Plot
With Doctor Cushing out hunting down other mysteries and horrors, his museum is being taken care of by his twin daughters, Topaz and Opal. The premise of this plot is pretty simple, but that is a good thing! Author Stephen D. Sullivan takes this simple plot and creates a wonderful adventure into a love affair with horror. This novel feels like a loving tribute to all the classic horror monsters we know and love…werewolves, vampires, a wax museum and more. Sullivan obviously has a love of horror and that is obvious throughout this whole plot. Not only is a tribute to the classics, but it is a plot that stands alone and is an utterly entertaining adventure.
Characters
I really enjoyed the characters in this book. Obviously with Topaz and Opal being the main characters, the spotlight is really on them. They have a wonderful sister dynamic that is both realistic and entertaining. With the terrors they go through in this novel, their reactions are both an obvious tribute to horror tropes but also realistic within the world of the novel. Each character and monster is really well adapted to the story itself, but also stays true to their horror roots that made us fall in love with them in the first place.
Writing
Sullivan is a gifted storyteller. This novel shows off not only his ability to create a story, but the ability to put that story down on paper. This is an intricate novel and it is impressive how each monster fits into the story. I was continually impressed while I read this novel with exactly how Sullivan pieced it all together and kept the story moving forward. No matter how much was going on with action, frights, monsters, or heroes, everything always worked perfectly together and worked so well to create a, incredibly entertaining story that pushed me to keep paged turning
Critique
I really enjoyed all the characters in this novel, but I admit that I wanted more about Doctor Cushing himself. I felt that what we got was a mere tease into the life of a very eccentric and entertaining man. Knowing how well Sullivan can make characters come to life, I hope that there is more about the doctor in future stories.
Eulogy
Read the book! I don’t know what more to say about it. If you like classic horror, you will love this novel. I highly recommenced Dr. Cushing’s Chamber of Horrors. You can buy it here and as soon as it arrives, find a comfy chair, some snacks, and settle in for a horrifying, entertaining plunge into a world of horror that blends both classic and modern takes on the creatures that made us fall in love with this genre in the first place.
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