Last month’s discussion was another good one. Whether you enjoyed the book or not, everyone at least found something good to say about what they did like or what worked well for them. I hope for more of the same for April’s selection.
Cherie Priest has quickly developed into one of those authors I eagerly look forward to reading with each new release. Her writing first captured my attention with Boneshaker, but since then I’ve only looked backward once. It was high time I decided to read her debut, Four and Twenty Blackbirds, and see how she has grown as an author since then. Also, I wanted something to tide me over until Ganymede; Priest’s supernatural fiction seemed to promise something darkly entertaining in this gothic genealogical tale of horrific proportions. The decision to read it was an easy one.
Horror is, in part, a good way to describe this book. Not the grotesquely graphic kind, although there is blood involved, nor the deeply psychologically haunting kind, but there is some of that here as well. Really, it’s a mixture of these two, a balance that lends itself to the gothic nature of grand Southern mansions, ancient matriarchs, and a good ghost story. Throw in a bit of mystery and Eden Moore’s adolescent adventure evolves into a harrowing nightmare of family history set deep in the Florida Everglades.
As a child, Eden realized she could see ghosts. Her teachers and counselors, who are only obliquely familiar with this particular talent through Eden’s childish drawings, are concerned, but her aunt and caretaker, Lulu, is not. To Lulu, Eden’s walking visions are simply part of who she is, but there is something evasive about her acceptance, something vaguely related to her sister and the mother Eden never knew that she keeps from her niece. There are several chapters dedicated to Eden’s childhood and youth, no doubt in place to build a foundation for later revelations and develop the reader’s understanding of just how weird Eden’s version of ‘normal’ is. The rest of the novel focuses on an adult Eden, set roughly in 2005. While most of the action takes place here, it does not retain the eldritch beauty of her childhood.
I use the word beauty, but one might say there is nothing beautiful about Eden’s childhood at all. In fact, it’s slightly alarming. She doesn’t quite know what’s going on with these apparitions nor what it means to see ghosts when others cannot. Rather, beauty is reserved for the bittersweet nostalgia of a time when Eden did not understand the consequences of her gift. When she went to camp, made a friend, or had oddly comforting conversations with three ghostly women. Contrast this to Eden as an adult, her inner torment at not knowing who her mother was and determination to discover the truth, and the novel takes an entirely different direction than it might have gone. Hers is a world dominated by ghosts—the literal and metaphorical kind—but is for most of this story overrun with research and escaping murder attempts.
Priest’s affection for the South has always been fairly evident in her novels, but never more apparent than in this one. Chattanooga and its surrounding areas seemed as real to me as if I’d really been there (I haven’t). This very rich setting of mountains, forests, and swampland set the mood for the strange and confusing Moore family timeline. Eden’s research, the element in the story that seemed to take up a large block of narrative, is not nearly as exciting as her childhood and the last chapters. Mostly this is due to my inadequacy in keeping up with the likes of cousin-brothers, inbreeding and a slew of convoluted relationships that I didn’t take to nearly as well as the dark witchcraft which resulted from this particular family. But for the spoilers one would provide, this book would otherwise benefit from a family tree or some type of chart to help the reader keep everything straight for the final, shocking blow.
Because so much of what I found interesting was rooted in the supernatural, this is where I felt Priest’s writing was at its best. Eden’s investigations, while important to the story, are most engaging when interrupted by ghosts or a raving lunatic bent on killing her. Which would have been disappointing, had he succeeded. In Eden there are echoes of Priest’s later protagonists: she is fiercely independent, comfortable with certain types of weaponry, determined, and utterly courageous. These traits are admirable, but without any real growth or character development, Eden’s journey consumes her entirely and the story becomes a means to an end—one that seems to come rather abruptly, with little else to recommend these events save the knowledge that there are two other books (which I will be reading) in this series.
Still, for what it is, this is an engaging enough novel. Voodoo, polygamy, a sanitarium, and Catholic priests, Four and Twenty Blackbirds has an odd, but successful mixture of the occult and the gothic. Combined with a stunning atmosphere and landscape that Priest has only improved upon with each novel, this makes for a solid debut. Fans of dark urban fantasy will enjoy Eden’s complicated family relations, who can seem more than a little unhinged, but didn’t we all find Mr. Rochester a little creepy as well?
Release Date: September 15, 2005
Reviewed Format: Trade paperback
Discussion
Rules
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2. Commenting is not necessary! Lurk if you like, but comments are very welcome.
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Links
Follow along with the other Women of Fantasy book club selections. Download a .PDF or visit the announcement post outlining the basics.
Yay! I’m glad you liked this!
While most of the action takes place here, it does not retain the eldritch beauty of her childhood.
That’s so true. I noticed that as well, especially when reading for the second time.
