Like her Angelology series, this one is going to get a fairly mixed review from me. It's an interesting enough idea, but there are really a few too many elements of it that stretch credulity to the breaking point, even for a fantastical gothic story. Some bits of the plot just fail to cohere, some of the explanations just don't make sense, &c. So it was a bit of a bummer overall, but with some entertaining bits thrown into the mix. ( )

The Icemen Goeth, Not Fast Enough

Going about her life in a small upstate New York town, Alberta “Bert” Monte receives a letter that informs her she has inherited an estate in northern Italy in the shadow of Mount Blanc. When she’s finally persuaded to investigate her good fortune, she discovers not only an isolated, distressed, eerie fortress castle, but also answers to some perplexing questions, among them, why she and her estranged husband, Luca, cannot have children and her anomalous feet, so large and flat she usually keeps them shod. What starts as a gothic novel soon turns into encounters with the long sought after Yeti and her family’s relationship with these mysterious icy humanoids.

Admirers of Danielle Trussoni’s Angelology series, along with fans of gothic literature and horror in general, may find her The Ancestor disappointing. The reason, sad to say, is that while an interesting idea, the pace and set pieces lack any real excitement. After readers discover the secret kept by the Montebianco family for centuries, the novel really begins to creep to a very pale conclusion (though not so conclusive that a sequel might not be possible). Even discovering the true nature of the fabled Abominable Snowman, according to the novel, and learning their history can’t perk up the novel.

Unless you really can’t wait a second more for the next iteration in Trussoni’s Angelology series and must read something by her now, you may want to pass on this one. ( )

The Icemen Goeth, Not Fast Enough

Going about her life in a small upstate New York town, Alberta “Bert” Monte receives a letter that informs her she has inherited an estate in northern Italy in the shadow of Mount Blanc. When she’s finally persuaded to investigate her good fortune, she discovers not only an isolated, distressed, eerie fortress castle, but also answers to some perplexing questions, among them, why she and her estranged husband, Luca, cannot have children and her anomalous feet, so large and flat she usually keeps them shod. What starts as a gothic novel soon turns into encounters with the long sought after Yeti and her family’s relationship with these mysterious icy humanoids.

Admirers of Danielle Trussoni’s Angelology series, along with fans of gothic literature and horror in general, may find her The Ancestor disappointing. The reason, sad to say, is that while an interesting idea, the pace and set pieces lack any real excitement. After readers discover the secret kept by the Montebianco family for centuries, the novel really begins to creep to a very pale conclusion (though not so conclusive that a sequel might not be possible). Even discovering the true nature of the fabled Abominable Snowman, according to the novel, and learning their history can’t perk up the novel.

Unless you really can’t wait a second more for the next iteration in Trussoni’s Angelology series and must read something by her now, you may want to pass on this one. ( )

Though not my usual type of read, this book was quite a ride!

It's a gothic thriller, with elements of horror, and a deep dive into genetics and ancestry.

This is a good one to escape into: it contains an appealing main character, an enormous castle in the Italian Alps, a mysterious ghost town, a sense of dread and foreboding throughout, and some of the best foreshadowing I've encountered in a while. It takes quite an unexpected turn, too. Recommended for adventurous readers looking for something a bit different. ( )

I was surprised by the storyline of this novel. A man awakens in the wilderness of Alaska, disoriented, and unsure of who and where he is. Slowly his memory returns to him. He is Wyatt Barlow, and he has been frozen in the ground since 1898. Now 2020, he longs for his wife and son.
He meets Travis Barlow, his great-great grandson, and works his way into the family’s life. Under the influence of heroin, Wyatt remembers his past and plots out his future. Of course, Travis doesn’t believe the ancestor story.
Very well written, but I didn’t like some of the aspects of the novel, which is why it is 4, not 5 stars, for me.

#TheAncestor #LeeMatthewGoldberg ( )