author: Nathan Kratschbel
Tamara Thorne is a veteran in the horror genre. A bestselling novelist in the 90s, Thorne was nominated for the Bram Stoker Award and has published over 20 books. Alistair Cross is new to the publishing world, having published his first book in 2012 by Damnation Books. Together, they created The Ravencrest Chronicles, a series of gothic erotic romance novels that tell the hidden stories of a haunted mansion in Devilleswood, California. The Ghost of Ravencrest It is the first book in the Ravencrest Saga.
Belinda Moorland, a 23-year-old college graduate who has lived a sheltered life, has just been hired as the new governess at Ravencrest, an old English manor house that was brought from London and rebuilt brick by brick in California. Ravencrest’s owners, the Mannings, are a wealthy family with a rich and tragic history that haunts the foundations of the estate. Between sexy ghosts, a mysterious housekeeper, a wicked secretary, a religious fanatic mother, and her handsome boss, Belinda must delve into the secrets of Ravencrest to save the soul of a long-dead member of the Manning family.
so The Ghost of Ravencrest Is this a small glimpse into the triumphant return of Tamara Thorne, and yet another masterpiece from a promising new writer in Alistair Cross? The answer is… a resounding “no”.
While Thorne & Cross does an excellent job of depicting the rich history of the Manning family, a large number of the characters they create, both in Ravencrest’s history and in the present, are just that, characters. Thorne & Cross weaves an archetypal story where the characters lack complexity or any real reason to care. The good guys are good, and the bad guys are bad. While there were many opportunities to add depth to these characters, especially in the narrative’s omniscient perspective, our writers chose to focus on trying to create a story that is both eerie and sexy.
So is this scary? Kind of. The Ghost of Ravencrest It does offer some creepy imagery and some interesting ghosts, but most of the suspense seems to be lost too quickly. It’s a book that has its share of horror, but not enough to keep the reader hooked.
But is it sexy? Again: kind of. Thorne & Cross seem to use innuendo as their bread and butter. Aside from one amusing doctor’s visit, our authors go all out on the erotica in the book. Belinda is constantly blushing and giggling, every male character is attractive, and it’s no surprise that it’s erotic; but it’s true that Thorne & Cross seem to rely mostly on innuendo and cutaways to make the story pretend to be somewhat palatable to fans of the erotic subgenre.
My main concern is with the “suggestions” The Ghost of Ravencrest Lies, because it affects more than just the erotic scenes. Thorne & Cross don’t use a minimalistic writing style. They don’t tell us a lot about their characters with a few descriptions. They don’t keep us in suspense by switching scenes. They just sketch out aspects of the story that need more substance.
The Ghost of Ravencrest It’s a fun read at times, but with its archetypal characters, predictable settings, and lackluster enthusiasm, it ultimately feels less like an outing by two published authors and more like the work of a young self-publishing hopeful.
Order yours here.
score: 1.5/5