I’m very curious to see what you think of the second and third books as you read them. The third is especially interesting.
My review: http://calico-reaction.livejournal.com/9127.html
Re-read: http://calico-reaction.livejournal.com/48989.html
I think this has been my favorite out of the WoF selections so far. It’s just creepy enough to appeal to my “I can’t not look at it” sensibility without being too graphic. Although, the part with the hands, urgh. And if I’m being honest here, the lack of romance had its appeal as well.
Which review would you like me to link? The original or the re-read?
Oh, I wasn’t thinking of that. Try the re-read, I guess, as the link to the original post is in the re-read.
Done!
This is actually the first book by Cherie Priest I’ve ever read, though I definitely plan to read more. I loved the childhood stories, but some of them seemed strangely irrelevant to the main plot. I think she described the South beautifully. I actually looked her up on wikipedia after reading this, to verify that she’d actually lived in the South.
About the horror elements of the story, I’m well aware that I’m more of a wuss than most, and some parts of the novel left me a little paranoid. I did appreciate Eden’s first reaction to seeing the ghosts of the three sisters—screaming hysterically. I’m fairly certain that’s exactly what I would in that situation. This was a significantly creepier novel than I tend to read, but I appreciate the opportunity to branch out.
I posted a review here: http://tethyanbooks.blogspot.com/2011/04/review-four-and-twenty-blackbirds-by.html
She did live in the South and it shows in most of her books. Even in her Clockwork Century books, which go cross country, her fondness for the area is very evident. I highly recommend that series, if you haven’t already tried them. I read them in order so I usually suggest they be read that way, but I believe you can kind of pick and choose (Boneshaker, Clementine, Dreadnought) and go from there.
I’m a wuss when it comes to horror also. Sometimes, I like to scare myself so I try reading something like this (which isn’t really so bad, I don’t think) and it scratches whatever was itching.
I hit ‘submit’ a little too quickly! I liked the childhood scenes, but was confused by the nursery rhyme at the end and how that really ties into Eden’s friend singing it earlier in the book. It seems like there is some significance there other than mere coincidence, but I couldn’t figure it out… Why some of the ghosts were evil, who were they, how did she know to pick which song to scare them away, and if they were related at all to the ghosts more central to this specific story. Those were some of the questions I had when I finished reading.
Thanks for the recommendation, I was thinking about checking out “Boneshaker” for my next Cherie Priest novel!
After a little thought, I’m guessing the point of the summer camp story comes down to this line by Cora:
“Real ghost stories… they’re not whole stories,” she said slowly. “You can’t tell them like a joke, because you never know the whole thing. There’s too much left out…”
And I’m guessing that’s why we never returned to Cora’s story and never learned what her ghost was or what it wanted. About the ending, I think that her dream of Miabella, and Miabella’s mention of the birds, was referring back to that idea. Basically, I think Cherie Priest was telling us we still don’t know the ‘whole thing’.
That’s very astute of you! I was making some other connections in some of the comments below and think I was making my way toward the same conclusion. Cora’s rhyme, the title, and Miabella (thank you for reminding me of her name!) were all connected. That makes sense with the other titles having bird imagery in them as well—without having read those yet, I don’t know the full story. I think you’ve got it exactly!
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I read this one last year and really enjoyed it. I did get confused with the family tree and who was related to who and all that junk. But the book itself kept my attention from the start. I really liked the atmosphere that the author created. I wish that there had been more scenes in the abandoned hospital because it was so creepy. And there were a few slow parts for me but overall I really liked it. Cherie Priest is fast becoming a favorite author for me (I LOVED Boneshaker) and I can’t wait to read more by her. Thanks for hosting this discussion!
You’re welcome. It’s good to know I wasn’t the only one left confused with how everyone was related to everyone else. I think by the end I had it figured out, but by then you kind of have to to understand how crazy the timeline gets.
Cherie Priest’s books are great fun (I loved Boneshaker, too).
I also liked this one and I’m not a horror reader.
My review: http://mervih.wordpress.com/2011/04/27/cherie-priest-four-and-twenty-blackbirds/
Horror is something I can take in small doses, sparingly. My imagination can be too crazy sometimes, but I usually like what Cherie Priest has to offer in her stories. I’m glad you liked this one, too.
Interesting. I seem to agree with almost everyone who has posted a comment so far. I loved, loved the Southern Gothic atmosphere, the dysfunctional family history, and Eden’s childhood. I also loved the world building — ghosts plus African voodoo culture. I don’t like horror per se, but I thought that aspect of it was well done in this book. It was creepy enough without the gore.
My main problem came with how the plot developed after Eden grew up, and later with Eden. I thought the plot became predictable and Eden herself lacked growth and development as a character. Having said that, this was a quick read and the above mentioned atmosphere and world building kept me reading to the end. I will definitely read other books by Cherie Priest — if not the follow up book to this series.
