~Book Review: Of Monsters And Madness~

Of Monsters And Madness

Jessica Verday

Expected Publication Date September 9, 2014

A romantic, historical retelling of classic Gothic horror featuring Edgar Allan Poe and his character Annabel Lee, from a New York Times best-selling author.

Summoned to her father's home in 1820's Philadelphia, a girl finds herself in the midst of a rash of gruesome murders in which he might be implicated. She is torn romantically between her father's assistants-one kind and proper, one mysterious and brooding-who share a dark secret and may have more to do with the violent events than they're letting on.

AMAZON

It was many and many a year ago,

   In a kingdom by the sea,

That a maiden there lived whom you may know

   By the name of Annabel Lee;

And this maiden she lived with no other thought

   Than to love and be loved by me.

Annabel Lee is traveling from Siam (present day Thailand) to Philadelphia to live with her father after the death of her mother.  She has never met her father and is shocked to find a bitter man who wants nothing to do with her.  He is disappointed that she wishes to become a doctor and forbids her to practice such medicine, even though he is doing some secret experiments in the locked basement.  She is not used to the American ways, the dark and gloomy city and having servants to wait on her every need.  

Then she meets the wonderful and charming Allan Poe.  Even though he is her father's assistant, he is charming and makes her heart skip a beat when he is near.  Such a handsome and charming man to be in cahoots with her father.  Next we have Allan's cousin Edgar Poe. who is her father's assistant also.  Edgar is everything that Allan is not.  Edgar is creepy and strange.  How can two men so different be related?

I do love Edgar Allan Poe.  I was scared to review this book because of all the negative reviews but I enjoyed it quite a bit.  I did do a little eye roll at Edgar Poe and Allan Poe.  The story was predictable and not scary but still an enjoyable read.  Annabel was just your average girl with nothing remarkable about her.  She befriends the servants and tries, unsuccessfully to please her father and everyone else around her.  

With an abrupt ending, I assume there will be a second book and I look forward to reading that as well.  I do recommend this book for anyone who likes a fast, fun read.  There are not many surprises in this book but it is a new twist on some old stories.

Thank you to Edelweiss for gifting me a copy of this book in change for a fair and honest review.  This in no way influenced my review of this book.