![Season of the Witch by Natasha Mostert Season of the Witch by Natasha Mostert](https://i0.wp.com/friendsofdoom.com/gz/img/post/rev/2007-12-15-seasonwitch.jpg)
Season of the Witch
By Natasha Mostert
Hardcover edition
Dutton Adult
Available now
Enter a realm of Alchemists, computer hackers, murder, theft, psychic powers, and a world of magic. A realm where a house of a million doors leads to unspeakable horrors and wonderful beauty. This and more is what you will experience in Season of the Witch, the fourth novel by British author Natasha Mostert. While I found this book a little slow at first, I quickly became intrigued as to the who, what, when, where, and how of it all.
Meet characters such as Gabriel Blackstone, a talented, intelligent man adept at breaking into computer systems and stealing information as well as using his powers of “remote viewing” — the power to enter the mind of others and view what they have or are viewing in what is referred to as Psi-space.
Gabriel is a thief of information who has a strong belief that what he does as a chosen profession is wrong, but he’s gotten used to the finer things in life, so he has no problem doing it. Gabriel’s partner Isidore, is a computer wiz whether it be software or hardware. Unlike Gabriel, Isidore believes he is a cyberspace Robin Hood, taking the information from the fat-cats and using it against them to make money.
William Whittington is a rich man in search of his 21-year-old son Robert. Whittington is dying and would like to make amends with his son before he dies. Cecily Franck, aka Frankie, is a ghost from Gabriel’s past who works for a group of remote viewers called “Eyestorm.” Frankie is a sweet and kind woman and the wife of William Whittington. Despite the age difference, Frankie loves the ailing man.
The most intriguing characters in the book are the sisters Minnaloushe and Morrighan Monk. They are beautiful, intelligent, and powerful. The red-haired, green-eyed Minnaloushe has a doctorate from Imperial College and is an academic in mathematics and philosophy. She’s also an Alchemist who mixes and sells her own beauty goods as well as African masks from home. The black-haired, blue-eyed Morrighan is an environmentalist and a thrill seeker.
The book takes place in London, where Gabriel and Isidore are working on a job to steal information from a company called Pittypats. Life is normal until one fateful day when Gabriel listens to a message off of his answering machine for a job. He meets with William Whittington, who wants Gabriel to find his son Robert. Gabriel declines the job, but William has an ace in the hole — he sends Frankie to plead with Gabriel to find Robert. Gabriel declines again, but cannot get Frankie out of his head.
A few days later Gabriel picks up the picture of Robert and slams a ride to the last moments of Roberts’s life. It is a strange and odd sight. Robert’s last moments bring him to a door with the symbol called monas upon it. In the house are millions of doors all leading to different sights of beauty and horror. There is an order of things and he must follow them in the correct order. All along there is a crow keeping pace with him.
Then there is a woman there beckoning him to follow and he knows it is the wrong door and not the order of things but follows her anyway through a winding labyrinth leading to a round room with doors, but what door to choose? The right door leads to all knowledge. Now Gabriel finds himself floating in a pool and too tired to do anything but stay afloat. She appears wearing a mask and the hood on her cloak up hiding her hair, he will be safe with her and then she pushes his face under the water she is gentle yet strong and he can not get away. Gabriel comes out of this ride disoriented. Who was the women??
Gabriel is on the case. The Monk sisters are the tops suspects. Gabriel breaks into their home to get a look around and now must get to know them. The more he gets to know them, the more he cannot believe that one of them is the killer. But one of them has the power to remote view also and Gabriel catches them when he was slamming another ride of Robert and jumped into the killer who was attempting to remote view on him. The killer has decided he is the next to play with. Will Gabriel be the next to die or will he be able to open the right door and survive. What is behind the door? Who is the killer? How will it all end?
Season of the Witch Official Site:
www.seasonofthewitch.com
Natasha Mostert’s MySpace Page:
www.myspace.com/natashamostert
Natasha Mostert’s Official Site:
www.natashamostert.com
I just started reading this book. I am a bit unsure of it right now. I am hoping it gets better as it progresses. I need action, adventure, romance and a great story so hopefully this book delivers.
I just finished the Twilight series and so I am reluctant to read anything new unless it is going to wow me as those books did. They were truly a surprise. I started reading them with a bit of skepticism and ended up being happy with the entire series.
Maybe The Season of the Witch will be a bit more mature but just as entertaining.
Comment by Breelynn — April 20, 2009 @ 11:27 am