Haunting Of Alaizabel Cray

Rating:
Summary: Very Surprising
Review: Chris Wooding has yet to disappoint me. This story is more of a horror then "Poison" and contains some somewhat mature themes for a book geared at young adults. Murder, prostitution, demon hunting, possession, all play a small but important part along with cultism. 'Tis both tense and intriguing, guaranteed to keep you on the edge of your seat and praying for the survival of the chars you have grown rather attached to.

Set in a turn-of-the-century London, the city is being taken over by the dreaded Wychkin. Monsters beyond your wildest nightmares. But where did they come from? Thaniel is a wych hunter, following in his father's footsteps, tracking and killing the foul demons. Until the enigmatic, amnesiac (not to mention rather attractive) Alaziabel Cray walks into his life. For she is the key to a darker evil that threatens to engulf London.

And the world.

Rating:
Summary: Absolutely fantastic
Review: I didn't quite know what to expect when I picked up this book, but I was enthralled right from the first page. It is the story of an alternative London set sometime after what we know as World War I. The main character, Thaniel, is a wych-hunter who, when he is out hunting wyches, finds a young girl hiding in a room in an abandoned building. She is wild, and seems to be frightened of everything. He knows he can't leave her in that area, so he takes her home and his life is forever changed. She is possessed by a very strong wyche who is attempting to return from the dead and to lead a great army of evil beings into the world to conquer and enslave all mankind. Thaniel, his friend Cathaline and Alaizabel (who is out of the wyches' control in Thaniel's home) realize that they must stop them. The fans of Philip Pullman will be thrilled with this book. It has to be the first of a series. While the plot is ended completely and satisfactorily, I feel that the adventures of Thaniel and Alaizabel are only beginning. A DEFINITE MUST READ !!!!!

Rating:
Summary: Awesome book, captivating
Review: I don't get excited about many books. When I picked this book up to use for an English class book project, I didn't think I would like it as much as I did. The characters are in depth and intelegent. The book throws many surprises at you, including the deaths of a few main characters. The book takes you from an eerie setting in Old Quarter London to a hellish, monster overthrown chaos that is growing. I think this book would make an excelent movie. And that's coming from a movie fanatic...READ IT, YOU'LL SEE!

Rating:
Summary: A Book or a Movie?
Review: I found this book reads too much like a movie -- characters are too pat and action sequences have too much murder and mayhem. I would recommend it for high school and up and won't be giving this to my middle schooler. I wasn't able to appreciate the anti-science, anti-"Age of Reason" rhetoric either. It is well-written and would make a good R-rated movie, I just like more depth/complexity in a novel.

Rating:
Summary: Great concept, good book
Review: I loved the idea and setting for this book--it takes place in an alternate-universe London. Demon-like creatures called "wych-kin" have infested the city after it was bombed in the Vernichtung (which is supposed to be like the London Blitzkreig of WWI). Thaniel Foxx and Cathaline Bennett are wych-hunters, who (obviously) hunt the creatures. They come across a half-crazy, possessed girl named Alaizabel, who they find out holds a larger place in a vast, dark conspiracy--which is very reminiscent of the Jack the Ripper murders and the Masonic conspiracy some associate with it. This part in particular reminds me of the very good graphic novel "From Hell" (chekc it out if you liked this book), which annoyed me. The idea of an alternate universe London under seige by demons is an excellent one, and the writing is goo and suspenseful, but it seems a little contrived when the similarities to "From Hell" start showing up.

Over all, however, it is a very good read and unless you are a diehard Ripperologist who might get offended, I would definetly recommend it to anyone looking for a good read and a thrill.

Rating:
Summary: A Wonderful Book For Everybody
Review: I wish I could give it 10 stars!! This is the best book I've read this month or maybe this year! The story is dark, mysterious and full of action. Reading it was like watching a movie directed by Tim Burton, George Lucas and Stephen Spielberg, with dark foulsome enemies, ghoulish creatures and heart thumping actions.

Composing the story to reach the final destination of a single question: What is the purpose of your existence?, it started from some parallel events happening in London, after the Vernichtung (destruction -> a bit like WW). London, in the early Age of Reason, half of its area destroyed and marauded by wych-kins which have the ability and appearance like old lore beasts having been resurrected. Who ere they? Where were they from? What did they want? Why were they only known to exist after the Vernichtung?

In mist of the battle between humankind and the wych-kin, Thaniel Fox, a wych hunter and a son of legendary one, was fighting at the front line, companied by his ex-tutor, the eccentric Ms. Bennet. On one night of his hunting, he met a lost girl, Alaizabel Cray, who seemed mad and disoriented. Starting to feel something for her, Thaniel tried to find out whether she was just mad or there was something going on.

Alaizabel turned out to be the key to the biggest conspiracy that was conspiring to bring the the ultimate evil to earth.

Interweaving with the Thaniel's story is the infamous Jack the Ripper like story. A serial killer who murdered women by night with his surgeon knife. Who was he? Read on and you'll see that every character had a purpose in this story.

What would happen next? Could Thaniel and others intercepted the conspiracy? What was the forces outside their will whose only weapons are coincidences, unlikelihood and happenstances?

Read it, Be amazed by it and Read it over again!!
This certainly won't be the last book I read from Mr. Wooding.

Rating:
Summary: An engaging and satisfying read
Review: I've been eagerly anticipating this book and I'm pleased to say I wasn't disappointed. After a little bit of a slow start I was firmly pulled into this vivid and at times lyrical story. Thaniel is a wych-hunter and is quite familiar with the darker side of London, and the wych-kyn that are permiating the city. After he meets Alaizabel he becomes part of a series of events that have far reaching and dire consequences, Thaniel, along with an unlikely group of others seek the survival of the city. This would appeal to Junior High and above though the content (violence and the occult) may restrict this to older readers. This would be a good offering for reluctant readers.

Rating:
Summary: The Haunting of Alaizabel Cray
Review: The Haunting of Alaizabel Cray by Chris Wooding is one of the best books I have read in a long time. An intriguing Gothic fantasy story, it should be picked up by all fans of Phillip Pullman, even though everyone will be attracted to its mix of action, adventure, mystery, thrill and wild imagination.

The book starts off as the story of several people, who's purpose eventually intertwine. Thaniel Fox and his companion Cathaline are wych hunters, seeking to kill the horrifying wych-kin that infest London.
The wych-kin are excellent examples of the author's creativity: terrifying creatures that have been summoned by magic to kill people. They come in many forms, including the long, spindly Cradlejack and the the heavy, slow, squid-like Draug.

Meanwhile, Detective Carver is pondering over a series of murders committed in London by the notorious Stitch-face, a cold-blooded serial murderer, named by his few lucky escapees for the stitch-faced mask and wig worn while murdering the victims. In my opinion, the fear and horror surrounding Stitch-face would make Jack the Ripper envious.

Then Detective Carver discovers the Green Tack murders, and believes that these murders must have been committed by someone even more devious than Stitch-face. He starts to notice not only something fishy about the murders, but his workplace too. Detective Carver/Stitch-face chapters were my favourite part of the book because they drew you in and kept you guessing.

Then Alaizabel Cray is discovered, thought to be mad and delirious, but really the key to all evil in London.She draws the characters together to save perhaps not only London, but the whole world.

There was only one criticism I had of this book and that was that it stereotyped atheists a bit, and had a little bit of bigotry towards them. I noticed this mainly when the perpetrators of evil were revealed, because they did not believe in the religions of the world and decided to conjure up monsters instead.

Apart from that, I think it was an amazing book. I can't wait to read Chris Wooding's other books.