A tale of horror, Dradin appears to be lost in the virtues of love. Jeff VanderMeer's expression reads well. Artistic license is overwhelming.
Jeff VanderMeer is a noteworthy Author who was born in Pennsylvania and raised in Fiji. He was born in July of 1968. He toured the world with his Parents who work for the Peace Corp. He has many credits and awards for writing scripts that are an extension of previous Author's. Titles include "Shriek: an Afterword." He has also published popular and original books and short stories. "Dradin in Love" is the first in a series that become "City of Saints and Madmen: the Book of Ambergris."
Michael Shores is the Illustrator who drew the symbolic images for the beginning of each chapter. Born in 1956, he went to the Massachusetts College of Art and illustrates artwork for many venues from compact discs to magazine. This book features black-and-white Art Nouveau line-drawing. They are centered and have an extreme amount of detail to accentuate light and shadow.
Vandermeer's influences assist in writing imaginative, fictional worlds. The premise of the stories are overly realistic with finite details and descriptions of Ambergris. Readers might wonder if plots and subplots are personal.
Dradin is an Excommunicated, almost, Missionary. Vandermeer's Parents worked for the Peace Corp. They were not excommunicated. Luckily, most of the story about Dradin is philosophical or dreamlike. Most of the detail appears to relate to thoughts during various times of his life. These thoughts are actual places he has seen, thoughts, dreams and nightmares.
I do not want to give away the ending; however, this book reminds me of a long series of unlocking the subconscious mind. In dreams, death is symbolic of change. There was probably several changes in home and friends while traveling. There is a subliminal duress until finding the truth. Dradin hides from his conscious mind. The description of a city within a dense jungle amplifies this message. There are also three known Saints of Valentine's Day. It is possible that one of the lesser known Saints is an outline for the series.
It is a fun book for Young Adults and Adults. Not as horrifying as other horror novels, Adults will understand philosophical interpretations. Young Adults are able to fixate on gore, violence, eroticism and voyage of the story. Most people who enjoy horror or fantasy will enjoy this book. It is also advertised as science fiction. It seems provincial not futuristic.
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