Customer Reviews

The Haunting of Alaizabel Cray

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Chris Wooding's award-winning "The Haunting of Alaizabel Cray" is a masterful gothic thriller aimed for teens that had me on the edge of my seat in horrified suspense and action. Wooding creates in this novel an alternative Victorian London where 17-year old which-hunter, Thaniel Fox, must fight an apocalyptic evil known as the whych-kin. It is on one of these hunts that Thaniel saves Alaizabel Cray, a lovely girl that happens to be possessed and holds the key to an evil occult's plans to take over the world. Wooding is a master of suspense, creating scenes that will make you wince with glee and shudder in fear. His characters are believable enough that you will root for them in their troubles and the plot is very intricate but not that much as so you won't become confused. Not to be missed by those horror/gothic/mystery/thriller lovers out there. I only recommended this book though to those above thirteen as there are light elements of horror, murder, the occult, and prostitution. But, these somewhat grotesque themes do not take away from the sheer delight and suspense that I received as I read this book. Not to be missed!

I hate reading and I have never heard of Chric Wooding, but while at my school's library I saw this book on the shelf. It had never been checked, so I thought I might as well check it out myself. THIS IS MY FAVORITE BOOK! I love the action, the characters, and the story in general. This book's story is like it came from a video game, and that really drew me in. If you are looking for something good to read, GET THIS BOOK!

If you enjoy the atmosphere and imagination of Philip Pullman, Garth Nix or Philip Reeve, then you're sure to like Chris Wooding; one of the handful of fantasy-authors who (by some miracle) does not feel the need to fill their fantasy worlds with elves, dwarfs, wizards, dragons and every other fantasy cliché that's been done to death since Tolkien published "The Lord of the Rings". As a lover of fantasy myself, I find the sheer lack of originality of many fantasy-authors and the resignation of readers to go on reading these books anyway a constant source of depression. The flimsy excuse of both authors and readers seems to be: "all fantasy is like that."

Reader, it is not.

Some authors are willing to explore new territory, and Wooding is one of these. "The Haunting of Alaizabel Cray' is set in an indefinable time-period of London: it appears to be mid-19th century, but events are occurring that bear no resemblance whatsoever to our historical knowledge of the period. The city is haunted by creatures known as `wych-kin', a variety of monstrous and grotesque creatures that prey on the city's inhabitants. The only defence against such mysterious and deadly beings are the `wych-hunters', such as Thaniel Fox and his mentor Cathaline Bennett. They live turbulent, dangerous and (more often than not) *short* lives as they hunt down and destroy the wyches, driven by a desire to rid their city of the supernatural infection that is slowly eradicating the world.

Thaniel is a seventeen year old wych-hunter, partnered to Cathaline since his father's death (who was also a hunter). Together the two scout London, finding new methods to destroy the wych-kin and keep the citizens safe, whilst remaining on the outskirts of society. It is on one such patrol of the city that Thaniel discovers an incoherent and dishevelled girl wandering about in her nightgown. Feverish and with no memory of how she came to be wandering the night-time streets, Thaniel takes her home in order to untangle the mystery. Who is this mysterious girl? What does the tattoo on her back signify? And does she have anything to do with the influx of wych-kin roaming the city? The intrigue and action doesn't let up for a single page as Wooding unravels the mystery, sustaining interest and excitement till the very last page.

His best effort is in the creation of a detailed and intoxicating atmosphere, a fully-realised world filled with asylums, secret cults, upperclass neighbourhoods, beggar's communities, prostitutes, churches and parliament houses. London isn't just haunted by wych-kin, there are wolves that stalk the back-streets and the enigmatic psychopath Stitch-face who is yet to be captured by the authorities. The dark and dense atmosphere of the story will remain long after the book is finished. As dangerous and unwelcoming as it is, you can't help but be sucked into it. This alternative-London is just as much a character as Thaniel and Alaizabel themselves, and Chapter Twenty in particular is a remarkable example of how strong Wooding's creation is: for this one chapter the main protagonists are completely absent, and instead Wooding centres on the inhabitants of London and their terrifying ordeals against the wych-kin. It's creepy, imaginative and (most importantly) *original* stuff.

Thaniel, Cathaline and Alaizabel are all likeable characters, though we never really get inside their heads. Though sympathetic, they are more like action-figures than three-dimension characters. However, if Wooding is short on characterisation, he more than makes up for it in action and ideas; setting, plot, pacing and atmosphere - it's all wonderfully *new* as opposed to another fantasy-rehash. Though not for the faint of heart (as it can get a little gruesome at times) "The Haunting of Alaizabel Cray" is a great read.

London has been over-run by Wych-kin for twenty years or so after the bombing by the Vernichtung. The city's residents have lived as prisoners terrorized by the nebulous and nefarious Cradle-jacks,Drowned Folk, Wights, Chackh'morg, Rawhead and Bloodybones, Deildegasts,The Hallow Ghoul, The Draug, and Stitch-Face.

Ultimately at the heart of the evil and the spawning of the Wych-kin lays the Fraternity, a coven of immense power-enough to summon a beast that will lay waste to London and next...the World. It is an invokation twenty years in the making and they will not let anyone stand in their way...

In the midst of a growing terror emerging from the bowels of the Old Quarter, Thanial Fox Wych-Hunter, Cathaline Bennett, Alaizabel Cray and a rag-tag force embark on a journey to save London by unraveling the sinister core of the Fraternity, and battling spirits enshrouded in the twilight world of their fading city. Hope is against them amid the crimson vortex of a evil so deadly, one could only hope they succeed.

