The Fetch

In addition to gorgeous prose, Whitcomb creates a whole world astonishing in its detail. An engrossing read.

I have to admit that when I received the book and read the one-liner above the book's title, "A Super-natural Romance", I was immediately skeptical on whether or not this would be a book I would enjoy. I'm not into romance novels, super-natural or otherwise. However, despite this label on the cover, the book barely touches on any sort of love story, other than the main character's early fixation on a woman he sees during one of his escort jobs. It's a very engaging read on a Fetch, who is basically a former human tasked with escorting the souls of the dead to heaven. As mentioned earlier, he becomes enamoured of a woman he sees while on one of his fetch jobs, and decides to figure out a way to bridge the gap between the afterlife and the mortal world in order to pursue the woman, in an effort to make her a Fetch as well. I don't want to give away too many details, but I will say that he succeeds in making the jump from the spirit world to the corporeal world, and in doing so manages to derail the processes that have been in place since the beginning of mankind. The author does a great job of conveying the period of time when the story takes place, which is during the Russian Revolution. The tension of the political environment and the threat of persecution permeates the story, and there's almost literally never a dull moment. So again, don't be put off by the caption over the book's title, because this story is definitely not a romance novel by any means. It's chalk full of death, demons, and history.

Throw out any notion you have of the scary, scythe-bearing Grim Reaper and replace it with The Fetch. A Fetch is a death escort, a comforting guide who waits while the soul chooses whether or not to leave its mortal body. Upon choosing death, and yes, it is often a choice, the soul is led by its Fetch through a door into the afterworld. Calder was young for a Fetch, only three-hundred-and-thirty. Had he been doing death scenes a bit longer, say a couple hundred years longer, perhaps he would have recognized the warning signs. As it was, Calder was too preoccupied by the attractive woman he'd left behind on earth during a recent death scene to notice the dangerous path he was embarking upon. When Calder can no longer stand to be apart from the woman he's named Glory, he sets in motion a series of events that upsets a delicate balance and the consequences are felt throughout Heaven and Earth. Set in the time of the Russian Revolution, the author takes us on a journey literally around the world in search of the one key that can open the door to align the two worlds again. Part historical fiction, part paranormal/fantasy, and part love story, THE FETCH is a beautifully written tale of mistakes made and lessons learned, both in life and in death. Reviewed by: Angie Fisher

Calder is a Fetch, a deceased soul who "fetches" or escorts dying souls through a magical Door which he opens with his magical Key. He takes them from Earth to Heaven through a series of experiences or tests. But Calder is no angel. He was human a few centuries ago. He has a will of his own, and to the best of his ability, he tries ernestly to do God's Will, not his own. But he guesses wrong, and really causes the world a lot of grief which he takes the responsibility to fix. At one death scene, he sees a woman whom he believes must become his apprentice. To apprentice her, he must give her his Key. When he fails, his determination leads him to take over the body of a recently deceased soul -- Rasputin (yes, of Russian fame). Calder becomes embroiled in the first days of the Russian Revolution and ends up taking the Royal children, Ana and Alexi around the entire world searching for the Key he has lost. This is a strange kind of spiritual-historical adventure novel, but the vivid character of Calder drags the reader into the story. So even if you don't really like "historicals," you'll find it a well written page turner that delivers a perfect ending. Although it's about Death, it's a warm, bright, and cozy read. Houghton Mifflin bills it as a juvenile from their Children's Book Department. That may be because of the clean, innocent air of the writing. There's a couple of bloody-ugly scenes, but nothing that could be termed Horror Genre. Most adults would find this a refreshing change of pace and a satisfying read.

I am suprised by the luke warm reviews that I've seen for this book. I actually thought The Fetch was quite good, having never read Laura Whitcomb before I had no expectations. and in this case that may have been a good thing. Why? because the synopsis on this one is, I think somwhat misleading. as is the title of Paranormal Romance. There is a romance to be sure but, it is folded into the story so gently and interwoven with a great many other layers one could hardly call the romance the focal point of the novel. Perhaphps this is where other readers began to be dissatisfied. What you have here is a story that is part Ghost Story, part Historical Fiction, involving the Romanov Family. Partly a Spiritual journey, and yes, partly a romance. I can see where those expecting a straight foward love story tinged with the Supernatural would be disappointed. Whitcomp appears to have a gift for creating highly visual imagery and extreemly fluid prose, I had no trouble buying into the premise or caring about the characters inhabiting Whitcomb's world. All an all I came away havingvery much enjoyed the experience. The Fetch is a memorable experience. Extreemly well done!