Curse of the Gargoyles
The Gargoyle Guardian Chronicles, Book #2
By Rebecca Chastain
Author’s website: www.rebeccachastain.com
Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Scott
Review 
Curse of the Gargoyles is a sheer delight and joy to read; the light, airy and mystical themes touch the reader at their very core. While set in a modern environment but with magic the driving force behind it, the reader find themselves in a serene place, in which suspension of belief is easily sustained. And it’s a good thing as well; because the stops are pulled out from under you from the get go, leaving you on a helter-skelter ride through the story of a lifetime. Set a few months since the events of Magic of the Gargoyles, Book 1 of the Gargoyle Guardian Chronicles and it’s a day that our heroine Mika Stillwater won’t soon forget. And the reader isn’t likely to either.
Written by Rebecca Chastain (author of Fistful of Evil, Fistful of Fire in the Madison Fox Illuminant Enforcer series, Tiny Glitches and Magic of the Gargoyles) will leave you breathless in her most ambitious work (and no doubt countless hours of metaphysical research) to date. An incredibly strong contender in the urban paranormal scene, she writes delicately, firmly and with attention to the finest detail, such as the myriad colors of crystal ordaining a gargoyle or a subtle shift in Mika’s mood. Told through the viewpoint of Mika, the reader is lulled further into the novella/novelette and into the mind of an insecure woman who overcomes all possible odds to save reality from unravelling.
The plotting is brisk, with only a few lags in pacing. It weaves and twists the reader in Mika’s inexperience to her cutting edge resolve. It carries the action through and then some. At any given point one may feel lost in the mystery but the story always comes through to bail you out – just to dunk you back under. It’s with bateful breath that the reader turns the pages, consciously driven to wanting more and more. It’s a single adventure in Mika’s day, and an hour or two to read the whole work, but the plot is superb and keeps you hooked long after the last page has passed.
Characterization is, naturally, viewed from the point of view of Mika, and with a little ‘specialization’ in her cast, you always know who is saying what at any given time. This is a rarity – oft times you’ll have characters resembling stereotypes, or just blending in with one another; but not here. The cast and crew of this perilous day shine brightly in all three dimensions. There is something to be commended on the web Curse of the Gargoyles spins through the different characters and interrelates them in a, well, magical way. Even the Gargoyles are unique enough that there is no doubt in your mind that these are living, cognizant beings.
The writing is, as stated, simply a joy to read. Never overwhelming you with too much of the ‘extras’ and concentrating on the meal, Curse of the Gargoyles flows elegantly and with a refined vision. What separates Chastain from other authors is her use of the unexplainable, yet she explains it convincingly; her use of diction, which charms the pants off the reader is a descriptive narrative; and the almost unrelenting pace at which it takes place, that still gives you pause to breathe every now and again. It’s a tremendous leap in her writing, on par with Tiny Glitches, her last novel. Rest assured, you won’t tire of this work until it’s over. The writing is that solid.
If you’ve encountered Rebecca Chastain’s previous works (listed above) are into urban paranormal or urban fantasy books you’ll be sure to enjoy this well-deserved sequel. If you have read Magic of the Gargoyles and need your fix of ‘gargoyle-dom,’ then Curse of the Gargoyles will assuage your every need, if you are a lover of all things mystical, and need something uplifting to read, look no further. The Gargoyles cometh.
*OBS would like to thank the publisher for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review*
