Of Love and Evil: The Songs of the Seraphim, Book 2

"I dreamed a dream of angels. I saw them and heard them in a great and endless galactic night. I saw the light that these were angels, flying here and there, in streaks of irrisistible brilliance, and some as great as comets which seemed to draw so close the fire might devour me, and yet I felt no heat. I felt no danger. I felt no self." ~ This is the eloquent opening of Anne Rice's new novel, "Of Love and Evil." It is the second book in her "Songs of the Seraphim" series (the first being "Angel Time.") In this tale Rice's main protagonist, former hit man Toby O'Dare, is summoned once again by the angel Malchiah and transported back into the past to fifteenth century Rome, to the land and time of Michelangelo, of Raphael, of Pope Leo X, of the Medicis. To a time of high drama and strife in both public and personal lives. It is Toby's charge this time to investigate the case of the accused Vitale, a jewish man living in the house of the wealthy gentile Antonio. One of Antonio's sons, Niccolo, is mortally ill, dying a slow, miserable death, with Vitale suspected of being the culprit because of his jewishness. Also during this same period the house is undergoing a mighty metaphysical disturbance by an outraged dybbuk-a dislocated spirit, or "ghost," for want of a better term. It is up to Toby to unravel these duel (connected?) mysteries, the true cause of Niccolo's illness and to find the resolution of the rampaging dybbuk. It's difficult to proceed much further with this plot without giving away too much info, i.e. "spoilers," as others have already done. Among the many enthralling things you should know about this superb book is that Rice, in her shortest novel yet, manages to incorporate a riveting mystery thriller within a finely woven, dramatic tale which themes rich with action, philosophical question on life, love, spirituality, history and prejudice. The expert conciseness rendered with her second book on the early life of Jesus, "Road to Cana," is even more evident here. Anne Rice deftly weaves a tale which rings with an authentic tone that is appropriately "biblical." A chief feature in the plot is the relationship between Niccolo and his brother. Also, the method chose by the would be killer, poisoning, is a fascinating plot device. It takes a certain kind of killer-and says much about them-to choose poison as their means of murder. They don't extinguish their victim in an instant with a single, severe blow or with a knife to the throat, as they could. Instead they systematically administer exact dosages of poison over a period of time. This not only gives the appearance of the victim as dying of a lingering illness, but also allows the murderer the opportunity to stand in the shadows and and witness the deadly plot as it unfolds. Few acts could be more chilling... A huge factor in Rice's angel chronicles, and especially here, thematically in "Of Love and Evil," is the notion that evil, or sin-severe wrongs perpetrated against innocents, crimes, prejudicial acts, etc., make a lasting mark that never fades until there is some sort of resolution. No redemption can be achieved unless and until the evil act is directly addressed and dealt with, made right. Not until there is resolution and redemption the victim of the evil act lives on in relentless fury. The spirit-or dybbuk of this tale, is angry. Is it ever! And with reason. Redemption must be earned. It cannot be simply bestowed without resolution. Only then can there be a measure of peace, once justice has been achieved. For Toby O'Dare, who has spent ten years of his life as a relentless killing machine (see "Angel Time," the first book in the series), it is encumbant upon him to travel back into time on these redemptive missions to make right injustices of the past. There are many unknowns for him in his present and future. As a former hired assassin he could be arrested at any moment. Or he could himself be the victim of another assassin. Until his earthly fate is determined he will be sent on missions to undo and rectify evil acts perpetrated by man in the past. At first he might seem an odd choice for these missions, but who better? Who is more in need of redemption himself than someone like O'Dare? What killer of the past can fool Toby, he who has killed so many in the past? Personally, the most affecting parts of the book for me are the early chapters , passages that deal with the reunion of Toby with his old girlfriend, Liona, and the ten year old son, little Toby, that he had heretofore been unaware of. So much deep emotion is expressed in these moving pages with inner dialogue, with looks, with a select few eloquent words. The first time I read "Of Love and Evil" it occurred to me that Toby O'Dare is a dead man returning to life. For ten years, following personal tragedy and a decade as a ruthless hit man he has been dead emotionally and spiritually. He has been totally cut off from any personal life, from family and love. In this "Songs of the Seraphim" series, he is slowly coming to life again. His soul is being reborn and he is having to learn how to live and love again in an often cruel and difficult world. These early chapters with Liona and little Toby and the promise of love could easily have been developed into a fine, full novel all on their own by a less ambitious writer. That Anne Rice is able to present Toby's tale of personal redemption in the larger context of history is an amazing feat and the work of a brilliant writer at the peak of her powers.

