The Enchanter's Torment

Rating:
Summary: Powerful and erotic.....
Review: I had never heard of the author before, but found the synopsis intriguing enough to purchase a copy of 'The Enchanter's Torment.'
The story is about the last members of a family, who have been cursed with death by an evil group of occultists.
Over five hundred years, these occultists have exacted vengeance on this family by murdering them in gruesome and painful ways; their repayment for an incident which occurred all those years ago. They are now intent on destroying the last members of this family, thus fulfilling the curse placed upon them.
I don't know what I expected from this book; the cover and synopsis seemed intriguing, but you never really know until you have read it how good or bad it will be.
The first chapter wasted no time in introducing the main characters and held my attention.
The second chapter picked up the pace with the first explanation of the incident five hundred years before which resulted in the curse on this family.
Chapter three is quite short - this has the effect of raising the tension quickly and dramatically, and by the end of it, I was thoroughly 'hooked' on the story, and fascinated as to how it would develop.
Chapter four jumps elsewhere, leaving me mildly disappointed that the main theme was not to be amplified upon....but by the time I finished chapter four, the next chapter jumped back to the main story, but by then, I wanted the insights I was being given into this ruthless and evil society to continue.
The author makes excellent use of the technique of building one aspect of the story to a climax, and then switching to another aspect, which then builds up to a climax.....
This is skilfully done, and it was with great reluctance I had to stop reading to get some sleep.
I continued reading it the next day, and found the story no less engrossing. The torture, mutilation and murder of a renegade was very vividly written, and was a superb example of how to set up a dark, threatening atmosphere and to maintain it.
Later in the book, there is a protracted torture sequence which I could not tear myself away from. It shows the occultists at their savage, vicious, depraved worst, and may well be too powerful for some.
Overall, there is an undercurrent of eroticism which is cleverly worked in, and adds to the power of the whole novel.
I found 'The Enchanter's Torment' to be one of the most absorbing books I have read in recent months, and I cannot recommend it too highly.