Book Reviews

Book Blurb

At the chasm between life and death lurks the art of reanimation.

 

When world-famous violinist Andres Valentine is pushed from a window to his death by Herr Maestro Wilhelm Kering, he is snatched back from the abyss by a doctor well-versed in reanimation. Contrary to popular belief, Andres’s life up to this point has not been filled with opulent soirees and adoring fans, but is controlled by a hellish force, a being of the dark fae—Azgarth.

 

Henri Vauss is a medical student who works for a man capable of raising the dead. Even though the practice is controversial, Henri sees the revolutionary side of the science and enjoys the challenges he finds in Dr. Stanslovich’s lab. Ever since taking on the case of Valentine, though, odd occurrences have infected the manor, making Henri question everything he believes about science and the world.

 

When Valentine confides to Henri that he wants to be rid of Azgarth’s bonds, Henri vows to find a way to free him, never expecting to get caught in the snare of the fae master.

 

Book Review

‘His Master’s Summons’ is many things: a story about dark fae forces meddling in human affairs, a tale of creativity, passion, and the need for artists to be free, a story of obsession and its consequences, and an action/adventure/quest with some very dark undertones, moments of humor, and a wonderful if somewhat unexpected romance. From the very first page I was pulled into the world of Andres Valentine, a world-famous violinist in 1897 who wants his freedom from the cruel, moneygrubbing Maestro Kering. The far-reaching consequences of his seemingly simple wish to make the kind of music he enjoys rather than playing it up for the masses form the backbone of this story – but there is so much more to this fascinating tale that I am glad this is only book one in the series. The world Cassie Sweet has created is a blend of Steampunk, fantasy, and paranormal elements that I found entertaining, sometimes scary, but always fascinating.

Valentine is an excellent violinist and passionate about his music. After years of servitude, he is also struggling for his freedom from his human master, Kering, and Kering’s fae master, Azgarth. Valentine thinks he has it all figured out; his past performance has been played, and his escape route from Venice to America is planned. But Kering turns out to be more suspicious and downright brutal than Valentine gave him credit for and kills Valentine rather than letting him go. Once Valentine is reanimated it takes him a while to recover, but he is more determined than ever.

Henri is a scientist who works for Mikhail, but different from Mikhail, he has a conscience. Once Henri has helped bring Valentine back to life, he begins to develop a quick rapport with the initially confused musician and becomes loyal to him rather than his employer, Mikhail. That causes a lot of conflict, but Henri will not budge –especially not once he and Valentine become lovers.

Mikhail is just as obsessed with science and the process of bringing the dead back to life (much like his almost-contemporary colleague, Dr. Frankenstein) as Maestro Kering is with being rich and famous. But Mikhail also thinks he loves Valentine, so when Henri becomes Valentine’s lover, Mikhail is not happy. Unlike Maestro Kering he has not got a fae master to contend with.

Maestro Kering is clearly the bad guy in many ways, and I’m not letting him off the hook in any way. But I also found it interesting how his greed made him blind to the consequences of making a deal with the devil – the dark fae Azgarth – to get what he wanted.
 
All four main characters get to tell parts of the story, and added to the multiple ethical and moral dilemmas, this gave great insight into the various perspectives of looking at passion, artistic freedom, what it takes to be creative, and why forgetting that every “easy” win has a price can be fatal – or worse. While the ending of the novel concludes part of the story, it is also a cliff-hanger. After all, Azgarth is still alive! I am sure there is much more to come, and I am looking forward to reading more!
   
If you like stories where good fights evil, yet there are nuances to each side as well, if a fantastical/paranormal action/adventure combined with a quest is your thing, and if you’re looking for a read that asks some big questions about creativity and freedom, yet manages to wrap it all up in an exciting story, then you will probably like this novel as much as I did.

 

 

 

 

DISCLAIMER: Books reviewed on this site were usually provided at no cost by the publisher or author. This book has been provided by DSP Publications for the purpose of a review.

Additional Information

Format	ebook and print
Length	Novel, 234 pages/75295 words
Heat Level
Publication Date	16-February-2016
Price	$6.99 ebook, $14.99 paperback, $14.99 bundle
Buy Link	https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/books/his-masters-summons-by-cassie-sweet-11070-b