England, 1766: Gabriel, a charismatic but struggling musician, seeks to further his career in the theatre. He travels to Bristol in pursuit of his big break, where he becomes spellbound by the mysterious slave girl, Rose. But Gabrielâs hedonistic lifestyle leads to an addiction to laudanum, and ends in a violent death that changes everything.
Meanwhile, scientist Melchior Croll continues his grim investigation of immortality. When he captures Gabriel, Croll discovers the key to eternal life itself. As Gabriel fights for his life in a lunatic asylum, he knows Rose is his only hope of escape. Unfortunately, a secret order of dark magicians gives her problems of her own.
As the true nature of Crollâs experiments on the insane becomes clear, Gabriel discovers his troubles have only just begun.
Book II of The Cornishe Chronicles picks up on the thrilling adventures of Joseph Cornishe and his son Cyrus, introduced in Above the Circle of the Moon.
England, 1766: Gabriel, a charismatic but struggling musician, seeks to further his career in the theatre. He travels to Bristol in pursuit of his big break, where he becomes spellbound by the mysterious slave girl, Rose. But Gabrielâs hedonistic lifestyle leads to an addiction to laudanum, and ends in a violent death that changes everything.
Meanwhile, scientist Melchior Croll continues his grim investigation of immortality. When he captures Gabriel, Croll discovers the key to eternal life itself. As Gabriel fights for his life in a lunatic asylum, he knows Rose is his only hope of escape. Unfortunately, a secret order of dark magicians gives her problems of her own.
As the true nature of Crollâs experiments on the insane becomes clear, Gabriel discovers his troubles have only just begun.
Book II of The Cornishe Chronicles picks up on the thrilling adventures of Joseph Cornishe and his son Cyrus, introduced in Above the Circle of the Moon.
Sunday 25th May 1766, Bristol, England
Rose stood in the centre of the wood and looked around. She liked the coolness here, the quiet. The temperature in her homeland of Jamaica never dropped this low, yet she found it oddly comforting. At twenty years old, she hadnât set foot outside her native country until a month before, when sheâd landed in Bristol in the captivity of Captain Maddern. He and his master, the scientist Melchior Croll, had tried to take advantage of her. But sheâd put paid to that. With the help of the beasts.
She was considering the difference in the woodland scents when a movement in the bushes startled her. It could have been a badger or fox. But no, it seemed much heavier than that. As far as she knew, there were no predators in England. Apart from the ones who had come over with her from Savanna la Mar.
There it was again, louder this time. A heavier tread, and a panting sound. She turned to see a ragged-looking man staring at her. He looked alarmed at first, probably because of her deep mahogany complexion. In this darkness, with nothing but the full moon to see by, she imagined her eyes and teeth were all that were visible. But then his gaze relaxed, as he recognised she was a young woman of slight build.
âWell, well,â said the vagrant. âWhatâs this, then?â
Rose remained silent. She betrayed no fear and this seemed to irritate the vagrant.
âEscaped slave, is it?â
She stared at him.
âMaybe you donât speak English.â
âWhy wouldnât I speak English?â
The vagrant looked surprised. âSo you do talk. And what brings you here, my darling?â
âThat is not your business.â
âCome on now, lovely, there must be a reason youâre out here in the middle of nowhere. You must be on the run, am I right?â
âBetter you know nothing about me,â Rose replied, her face belying her exasperation.
âWell, let me see,â said the vagrant. âThereâs no one else around. No one to hear us. So what gives you the confidence to ask me to leave you alone? A young lady like you ought to be afraid when someone approaches her in the dark. Are you a simpleton? Or a whore?â
Rose took a deep breath. It would not do to get angry. It was important for her not to draw attention to her presence here. âIf you want to live, leave now.â
The vagrant burst into laughter. âWhat, are you going to kill me? A little girl like you? I think youâve pushed this far enough, my dear. No, youâre going to do exactly as I say. And then youâll beg for more.â
He took a step towards her and started pulling at his filthy breeches.
Rose raised her hands. âOne more step and you will be sorry.â She said this with such force that the vagrant paused.
âHave you got a weapon?â
âYou might call it that.â
âWell, so do I,â he said, pulling a small knife from his pocket and swishing it in the air before him. âLetâs see yours, then.â
Rose smiled and let out a long, low whistle.
âOh, I see. Others around here, are there? Well, they wonât find you, however much you call out.â
He reached forward to grab her wrist but was momentarily arrested by the sound of heavy feet. Thunderous. Fast. And headed straight for him.
Rose watched his face as Leoncico the Spanish hunting dog burst through the thicket from behind her and positioned himself between Rose and her attacker, snarling.
âSteady boy, steady,â said the vagrant.
Leoncico bared his teeth and began to bark.
âCall him off. I donât mind killing your dog.â
âToo late,â said Rose. âYou know too much now. You cannot leave these woods.â
The vagrant frowned but was only just processing the news when he became aware of another being behind him. His face betrayed his fear, perhaps some instinctive reaction to the presence of a predator. But he couldnât square that with Roseâs utter lack of concern for her own safety. He turned round slowly and came face to face with a monster.
More than seven feet tall, its face a mask of fury and hunger, the monster rose up on its two hind legs.
âCyrus,â said Rose, âmeet this eveningâs meal.â
âWhat devilry is this?â said the vagrant.
It was his last utterance.
Parts twisted Frankenstein, victorian gothic, and mystery novel, Beneath the Silent Moon explores paranormal lore under a new guise.Â
Cyrus is a complex character with a vast array of interests and an intellect that does not overshadow his youthfulness. His further adventures see him learning new tricks and wiles in England. With his father, and the bewitching slave girl Rose, his life becomes further mixed in the dark underbelly of the supernatural. Gabriel, an indulgent musician, enters the fray with a secret our villain, Melchior Croll, is desperate to get his hands on.Â
It is tantamount to read the first book in the series to understand the balance Rose and Cyrus hold over the narrative and comprehend their histories. T.M. Tucker's writing is intelligent and quick. He spends time with the character's inner thoughts and shies away from too much description of the surroundings. At points, this is smart, and yet given the settings, it would have done well to enrich the readers' palate.Â
While familiar werewolf lore makes up Cyrus and his father's overall story, it is interestingly reimagined under the guise of the setting, 17th century England, and the character, Cyrus, a bastard son of a plantation owner and a slave. So often, gothic novels are white-centric. Tucker circumvents that by placing power and narrative in a mixed-race lead. He also includes a strong female role in Rose, who has talents in African witchcraft.Â
Beneath the Silent Moon falls under the gaslight genre but explores so much more with race equality and gender equality without shoving it down the reader's throat. Tucker explores it more as a historical reality versus a commentary, which allows the reader to become one with the characters and lose themselves to the story.Â
T.M Tucker's Cornishe Chronicles series is a paranormal treat with vibrant settings and fulfilled characters.Â