Ashley Mayers

Mayers' The Cursed Baron was an interesting read to be sure. I'm thankful for the preface that added context, but there were still times I felt asea, like I was missing something important. I gradually adapted to the unusual notions that Rakshasas from Venus lived among humans. Knowing the terms Rakshasa and Yaksha from myth made the added 'alien' theme a bothersome thorn to me.

Still, they were neat characters in their own right, and did seem interested in helping humans when able. It was clear though, in an exchange near the beginning, that Edmund and Supriya don't want to be prayed to for healing. They don't want to damage the natural course of humanity's sciences, and they expect humans to exhaust human means before approaching the Rakshasas for help.

This is one in a set of connected books, and each seems to cheese on a particular genre. This one is mystery, and begins at a party gathering to celebrate Ellie's birthday, with a theme of 'roaring Twenties'. A growing blizzard worsens, isolating the mansion from neighboring towns and houses. Shortly after, a young woman is found deceased, and her killer most likely lies in wait amongst the party-goers.

While I am on the fence about the whole Rakshasa alien element, I did find myself engrossed in the mystery. I felt so sure I'd sussed it out once or twice, but no cigar! I ended up quite surprised at the reveal. I did enjoy reading a book that incorporated elements not usually found in other pantheon touched fiction. It always seems to be Greco-Roman. There's soooo many other mythologies out there to explore! Dozens of other Asiatic and Oceanic, multitudes of African and Middle Eastern, hundreds of Native North and South American! I want to see more of these! Hopefully, without aliens being brought into the mix. I think reading the preceding Sita Chronicles (at least in part), is a good idea before tackling this new series. Still, I found the story to be well-written, and would like to finish this series, once I've read the previous series. And maybe reread Agatha Christie's Ten Little Indians again!

*****Many thanks to the author and publisher for providing a copy in exchange for a fair and honest review. Reviewed for The Seattle Book Review.… (plus d'informations)