"OF LOVE AND EVIL"--A MYSTERY OF FAITH, BELIEFS,AND TRUTH!ANNE RICE TURNS 69 TODAY (OCTOBER 4, 2010) AND HAS WRITTEN 30 NOVELS DURING HERILLUSTRIOUS CAREER BEGINNING WITH "INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE" IN 1976, USINGPSEUDONYMS ANNE RAMPLING AND A. N. ROQUELAURE IN FIVE OF HER NOVELS AND NOWCOMPLETING ''OF LOVE AND EVIL'' (AS NOVELS IN HER SONGS OF THE SERAPHMSERIES)WHICH WILL BE RELEASED ON NOVEMBER 30, 2010.NO WHERE ELSE HAS SHE BEEN AS CONCISE IN HER WRITING STYLE THAN PERHAPS IN HERNOVELS ''PANDORA" AND "VITTORIO THE VAMPIRE". ''OF LOVE AND EVIL" REMINDED ME OFHER QUESTIONS POSED IN ''MEMNOCH THE DEVIL".AT THE END OF ''ANGEL TIME" TOBY O'DARE IS TOLD BY ANGEL MALCHIAH THAT HE HAS ASON BACK IN NEW ORLEANS. ''OF LOVE AND EVIL'' PICKS UP WITH TOBY MEETING HIS SONTOBY AND HIS EX-GIRLFRIEND, LIONA.ALL SEEMS CIVIL BUT TOBY IS UNAWARE OF HOW LIONA WILL ACCEPT AND FORGIVE HIM FORHIS ABANDONMENT TEN YEARS AGO.TOBY SETS LIONA AND TOBY UP WITH FUNDS THAT WILL TAKE CARE OF THEM THE REST OFTHEIR LIVES AND WILL ENABLE TOBY JR. TO GO TO THE BEST SCHOOLS.THE PLOT MOVES QUICKLY AND TOBY IS TRANSPORTED BACK TO 15TH CENTURY ITALY TOCOME TO THE AID OF MASTER ANTONIO AND HIS SONS, NICCOLO AND LODOVICO. ONE OFTHEM IS BEING POISIONED AND THE OTHER IN GRIEF COMMITS SUICIDE. BUT THEIRITALIAN PHYSICIAN VITALE (WHO IS JEWISH) IS BEING ACCUSED OF HARBORING AN EVILSPIRIT, A DYBBUK IN HIS HOUSE.TOBY SOON FIGURES OUT WHO IS POISIONING WHOM AND WHY.BUT THE NEXT LEVEL OF THE BOOK TESTS TOBY'S ACUMEN BY PRESENTING A VERY HUMANLIKE DEVIL BY THE NAME OF ANKANOC. ANKANOC WILL ALMOST CONVINCINGLY UPROOT THEBELIEF SYSTEM OF TOBY AND WHAT IS EVIL AND WHAT IS LOVE. THESE QUESTIONS ANDARGUMENTS ARE QUITE CONVINCING EVEN TO TOBY WHO AFTER ASKING GOD FOR HELP ANDHIS GUARDIAN ANGEL, SHMARYA, AND MALCHIAH TO RESCUE HIM FROM HIS TURMOIL.THAT SPELL IS BROKEN AND FINALLY UNDERSTOOD, THEN, TOBY REALIZES WHAT HE MUSTDO TO HELP RELEASE THE GHOST IN VITALE'S HOUSE AND THE REMAINDER OF THE STORYTELLS US A STORY WITHIN A STORY OF HOW THAT GHOST GIOVANNI HAS COME TO BE...I FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT ANNE'S WRITING STYLE HAS A PRECISE WAY OF EMOTING FEAR ANDTHE STRUGGLE OF LOVING ANOTHER IN HER CHARACTERS. SHE MUST BE PRECISE SO THATTHE READER COMES TO UNDERSTAND THOSE CHARACTERS EMPHATICALLY SINCE WE ALL HAVEFELT THE PASSIONS OF FEAR, AND HATRED, AND VENGEANCE AND EVENTUALLY COME TO THEUNDERSTANDING OF HEALING AND LOVING THOSE NEGATIVE THOUGHTS AND EMOTIONS, ANDSOMETIMES PAST ACTIONS.THE FACT THAT ANNE PRESENTS JEWISH MEN AND WOMEN INTERACTING WITH GENTILES ARETRUE. ALSO, THE BELIEF SYSTEM THAT THESE PEOPLE THOUGHT YOU COULD INVOKE EVIL INYOUR HOUSE TO DESTROY AND DESTRUCT THOSE WHO ENTERED ALSO WAS TRUE. DEATH WAS ACONSEQUENCE IF FOUND (FALSELY) GUILTY. I SUPPOSE NOT MUCH HAS CHANGED