28. The River of Souls
by Robert McCammon
About the Book:
"The year is 1703. The place: the Carolina settlement of Charles Town. Matthew Corbett, professional “problem solver,” has accepted a lucrative, if unusual, commission: escorting a beautiful woman to a fancy dress ball.
What should be a pleasant assignment takes a darker turn when Matthew becomes involved in a murder investigation. A sixteen-year-old girl has been stabbed to death on the grounds of a local plantation. The suspected killer is a slave who has escaped, with two family members, into the dubious protection of a nearby swamp. Troubled by certain discrepancies and determined to see some sort of justice done, Matthew joins the hunt for the runaway slaves. He embarks on a treacherous journey up the Solstice River, also known as the River of Souls. He discovers that something born of the swamp has joined the hunt… and is stalking the hunters with more than murder in mind.
What follows is a shattering ordeal encompassing snakes, alligators, exiled savages, mythical beasts, and ordinary human treachery. The journey up the River of Souls will test the limits of Matthew’s endurance, and lead him through a nightmarish passage to a confrontation with his past, and a moment that will alter his life forever."
My Thoughts:
First, about the book. My copy is a slipcased, signed, numbered edition. It is a gorgeous piece of artwork. The cover and pictures included in this edition are by Vincent Chong. If I was a writer, I would save enough money to get the right cover for my book, and Vincent Chong would be my go-to artist. He does brilliant work. Not only do we have this beautiful cover, but we have two glossy pieces of work inside along with pencil drawings throughout.
The end papers are detailed pieces too, not sure if that's Chong's work or not.
The smell when I opened the book was priceless. I can't remember a book that smelled so bookish in a long time. Ink and paper, a real throwback aroma I really haven't encountered in years. A book is all about the experience to me. Every single aspect of it. This satisfied all my senses. Okay, I didn't lick the book or anything, but I "ate it up" so to speak, reading it.
And now just a quick bit of back story about my journey into McCammon's writing. My book journal says I read Boy's Life in 1995. So many people were, if not singing its praises, at least humming them. All around me was this sound telling me to read this book, it was great! So, I read it and wasn't impressed at all. It was okay. The writing was good, but the story never hugged me in that special way. I can't tell you today what it's about. I guess there was a boy, and he had a life.
Having said that though, I never totally write off an author because I didn't click with a piece of work. I've said before, how we take in a story depends on so many personal things. A book doesn't live in its own vacuum, we bring something to a writer's story too, whether they like it or not. We bring our lives to the story, our experiences, our knowledge and every once in a while, our "me" intrudes on the "thems" there on the pages.
And while I didn't particularly dislike Boys Life, I didn't rush out to buy anything else of McCammon's. I received The River of Souls from Cemetery Dance and it's been sitting on my book shelf for a while now.
Sometimes in our lives, we read the right book at the right time. This is what happened here. I really loved this story. It's a historical fiction set in North Carolina in 1703 well before the American Revolution but the colonies are growing and thriving. As some of you know, I am a Daughter of the American Revolution through two Patriots. One from Virginia, the other is from North Carolina. McCammon had me hooked, right through that soft fleshy part of my cheek and I happily dangled there.
Well written, great story, good characters. And I knew there was a book previous to this one, and I got that hint there were things I should've known but didn't because I hadn't read the one that came before. But, that didn't take away from my enjoyment from this tale, it just made me want to get the previous book. And then lo and behold, I find out, there are many books in this series! This is very exciting!
Nice job by everyone involved in the production of The River of Souls. I will definitely be finding the rest of this series. I just wish I could add them to my library in the same format as this book. Gorgeous.
My only criticism and not even that, really. I just need some clarification. At the end of the main story? I think? we had an insert of a whole new group of people, only linked to our guy, Matthew Corbett, by a mention.
Is this the next book to be published? I think it was called The Scorpion's Eye (sorry, I don't have the book with me to verify that title chapter). Anyway, that threw me off a bit and I decided it was like a continuing series where you get a preview of next weeks' episode, is that right? And maybe this is a stylistic choice he has done throughout the series?
What had me confused by its presence was the fact it had a glossy piece of artwork included. Usually when getting an excerpt from a next installment, the publisher doesn't spend money showcasing it that way. They save that dosh on the new book.
by Robert McCammon
About the Book:
"The year is 1703. The place: the Carolina settlement of Charles Town. Matthew Corbett, professional “problem solver,” has accepted a lucrative, if unusual, commission: escorting a beautiful woman to a fancy dress ball.
