Book of blood and shadow by Robin Wasserman
Atom, 2012. ISBN 9871907411441.
(Age: 14+) Recommended. With her thriller in the genre of The Da
Vinci Code by Dan Brown, Wasserman takes the reader on a
roller coaster ride with Nora after she finds her best friend Chris
murdered, his girlfriend Adriane in a catatonic state and her
beloved Max not to be found. Nora believes that Max is innocent of
the murder and is determined to find him. Following clues found in
ancient letters, she sets out on a trail of blood and adventure with
the enigmatic Eli closely following her.
This is a hefty read at 432 pages and is littered with letters and
poetry written in Latin, which had to be translated by Nora,
allusions to historical figures in the Renaissance like Kepler, a
German astronomer, and codes and ciphers that needed to be worked
out. It is not a book that I could read in one sitting, rather it is
one that I had to ponder about before the mysteries and characters
called me back to continue reading the next section.
A complex trail of letters and poetry brings to life Elizabeth Jane
Weston and her life in Prague, in a time when astronomers and
scientists believed in alchemy and where she laboured to bring to
life the Lumen Deii, a strange machine that would connect man with
God. As Nora translates her letters, she becomes increasingly
entwined in what happened to Elizabeth and it is this connection
that keeps the reader involved in the complicated plot.
The relationships in the book are also engrossing. I enjoyed reading
about teenagers who are highly intelligent and capable of being
research assistants to a History professor. Although Nora is naive
about the relationships in her life, she is loyal to her friends
even when she is not sure whom she can trust. She is the one who
cracks the codes and finds the clues and directs the search for Max.
It is a relief to read a book where the love interest is not the
most important aspect but rather fits in with the action and needs
of the characters.
There is also action galore in this book, as Nora travels to Prague
where she and her companions become the target of religious sects
who are determined to gain hold of the Lumen Dei.
Wasserman very skilfully weaves the action, relationships and a
fabulous setting to make a wonderful thriller.
Pat Pledger