14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A great start to a great series, October 26, 2005
Ghosts of Albion: Accursed is the first full length novel in the Ghosts of Albion series by Amber Benson and Christopher Golden. Ghosts of Albion had been a wildly successful animation series appearing on the BBC Cult website, with Benson and Golden writing and Benson directing. While the animations set up the story at large, one does not need to be familiar with them to enjoy this story. The authors take great care to make sure that new readers are clued into the backstory. What one might miss out on is the internal voices you give the characters from the tale; it is difficult to imagine anyone else as the voice of Horatio Nelson other than Anthony Daniels (C-3P0 of Star Wars).
Fans of Christopher Golden, and in particular his "Shadow Saga" books are in for a treat. The same deft writing and tight plotting is here. Yes there are twists and turns and they are delightful ones. There is something else as well. Fans of Amber Benson will be pleased to see "author" attached to the numerous titles this multi-talented young woman has (writer, actress, director, producer, dancer and singer), and it is quite obvious that she does her fair share here. Contrasting this work to other Christopher Golden books, one detects an edge to Accursed, something extra that can only come from Ms. Benson herself. There is not the "split voice" phenomena that one sees in other dual authored works. Chris and Amber have a unified vision here and a clear direction of how to get to it.
On to the story itself.
Set in 1838, William and Tamara Swift are the newly anointed Protectors of Albion. Protectors are charged with protecting the mystic soul of their lands and people in it from the supernatural forces of darkness. Albion is the mystic soul of England. Set in very early in Victorian age, this is more a dark reflection of the world of Charles Dickens, not that of Alistair Crowley. In addition to life crushing poverty and filth, there is the latest supernatural threat to Albion, and one that England may have wrought on itself.
William and Tamara slowly learn of a plague hitting the Indian slums of London; men are being changed into horrific demon-like monsters and the women are birthing their spawn. But this not enough, this is merely the first in a wave of evil to come to Albion's shore. Add in duplicitous Protectors of other lands, ghosts and humans, the Swifts may have met a challenge that even they will trouble with.
It is difficult not love Tamara Swift. She chafes under the conventions of early 19th Century society and is a very forward thinker, but not anachronistically so; Tamara is very much a creature of her age. William on the other hand is a archetype of his age, and that leads to fantastic dynamics as these two characters, who care about each other so and share the same power and burdens, often disagree on many things. The other characters, the epynonymous Ghosts of Albion, are allowed their full reign in this novel. Admiral Horatio Nelson is the Swift's constant guardian, as steadfast in death as he was in life. Lord Byron is allowed a range more suited his character than the BBC animations would allow, and Queen Bodicea is, if anything, more daunting and formidable in her afterlife than in her legends. These ghosts, along with Nigel Townsend, are the Swifts companions, aides and allies in the war against the supernatural. If Golden and Benson know anything it is vampires. Nigel Townsend is then their child of this shared knowledge. Nigel is everything you expect a 19th century vampire to be; suave, sophisticated and dangerously sexual. He is also a beast wrapped in the flesh of a man and Benson and Golden not only remember this, they embrace it.
I am quite impressed with the level of research the authors have done for this tale. This is a time the general is familiar with, but almost no one knows any details about. Benson and Golden share their knowledge of both the big issues of the time and such mundane trivial items that the mood is perfect. One can actually smell that Thames, hear the dock workers and feel the oppressive fog. The mythology, both of that of the Protectors and that of the lands they live in and protect, are exquisitely detailed.
If you are a fan of horror, gothic fiction, or of either of the authors then Ghosts of Albion: Accursed is a fantastic book.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting twist on Victiorian Gothic Horror..., January 3, 2006
Ghosts of Albion has been a hit BBC animated web series. Now it's a novel. Ghosts of Albion continues the story from the web animation series, adding depth to the characters and setting while maintaining the feel of a Victorian gothic horror as the siblings William and Tamara Swift, with the help of the ghosts of Albion (Lord Nelson, Bodicea, and Lord Byron) protect Britain from some pretty nasty supernatural enemies.
William and Tamara Swift are siblings who inherit equally their grandfather's position and powers as a protector of Britain. They learn that he along with the ghosts of Bodicea, Admiral Lord Nelson, and Lord Byron have been defending the land from supernatural incursions and attacks. In the attack that killed their grandfather, their father is taken over by the demon Oblis. They keep their father/demon in one of the tower rooms hoping to one day find a way to free him of the demon.
Meanwhile, the London waterfront district seems to be faced with a plague that mainly attacks the Indian immigrants. The women are being raped and becoming pregnant, dying after giving birth, while the men are changing into some sort of reptilian creature. The Swifts don't learn of this plague since at first it doesn't affect the upper classes, but finally they learn of it after the death of Tamara's childhood friend. Once they learn of the plague they move to fight it but this supernatural force is unfamiliar and takes a lot of research and trail and error. Meanwhile, William is trying to find time to court the girl of his dreams -- a girl his sister detests.
There's horror and then again there's horror. I like being scared by a good book; it gets the blood pumping and the heart racing and allows a bit of vicarious thrill without danger. In Ghost of Albion the authors manage to hit on a scenario that frightens, disgusts, and horrifies just about every woman I know. The male side of the plague is horrific but is a tried and true trope of the horror genre and therefore not as scary as it probably was years ago.
The characters are extremely well drawn and interesting. The historical figures add a lot to the story and background and seemed to this American at least to be true to their historical identities. It's an interesting take on horror and one that can be taken in a lot of different directions. I look forward to more books in this series.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
funny and charming atmospheric Victorian horror tale, October 25, 2005
In Victorian London, siblings William and Tamara Swift are magicians protecting England from evil from their home Ludlow House. Other residents include the spirits of overly sexed charged Lord Byron, naked warrior queen Bodicea, and their father with the latter apparently possessed by an evil demon. Prim and proper William courts independent feisty Sophia Winchell while his sister yearns to make life with rake John Haversham.
As the Swift siblings work on their personal lives, women of Indian descent are being raped near the wharfs and in the East End slums; these odious unions have led to the birth of gruesome monsters. At the same time reptilian creatures are killing anything that crosses their paths. Queen Victoria is concerned that her magicians are so young to go up against such formidable opponents. However, youthful as they are, the good guys are assisted by their resident ghosts and a vampire though they remain in deep trouble as the forces of the dark look invincible especially when the sun is down which is for much of a day in smoggy London.
This funny and charming atmospheric Victorian horror tale brings to gloomy life London under siege from the supernatural. Fans will appreciate the historical setting that makes the paranormal seem real although raging hormones sometimes interferes with the magic. GHOSTS OF ALBION: ACCURSED is a fine thriller that readers will enjoy.
Harriet Klausner
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