From
Examiner’s Recommended Women in Horror comes THE MARKER CHRONICLES by Danielle
DeVor. The First Trilogy contains books 1 – 3. Now, for a limited time, save
BIG by buying this special bundle deal at a killer price!
**********
SORROW’S POINT
(Book 1)
Not All Exorcists
are Equal....One is Marked
When defrocked ex-priest,
Jimmy Holiday, agrees to help an old friend with his sick daughter, he doesn’t
expect the horrors that await him. Blackmoor, his friend’s new residence, rests
upon the outskirts of the town of Sorrow’s Point. The mansion’s history of
magic, mayhem, and death makes it almost a living thing – a haunted mansion
straight out of a Stephen King novel. Jimmy must decide if the young girl,
Lucy, is only ill, or if the haunting of the house and her apparent possession
are real.
After the house appears to
affect him as well with colors of magic dancing before his eyes, rooms warded
by a witch, and a ring of power in his voice, Jimmy is met by a transient who
tells him he has “the Mark.” Whatever being “marked” means, Jimmy doesn’t care.
All he wants to do is help Lucy. But, helping Lucy means performing an
exorcism.
My Review:
Sorrow's Point is book 1 of the Marker Chronicles. I don't call it scary but it sure is creepy. We get our first meeting with Jimmy Holiday. He is an Ex Catholic Priest. He chose a woman over the church, and not just any woman but a witch. After the witch Tabby and his relationship did not work out Jimmy is now a graphic designer living alone. One night at 3 AM his phone rings, reluctantly he answers. It is Will an old friend he grew up with. Will is in a state of despair. He asks Jimmy to meet with him to talk. Little did Jimmy know Will made the phone call from his driveway. Will asks Jimmy to help him with his daughter who is possessed, thinking he is still a Priest. Jimmy decides to go with Will and determine for himself if 6 year old Lucy is possessed or not. After arriving he decides he is going to need help so he calls his Ex Tabby. Jimmy contacts the church with proof of the possession but is told they must wait 6 month to get a exorcism. Jimmy knows Lucy cannot last that long so takes it upon himself to perform the exorcism.
The book was pretty good and held my attention from page 1 throughout. I liked how they mixed both religions, Catholic and Pagan. I wish the reactions between Jimmy and Tabby had of been a bit more realistic. I did not particularly care for Will and Tor, Lucy's parent. Their parts in the book could of been improved upon. I get that they were at their wits end but they were really unrealistic. I also felt like the end was rushed. The whole book leading up to the exorcism and it was over in just a couple of pages. The very end is left wide open for book 2, I'm okay with that though since I will be reading it next.
**********
SORROW’S EDGE (Book
2)
Uncovering The
Truth…Will Take An Exorcist
Jimmy Holiday, defrocked
priest turned exorcist, is trying to get his life in order. With his on-again
off-again witchy girlfriend moving in, the spirit of the little girl from his
last exorcism hanging around, and a secret organization of exorcists hounding
him, Jimmy equals stressed.
When a stranger calls in
the middle of the night asking for help with a possession, Jimmy is about to
land in a mess of trouble. Especially since the man on the phone claims to have
gotten his number from Jimmy’s old mentor. Too bad his mentor has been dead for
years.
After a mysterious silver
flask arrives at his doorstep, Jimmy is left with two options: either ignore
the newest enigma the universe has tossed him, or listen to Lucy and travel to
Arizona to solve the mystery before all hell breaks loose…again.
My Review:
This is the 2nd book in the series. The series should be read in order or you will be a bit lost at times. In this book Jimmy and Tabby are moving in together and trying their relationship again. Tabby does not know at first Lucy has tagged along as well. As in the 1st book Jimmy gets a phone call at 3AM asking for help. Jimmy gets a package in the mail of a Old Flask and then one morning Jimmy wakes up and finds an IPad on his kitchen table. It is from the Order. Jimmy, Tabby, and Lucy get on a plane for Tombstone Arizona to find the caller asking for help. He gets to meet his Ancestor Doc Holliday as well as the Devil himself. Things are not always what they seem in this story.
I personally did not care for this book near as much as I did the 1st book in the series. I really liked the 1st book. Jimmy does not really want to be an Exorcist and does not want to be in Tombstone and lets you the reader really know it all the way through the book so much so that I felt almost like Danielle DeVore was was sending a subliminal message that she did not want to write this book. At times the story drug on so much I almost put it down and other important parts raced on and was over and done with way to fast. The book was not terrible, don't get me wrong it just wasn't near as good as I hoed it would be. I am starting book 3 next. I have high hopes for it.
**********
SORROW’S TURN (Book
3)
Some things are
worse than demons.
Jimmy Holiday, reluctant
exorcist, is finally getting the help he needs from the higher-ups. The Order
of Markers is sending him to the Vatican’s exorcism school. Now, he’ll receive
the training he should have gotten at the beginning. One problem, someone wants
to sabotage him.
When his time at the school
is cut short, Jimmy receives an interesting new case. It is the assignment that
no one wants—a corpse has come back to life. And it isn’t a zombie.
Too bad nothing goes as
expected. Armed with his usual bag of tricks, Jimmy thinks everything will
eventually be all right. Well, that is until his betrayer turns out to be the
person he trusts most.
Sorrow's Turn
I have read the first 3 books in this series so far. Book 1 was really good, book 2 I wasn't all that crazy about book 3 (this one) was pretty good. I do like the pretense of the series just not crazy about the lead character Jimmy. Boy needs to man up and get serious instead of being a whiny baby.
Jimmy Holiday is a reluctant exorcist. He is all a defrocked Priest and is living with Tabby a witch, 2 spirits Lucy and Doc, and a cat. I have to say my favorite part of the book was when Tabby told him to quit whining. Jimmy is a real whiner he goes on about everything all the time to the point it really distracts from the story. I guess it a personality trait Danielle Devor has given him but it gets on my nerves. I think if he didn't whine quite to much I would love these books more.
In this book at first Jimmy is getting ready to go to Italy to begin his exorcism classes. he will be taking Lucy with him since her soul is attached to him. Doc will be going to wherever he goes to recharge and Tabby will be staying home. Right before he is to head to Italy they find out that Lucy's body has passed away. Jimmy wonders what will happen to her soul now.
I really don't want to go into much more detail of the book as there are twists and turn in this one and If I go into to detail it will take away from someone who reads my review and then the book. I do lie that in a way this book is more centered on the rest of the main characters we get to know them a little better.
**********
Named one of the Examiner’s 2014 Women in Horror: 93 Horror Authors you Need to Read Right Now, Danielle DeVor has been spinning the spider webs, or rather, the keyboard for more frights and oddities. She spent her early years fantasizing about vampires and watching “Salem’s Lot” way too many times. When not writing and reading about weird things, you will find her hanging out at the nearest coffee shop, enjoying a mocha frappuccino.
Buy Links