What should be a pleasant assignment takes a darker turn when Matthew becomes involved in a murder investigation. A sixteen-year-old girl has been stabbed to death on the grounds of a local plantation. The suspected killer is a slave who has escaped, with two family members, into the dubious protection of a nearby swamp. Troubled by certain discrepancies and determined to see some sort of justice done, Matthew joins the hunt for the runaway slaves. He embarks on a treacherous journey up the Solstice River, also known as the River of Souls. He discovers that something born of the swamp has joined the hunt… and is stalking the hunters with more than murder in mind.
What follows is a shattering ordeal encompassing snakes, alligators, exiled savages, mythical beasts, and ordinary human treachery. The journey up the River of Souls will test the limits of Matthew’s endurance, and lead him through a nightmarish passage to a confrontation with his past, and a moment that will alter his life forever."
My Thoughts:
First, about the book. My copy is a slipcased, signed, numbered edition. It is a gorgeous piece of artwork. The cover and pictures included in this edition are by Vincent Chong. If I was a writer, I would save enough money to get the right cover for my book, and Vincent Chong would be my go-to artist. He does brilliant work. Not only do we have this beautiful cover, but we have two glossy pieces of work inside along with pencil drawings throughout.
The end papers are detailed pieces too, not sure if that's Chong's work or not.
The smell when I opened the book was priceless. I can't remember a book that smelled so bookish in a long time. Ink and paper, a real throwback aroma I really haven't encountered in years. A book is all about the experience to me. Every single aspect of it. This satisfied all my senses. Okay, I didn't lick the book or anything, but I "ate it up" so to speak, reading it.
And now just a quick bit of back story about my journey into McCammon's writing. My book journal says I read Boy's Life in 1995. So many people were, if not singing its praises, at least humming them. All around me was this sound telling me to read this book, it was great! So, I read it and wasn't impressed at all. It was okay. The writing was good, but the story never hugged me in that special way. I can't tell you today what it's about. I guess there was a boy, and he had a life.
Having said that though, I never totally write off an author because I didn't click with a piece of work. I've said before, how we take in a story depends on so many personal things. A book doesn't live in its own vacuum, we bring something to a writer's story too, whether they like it or not. We bring our lives to the story, our experiences, our knowledge and every once in a while, our "me" intrudes on the "thems" there on the pages.
And while I didn't particularly dislike Boys Life, I didn't rush out to buy anything else of McCammon's. I received The River of Souls from Cemetery Dance and it's been sitting on my book shelf for a while now.
Sometimes in our lives, we read the right book at the right time. This is what happened here. I really loved this story. It's a historical fiction set in North Carolina in 1703 well before the American Revolution but the colonies are growing and thriving. As some of you know, I am a Daughter of the American Revolution through two Patriots. One from Virginia, the other is from North Carolina. McCammon had me hooked, right through that soft fleshy part of my cheek and I happily dangled there.
Well written, great story, good characters. And I knew there was a book previous to this one, and I got that hint there were things I should've known but didn't because I hadn't read the one that came before. But, that didn't take away from my enjoyment from this tale, it just made me want to get the previous book. And then lo and behold, I find out, there are many books in this series! This is very exciting!
Nice job by everyone involved in the production of The River of Souls. I will definitely be finding the rest of this series. I just wish I could add them to my library in the same format as this book. Gorgeous.
My only criticism and not even that, really. I just need some clarification. At the end of the main story? I think? we had an insert of a whole new group of people, only linked to our guy, Matthew Corbett, by a mention.
Is this the next book to be published? I think it was called The Scorpion's Eye (sorry, I don't have the book with me to verify that title chapter). Anyway, that threw me off a bit and I decided it was like a continuing series where you get a preview of next weeks' episode, is that right? And maybe this is a stylistic choice he has done throughout the series?
What had me confused by its presence was the fact it had a glossy piece of artwork included. Usually when getting an excerpt from a next installment, the publisher doesn't spend money showcasing it that way. They save that dosh on the new book.
Last edited:
Just kidding! It's actually a collection of non-fiction that he's written over the years such as introductions to novels (not his own) and essays. I don't think you'll be grossed out at all. Sometimes Straub gets a little too cerebral for my taste and some of the sections were beyond what my little gray matter on top of my neck could handle.
I love your reviews, Deej!