Customer Reviews

Four and Twenty Blackbirds

5 star:		(56)
4 star:		(27)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I am writing this review from 37,000 ft, a first for me, and find it oddly humorous that I will pass over Chattanooga, TN in a few moments on my celestial journey from St. Louis to Orlando, considering I just finished Cherie Priest's Four and Twenty Blackbirds, a supernatural tale of the haunting and hunting of a young girl from that very town. I wonder if I were able to drop the book from an open window, would I be able to hit someone who recognized it?

Four and Twenty Blackbirds definitely feels like a first novel in those first few hours of reading as we get to know her as an author and watch her characters crawl into our world from her rich, and dangerous imagination. Ms. Priest seems to be pushing the edges of the medium, using analogy and simile like a large hammer to bludgeon us with her wit and creativity. She uses images and phrases that please the mind like expensive chocolates please the palate. I often found myself rereading a particular phrase just to let it melt on my tongue a little longer. While momentarily pleasing, it does have the effect of pulling us out of the story.

Once she gets past the basic introduction of the characters and into the main course of the story she begins to grow comfortable in letting the story create the images without pushing so hard and that's when things get really interesting. Her descriptions of the forests and hills around Eden's home had me swatting at insects and smelling moldy, humid air. Her characters began to grow into living breathing people before my eyes and soon I realized that I cared about them.

I soon found the book hard to put down and, once I did put it down, hard to stop thinking about. Priest has created a wonderful story that pulls you into a fully realized locations full of interesting believable characters. I imagine that she has spent lots of time in forests, poetry slams and coffee houses to so easily transport us there with her. I thank her for allowing us along for the ride and for the delicious chocolates she provided along the way. I look forward to her next story if only so I can bite into it and let it drip down my chin.

Cherie Priest is a noted blogger and a success story for writers who see blogging as a way to get on the radar. I had been a little bit reluctant to give her book a try. Largely, this is because the last blog-to-book thing that I read disappointed me quite a bit. I find that the diction of good diarists often does not work well in a novel. In that sense, this book was a pleasant surprise.

Four and Twenty Blackbirds introduces Eden Moore. Eden sees ghosts, and has done since she was a small child. There are more than one kind of ghosts, however, and it is people from real life who send Eden hunting in the past. Her life and the life of her sister depend on her success.

Four and Twenty Blackbirds is one part horror, one part detective story, one part literary fiction. It reminded me a little bit of Eva Moves the Furniture by Margaret Livesey. I liked that book quite a bit, so I did not mind the resemblance. It may, in truth, have only been the ghosts.

The prose is quite good, and I read it fairly compulsively. The plot is less even, and in moments where I was less enchanted by the writing I found myself getting a little bit annoyed by some of the plot holes. Eden is a very vibrant character. The backstory about the evil threat was oddly backgrounded. I understand that the length of the book has changed over several editions, and perhaps this accounts for some of the lacunae.

In any case, I really enjoyed the book. It kept me reading through a nasty hangover when all I really wanted to do was lay in bed and eat blueberries. I am particularly looking forward to reading the next book. I have a hope that as a second novel it will be more evenly plotted, given that Priest would have known where it was going to be placed.

Eden sees ghosts--specifically the three female spectres that have haunted her and protected her throughout her life. She is also haunted by her fanatical, unbalanced cousin who has tried twice to kill her. After the second failed attempt, Eden begins to unearth her own family history in order to determine why her cousin wants her dead: he fears that she will revive the spirit of her long dead great-grandfather, an heartless African magician who desires immortality. A richly Southern gothic book, replete with dark mansions, hauntings, and a gnarled and twisted family tree, this is an atmospheric and engrossing read. However, simply unraveling the plot takes up the entire book, leaving no room for character growth or side stories, and the protagonist borders on annoying throughout the text. This is a promising first novel, but faulted. Moderately recommended.

The highlight of this book is its pacing and its atmosphere, both of which make it a swift and engrossing read. From the abandoned, haunted locations to the immediate and physical threats, as well as the twisted and convoluted plot that Priest unravels without massive exposition, the book moves at a skillful pace: just fast enough to keep the reader consistently interested without being brief or full of annoying cliffhangers, just slow enough to really get into and enjoy the supernatural aspects. This book reads well and is hard to put down. The plot is detailed and well-crafted, especially for a debut novel.

In many ways, however, the plot is too detailed and too well crafted: it is the sole and driving force in the book. At less than 300 pages, with such a meticulous plot, there is barely room in the book for anything else. Beyond the first few chapters, character development is limited or lacking and there are no side plots or side stories to add realistic depth to the text. The only other time that Priest inserts non plot related detail is to describe what Eden eats or how she drives, details which are so pointless they are almost confusing. The attempts that are made, primarily through the narrative voice, to define Eden's character make her seem cocky, brash, and irritating. It feels as if the book and even the characters do not exist fully in their own right, but rather as a vehicle to serve the plot. As a result, the book ends abruptly. There is no lasting connection to the characters and no greater meaning to the story, so when the plot ends, the book is finished and done.

Four and Twenty Blackbirds is a promising debut novel, and I will probably go on to read more of Priest's work. She has a very strong grasp on the Southern gothic genre, and conceives a plot twisted enough to fit this gnarled setting. However, both in style and execution, there are a number of issues with the book, and it is not particularly memorable after the fact. As such, I only moderately recommend it: this is a swift, engrossing read and has a lot of offer, but it is not an outstanding or a must-read book.

"Four and Twenty Blackbirds" is the first Southern Gothic novel I have ever read. In fact, it is the first novel out of the that genre that I've even picked up. Upon the recommendation of a friend, I gave this book a chance - and I'm happy to say, it was well worth it!

