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An Opportunity for Some Fun, Imaginative Escapism

Interested in escaping for an afternoon or a couple of evenings? Do you like fantasies with magic, both good and evil? Want a bit of romance for some added spice in your story? If so, Nights Arose is perfect for you.

The novel is an inventive telling of a battle between good and evil – good in the form of our heroine, Nessarose (Arose) Du Mouchelle; evil in the guise of Morel, a Voodoo sorceress. Over the pages of the book, Arose comes to understand her magical powers and how they are magnified by a mysterious opalescent stone called the Gem of the Red Spirit. Morel is intent on stealing the stone and using it to open the gates to the netherworld. That, Arose realizes, will spell the end of humanity. With the stakes set, the battle wages on in ever increasing drama and fury. The encounters with Morel’s brother and chief henchman were particularly intense, ranging from sexual assaults to attacks from the man transformed to beast. All of the violence, however, was handled well – intense without being graphic.

The author also weaves a romantic thread into the drama, with the physical aspects of Arose’s coming of age often downplayed in favor of visions or daydreams. I found the approach refreshing. Unfortunately, in places, these threads were not well coordinated, with life-and-death scenes interrupted by an amorous encounter. Both the drama and the romance became somewhat diluted as a result.

There were some inconsistencies in the story, ranging from low-level details to broader characterizations. An example of the former is the description of Arose’s hair color as both “ashen” and blonde, the former description not explained by age as it was used when she was young. Or, as another example, a character named Louis was occasionally called Louise. None of these are major, obviously, but they can unintentionally distract. At a broader level, Arose’s character seemed inconsistent. Within the span of five pages, she accused the same man of trying to kill her and of being her soulmate, saying they had a “special connection.” She was also extremely forward-thinking for the time (the 1600s), freeing all the slaves on her family’s sugar plantation. But she wouldn’t consider marrying below her station, stating that a free servant was someone to be used sexually and discarded. That sentiment is almost undoubtedly a nod to the prevailing attitude at the time, but in a story that is not particularly era-appropriate in speech and action, being consistent here made our heroine seem a bit petty. In the end, I never felt I knew Arose.

Overall, another edit to clean up some of these inconsistencies and to take care of the small, mechanical issues such as incomplete sentences or multiple points of view in the same paragraph would have improved the readability of this otherwise imaginative story. ( )

Nights Arose is a good vs. evil story centered in 17th century Jamaica, but spreading out as far as the Sea of Marmara in Turkey. The novel is filled with magic on both sides: power to transform people into animals, power to witness events in the past, power to make oneself invisible, power to create great storms, and many others. These powers go head to head like opposing armies on a battlefield, increasing in page-turning intensity as the book moves on.

The “good” is represented by Nessarose (Arose) Du Mouchelle, a young woman blessed with exceptional talents - enhanced by the magic of a gem stone given to her by Bess, a gypsy woman. “De spirit of de stone will protec' you always.” The “evil” is represented by Morel, a Voodoo priestess, whose power seems to grow with each paragraph. Her goal is to steal the powerful gem and use it for her own purposes.

What I enjoyed the most about this novel is that it is not only a fantasy about a war between good and evil, but also Arose's coming of age story. This young woman is able to send her spirit into the astral plane, and, from there, witness events she has already lived. We get to see her youth, as she competes with her friends and first meets her Uncle's valet, who will turn out to be important to her. We also get to see her awakening sexuality, which happens in a beautifully written vision:

Her center started to ache. She thought of how liquid his movements were. How each movement, once begun, tumbled imperceptibly to the next, cascading as water would over rocks in a stream...She wanted him; she wanted his strong arms around her.

I recommend this novel for fans of well written fantasy.

Steve Lindahl – author of Motherless Soul, White Horse Regressions, Hopatcong Vision Quest, and Under a Warped Cross. ( )

This book is a fantasy-lover’s dream. A Voodoo priestess, a dragon, astral projections, literal soul mates, clairvoyance, shape shifters – do I need to go on? Somehow, the author took all these traits and created an amazing amalgamation of mystical bliss set in 17th Century Jamaica. The flow of the story was natural and exciting to read.

Arose is the perfectly imperfect heroine. She is relatable. She loves her family. She never gives up trying to warn them, even though they tend to ignore her. She has faith in herself, but unless her gift shows her otherwise, she has trouble trusting others. Just like in the real world, we are not always immune to low self-esteem.

I was so frustrated by the conundrum Arose was forced into. A person should not have to make a choice between the lesser of the two evils.
Arose’s soul mate… I can’t continue without spoilers. Needless to say, I swooned. Ultimate romantic.

From beginning to end, I felt I was experiencing the story through Arose’s eyes. Every setting was described in minute detail. Sights, smells, sounds, feelings. It would have been difficult to not be immersed into her world.

The common theme in this story was “be aware, people may not be who they seem.” For now, good has reigned supreme, but there was a warning. Evil is waiting for just the right moment to mount another attack.

I received this book free from the author via Reader’s House in exchange for an honest review. ( )