PS: I also kept looking for that link to the title “Four and Twenty Blackbirds” and Eden and that was never established. It only came up that once with Cora, but was never used again — what was the point? Did I miss it? Looking for this threw me off and left me hanging at the end.
I’m still not sure how the title fits in with the nursery rhyme as it’s seen in the story. Cora sings it in the beginning to keep the evil ghosts away, but it’s also vaguely referenced at the very end, when Mae and Avery’s daughter (I forget her name) went under the water to escape Avery. She had hoped that the frogs would save her, or the birds.
My guess is there’s a connection between her as a child turning to birds to save her and Cora using the nursery rhyme (about birds) to save her from the evil ghosts and it’s just a coincidence that she uses the titular song. Perhaps giving the book the title is a nod to how Eden saved her own family from the evil ghosts?
Four months late in joining in the conversation, but here I am! (I did read Prospero Lost as well, but I finished it about a week later than we were supposed to – whoops!)
I agree with you – the chapters were Eden was a child were amazing. I read them all in one fell swoop. Especially when she stabbed the counselor in the hand – wow! I had to read the opening scene a few times because it was so interesting.
But I did find it harder to get into the chapters were Eden was an adult. The early chapters promised me a good ghost story, but then it became more of a mystery and the ghosts and black magic faded into the background. Not that some scenes weren’t still brilliant – the chapter at Pine Breeze comes to mind – but it wasn’t as interesting to me as maybe it could have been.
I didn’t get the title either, like the above poster. Out of curiosity, are the other books in the series also named after nursery rhymes?
Aha, and I just realized that I spelled “where” wrong twice. Uh, ignore me, I haven’t had coffee yet today?
It happens.
You’re not late! I’d hoped people would pop in when they could, even if it’s for a book we read in January or something that doesn’t interest them until August.
I didn’t expect Eden to stab the guy’s hand, but it was all the more shocking because it was unexpected. Those chapters were great.
The titles for the other two books are: Wings to the Kingdom, and Not Flesh Nor Feathers. There’s some cohesion with bird imagery going on in the titles, but what it is yet, I can’t quite figure out. They don’t seem to be related to any nursery rhymes I’m familiar with; I’ll just have to read the other books to find out.
My full review is here: http://miss-scarlet-letter.tumblr.com/post/4920801854/four-and-twenty-blackbirds-an-eden-moore-story
The full review is more detailed, but highlights for those who don’t have time:
Like everyone else, it seems, I enjoyed very much the atmosphere, the Southern Gothic writing, and the ghosts/magic/blood. I liked Lulu! (and Dave). I liked Malachi & Tatey. I wouldn’t write Priest off as author because of this book.
That said, at the end of this book, I didn’t like it for a couple of reasons.
01) I didn’t buy the resolution. It was abrupt, and just didn’t convince me of itself. There’s a guy who’s been living in the swamps of Florida for 150 years surviving on a mixture of blood, marsh grasses, and chanting? With a kid who keeps being reincarnated and he keeps re-killing? Because he felt like it? I felt like the driving motivations behind Avery just weren’t compelling enough or well enough developed. He wanted to be the most powerful, immortal in the swamp he’s been hiding in for 150 years? The story was about Eden finding who she was, but couldn’t there be a more solid foundation of who she was? Also, I felt there was no real explanation about how Avery harnessed his magic, but this was minor in comparison.
02) I didn’t like Eden. Not childhood Eden, but adult Eden. This didn’t happen right away – I thought I liked her, but as I re-read parts of the book…meh. As someone who is about her age, I feel like I shouldn’t know exactly how stupid she was at certain points. I also felt Priest spent too much time telling us about Eden’s attributes rather than showing them, and some of them just appeared out of nowhere, in a Mary Sue-ish fashion. The one I was really interested in was Cora, and what happened to her, but she disappeared quickly and her story came to an end abruptly later, which I didn’t enjoy. I probably could have gotten by this, had the resolution not so disappointed me.
03) Eden’s family history/tree couldn’t be kept track of without a detailed diagram, which I found obnoxious.
And the last thing I didn’t enjoy was that the title had almost nothing to do with the book at all. Nursery rhymes are really interesting, and I had been looking forward to the book because of the title (and cover art) and the title was more or less irrelevant.
The whole book was engaging, but I felt the end was a let down.
I like to keep a good discussion going here, so thank you for taking some time to write your thoughts out here as well.
Tatie was kind of one dimensional for me and Malachi, a bit demented, but I liked that about him.
The magic did seem very dependent on suspending disbelief that a man could actually prolong his life for so many years with a strange type of voodoo. I think any explanation beyond foul tasting potions and dismemberment might veer too far away from Fantasy and into something more SF, despite the setting. The lack of explanation there did not bother me as much, but I do agree that it was all very vague. I just feel the vagueness added to the bizarre and frightening nature of what Eden had to contend with since she was never very sure of anything herself.
