Review, The Quick by Loren Owen, a 2016 fantasy horror book. It happened to me again in my hands and I said to myself, let’s talk about it. A remarkable tome, 528 pages, a beautiful cover that I immediately liked along with the title.
What do you think? The Quick
Easy to see why I liked it. Nineteenth-century atmospheres with fantasy horror tints. Wonderful. We are in England, where there are two orphaned brothers, James and Charlotte, living in an estate in the English countryside. As adults, James who dreams of writing goes to live in London, while he stays in the places of childhood. James lives with a boy who introduces him into the salons of high society and love. Everything nice? The style of the first part of the novel is dedicated to details, slow, wrapped in a mist. Pages to read while sipping a good tea. Then there is a change of pace. Of style. Of colors. Because James disappears and his sister Charlotte arrives in London to look for him. From here a story unfolds in dingy darkness, with a secret society, a club that hides secrets formed by vampires. The mysteries of this intoxicating London sometimes frighten us. The Quick makes itself read with taste.
“I’m sorry,” James said finally. They were late, and it was his fault. At the door he had an inspiration about the comedy, a lively exchange of jokes, and he had lost several minutes writing and looking at them. “It doesn’t matter to me,” replied Christopher. “But I’m afraid I can’t say the same about my mother.” “You can tell her it’s my fault, so she won’t take it out on you.” “Good. Show a contrite air when you speak to it. I think it won’t be a terrible problem.” He turned back to look out.
The book is well written, with plots that capture. Perhaps there were notes out of tune to my taste in the choice of the protagonists to be investigated in the second part of the book. But it is a decidedly pleasant read.
