Book Talk Reviews; One Hundred Saints
Title: One Hundred Saints
Author: Yolanda Olson
Genre: Erotic Horror
Release Date: April 9, 2016
Blurb:
Warning. This book maintains a dark theme. Contains detailed scenes of gore, violence, and is sexual in nature. Intended for audiences 18 and up. Reader discretion is highly advised.
Grimm Valot was a Cajun boy with a heavy bayou accent when I first met him. He spent most of his youth fishing the Mississippi River from the levee in Old Algiers, but I don’t ever remember seeing him in the market selling anything with his family. My daddy always tried to get me to stay away from him, but he was a damn good friend and I think some of my happiest moments were hiding behind the trees, sitting on the grass, and watching him throw his line in.
I think part of the reason my daddy didn’t want me near Grimm was because his family lived in the Lower Ninth Ward and we lived in the French Quarter. He said that I was too “upper class” to be seen with anyone from the Wards, which I didn’t agree with. I never did define people on what they had or where they lived, but he did because he worked so hard for everything we had.
We left Louisiana the day before Hurricane Katrina swept through and destroyed the Wards, leaving me wondering if he and his family had made it out safely. That almost eleven years ago and I found myself back in New Orleans for a visit with my parents in their fancy French Quarter home. In two days it would be Mardi Gras and the perfect time for me to slip away and see if I could find out whatever happened to him; if he was still alive or if he lost his life like so many others.
I'll admit that I'm scared. Dark things happen in the deepest corners of New Orleans and there are whispers of magic, sex, and death. Ritualistic killings to appease spirts and gain power. I never believed in any of that and I knew I would have to swallow my fear to find him. I felt in my bones that he was still alive and I knew that I would have to be strong to find him. I would have to hold onto the hope that maybe, just maybe, Grimm was looking for me too.
It was all I could do for now.
Review:
I am a huge fan of dark and gritty books and One Hundred Saints did not disappoint. Taking place in New Oreans after Hurricane Katrina was genius. The culture of voodoo, witches, dark magic and all things creepy is well known in that city as well as the Mardi Gras celebrations. The location of this book and the time of year it took place really set the tone perfectly. The story itself was an emotional rollercoaster from beginning to end. It's not a love story, by any means. Emmie and Grimm are long lost friends who have very different backgrounds and lead exceptionally different lives. Although the majority of the book is told by Emmie, it really is Grimm's story. It's about the darkness that can consume you if you allow it to and it's about the lengths one will go for their beliefs. Yolanda Olson captivated me with One Hundred Saints and I found myself rooting for yet another one of her "bad guys." I highly recommend this book, but heed her warning! This is not for the faint of heart.
~Lei
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all images were taken from Facebook and used with the author's permission
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