From Publishers Weekly
Former cop Al McBaith, the protagonist of Anderson's second horror novel (after The Unholy ), travels to Scotland for a vacation in his ancestral village of Aragarr. Beset by deep misgivings, he arrives to find the quaint seaside town reeling from recent mysterious, violent events. He also encounters beautiful young schoolteacher Janet, with whom he falls in love. Odd events continue to unfold: hallucinatory episodes involving Aragarr of centuries past, and a leprous old sorcerer imprisoned in a tower. Al learns that he is a descendant of the sorcerer, and may even be the sorcerer's reincarnation, and the instrument of his revenge on Aragarr. He resists what he fears is his destiny even as he plays into it, for he cannot distinguish the evil forces from the good, and this includes the people around him, among them Janet. Because it is unfocussed, the tension here never accelerates. The penultimate scene is marred, as is the book in general, by a lethargic pace, repetition and cliche. Anderson's second novel is a step up from his first, The Unholy , but not by much.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
Al McBaith retires from the Los Angeles Police Department and follows a sudden compulsion to see his ancestral Scottish village. A rash of unusual deaths (e.g., ermines kill a couple of tourists) and suicides interspersed with disturbing, inexplicable encounters plague the village and test the former cop's street-wise pragmatism. McBaith searches for a rational explanation even as he fights to retain control of his own mind and actions. Learning the centuries-old cause is not without cost to the entire village. But, McBaith pays the highest price the knowledge of his role in the covenant's fulfillment. Though a bit overdone on menacing atmosphere, this is still an enthralling tale of terror. V. Louise Saylor, Eastern Washington Univ. Lib., Cheney
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.
