Amber Benson &Christopher Golden Ghosts of Albion: Accursed

Ghosts of Albion: Accursed

Amber Benson & Christopher Golden

Del Rey, Nov 2005, $13.95

ISBN: 034547130X

In Victorian London, siblings William and Tamara Swift are magicians, protecting England from evil from their home Ludlow House. Other residents include the spirits of overly sex charged Lord Byron, naked warrior queen Bodicea, and their father with the latter apparently possessed by an evil demon. Prim and proper William courts independent feisty Sophia Winchell, while his sister yearns to make life with rake John Haversham.

As the Swift siblings work on their personal lives, women of Indian descent are being raped near the wharfs and in the East End slums; these odious unions have led to the birth of gruesome monsters. At the same time reptilian creatures are killing anything that crosses their paths. Queen Victoria is concerned that her magicians are so young to go up against such formidable opponents. However, youthful as they are, the good guys are assisted by their resident ghosts and a vampire, though they remain in deep trouble as the forces of the dark look invincible, especially when the sun is down, which is for much of a day in smoggy London.

This funny and charming atmospheric Victorian horror tale brings to gloomy life, London under siege from the supernatural. Fans will appreciate the historical setting that makes the paranormal seem real, although raging hormones sometimes interfere with the magic. GHOSTS OF ALBION: ACCURSED is a fine thriller that readers will enjoy.

Harriet Klausner