Scenting Hallowed Blood

The first volume of Storm Constantine's Grigori trilogy started to uncover the mysteries of Peverel Othman and his place among the Grigori, a race of angels who once ruled over humanity and who even now influence their world. He is no less than the reincarnation of Shemyaza, the renegade leader of the Grigori. With an apocalyptic moment approaching, involving a mysterious creature in a cave near Cornwall, several factions, human and Grigori, are vying to win his confidence and so affect the outcome in their favor. But what does Shemyaza himself want...? The tone of this book is a bit different than the first: the pace is more urgent and thus, some things get glossed over which would have been more developed in the first. As a for instance, I would have liked to have seen more background on the Pelleth and their traditions, but given the urgency of the situation, there wasn't a whole lot of room in the narrative for it. But this very sense of urgency only makes you wonder what comes next and what Shem will decide to do with the urgent task laid on his shoulders...?

This book practically drips with Pagan imagery. The mood and feel of the book is very much derived from where the book takes place, in Cornwall's desolate storm-lashed coast. The sea imagery is amazing, not as good as in Sea Dragon Heir, but that is only because of the locations being different. The landscape reflect the inner conflict of Shemyaza and is very appropriate because of this. This book reads faster that the first book or the trilogy and is even harder to put down because of the descriptive nature of Storm's Writing.

This book is wonderful. Mixing ancient mythology whit modern Angst, creating an eerie feeling, when you realize that this uncanny fantasy might really say something on the real history of this world (like I felt whit the Wraeththu series). Shem is the disillusioned idealist, a Prometheus that,once freed,feels betrayed by his own people and by humanity,that he feels has abandoned him. Shemyaza and the Titan (a giant,a god,a...Nephilim?)Prometheus:both givers of forbidden knowledge to humans. Read Aeschilus' Prometheus Enchained, then you will notice some similarity whit Shemyaza's story.

I felt a bit let down reading this after _Stalking Tender Prey_, a book which left me with such high expectations. Constantine's talent for textured prose, distinctive characters, and gleefully ambiguous morality (and sexuality) are still evident, yet (to me) the neo-paganish mysticism introduced becomes overbearing to the point of distraction at times. Still, it was an entertaining read, and I plan on buying the third, final novel.

Finally got my hands on the sequel! The ending to Stalking tender Prey left me hanging a bit - but kept me looking for this one!Storm's usual intricate character development is accentuated by the story line. Still a little homo-erotic, and appealing to the pagan in all of us.A good read, and well worth my wait. Now if that third would just make it to the U.S.!!!