. She aims
to bring him and the old gods back to their former glory,
caring little that their ascendance would also mean an end
to the human race. However, awakening the Leviathan is no
small feat. In fact, Arahab can't complete the ritual
without human aid.
Arahab's first choice is Jose Gaspar, a notorious sea pirate
from eighteenth-century Spain. But when the task proves too
difficult for Gaspar, she must look elsewhere, biding her
time until the 1930s, when the ideal candidate shows up: a
slightly deranged teenager name Bernice.
Bernice is sophisticated, torn from New York to spend a
miserable summer on Anna Maria Island, a tiny rock off the
coast of Florida. She's also been saddled with the
companionship of her farm-raised cousin Nia. Eventually,
Bernice's disenchantment gives way to rage, which in turn
leads her to commit a deadly crime. When Nia won't cover for
Bernice's actions, she turns on Nia, chasing her into the
deadly costal waves.
The timing is right and the elementals have better ideas:
The moment the girls go under, Bernice is commandeered for
Arahab's task force and Nia is turned into a strange and
powerful new creature by a servant of the earth who doesn't
want to surrender his green fields and muddy plans--not yet,
at least. Add in a hapless fire inspector trying to get his
paperwork in order, a fire god whose neutrality has been
called into question, and a bizarre religious cult and rural
Florida doesn't seem so sleepy anymore.
____________________
As was the case with the Eden Moore trilogy, Dreadful Skin
and many of her other tales, Priest reminds us why the
southeastern part of the United States is aptly nicknamed
the "Dirty South."
An ensemble cast with multiple interweaving storylines, none
are throw-away characters as each of them possess their
idiosyncrasies and motivations which amps the tension and
provides a sharp dynamic to the saga.
Each character is sympathetic because you understand why
they're compelled to take the actions they take.
Gaspar was a legendary and ruthless pirate. But this is also
a man who yearns for immortality through namesake and love.
As psychotic as Bernice is, for instance, you're given
insight as to what motivates her. And the fact that we
understand said motivation is disturbing within itself.
You'll be hard-pressed to find a more sympathetic
protagonist in Nia.
This is a novel that defies genre and convention. After all,
this story features witches, pirates, gods and firefighters.
What more could you possibly ask for in a story?
And the ending....well, I won't spoil it for you (hence my
vagueness).
In Fathom, Priest showcases a very literary and poetic style
in her prose. She can pithily weave imagery in four or five
words where it would take other writers pages to accomplish.
Like her other work, this novel is temptered with nuance,
wit, horror, action and intrigue. In short, expect to go on
a journey.
Much like Eugie Foster, S.D. Perry, Britta Dennison and
other extraordinary bards, Priest's sophisticated
style/themes reminds us why speculative fiction is art in
the purest and highest form.
I will say that this novel isn't for everyone. If you prefer
cookie-cutter fiction with stereotypes for characters and
hackneyed plots, then you probably won't enjoy this story.
But if you're looking to go on a wild romping ride that'll
leave you flipping feverishly through the pages,
well....this book is for you.
Fathom is available here on Amazon and I can't urge you
enough to check it out. |
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About the Reviewer
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Dennis R.
UpkinsDennis R. Upkins was
born and raised in
Nashville, TN.
Currently Upkins serves as a college professor where he
teaches
computer animation as well as freelance
writer/artist/digital photographer. His writing has appeared
in Art&Prose Magazine, the Dabbling Mum and Sniplits. His
art has been featured in the Madison, TN and the Scarritt
Bennett art museums. In his spare time, Upkins enjoys
drawing, photography, rollerblading, martial arts and of
course creative writing.
You can
pick up Fathom through the Drops of Crimson bookshop powered
by Amazon.
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