"The problem is that I've been stumbling about in the dark."
In the city of Elendhaven a monster lives. Born of the dark sea, a taste for violence, and constantly asking one question...who am I? Johann never understands himself. Not until he meets Florian, an important aristocratic member of the community with a secret of his own.
The Monster of Elendhaven by Jennifer Giesbrecht is a beautifully written and delightfully dark little tale. It was a quick, exciting read. It reads like a nice short story, concise and to the point, rather than a lengthy novel, which I found surprisingly refreshing. I was left with a bit of a book hangover after The Winternight Trilogy (So. Good.) and wasn't ready to jump back into something heavy. This little book proved to be the perfect cure. Sometimes we cling to books and their long, drawn out stories. We don't want them to end. This was not one of those books and that's a very good thing. The Monster of Elendhaven was perfect as it is. It left me neither wanting more or holding on. I enjoyed every minute of it just as it was.
I thought the story of Johann and Florian was a sad one. Their pasts intertwine in a delicate manner. The book is dark and filled with throat slashing, but buried in that is the story of loneliness. I found Johann to be relatable. (No, I don't spend my free time watching the blood of my victims drip in dark allies and then disappear like a wisp in the night to enjoy my immortal life.) I found the personality at his core to be relatable. What Johann really wants is to be understood. To find his place in the world. To know who/what he is. To belong. And isn't that what we all, deep down in our cores, are looking for in this life? To feel like we belong and have a purpose?
The character of Johann is sad, but not without humor. I was in love with him from the beginning. He is a man of few words, but he did make me laugh.
...and then he stood up and wrenched his skull back into place. "Well," he said aloud. "That was fucked up."
In the city of Elendhaven a monster lives. Born of the dark sea, a taste for violence, and constantly asking one question...who am I? Johann never understands himself. Not until he meets Florian, an important aristocratic member of the community with a secret of his own.The Monster of Elendhaven by Jennifer Giesbrecht is a beautifully written and delightfully dark little tale. It was a quick, exciting read. It reads like a nice short story, concise and to the point, rather than a lengthy novel, which I found surprisingly refreshing. I was left with a bit of a book hangover after The Winternight Trilogy (So. Good.) and wasn't ready to jump back into something heavy. This little book proved to be the perfect cure. Sometimes we cling to books and their long, drawn out stories. We don't want them to end. This was not one of those books and that's a very good thing. The Monster of Elendhaven was perfect as it is. It left me neither wanting more or holding on. I enjoyed every minute of it just as it was.
I thought the story of Johann and Florian was a sad one. Their pasts intertwine in a delicate manner. The book is dark and filled with throat slashing, but buried in that is the story of loneliness. I found Johann to be relatable. (No, I don't spend my free time watching the blood of my victims drip in dark allies and then disappear like a wisp in the night to enjoy my immortal life.) I found the personality at his core to be relatable. What Johann really wants is to be understood. To find his place in the world. To know who/what he is. To belong. And isn't that what we all, deep down in our cores, are looking for in this life? To feel like we belong and have a purpose?
The character of Johann is sad, but not without humor. I was in love with him from the beginning. He is a man of few words, but he did make me laugh.
...and then he stood up and wrenched his skull back into place. "Well," he said aloud. "That was fucked up."
Comments
Post a Comment