Tour: Damned
| ISBN: 978-1944109448 | Pages: 426 |
Publication Date: October 3, 2017 | Source: Xpresso Book Tours
| Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars |
★★★☆
Over a hundred years after the death of Magnus Blackwell, Altmover Manor sits abandoned.
Lexie Arden and her fiancé, Will Bennett, are determined to rescue the neglected Mount Desert Island landmark. They want to make Altmover Manor their home. But Magnus has other plans.
A spirit bound to his former residence, Magnus finds himself inexplicably drawn to the young woman. She has a supernatural gift; a gift Magnus wants to exploit.
As Lexie and Will settle in, secrets from Magnus's past begin to surface. Compelled to learn all she can about the former owner, Lexie becomes immersed in a world of voodoo, curses, and the whereabouts of a mysterious dragon cane.
Magnus's crimes won't be so easily forgotten, and what Lexie unearths is going to change the future ... for everyone.
Lexie Arden and her fiancé, Will Bennett, are determined to rescue the neglected Mount Desert Island landmark. They want to make Altmover Manor their home. But Magnus has other plans.
A spirit bound to his former residence, Magnus finds himself inexplicably drawn to the young woman. She has a supernatural gift; a gift Magnus wants to exploit.
As Lexie and Will settle in, secrets from Magnus's past begin to surface. Compelled to learn all she can about the former owner, Lexie becomes immersed in a world of voodoo, curses, and the whereabouts of a mysterious dragon cane.
Magnus's crimes won't be so easily forgotten, and what Lexie unearths is going to change the future ... for everyone.
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Edit: This was supposed to go up yesterday but since I'm a complete goof, I scheduled it to go up on November 6...apologies for the delay!
It's been a while since I've done a book tour so it feels kind of nice to be part of something again. I was first drawn to Damned by its cover - it honestly looks really creepy, especially since the woman's eyes look incredibly ghost-like. However, this book wasn't all that scary but it had so many amazing elements that would make it a great read for this pre-Halloween season.
Damned follows Lexi Arden who has the ability to see ghosts. She and her fiancee, Will Bennett, move into this abandoned mansion in the middle of nowhere in an attempt to renovate the ancient manor that is rumored to be haunted. True enough, Lexi begins to see the ghost of Magnus Blackwell, the original owner of the manor and he wants her to find his scepter. Additionally, the keeper of the grounds seems to have his own agenda as well and Lexi needs to figure out what's going on before she loses her mind.
I actually did a pretty decent summary of a book...I'm impressed by myself. Anyway, back to the point - I was sucked into Damned right from the beginning. The concept was incredibly interesting and I was able to connect with Lexi pretty early on. She's a very compassionate character and it was pretty fun to see her butt heads with Magnus, who's used to things just happening for him.
On the topic of Magnus, I really liked him. It was so cool that the author included the tidbit that he was friends with Oscar Wilde and that his frivolous lifestyle inspired Wilde's classic The Picture of Dorian Gray (which happens to be one of my favorite classics). Out of all the characters, I enjoyed his character arc and development the best. He started off as a bit of a snob, I mean, he was nobility - but as he adapts and begins to be more "human," he starts to change his attitude and honestly just becomes a pretty genuine person (ghost).
The novel itself is pretty rooted in voodoo as that's what trapped Magnus at his castle in the first place. I found the topic to be really interesting and since I didn't know much about the practice, it was cool reading about it as well as experiencing New Orleans' voodoo scene from Lexi's perspective.
Damned overall is just such an interesting ride. There's this moment where you feel like everything's been resolved and the story is wrapping up, but then something happens and I was pleased to find myself interested and excited to keep reading (as there was a pretty big climax halfway through). There's a sequel (I believe) and it's Blackwell so I'm inclined to believe that it's narrated by Magnus which makes me very intrigued to check it out because he's just honestly so great.
GIVEAWAY
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Lucas Astor is from New York, has resided in Central America and the Middle East, and traveled through Europe. He lives a very private, virtually reclusive lifestyle, preferring to spend time with a close-knit group of friends than be in the spotlight.
He is an author and poet with a penchant for telling stories that delve into the dark side of the human psyche. He likes to explore the evil that exists, not just in the world, but right next door behind a smiling face.
Photography, making wine, and helping endangered species are just some of his interests. Lucas is an expert archer and enjoys jazz, blues, and classical music.
One of his favorite quotes is: “It’s better to be silent than be a fool.” ~Harper Lee (To Kill a Mockingbird)
Lucas Astor is from New York, has resided in Central America and the Middle East, and traveled through Europe. He lives a very private, virtually reclusive lifestyle, preferring to spend time with a close-knit group of friends than be in the spotlight.He is an author and poet with a penchant for telling stories that delve into the dark side of the human psyche. He likes to explore the evil that exists, not just in the world, but right next door behind a smiling face.
Photography, making wine, and helping endangered species are just some of his interests. Lucas is an expert archer and enjoys jazz, blues, and classical music.
One of his favorite quotes is: “It’s better to be silent than be a fool.” ~Harper Lee (To Kill a Mockingbird)
Alexandrea Weis is an advanced practice registered nurse who was born and raised in New Orleans. Having been brought up in the motion picture industry, she learned to tell stories from a different perspective and began writing at the age of eight. Infusing the rich tapestry of her hometown into her award-winning novels, she believes that creating vivid characters makes a story memorable. A permitted/certified wildlife rehabber with the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries, Weis rescues orphaned and injured wildlife. She lives with her husband and pets in New Orleans.
2 Comments
Great review, Rivalie! This sounds like an entertaining ride! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for commenting Giselle! It was definitely exciting :)
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