We all know or have heard of the expression, NO Rest for the Wicked. But perhaps a tad of that was forgotten or could be reworked for this novel, as there is certainly No Rest for the Ones who faced the Wicked! In this case, the new bad in the continuing Secret Histories series by award winning author and my fave, Simon R. Green.
Last we saw our hero, Edwin Drood, he was stabbed and left for dead in Book 4, From Hell With Love, after confronting the accursed Immortals who infiltrated the ranks and the family of Droods to assassinate their leader, the Matriarch. Although they were also successful in storming Castle Frankenstein to battle down the Immortals with the help of Frankenstein’s spawn, it was finally time for Eddie to get some peace and quiet.
But peace and quiet were not exactly what he had when the book opens up with a scene in a ghost dimension, or Limbo, and has Eddie running up and down a cold, glass-frosted, and desolate looking Drood Hall. He’s all alone and hasn’t found a living soul to talk to except finding and talking to members of his family who already have died or those foes or friends that he has dispatched and died from the service of protecting the world from supernatural bad-asses, as that’s what the Drood Family does.
The Droods, all clad in their indestructible and retractable, Golden Armor, are our defense against the supernatural horde who want to lay claim to the world that is ours. In Limbo, Eddie encounters someone telling him, and alluding to it successfully, that his parents are actually alive. And of course, Eddie being the hero of our tale, never really was dead, as his girlfriend, the powerful witch Molly Metcalf comes into Limbo and brings him out. Although he was nearly dead, he wasn’t quite so as Molly had the initiative of transporting his heart elsewhere; to a secret location and thus he couldn’t be killed. Dear reader, this was also a trick that Molly did in Book 4 when I thought she was a goner. I know, spoiler! Me bad.
But moving on, Book 5 continues on the mayhem and doubt instilled in the previous book and brings in a new malevolent force slated to create havoc in the world, by way of a Satanic conspiracy. The need to know who’s behind it and how deeply the organization has infiltrated the British and other governments of the world in preparation for the much touted, Great Sacrifice; once revealed was shocking enough to make me shake my head in disgust. Disgust, not from the writing or plot points, but for what it entailed for its success. Ah, Green, you still amaze me with each book outing.
Suffice to say, I thoroughly enjoyed this 5th book and urge anyone to not read it in random order but to start where it all began. From new characters like powerful telepath, Ammonia Van Acht, Charlatan Joe, Lady Damnation, Indigo Blue, the adorable spirit named Poof that finally has revealed itself and guards the Drood Library, to other noteworthy recurring and revealing characters like the Drood lovers Roger Morningstar and Harry Drood, the novel offers the same witty dialogue, repartee and snappish remarks between Molly and Eddie and also between other members of the Drood clan make this another classic Drood read for me.
Just when I thought Book 3 tired and burned me out early and left me for a revitalized reading, Books 4 and 5 certainly did that. And with another cliffhanger to top all endings, I fear that I may have to wait too long for the next book to come out next year. And because this is the supernatural James bond adventure that we have all come to enjoy and love with each release on the life of a Drood, Book 6 is aptly titled, Live and Let Drood.
Frankly, I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Where’s my Martini, shaken…not stirred. Please.