From a couple pages in, "Four and Twenty Blackbirds" grabs you and pulls you into the complicated life of Eden. Within pages, you care about what happens to this girl - a point sorely missed by many current novels, for what's the point of reading if you do not care about the protagonist, the situation, and have a desire to find out what's going on? Pleasantly, Ms. Priest avoids all these potential downfalls - everything that happens to Eden, and all twists and turns that evolve, become deeply important to the reader.. Why does she see ghosts? What's going on here? Ms. Priest pulls the reader into the hazy days of Chattanooga, through the muggy heat of Georgia, and deep into the depths of the Florida swamps... and as a reader, you're eager to follow.

As previously mentioned, this was my first jump into this genre of novels. I was not disappointed. In fact, I was quite surprised at how much I loved the story (I'm generally a reader of the more Fantasy genres, like Weis/Hickman or Tolkien) and look forward with great interest to the next installment of Ms. Priest's work with Tor!

I ask for a lot out of a book. I want an interesting, imaginative, yet believable plot that can be difficult to piece together. I want the characters to be complex and yet authentic. I want the descriptions to transport me to the the setting, to make me smell, see, hear, feel, and taste everything that the characters do. I want the dialogue to read naturally, to sound like something a person might actually say, to not be forced or stilted.
And if the book is supposed to be horror, I want the spookiness to creep up on me, to lull me into a false sense of security, thinking, "oh, this book couldn't possibly keep me up tonight," only to linger in my thoughts later, glancing nervously at the bedroom mirror as I try to doze off.
I love reading Priest's blog, and I was delighted to find that this book meets all of my exacting criteria. I enjoy reading, but the inner critic always finds something to pick on. Here, my only regret was that I devoured the book much too quickly. Quick as I sped through it, though, the smell of swamp, and the whispering of ghostly presences have clung to me. There's a lot to think about in this book; you're not done with it after you've read the last page.

This is the best horror book I've read since Dan Simmons' "The Song of Kali." I like my horror to be pensive and quick, not something that will keep me awake from the horror of it all, but for the excitement and suspense of plot and character.
The book takes place in a VERY beleivable South, making Chattanooga, TN a place I would like to visit and learn more about, and the swamps of Florida a place I don't mind staying well away from. Ann Rice could learn lessons from this woman.
The story centers on Eden, a girl/woman who inherits the ability to see ghosts. She is a strong, willfull person who's interest in her birth and family increase as she sees more and more horrible visions and learns about her family's evil past.
I read quite a bit, and am very impressed with Ms. Priest's work. This was a smooth, elegant, and highly entertaining book. I have bought two copies already, I was so excited to share.
Thank you Ms. Priest.

For those looking for a wonderful dark addition to their literary collections, this is the book for you!

The flow of visions of this piece of finely written fiction is perhaps one of the best of this past season. I couldn't put it down from the first page until the very last. It was an evening of pure joy as I reached its conclusion.

Fine work, Ms. Priest! I look forward to your next book and all that you put forth for us undying fans to enjoy!

This book is simply one of the most pleasing books to read that I've laid my hands on. It works on all levels, its a crime novel, a horror novel, a thriller, suspense. Whichever genre of book that you enjoy there is something to enjoy here - with a fluid and easy writing style that makes you turn the pages - and means you won't put this book down until you're finished. The well developed characters lead you along a twisting and mysterious path, never quite letting you see the end, but letting you glimpse its shadow through the trees. This is the kind of book that wins awards. Three words - Buy This Book.

Eden Moore has seen ghosts all her life. Ever since she was small, three waif-like spirits Eden calls the Sisters have lurked at the edges of her consciousness, warning her of impending trouble, trying to protect her from harm. They've had a lot to protect her from, too: By the time she's out of college, someone has already tried to kill Eden twice. Her would-be murderer is Malachi, a distant cousin who is determined to cleanse his bloodline by removing Eden from it. These events spur Eden to delve into her geneaology -- a family tree where black and white are mingled, where incest, voodoo, and insanity are rife. As she digs deeper into her family's past, a threat looms from out of the grave -- and it's up to Eden to bury the age-old curse that has haunted her family for generations...before she succumbs to it.

FOUR AND TWENTY BLACKBIRDS is a pretty good debut novel, with compelling characters and an intriguing plot. In the Southern gothic tradition, the novel's setting is rife with spookiness, which is only enhanced by better-than-average prose and lush description. BLACKBIRDS begins very well, introducing Eden as a spunky child and setting an atmosphere that's dark and creepy and utterly riveting. The scariest scene in the novel also comes in its first few chapters, taking place in the restroom of a summer camp and leaving me, literally, with chills.

But while the novel starts off well, it tends to lag towards the middle as Eden begins to uncover her family's history. And unfortunately, as Eden grows up, she becomes a less sympathetic character; she's unemotional and detached, despite the horrors happening to and around her, which is off-putting. This detracted from my interest in the novel somewhat. I found some of the supernatural elements in the novel confusing; they're especially muddled towards the end. Instead of being scared, as I'd hope to be, I was distracted as I wondered what, exactly, was going on.

FOUR AND TWENTY BLACKBIRDS is a fine first offering with lots of good elements. I'll be interested to see how Cherie Priest's career progresses as she begins to iron out the kinks in her writing. She's certainly a welcome new voice in the Southern gothic writing tradition, and I'll definitely be picking up her other novels.

The writing was decent and definitely held my interest. The storyline moved along nicely. Most of the characters well developed, though not always likeable. The only thing I didn't like was the main character, Eden's, attitude. She's kind of a snotty brat and during the action sequences I could almost picture her in a "Buffy, The Vampire Slayer" episode. I don't think she should have been this scared little ingenue but a little sympathy and compassion would have been enhanced her personality.