Thursday, January 22, 2009
Despite a lot of positive hype and customer reviews, I must tell you the truth, Jan Burke’s The Messengers is hardly the “supernatural romantic thriller” readers may have previously read. Are there elements of the supernatural and romance? Yes. Are there many thrills? No.
Many of us have finished Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight series and are suffering supernatural love withdrawal. For some, The Messengers might cut it. A wounded captain left for dead at the battle of Waterloo, Tyler Hawthorne accepts a magical ring that renders him immortal and grants him the power to live. In exchange, he must communicate the almost-deads’ final wishes to those left behind. Fast-forward 200 years and meet the wealthy, if haunted, Amanda Clarke.
Neighbor to the mysterious Hawthorne, Clarke quickly becomes drawn into Hawthorne’s shadowy world as her terminally ill best friend and a series of catastrophes force them together. Battling against Hawthorne’s old enemy, the previous owner of his ring, Clarke and Hawthorne become inseparable in ways readers may predict. Add some fluffy, anthropomorphized canines, the token henchmen and some snobby millionaire relatives and you’ve got this 305-page novel.
Pages of seemingly uninterrupted dialogue left me tired and confused. Though bestseller Burke is touted for her superb characterization, the characters’ vague motivations may leave readers wanting more.
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