I received this novel from NetGalley as an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
This weekend, I made my way home to spend time with my family. I haven’t had the chance to go back and visit since the start of my Masters, so I thought this would be as good a time as any! Since I was taking a bus all the way back home, what better chance to curl up with a new book and enjoy a story? I decided to read this one, as it has been long overdue… so here is my review:
When a nun commits suicide in fronts of thousands of people in Spain, it shocks the world. And the most shocked person is Siobhan Russo, who recognizes the nun as her mother, who disappeared from her life 6 years ago. After receiving a cryptic message, Siobhan travels to the isolated convent where her mother had lived, in search of answers. This is where she discovers her mother’s final confession, a book that details a heinous betrayal… and a pact with the Devil that involved Siobhan’s soul. As Siobhan reads about her mother’s past, she learns that hidden within the pages of the confession is a segment of The Devil’s Prayer, an ancient text that has the power to unleash apocalyptic horrors. And now, her mother’s enemies know Siobhan is in possession of it. Will Siobhan be able to escape from those who want the Prayer? Can she stop the world from approaching its own end?
I really really wanted to like this novel. It had everything that I loved: history, and religion, and secret organizations, and the Devil. This novel had so much promise, and could really have gone to great heights. However, it fell flat on its face for me. The story was disjointed and lacked maturity in its prose and organization. There were times when I felt as if the author had no idea how women talked and behaved because of the scripted and cheesy dialogue and actions. The plot seemed to skip around, with interesting things being thrown in at random with no clear connections. My favorite part of the story was the interesting facts on the Nag Hammadi codices. Overall, this novel just fell short of my expectations. It lacked character development, and stronger connections in the plot. Unless this novel gets a reworking, I would most likely give this novel a pass.
Happy reading ~
