Title: The Sovereign Order of Monte Cristo: Newly Discovered Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
Author: Holy Ghost Writer
Publisher: Illuminated Publications
ISBN: 1490931767
Pages: 146, Paperback/Kindle
Genre: Fiction
Reviewed by: Tania Staley, Pacific Book Review
Book Review
Holy Ghost Writer leaps even further into the history’s rabbit hole with his latest installment in his Count of Monte Cristo sequels, The Sovereign Order of Monte Cristo. In the third book of this series, Edmond Dantes returns along with Sherlock Holmes, Haydee, Mercedes, and Raymee, and some new, but notable figures. Readers will be surprised to see the reach and influences Holy Ghost Writer has allowed this fame hero to have. Readers will soon be asking “Who doesn’t Dantes know?” and “What hasn’t he done?” when they read this tale in which classic literary and historical characters emerge from the page.Edmond Dantes’ latest adventure takes him to America, where the voice of Mother Wisdom has urged him to go in order to abolish slavery. Readers will be pleased to see that the link between Sherlock Holmes and Edmond Dantes is formed, as Holmes returns as both the narrator of this tale and a key player in its plot. The inhabitants of Georgia have never met the likes of Edmond Dantes—a man whose tales of adventure are known around the world, who has the love and devotion of two beautiful wives, and has influence in even the most secret of sects. His plantation, Paradise, comes by its name naturally. It is run with impressive ease by eager and willing slaves that love and respect him, and the plantation soon becomes one of the loveliest in the state. It does not take long for Dantes’ neighbors to begin wondering why his slaves do his bidding so gladly, and Dantes is more than willing to oblige them with his revolutionary answer as his plan to abolish slavery unfolds. Will his plan work to halt the atrocities going on in the South, or will Dantes find a challenge that surpasses even his wisdom and charm?
The Sovereign Order of Monte Cristo is a slower-paced book than the previous installment, The Sultan of Monte Cristo, but what it lacks in action and intrigue it makes up for in literary surprises and character building. As I have already mentioned, some surprising characters appear in this book, and it is fun to read this merging together of literary classics and history. The collision of these two often opposing worlds is quite enjoyable and makes this reader curious and excited about what could come next. My only concern with the book is that Holy Ghost Writer’s writing often straddles the border between acceptable and absurd, and sometimes he allows his desire for Dantes to be the best of the best get in the way of believability. The area in which this is most apparent is during times he mentions inventions that Dantes created, such as dry ice and mint julep. My mind bucked against these frivolous additions to his character that I simply knew weren’t true and were unnecessary, and this sometimes made it difficult for me to suspend disbelief in areas that were more important and necessary for the plot. However, in the larger picture, Holy Ghost Writer succeeds in riding this line splendidly, so that when fictional characters walk and talk with real-life historical figures it seems natural.
After reading The Sovereign Order of Monte Cristo, I find myself truly invested in Holy Ghost Writer’s characters and their tales. It is a fun and unique thing that the author is doing with this series, and while it sometimes causes confusion and discomfort due to its strangeness, it is totally worth it in order to read something so new and fresh. I am quite excited to see what the future holds for this quirky series and what is in store for Edmond Dantes and the rest of Holy Ghost Writer’s cast of characters.
