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13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
One Good Ride, May 27, 2007
This review is from: Season of the Witch (Hardcover)
In "Season of the Witch", Natasha Mostert writes a satisfying intellectual novel that entertains the reader on multi-levels. Combining a knowledge of computer technology, the occult and psychology, she weaves a story that teases the "seeker" in all of us while transforming a could-have-been mundane tale of two erotic witches and their boy-toys into an interesting peek at the age-old quest for ultimate gnosis.
Mostert's characters are ripe with the usual heroic attributes: good looks, charisma, and extraordinary sensory skills. Accomplished and hubristic, Gabriel, the lead player, makes his living as an information thief. Prowling the streets of London like a modern day Artful Dodger, he pick-pockets bits and bytes of cyberspace with wireless devices and sells them off to the highest corporate bidders. As a one-time "remote viewer" (a natural talent that enables one to "see" with the mind of another) he is contacted by Frankie, his former lover, to "slam a ride" into the mind of Robbie, her missing stepson, to discover his whereabouts. Minnaloushe and Morrighan Monk, two sisters that Gabriel senses during his ride, are not only beautiful and brilliant; they have developed an intricate memory palace (shades of Hannibal Lector) where they can hone their arcane skills as solar witches. Together, the three forge a fascinating trio; all are willing to give their all to maximize their innate skills while feeding their private desires.
From the start, Gabriel knows that one of the beautiful Monks has done away with Frankie's stepson. However, he finds that he is in love with the unknown writer of a highly imaginative digital diary that he is able to clandestinely glimpse at using his skills as a computer hacker. As with all heroes, Gabriel's focus shifts from his completing his mission to his fulfilling his personal wishes. And as most stories go, his weakness causes great inimitable pain. Like any coming of age journey, a trial by fire ensues, eventually tempering Gabriel's arrogance and allowing him to pursue the ultimate truth.
Although the plotline moves along at just the right pace and the conclusion is both compelling and satisfying, I found the beauty of this novel to lie in the information that Mostert so lovingly introduces to the reader. The complicated ideas of gnosis, alchemy and memory palaces tantalize; I, for one, will look into Mostert's recommendation to read "The Art of Memory" by Yates and "The Zelator" by Mark Hedsel. In addition, her comments regarding modern man's inability to internalize knowledge because of the accessibility of data via the Internet and other formats fascinate. Understanding that without a trained memory with "muscle" the truly inspired creative ideas that lead to a greater understanding of the universe will never conceptualize (one cannot link concepts together if they have been forgotten and not residing in memory), Mostert predicts a dire destiny for mankind in terms of its overall progression.
Bottom line? In terms of plot, I have subtracted one star for Mostert's rather obvious red herring device to steer the reader away from uncovering the identity of the actual murderess. Otherwise, I found this modern tale of witchcraft and seeking stimulating. I highly recommend it to anyone who likes something reminiscent of Elizabeth Hand's cult classic, "Waking the Moon." The melding of the ancient mysteries with the magic of today's technology entertains well, providing for a ride that slams as well as jams.
Diana Faillace Von Behren.
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7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Unique Adventure, May 10, 2007
This review is from: Season of the Witch (Hardcover)
London is full of secrets. Gabriel Blackstone should know. He's a professional information thief. He and his partner can hack almost any system, if the price is right. Life is good, until an old flame shows up needing his help.
His ex-girlfriend, now married to a wealthy businessman, wants Gabriel to use a special ability--one he has tried to forget--to find her stepson. The search leads to a pair of sisters who immediately enchant him. Obsessed with the power of memory and alchemy, they draw him into a magical world where he is tempted to forget the nature of his job.
A mysterious journal, suspicious deaths, and growing fascination with the sisters' world brings Gabriel to places he never thought to revisit. Love and danger mingle to create a situation he will be lucky to survive.
This is a unique adventure that will take readers on a mind-trip of power, lust, greed, and magic. The story begins with a character involved in high-tech espionage and takes the reader on a paranormal ride.
The characters are beautifully illustrated, each with distinctive qualities. Pacing gets a bit slow at times, especially as Gabriel gets submerged in the sisters' arts. Aside from the pacing, the plot is well constructed and contains a couple decent twists. The settings range from urban London to the magical house and garden that belong to the sisters, and where Gabriel spends a great deal of time.
I've not read many books like this, and I recommend it to readers who would like a change of pace.