From what I understand, he wanted immortality, but had to hide in the swamp because the process wasn’t complete yet. Nor would it have succeeded (since it involved lots of implicit murders) if he’d been discovered, hence the hiding out.
There are two other books, so Eden’s background might be fleshed out more. That’s something I wanted more of in this one also.
Another commenter was asking about the title, but all I can gather is the nursery rhyme is related to Avery’s daughter being a child when she died, reaching out to birds for help that may, in a large leap of coincidence, tie into Cora using that particular nursery rhyme to keep the bad ghosts away. How Cora knew to use that song, I don’t know, but the other two books also feature titles with bird imagery so a larger explanation might involve reading the rest of the trilogy.
Everything intelligent has already been said, but I just want you to know that this is my absolute favorite of everything you have suggested so far. It was super creepy! I will definitely read more Cherie Priest.
Brilliant! I’m glad you found a new author to enjoy, Robin.
I’d recommend Dreadful Skin in particular for more creepiness.
Okay, that is next on my list! Great title!
I really enjoyed this book, especially, like many other commenters, the child Eden parts. I liked adult Eden when she was hunting down leads, but she made several decisions that I just could not wrap my head around–going home with Tatie, going to the cellar with Tatie, drinking Tatie’s concoction. I understand needing to advance the plot, but please do it without making the main character act like she suddenly lost dozens of IQ points. And I’m still not sure I totally understood what happened at the end, regarding Tatie and her potion, the cult and John Gray, Avery and his ambition, the three sisters and their inconsistent warnings and how they all fit together.
More than the book as a whole, I’m most impressed by Priest’s writing style and poetry of her language. Her descriptions of place immediately and effortlessly set the mood in a completely convincing and intoxicating way. Parts of the book creeped me out so badly (abandoned sanitarium!) I felt like I was watching a horror movie, but it’s kind of awkward to read through parted fingers ;P Loved the fun, chilling suspense and was glad the gore factor was low.
As soon as I finished it, I immediately bought Boneshaker for my Nook. Steampunk FTW
I’m not sure if the potion helped prolong life or if it did something a little supernatural to Tatie (maybe both). When Eden took it, she had those weird visions and presumably, Avery would have been drinking it as well.
Hopefully the other two books will illuminate more that this novel did not. It was, after all, the first of three installments. The story won’t be absolutely complete until that point so I’m looking forward to finishing up. But I do agree, there was some confusion with everything that had been happening, but in that regard, Priest has improved tremendously in her later books (Clockwork Century books, particularly).
I hope you’re liking Boneshaker! It’s a lot of fun and each installment is progressively better. You’ll be hooked.
I’m close to 100 pages into Boneshaker and a little bit in love with it and Briar–what a fabulous female character! Hooked, indeed.
If you like Briar, I think you’ll be over the moon for the protagonist in Dreadnought. But I won’t spoil much more than that. I’m just thrilled people have had such positive and productive reactions from this month’s book club selection!
Eileen, thank you for pointing out the inconsistent warnings by the three sisters (ghosts). This was something that didn’t make sense and bothered me while I was reading and at the end. One sister told Eden to “get away child” and the other one told her she “owed them.” Why did Eden owe them anything? None of what happened was her fault as she was also a victim. The whole interaction didn’t make sense to me after reading the end.
Ericka, I’m definitely going to take a look at Dreadful Skin. I enjoyed the horror aspect of this book as well as the Southern Gothic atmosphere. I’m looking forward to reading something else by Priest.
Priest’s Clockwork Century books are still my favorite, but Dreadful Skin is good if you want more horror.
Super late on this one, but I had a bunch of stuff happening in April/May, so I figured I’d link anyway: http://dkwatson.wordpress.com/2011/06/14/catching-up-on-women-of-reviews/ (There are 3 reviews in that post; only the first one is relevant here.)
My mom has a great fondness for Southern fiction, so I’ve read a bit of it over the years, and the combination of classic Southern fiction tropes (racial and socioeconomic issues, screwed up family dynamics, etc.) with dark urban/contemporary fantasy amused me more than creeping me out. I can really scare myself with horror books and movies, too, but this one never reached that level for me because I was being so perversely amused by how much my mother wouldn’t actually like all the fantasy elements of the book.
I also find it interesting that I liked this book as much as I did, because every time people suggest Boneshaker to me, I reread the description and think, “Eh.” Maybe this will be what it takes to actually make me join the masses and finally read it.
You might try starting with one of the other Clockwork Century books, like Dreadnought or Clementine. They have a different feel than Boneshaker. Dreadnought, the third, is by far my favorite.