Warlock: A Novel of Possession

Rating:
Summary: Confusing ?til the end
Review: This book was not what I was expecting. Or maybe it was, and I just don't know it yet. From the beginning, I just couldn't grasp what was happening in the story. The main character, Allen, is basically a frustrated gay man with a very poor opinion of himself, apparently centered around his small endowment. He is picked up by Destry Powars, a big hairy brute at a bath house who's rough look, vulgarity, and belittlement of Allen just make me wonder "Why?" Allen follows him home basically because he "couldn't say no." Ends up going on a trip with Destry to Switzerland where some pretty wild things happen.

The story just doesn't make sense. The characters are never really flushed out, so you don't know why they are the way they are. They ask questions that are never really answered. There is some mystery and possibly even a little horror thrown in, but it's usually barely touched upon and not fully explored. I mean are we dealing with warlocks, vampires, Satanists, or just some regular folks who follow a troll with some unknown magical powers? There's even a bit of erotica there, but it's not worth the couple paragraphs spent on it, as Allen usually goes on a mind-bending daydream during it so you forget what's going on.

Overall, I think it can be entertaining, but there's a lot better stuff out there.

Rating:
Summary: Confusing ¿til the end
Review: This book was not what I was expecting. Or maybe it was, and I just don't know it yet. From the beginning, I just couldn't grasp what was happening in the story. The main character, Allen, is basically a frustrated gay man with a very poor opinion of himself, apparently centered around his small endowment. He is picked up by Destry Powars, a big hairy brute at a bath house who's rough look, vulgarity, and belittlement of Allen just make me wonder "Why?" Allen follows him home basically because he "couldn't say no." Ends up going on a trip with Destry to Switzerland where some pretty wild things happen.

The story just doesn't make sense. The characters are never really flushed out, so you don't know why they are the way they are. They ask questions that are never really answered. There is some mystery and possibly even a little horror thrown in, but it's usually barely touched upon and not fully explored. I mean are we dealing with warlocks, vampires, Satanists, or just some regular folks who follow a troll with some unknown magical powers? There's even a bit of erotica there, but it's not worth the couple paragraphs spent on it, as Allen usually goes on a mind-bending daydream during it so you forget what's going on.

Overall, I think it can be entertaining, but there's a lot better stuff out there.

Rating:
Summary: Erotic and suspenseful
Review: Warlock, like many of this author's other works, embraces the spirituality of gay romance through a deftly balanced amalgam of erotica and fantastical themes. Though not as exotic as Angel Lust or as adventurous and fast-paced as Harvest, this particular book is crafted on the premise that horror works best on a subtle, psychological level. It is also a testimony to the maturity that Perry Brass has reached in his writing technique. By eschewing its reliance on fictional locales, the settings of New York and Switzerland and the situations they present compelled me to read on.

From a gay perspective, the characters were not as positive as I would have liked. I suppose that their flaws were simply meant to flesh them out as well as to imbue the story with a sense of humanity (a necessity in this genre). Thus, the characterizations of Allen and Destry were credible yet intriguing. The story was further spiced up by a host of colorful minor roles. Occultwise, howevever, I was never quite rewarded in the way I would have thought. Perhaps, this was the author's intent so that the air of expectancy would not be diminished. From the way Warlock resolves itself, I get the distinct impression that there's a good chance of a sequel.

Perry Brass is a sensualist who seems to achieve his literary goals by incorporating mellifluous and very lyrical depictions of everyday actions into his narrative. The fact that he did not rely on the usual horror cliches enables this tale to keep its contemporary edge while exuding a Lovecraftian aura. Granted, this book is not for everyone. But then, neither is Lovecraft or gay erotica.

Rating:
Summary: Erotic and suspenseful
Review: Warlock, like many of this author's other works, embraces the spirituality of gay romance through a deftly balanced amalgam of erotica and fantastical themes. Though not as exotic as Angel Lust or as adventurous and fast-paced as Harvest, this particular book is crafted on the premise that horror works best on a subtle, psychological level. It is also a testimony to the maturity that Perry Brass has reached in his writing technique. By eschewing its reliance on fictional locales, the settings of New York and Switzerland and the situations they present compelled me to read on.

From a gay perspective, the characters were not as positive as I would have liked. I suppose that their flaws were simply meant to flesh them out as well as to imbue the story with a sense of humanity (a necessity in this genre). Thus, the characterizations of Allen and Destry were credible yet intriguing. The story was further spiced up by a host of colorful minor roles. Occultwise, howevever, I was never quite rewarded in the way I would have thought. Perhaps, this was the author's intent so that the air of expectancy would not be diminished. From the way Warlock resolves itself, I get the distinct impression that there's a good chance of a sequel.

Perry Brass is a sensualist who seems to achieve his literary goals by incorporating mellifluous and very lyrical depictions of everyday actions into his narrative. The fact that he did not rely on the usual horror cliches enables this tale to keep its contemporary edge while exuding a Lovecraftian aura. Granted, this book is not for everyone. But then, neither is Lovecraft or gay erotica.