The Griffin or the Agate

When a pair of so-called 'magical historicals' showed up at my door, I wasn't exactly bursting with enthusiasm. Often such works tend to bog down as the author makes sure to blitz the reader with the results of his or her research, veering from the plot to drop inane historical factoids hither and yon. Add to the mix that my previous exposure to Irvine's work was the underwhelming "The Sea Wind Offers Little Relief" in Starlight 3 and it would be safe to say that my expectations were extremely low.
     Shame on me for making presuppositions. A Scattering of Jades proved to be an offbeat and effective book set in the 19th century. As Riley Steen, an ambitious young man with a touch of magic goes about raising an ancient mummy and preparing the way for the return of an ancient and terrible Mesoamerican god, the luckless Archie Prescott attempots to recover from the apparent loss of his wife and family. Unaware that his daughter is still alive and the key to bringing about the end of humanity, Archie must rise up from the depths he has sunk to in order to save not only his daughter, but himself as well. Irvine is adept at keeping the reader guessing, throwing twists and shockers that are sure to blindside. While the summation is perhaps a little too pat and neat, Irvine does a nice job of fleshing out his characters - even those that aren't human.
     At several points I almost set aside The Alchemist's Door simply because it seemed as if nothing was ever going to happen. Based on Prince Rudolph's summoning to Prague in 1580 of the world's purveyors of all things occult, The Alchemist's Door centers on the possible relationship between Englishman John Dee and Rabbi Judah Loew, the man credited with creating the golem. Each time I was going to give up, Goldstein did something to keep my interest. This is not an exciting, action-packed book, nor is it one overloaded with deep intellectual insights. In fact, Goldstein glosses over the humanity blossoming within the golem, something I would have liked to see her delve into. Still, she creates enough of an interesting scenario to keep one reading until the end - which isn't very far away. At only 298 pages in a large font, this feels more like a novella. There were any number of subjects the author could have expanded on, not the least of which would have included some in depth delving into the differences between the various assembled scholars. In the end I came away a little hungry but not completely dissatisfied.   §

Purchase A Scattering of Jades through:
   Amazon.com

Purchase The Alchemist's Door through:
   Amazon.com