Other Kingdoms
-
-
4.5 • 8 Ratings
-
-
- $12.99
Publisher Description
For over half a century, Richard Matheson has enthralled and terrified readers with such timeless classics as I Am Legend, The Incredible Shrinking Man, Duel, Somewhere in Time, and What Dreams May Come. Now the Grand Master returns with a bewitching tale of erotic suspense and enchantment.…
1918. A young American soldier, recently wounded in the Great War, Alex White comes to Gatford to escape his troubled past. The pastoral English village seems the perfect spot to heal his wounded body and soul. True, the neighboring woods are said to be haunted by capricious, even malevolent spirits, but surely those are just old wives' tales.
Aren't they?
A frightening encounter in the forest leads Alex into the arms of Magda Variel, an alluring red-haired widow rumored to be a witch. She warns him to steer clear of the wood and the perilous faerie kingdom it borders, but Alex cannot help himself. Drawn to its verdant mysteries, he finds love, danger…and wonders that will forever change his view of the world.
Other Kingdoms casts a magical spell, as conjured by a truly legendary storyteller.
At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Genre veteran Matheson (I Am Legend) frames this bittersweet blend of fantasy and romantic suspense as the "true" reminiscences of 82-year-old Alex White, the author of such novels as Midnight Blood Thirst and Midnight Flesh Hunger under the name Alex Black. In the spring of 1918, the then 18-year-old Alex, a wounded soldier who's been discharged from the American Army, settles in the isolated English town of Gatford, where he soon finds himself caught between two supernaturally empowered women: Magda, an alluring witch, and Ruthana, a charming faerie. Alex, himself powerless, is willing to make great sacrifices to be with his one true love, whichever one she might be, but their different natures and disapproving relatives may doom the relationship. Which of the two women Alex will choose is never really in doubt; the loser is clearly unsuitable and conveniently malicious in defeat. The self-pitying Alex may ramble in telling his straightforward tale, but Matheson remains as ever a competent craftsman.
Customer Reviews
An Experience of Epic Engagement! (not quite A. Black; quite)
To understand my "tongue-in-cheek" title of this review you'd have to read the book, which, I must say (or type as the case may be), is one heck of an adventure!
I am not typically a fan of the fantasy genre of literature...it just doesn't appeal to me (don't judge, we're all different with different tastes). But I pretty much love everything from the heart and mind of Richard Matheson and was quite sure he wouldn't disappoint with this, his latest novel, Other Kingdoms...which is a, decidedly, fantasy tale of personal proportions (thats a good one, that).
I'll skip giving a summary 'cause, well, itunes has already done that and not much else is needed-so onto my review.
Matheson engages the reader into this tale much in similar fashion to his earlier (and far superior) works; "Somewhere in Time" ("Bid Time Return" to those of some knowledge) and "What Dreams May Come." Matheson's protagonist Alexander White/ Arthur Black is an author and is telling this tale from the first person; a manuscript of sorts about his "real" life experiences. Mr. White is an 82 year-old reminiscing about his late teenage years and Matheson crafts this prose with a truely boisturous, loveable, indentifiable presonality. You really can't help but love the way this author writes, or rather injects his personality and senility and sarcasim into his tall (short?) tale.
Matheson (White?) slowly draws us into the realm of fantasy, knowing full well that we are logical, rational readers who don't or can't believe in such silly things as "fairies" (spelling? Ha!) and witchcraft. It is because of this pacing that we find ourselves transported rather easily into this world and, quite fankly, start to love it (maybe even believe it...to a degree short of bedlam). It brings us back to our childhood when believing in such wonders larger than ourselves makes our hearts just a wee bit giddy; a feeling that remains once the book is finished.
This tale is a dark love story at its heart (much like the aformentioned previous novels). It is moving, stirring, captivating, and all at once terrifying...much in the way real love is ( I suppose). Itunes likes short reviews so I'll stop here. In closing: even if you don't like fantasy (or would prefer Matheson's horror) this book is still worth every bit of your time and is well worth its pricetag. So do yourself (and your imagination) a favor and delve into this tale.
You won't be disappointed. If you are then I won't judge you...Arthur Black might, but I won't.
Being a screenwriter I'd actually like to turn this into a film one day myself...may have to contact my agent and approach Matheson for such a future venture if it isn't already in the works.
J. Mylie
PS after reading the book re-read my review and you'll chuckle (I think) at the little homages I made to it here.