Title: Creole Moon – The Book of Roots
Author: S. T. Holmes
Publisher: Toplink Publishing, LLC
ISBN-13: 978-1-9485-5685-9
Pages: 198
Genre: Science Fiction
Reviewed by: Jason Lulos
Pacific Book Review
Creole Moon – The Book of Roots is a wondrous and well-conceived tale of supernatural romance and revenge. Author S. T. Holmes describes a world which is like A Midsummer Night’s Dream soap opera. Gods vie against one another for power. They use mortals to sustain their powers and even their own immortality. Holmes has a really interesting combination of ancient Greek/Roman mythology and 20th century Voodoo, suggesting a historical connection between old and modern supernatural phenomena. Science fiction lovers will be intrigued by this lineage which is set against the plot of a good old-fashion revenge tale.
Meet George. He is our quixotic (but reluctant) romantic hero. George dwells in exile in the swamp in Louisiana in 1925. He is part Luxican or “light beast.” For five decades, he has been living like a vampire while mourning the loss of his beloved Jewella. Year’s prior, the Voodoo priest Mamuska (once a magician and demi-god) and his wife Ophelia manipulated George, falsely claiming that if he did their bidding, his Jewella would come back to life. Thus, a grief-stricken social outcast, George has been waiting, hoping for some way to undo his curse and perhaps even bring Jewella back.
In a parallel story of revenge, Sephora (aka Marie Toussant and Airie the sprite) seeks the Book of Roots in order to right the wrongs done to her by her sister Vollera (both demi-gods as well). She has come to Louisiana to take advantage of the convergence of the creole moon, the equinox, and the Lupercalia festival during which magic is at its height. Only during this time can one undo previous magical spells. She engages George’s help with the hope that his own curse will be lifted. They converge with Mamuska and Ophelia who have returned to the mortal world to get new souls/bodies, also seeking to take advantage of this magical crescendo.
The writing is lyrical and there is a great intersection of plots. Holmes paints vivid descriptions of the landscapes (the swamp, Mt. Olympus) and she gives great detail to a character’s physical and mental makeup (particularly George’s light beast). The historical connection between ancient gods and modern magic is particularly inspiring – this and the plight of George are what kept me reading. In a few spots, the pace seems slow but overall this is an imaginative and entertaining story which will make you want to read the first book of this series in order to discover George’s backstory.
