The Other Side of Silence by Natasha Mostert (2001, Hodder and Stoughton)
Natasha Mostert's books are wonderfully-woven tales of mixed psychological and supernatural suspense, and her second novel is no exception. The Other Side of Silence is the story of Tia Theron, a university professor in Johannesburg, and how she becomes embroilled in a plot to change the face of music, and possibly the face of humanity, forever. It's a little like Darwin's Radio meets Wuthering Heights with a techno soundtrack.
Like Mostert's other works, this book is filled with tension, obsession, and an almost cloying gothic atmosphere. The subject matter in this novel is a bit esoteric for the average reader, as the storyline centers around sound and scale theory as well as the idea of decentralized information processing, and is set in South Africa. Mostert, however, does a commendable job in giving enough background information that most readers won't feel completely lost. Her portrayal of Johannesburg, in particular, is on par with any of Gibson's gritty near-future cities.
While there are a couple of small and inconsequential inconsistancies, The Other Side of Silence is a gripping read.
Rating: 3 1/2 Stars
Author's Website
Showing posts with label Natasha Mostert. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Natasha Mostert. Show all posts
Sunday, October 14, 2007
Saturday, August 4, 2007
The Midnight Side
The Midnight Side by Natasha Mostert (2001, HarperCollins Publishers)
Mostert's fourth novel, Season of the Witch, holds the honor of being the first review, as well as the catalyst, for Libram X. The Mignight Side was her debut novel, and illustrates that her work started off strong and only got stronger.
The Mignight Side is the story of Isa de Witt, a South African architect who receives a cryptic phone call late one night from her cousin Alette, who currently resides in London. Not long after, Isa is contacted by an attorney who informs her that Alette was killed in an automobile accident. The only problem is that Alette was dead when she called Isa. Thus, Isa travels to London to attend to her cousin's estate, and the three mysterious envelopes left to her, and is pulled into a world mystery, lust, and revenge from beyond the grave.
Like Season of the Witch, The Midnight Side is a tale of obsession, and uses many similar themes of duality, reflection, and balance, all topped off with a supernatural twist. The novel, however, stands on its own, blending the stock market, patent law, lucid dreaming and post-mortem communication into a masterful tale of suspense. The Midnight Side is at once wonderfully tense, psychologically horrifying, and obsessively romantic, and is full of excellent plot twists.
A few bits of ungainly dialogue and occasional repetition creep in here and there, but readers of her later works can see how strong her brilliance was even in her debut. The Midnight Side is a definite must for those who love a good supernatural suspense.
Rating: 4 Stars
Author's Website
Mostert's fourth novel, Season of the Witch, holds the honor of being the first review, as well as the catalyst, for Libram X. The Mignight Side was her debut novel, and illustrates that her work started off strong and only got stronger.
The Mignight Side is the story of Isa de Witt, a South African architect who receives a cryptic phone call late one night from her cousin Alette, who currently resides in London. Not long after, Isa is contacted by an attorney who informs her that Alette was killed in an automobile accident. The only problem is that Alette was dead when she called Isa. Thus, Isa travels to London to attend to her cousin's estate, and the three mysterious envelopes left to her, and is pulled into a world mystery, lust, and revenge from beyond the grave.
Like Season of the Witch, The Midnight Side is a tale of obsession, and uses many similar themes of duality, reflection, and balance, all topped off with a supernatural twist. The novel, however, stands on its own, blending the stock market, patent law, lucid dreaming and post-mortem communication into a masterful tale of suspense. The Midnight Side is at once wonderfully tense, psychologically horrifying, and obsessively romantic, and is full of excellent plot twists.
A few bits of ungainly dialogue and occasional repetition creep in here and there, but readers of her later works can see how strong her brilliance was even in her debut. The Midnight Side is a definite must for those who love a good supernatural suspense.
Rating: 4 Stars
Author's Website
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Season of the Witch
Season of the Witch by Natasha Mostert (2007, Dutton Books)
Computer hackers, remote viewing, alchemy, witchcraft, and memory; while it may sound like a typical episode of Coast to Coast AM, these are actualy pivotal elements in Natasha Mostert's stunning fourth novel, Season of the Witch. In the tradition of Neal Stephenson, Mostert manages to take these and other seemingly disparate elements and weave them together into a mesmerizing whole.
The story is centered upon remote viewer turned info-thief Gabriel Blackstone, who is hired by a prominent London citizen with ties to Blackstone's troubled past. The job seems simple enough: find out what has happened to his client's estranged and missing son, last known to be in the company of high society sisters Morrighan and Minnaloushe Monk. As he investigates the mysterious Monk sisters, Blackstone quickly discovers that this missing persons case has become a case of murder. The deeper he delves into the mystery, the more he becomes bewitched and entranced by the sisters. But which is his love, and which is a murderer... or are they the same person?
Part muder mystery, part supernatural thriller, and part gothic romance, the story pulls you in as more and more layers are revealed. At the same time, the characters are well-developed and each seems to reflect or balance aspects of others, both major and minor. The concept of duality is an important part of witchcraft and alchemy, and so serves as major uniting factor between the story and the characters themselves.
Fans of Anne Rice who have been lamenting her exit from the realm of the supernatural need look no further for the heiress to her legacy. But make no mistake; far from being a clone or write-alike, Mostert's writing is sincere, authentic, and stands out from the pack. Her prose is a perfectly executed balancing act of story and characterization, and her depiction of London rivals Rice's New Orleans in its swelteringly gothic romanticism. Season of the Witch fairly drips with seduction, sensuality, madness, and obsession.
Rating: 4 1/2 Stars
Author's Website
Computer hackers, remote viewing, alchemy, witchcraft, and memory; while it may sound like a typical episode of Coast to Coast AM, these are actualy pivotal elements in Natasha Mostert's stunning fourth novel, Season of the Witch. In the tradition of Neal Stephenson, Mostert manages to take these and other seemingly disparate elements and weave them together into a mesmerizing whole.
The story is centered upon remote viewer turned info-thief Gabriel Blackstone, who is hired by a prominent London citizen with ties to Blackstone's troubled past. The job seems simple enough: find out what has happened to his client's estranged and missing son, last known to be in the company of high society sisters Morrighan and Minnaloushe Monk. As he investigates the mysterious Monk sisters, Blackstone quickly discovers that this missing persons case has become a case of murder. The deeper he delves into the mystery, the more he becomes bewitched and entranced by the sisters. But which is his love, and which is a murderer... or are they the same person?
Part muder mystery, part supernatural thriller, and part gothic romance, the story pulls you in as more and more layers are revealed. At the same time, the characters are well-developed and each seems to reflect or balance aspects of others, both major and minor. The concept of duality is an important part of witchcraft and alchemy, and so serves as major uniting factor between the story and the characters themselves.
Fans of Anne Rice who have been lamenting her exit from the realm of the supernatural need look no further for the heiress to her legacy. But make no mistake; far from being a clone or write-alike, Mostert's writing is sincere, authentic, and stands out from the pack. Her prose is a perfectly executed balancing act of story and characterization, and her depiction of London rivals Rice's New Orleans in its swelteringly gothic romanticism. Season of the Witch fairly drips with seduction, sensuality, madness, and obsession.
Rating: 4 1/2 Stars
Author's Website
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
