"She screamed more until the flames rose to her head and choked out her cries. Then she felt herself falling."
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Rending Skies/2012 by Jean Brown Red Willow Publishing
book review by John E. Roper
Supernatural themes have worked their way into literature for centuries, but other than enjoying some brief popularity in the pulp and gothic novels of the early and mid-twentieth century respectively, and occasional forays into the science fiction and fantasy genres, most of the darker denizens of our dreams in modern times have dwelt mainly in the small horror section of the local bookstore. However, over the last decade, there have been increasing spillovers into the mainstream, and as the fan base for spooky stories grows, new subgenres have been created such as paranormal romance and urban fantasy. Capitalizing on this trend in fiction, author Jean Brown has crafted a captivating tale about a family trapped by a multi-generational curse.
In this second book of her Faulkner's Curse series, Brown takes the reader on a fast-paced ride into nightmare as two mothers struggle desperately to protect their supernaturally endowed children. Felix and Seren have never been normal, not even when they were tiny. Felix has the power to control minds and to severely alter the world around him. He has been kept in check for the most part by the presence of Seren, a neighbor girl, who has the ability to project a peaceful calm on those she is near. When Seren's mother is forced to abscond with her daughter one night to save their lives from a rapist and others whom she is convinced are planning to kill her, the resulting separation of the children starts a chain of events that will lead a plethora of characters to a deadly showdown at Durga Lake, where most of the Faulkner family have retreated with their own strange talents from society.
Brown ambitiously sets forth to develop almost all of the characters in her story, even some of the more minor ones, by frequently switching points of view. For a few pages the reader will be looking at the world through Felix's eyes, then switch in the next chapter into the mind of Seren's mother, before moving on to the consciousness of another Faulkner a few pages later. While this technique is not that unusual with two or three characters, the author has the reader bounce back and forth among a group of at least fourteen people, but even so, the story manages to weave these threads together fairly well.
In terms of mood, pacing, and ambiance, Brown's writing bears some resemblance to the works of Iris Johansen. The story includes a few characterization similarities, such as a precocious and troubled child, an uncannily smart dog, a psychopath, and a chief protagonist named Eve. Yet there is also more than a touch of Stephen King's eeriness to the book, giving it the feel of some of his earlier novels like Carrie and Firestarter. Despite these comparisons, Brown is trying to carve out her own niche in the literary world, and as Rending Skies/2012 proves, she is off to a good start.