The Last Rising of Lazarus

Lazarus is cursed; he was once the leader of the Inquisition and had witches burned, tortured, and staked. The last witch he tormented, named Serena, laid a black malediction upon his soul - one of childlessness, never sleeping, and a host of other punishments. Before her death, Serena also enslaved his protege Darien. Lazarus’ body crawls from the grave every hundred years for a period of three days. The witch’s spell can only be broken by a woman who is “pure of heart, pure of soul, pure of mind”. Where does one find a woman like that in this day and age?

Uptight and studious Professor Anastasia Grant, called Ana, finds herself in Paris and in Hell - not the real one, but a Goth bar with hellishly named drinks - where everyone is getting down and dirty, dancing the night away. She’s here to meet her friend Serena, but it looks like she’s gone off with a hunk of beefcake for some private dirty dancing. Ana then meets a mystery man of her own, and the plot thickens. But the clock is ticking, and three days is not much time to win her over...

In a brilliant twisting plot, ages-old enemies are brought together and must battle it out for the fate of their souls. The Last Rising of Lazarus is expertly crafted and structured, with the war between good and evil being a central theme. Chevon Gael displays complete mastery here, both of character development and of historical accuracy. The Last Rising of Lazarus is a gripping and endearing read, and I enjoyed it immensely!

Reviewed by: Michelle