Reviewed by Christina Wantz Fixemer
05/10/2007
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Enter a World of Beauty and Darkness, August 22, 2007
This review is from: Season of the Witch (Hardcover)
Enter a world of beauty and darkness... I was intrigued by the beautiful cover image and the enigmatic tag line of Natasha Mostert's novel, Season of the Witch, when it arrived in my mailbox for review. That is, until I turned the book over. It wasn't the completion of the tag line: Two sisters. A mysterious house. And a man searching for the truth. That sounded positively gothic, a niche of fiction I thoroughly enjoy. It was quotes like, "A mesmerizing blend of alchemy and sexuality. Prepare to be seduced." and phrases like "fraught with eroticism" and "dangerous sex" that brought forth mental images of a witchy ménage a trios that put me off the idea of diving right into this book. Strange, inner jacket comparisons with The Matrix, Interview with a Vampire, and The Historian did not evoke much confidence that this would be a book that I would ultimately enjoy despite liking all those things.
Having just spent the last several hours hanging on every word of the last 200 pages of Season of the Witch, I have never been more happy to say, "Boy, was I ever wrong!" The old adage of "don't judge a book by its cover", or more accurately, "its cover blurbs", held very true for my experience with Natasha Mostert's gripping novel.
From the book jacket:
Gabriel Blackstone is a hacker, information thief, and skilled "remote viewer"-he makes an excellent living stealing other people's secrets. When a former lover asks him to look into the disappearance of her stepson, Gabriel's investigations lead him to Monk House, a rambing Victorian home where time seems to stand still. Gabriel becomes increasingly bewitched by the house, and by its owners...
Contrary to what the jacket blurbs would lead one to believe, this is not some sort of occultish erotic thriller. Oh it is a thriller all right, make no mistake, but the melodramatic overtones of "eroticism" and "sexuality" belie the fact that this is a straight up gothic thriller, set in modern times. Having had the experience I have just had with Season of the Witch, I can confirm that in one way the jacket blurbs got it right: "Prepare to be seduced" is a perfectly accurate warning, though possibly not in the way the sentiment was intended.
It is obvious from my opening quotes that I was trepidatious going into this book. It didn't take long before I came to realize that what I had in my hands was much better than any initial expectations. I began reading in small doses, fitting in a few pages here and there as I had time over the weekend. Those few pages turned into larger doses and soon I was just that, seduced. Mostert's writing, the way she pulls the reader in as Gabriel is slowly lured into the lives of the two mysterious M women, is artful in its seduction. And once you are woven into her web of words, there is no getting out. I hit a point early this evening, right around the halfway point of the novel, in which I realized that any activity I had planned for the night was due to be rescheduled. I was going to spend the remainder of my night with Gabriel.
Season of the Witch is a story about memory, it is a story filled with interesting symbolism. It is a story of romance and redemption, it is a tale of magic. The story builds up the tension so slowly, so deftly, that before you know it you find yourself in passages of the book that give you the same kind of nervous anxiety that you get when watching a suspense film, where the killer is sneaking up on the unsuspecting victim. You want to scream, "Look out behind you!" but instead you tear through the pages with a racing heart and hope for the best.
I was utterly captivated by this book. Natasha Mostert manages to lend a truly timeless feel to the scenes in Monk House that make you feel as if part of what you are reading is classic gothic fiction. Added to that is a great deal of historical reference to the practice of alchemy and to a number of real life practitioners that give the novel more depth than a standard thriller. I was so intrigued by the mention of one individual that I had to put the book down to visit the great info-dump of cyberspace, Wikipedia, to read more about said individual before I could continue with the story. Scattered throughout the story are diary entries by one of the mysterious M women that bestow an air of secrecy and apprehension. To top it all off Mostert writes intriguing characters that feel three dimensional.
It doesn't happen often enough that I get so engrossed in a book that I have to stay up until the wee hours to finish it. Season of the Witch just happened to inspire a literary late night.
There is so much more to be said about this book, but perhaps the best thing I can say is this: Go out and buy it now. Allow it to slowly but surely tantalize you with its marvelous language and thrilling story. Forget any preconceptions the cover blurbs or inset jacket description may conjure up in your mind. It is not that these descriptions lack accuracy, it is that this book is so much more than that. Enter a world of beauty and darkness... it is well worth the price of admission.
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