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A Flicker of Shadows by M.N. Seeley (2019)
‘Why do Mothers not suffocate those children of theirs that refuse to grow up? Would this not be a service to both the child and society at large? Oh, yes! Yes, I say. End them young, at the very moment of their denial, to spare the rest of us from being surrounded by the curs of inapt rearing.
If only! Instead, the world is besieged with idiots and bullies. It is selfish and unfair! Unfair, I say!
Intolerable! Insufferable! Insulting! Three times now in as many days, I have been the target of their mockery; a target of their harassment! And why? Why, I ask? Is it because I chew with my mouth closed? Is it because I wash regularly? Perhaps it is because I do not find humour in the misadventures of others.’
This is a phenomenally inventive book, Readers. From the first page to the very last syllable, I read this sucker (vampire pun intended) with eyes wide open: in awe.
Canadian author M.N. Seeley is a masterful storyteller. The ease with which he wrote his complex, character-driven novel is inspiring. And!—the story is interesting. And well researched. I learned a lot about the so-called demons who terrorized Eastern Europeans in the 1890s, not-to-mention the horrible ways “doctors” tortured vulnerable adults they forced into lunatic asylums.
Mmm. Thanks, M.N. *tips hat, poisons eighty sheep, then dissolves like Betel-black*
. . .
*coughs, then reappears* Yeah, I’d actually like to say a bit more about this book.
A Flicker of Shadows by M.N. Seeley in a clever retelling of the classic Dracula tale. Told through three separate POVs in three unique formats, Seeley sloooowly draws the spooky plot-noose tight to bring together the three main characters: a bat (yes, a bat) named Mort; a Con man (yes, a man) named . . . well, I won’t spoil it; and a Chief Inspector (yes! I made this joke multiple times!) named Armin Murnau.
Mort—or Morton P.—is an actual bat. He flies over Stritenia County, a region which is now Ukraine, to give us the lay of the land and spot secret nighttime activities, like two farmers dragging a large box of evil-entrenched dirt into a castle. Suspicious? Yuh huh. Mort is a very funny bat. He has a wild sense of grandiosity, entitlement, and superiority that separates him from his fellow bats. And from the villagers. And from—everyone. Hence the grandiosity. I could write a book about Mort, because he’s such an engaging character, but I won’t ruin the read for you, Readers. I’ll just say that Mort a singular bat; and unforgettable.
Chief Inspector Murnau tells his story a little differently. Through letters to his sister, Viola, we learn why Murnau moved to Stritenia and why he’s fascinated by local folklore; and why he’s intrigued by the aforementioned castle. Murnau is a lighthearted, sympathetic character who is fussy and precise about endearing annoyances, like his bookshelf setup and how bad is diet has been since he became a bachelor. But he’s smart, observant, and he reports the strange occurrences in Stritenia in almost-perfect detail.
The Con man’s narrative is also different. I won’t reveal too much. Or anything, actually. Ha!
Needless to say, this book is excellent. It isn’t scary—Mort’s narrative is too funny and Murnau’s analysis of goings-on is too reasonable (at first)—but it’s suspenseful and science-minded. And wonderfully written. The layered conflict resolves with grunts, squeals, and lots of holy-crap-is-this-ever-clever moments.
I genuinely think you should read this book. Kudos to Seeley for the incredible amount of work he must have put into penning it. It’s an achievement.
*happily sighs, then dissolves for real*