Chris Woodings, "The Haunting of Alaizabel Cray" is a densely textured vision of apocalyptic London, rife with archaic symbolism and verbiage that weaves an intense page turning journey of wonder. The most brilliantly imaginative, well-written piece of fiction that has been emerged in years-Let Wooding's Alaizabel set a new standard of writing that can only improve like the finest of wines. Worthy of 6 Stars!Copyright(c)Nicola Mattos

This book had action, romance, suspense, mystery... and the list goes on. Thaniel is a wych hunter, like his father. He finds a girl named Alaizabel and he quickly discovers that she is possesed by one of the most powerful wyches there is and bad ppl want her to open the portal to a most evil source. Thaniel and his mentor, Cathrine, must stop these ppl from getting Alaizabel. It was a great way to express the human mind. There was great suspense that won't let you put it down. Yet I must warn you. It isn't a book to be read in the dark.

Chris Wooding has created an intricate world full of believable mosters (both wych-kin and human) that will appeal to readers of fantasy and horror alike. The characters can fall a little flat, and Alaizabel, the so-called heroine of the book, seems incredibly wimpy and helpless to me (despite being described as strong and courageous within the book), but the unique setting interesting plot more than make up for any character shortcomings. The plot moves along at a very nice pace - fast enough to keep the reader interested, but slow enough that we can pause to take in the intricacies of the alternand ate history-type world as well. The ending climactic sequence especially is a page-turner that will keep readers up way past bedtime. "The Haunting of Alaizabel Cray" is definitely worth checking out.

This was a great book! The plot was excellent, and revolved around characters that were not your average "action heroes". The story was different than other books I have read, which grabbed my attention immediately. It is truly and imaginative book that grabs at the reader and demands your attention. If you are a fan of action, sci-fi, mystery, suspense, love, or anything else, this is a must read!

I don't get excited about many books. When I picked this book up to use for an English class book project, I didn't think I would like it as much as I did. The characters are in depth and intelegent. The book throws many surprises at you, including the deaths of a few main characters. The book takes you from an eerie setting in Old Quarter London to a hellish, monster overthrown chaos that is growing. I think this book would make an excelent movie. And that's coming from a movie fanatic...READ IT, YOU'LL SEE!

The Haunting of Alaizabel Cray by Chris Wooding is one of the best books I have read in a long time. An intriguing Gothic fantasy story, it should be picked up by all fans of Phillip Pullman, even though everyone will be attracted to its mix of action, adventure, mystery, thrill and wild imagination.

The book starts off as the story of several people, who's purpose eventually intertwine. Thaniel Fox and his companion Cathaline are wych hunters, seeking to kill the horrifying wych-kin that infest London.
The wych-kin are excellent examples of the author's creativity: terrifying creatures that have been summoned by magic to kill people. They come in many forms, including the long, spindly Cradlejack and the the heavy, slow, squid-like Draug.

Meanwhile, Detective Carver is pondering over a series of murders committed in London by the notorious Stitch-face, a cold-blooded serial murderer, named by his few lucky escapees for the stitch-faced mask and wig worn while murdering the victims. In my opinion, the fear and horror surrounding Stitch-face would make Jack the Ripper envious.

Then Detective Carver discovers the Green Tack murders, and believes that these murders must have been committed by someone even more devious than Stitch-face. He starts to notice not only something fishy about the murders, but his workplace too. Detective Carver/Stitch-face chapters were my favourite part of the book because they drew you in and kept you guessing.

Then Alaizabel Cray is discovered, thought to be mad and delirious, but really the key to all evil in London.She draws the characters together to save perhaps not only London, but the whole world.

There was only one criticism I had of this book and that was that it stereotyped atheists a bit, and had a little bit of bigotry towards them. I noticed this mainly when the perpetrators of evil were revealed, because they did not believe in the religions of the world and decided to conjure up monsters instead.

Apart from that, I think it was an amazing book. I can't wait to read Chris Wooding's other books.

"He's very nervous when it comes to meeting new people. That's why he's still alive." In The Haunting of Alaizabel Cray, by Chris Wooding, Prussian bombings and the revolution of science have turned London into a city of terror. With the sudden appearance of supernatural, malevolent creatures called wych-kin, new advancements attempt to keep the city safe. Wych-hunters, like the acclaimed Thaniel Fox, prowl the streets of this strange Victorian London at night to control the damage done by wych-kin. The action begins when Thaniel, a seventeen-year old boy searching for answers, stumbles across a lost, possessed girl on his nightly wych-hunt and decides to bring her in. Much to his surprise, the girl, Alaizabel Cray, holds inside her an ancient evil that could end up destroying them all. Surrounded by the brilliant minds of beggars and occultists alike, Thaniel must try to rid London of a growing evil force.

This compelling horror/science-fiction novel is a fast read, and the themes of the book are very gripping. Even though it goes by quickly, the ending of the story will leave you thinking and questioning the truths of humanity. Although The Haunting of Alaizabel Cray contains very realistically formed creatures, it is far from a fantasy novel. The wych-kin are always out to kill, and the descriptions of certain characters and what they are capable of doing are far from anything you would consciously imagine. Wooding's complex and realistic details add to the horror elements. Through the book, he tells the story as if it actually happened and does not spare the reader from harsh realism. If you enjoy gripping horror novels that come face to face with the supernatural, you will love The Haunting of Alaizabel Cray because it is frightening and exciting with a slight variation of the classic good versus evil battle. The book is very similar to The Shade's Children, by Garth Nix because it stays both action-packed and emotional. However, it is different from other novels of this genre since a lot of the focus remains on the characters and how each is affected by the toll of evil. If you enjoy a classic horror story twisted with fantastical elements, you need to read The Haunting of Alaizabel Cray.