Customer Reviews

The Lucifer Messiah

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

a friend gave me an advanced copy of this book with a disclaimer, "it's a "boy" book but you'll love it b/c of the old new york feel"... well, he was right. i don't know if it's fair to call it a "boy" book but it's totally fair to say that the author sets up midcentury new york with such vivid details that, as another reviewer put it, feels like you are watching a movie. totally recommended for boys and girls!!!

Sean Mulcahy went off to war in 1917 and disappeared. Now, decades later, he has returned, wounded, to the doorstep of the childhood friend who stole his girl. Vince and his estranged wife Maggie try to nurse the wounded friend back to health despite an obvious bullet wound. Sean's condition seems to be related to the changing criminal element in the neighborhood (Hell's Kitchen).

But there is more going on than just a change in criminal bosses. Strange creatures have fled Europe and taken refuge in the city. They usually look like men or women but are very different indeed. Sean might be one of them. A prophesy and a power struggle put Sean in a position he refuses to accept. Meanwhile, Vince tries to make sense of it all. Eventually it all comes to a boil and gets worked out to some degree.

This is a strange and confusing book. The real problem is that we seldom see things from a human viewpoint. For the most part we are stuck watching the action through the eyes of creatures we cannot connect with. Because their nature is kept secret to build tension, understanding their views is pretty much impossible. There are some interesting ideas buried in the confusion. There is also some oddities in the timeline. The time scale seems to be off like a change was made during writing but it wasn't completely changed. All in all I am not sure I recommend the book. The title and back description are very misleading and the execution is off. Still, you may see something in it I missed.

I rarely read fantasy books but this has intrigued me and peaked my interest for more, especially if they are going to be more written by Frank Cavallo. I was surprised to learn that this is first book. I found myself staying up late so I could read one more chapter but it never seemed like enough. I actually had to force myself to put the book down and go to sleep! The details and the imagination are impeccable! Great read, looking forward to more!

The Lucifer Messiah is a rare gem. Kept me turning the pages. The characters are so vivid that I felt that I was watching a good movie that I didn't want to see end. Definitely check it out!

I have already gotten a copy of this book from a friend. It was great, page turner. It reminds us that things are not always as they seem.

Fantasy fiction is not my thing, but WOW, Frank Cavallo turned that around. His in depth back story and attention to the details of life in Hell's Kitchen rounded out a solid telling of a lead character's journey.

The story may seem complex at first because he has to explain a history of shape-shifting creatures from Europe migrating to the US. But hang on tight. The author ties it all up in an amazing and suspenseful grand finale that has you thinking about it long after you put the book down.

I must say, I'd like to see what else Frank Cavallo conjures up in future books.

I rarely write reviews, but after reaching the end of this book and seeing that this was Mr. Cavallo's first book, I had to say something. This is a fast-paced, unique read that I couldn't put down. The main characters are a clever mosh of folks from different cultural backgrounds that came together as friends and ended up in a messy little love-triangle. The story begins as they come back together, having been separated by time and distance. The author has great skill in describing the non-human beings so that you can picture them clearly as you read. The book played like a movie in my mind as I read, although the creatures are so dynamic, I think it would be difficult to translate their actions to film. The background stories are explained as you go, so there are some puzzling moments, but most everything is eventually explained, bringing it all together in a nicely packaged, very visual story. This book has a little bit of everything: Gangsters, the Great War, images of New York from 1914 to 1946, mythology, religion, monsters, tricksters, and a satisfying ending.

All in all, it's a very clever and engaging read. I will be looking forward to Frank Cavallo's future books.