Sean Williams, The Crooked Letter

The Crooked Letter

Sean Williams

PYR, Apr 2006, $25.00

ISBN 1591024382

Mirror twins Hadrian and Seth Castillo hate the fact that in some unexplainable way they are linked to one another; each wants to be an independent soul, but that psychic connection they share never allows that to be, as together the polar opposites are whole.

That changes when someone kills Seth while Hadrian sees the stabbing occur. Yet though he remains in the realm of the living, Hadrian feels the psychic connection to Seth stronger than ever. Seth's spirit exists in the Second Realm, a containment area filled with monsters wanting to breach the "wall" and enter the First Realm where Hadrian exists. Yod notices that the chasm between the realms is diminishing; he realizes why, and he plans to use the brothers to enable him to conquer the First Realm. If the twins, even with guides to help them, fail to come together, Yod will breach the barrier and bring hell on earth. While Seth struggles to live, Hadrian considers death as a possibility to reunite with the sibling he never wanted to be near.

Set in the same realms as the Books of the Change series, the first Books of the Cataclysm, THE CROOKED LETTER, is a deep fantasy, mindful of Dante with the numerous realms, though predominantly only two are vividly described through the twin poles. The storyline is filled with plenty of action, but as is the case with most opening novels in a series, the background needs explanation whether it is delightfully descriptive, especially that of the Second Realm or the challenges confronting the twins require "guidance". The cast makes the tale as the siblings, and their connection seem real, which in turn makes the rings of realms feel genuine. Fans of a strong fantasy thriller will appreciate Sean Williams' superb opening tale.