BOOK REVIEW - The Demon Plague (Novel)
Mike Gleason
1-55410-223-5 372 pages Paperback $17.99 (U.S.)
There are a number of reasons I have quibbles with this book, and I will
freely admit that the dominant reasons is that I live in the Salem/Danvers
area of Massachusetts. Because I live here I see the errors, while others
probably wouldn't see them. I will dispose of these quibbles (only one of
which is of major importance) here and now.
On page 2 a reference is made to Magistrate Hawthorn of Salem witchcraft
hysteria fame in 1692. The Magistrate's name was HATHORNE. The "w" was
added by an embarrassed descendant (Nathaniel Hawthorne) to distance himself
from the notorious "hanging judge." And the description of the "Old Town
Cemetery" is way off - the actual cemetery cover4s less than a square block
and you can walk from one side to the other (you can't drive in it) in a
minute or two.
Of course, this is a work of fiction so it needn't conform to reality.
Still, to set events in a particular area it would be nice to get the
physical descriptions close to reality. On top of these items there is the
fact that the authors (Karl Joreid and Frances McFate) have collaborated on
this novel and other works has been conducted impersonally (they have never
met physically, nor even spoken on the phone), so I guess a certain
allowance must be made.
In spite of the objections noted earlier in this review, this is a
well-written story. The major characters appear as individuals, not as
stereotypes; the events which are set in our century (the story is set in
three different times - 1692, 1992, and 2192) are, if not utterly believable
at least not TOO outrageous given the concepts. The events of1692 certainly
conform to what history tells us of attitudes and behaviors. The events set
in the future are, of course, purely speculative but still believable.
To be honest, when I started the book I was a bit put off (see the
references to my quibbles in the second paragraph of this review). Once I
got into the story, however, I was hooked.
I'm not sure if it will appeal to the members of the Craft community
(especially those living in the Salem area), but it should find a wide
readership. It is definitely worth the price and the time to read it. It
is exciting, well-written, and thoroughly enjoyable.