R E K. (bigstone) - , reviewed Jacaranda: A Novella of the Clockwork Century on + 1438 more book reviews
Juan Miguel Quintero Rios is a gunslinger who became a priest. Having particpated in many strange occurrences he is summoned by an Irish nun, Sister Eileen Callaghan, to a haunted hotel in Galveston, TX. Many deaths have occurred in the Jacaranda Hotel, caused by dark forces existing beneath it. The hotel is so named because a beloved jacaranda tree on the island was removed for the construction of the lavish hotel. The nun also wrote for a Texas ranger to join them. Enters Horatio Korman, an investigator intrigued by strange stories. The three work together to solve the mystery of the deaths.
Why cutting down the jacaranda tree released an evil entity is not clear but perhaps that's part of the mystery. The force states at one point that it was in the tree. It seems that it brings guests to the hotel because they have dark secrets, perhaps just a broken promise or something much more sinister. The entity kills these guests and the resulting ghosts serve its means, welcoming others with such secrets into its rooms. I found myself wondering about this aspect. Is the entity really evil or just trying to eliminate those who have committed what it sees as wrongs?
An interesting twist of the story is the huge hurricane that enfolds the city in its destruction. The author leads the reader to believe that the entity is intent on destroying itself. It is up the the trio to save the remaining guests from the hurricane and the entity.
It's a ghost tale, book 6 of the author's Clockwork Century series, which stands well on its own. Some readers label it as steampunk but others refute that description. Nevertheless, it is a well constructed tale that keeps the reader perusing the pages all the way to the end.
Why cutting down the jacaranda tree released an evil entity is not clear but perhaps that's part of the mystery. The force states at one point that it was in the tree. It seems that it brings guests to the hotel because they have dark secrets, perhaps just a broken promise or something much more sinister. The entity kills these guests and the resulting ghosts serve its means, welcoming others with such secrets into its rooms. I found myself wondering about this aspect. Is the entity really evil or just trying to eliminate those who have committed what it sees as wrongs?
An interesting twist of the story is the huge hurricane that enfolds the city in its destruction. The author leads the reader to believe that the entity is intent on destroying itself. It is up the the trio to save the remaining guests from the hurricane and the entity.
It's a ghost tale, book 6 of the author's Clockwork Century series, which stands well on its own. Some readers label it as steampunk but others refute that description. Nevertheless, it is a well constructed tale that keeps the reader perusing the pages all the way to the end.