SINCE THE15TH CENTURY SINCE SO MANY RELIGIONS STILL CONDEMN OTHERS WHO DO NOT ACCEPT ORBELIEVE THEIR BELIEF SYSTEMS AND THEN THERE ARE THE ARGUMENTS OF DEMONICPOSSESION (WHEN IT IS SIMPLE A CASE OF MENTAL ILLNESS.) FEAR STILL RAMPAGES INTHIS DAY AND AGE. ANNE SUCCEEDS AT WRITING THE ANTITHESIS OF EVIL: ABSOLUTELOVE.TOBY STRUGGLES WITH HIS CONSCIENCE IN HIS PAST LIFE AS KILLER/HIT-MAN ANDATTEMPTS TO ATONE HIS SINS BY CONFESSION AND SERVING GOD IN THE BEST WAYPOSSIBLE AS A LOVING MAN TO LIONA AND TOBY JR. TOBY ALSO DOES NOT WANT HIS PASTTO MEET UP WITH HIS PRESENT WHICH COULD AFFECT HIS LIFE WITH LIONA AND TOBY JR.BUT AT THE VERY END TOBY MEETS UP WITH A NEW CHARACTER (IN NEW YORK CITY) WHOWANTS TO KNOW WHY LUCKY THE FOX (TOBY'S ALIAS) KILLED HIS FATHER AND WHO HIREDHIM.....I WAS TOTALLY CAUGHT UP IN THE PLOT AND FAST PACED NOVEL, BUT I ALSO UNDERSTOODANNE'S REASONS FOR NOT OVER DOING HER LUSH DESCRIPTIONS OF THE ENVIRONMENT. SHEKEPT THESE WORDS AT A MINIMUM IN ORDER NOT TO DISTRACT FROM THE PLOT AND ESSENCEOF THE NOVEL.I BELIEVE THAT ANNE HAS WRITTEN HER BEST NOVEL (WITH THE EXCEPTION OF ''MEMNOCH"THE DEVIL'' AND HER 'CHRIST THE LORD' SERIES.)NOW THAT ANNE HAS RENOUNCED CHRISTIANITY (BUT NOT CHRIST) WILL SHE LOSE THOSESTRONG OVERTONES IN HER NEXT BOOKS ON TOBY? I DOUBT IT SINCE I KNOW THAT EVENTHOUGH THE CATHOLIC CHURCH PLAYS AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN THESE NOVELS, ANNE'SSTANCE ON LOVE AND FORGIVENESS AND ACCEPTANCE OF THOSE OUTSIDE FORCES WE CANNOTCONTROL WILL REMIND US THAT GOD IS REALLY INVESTED BY HIS NEVER CHANGINGPRESENCE SURROUNDING OUR LIVES.KUDOS AND COMPLIMENTS FOR A JOB WELL DONE TO ANNE'S INGENIOUS IMAGINATION ANDGENUINE LOVE OF HUMANS!

Anne Rice gently moves the reader from her usually supernatural prose into the domain of Questions about Life. She does this in the most fascinating and enthralling way. It keeps you hooked until the very end, while at the same time, should the reader make that choice shows you that there is a second chance for all of us out there. Excellent blend of fascinating fiction with a message.

Having read Angel Time and enjoyed it, purchasing Of Love and Evil was the obvious next step. Another short and sweet chapter in Toby's life, we see his relationship with his ex rekindle and that with his son begin to bloom. His second mission is as short and simple as the first but never-the-less a good read. I would say that again this is Anne Rice simmered down a bit but still very enjoyable,

Ok book

.. of Anne and her beautifully written tales of the mysterios and other-worldly realmsI liked cause i like her writing in genereal, although not as good as the Vamoire Chronicles, a good read anyhow .)

Another master piece from Ann Rice, is ther no end to her talent. a must read if you love this Auther, you can never get enough of her.