I have had this book on my to-be-reviewed shelf for a very long time. Sometimes a few things fall through the cracks when I’m not constantly reminded and this was one of them. I have decided to clean up my Netgalley queue before this year ends and this was the oldest. It’s been waiting for a read since 2017. Yikes, I really am the worst. 😳

Since there are already several in-depth reviews I'll keep it short. I enjoyed the first ¼ of this book very much. It had an engaging heroine who moves into a creepy estate filled with unfriendly servants in order to type up the memoirs of a nefarious, now deceased, tomb raider. I was completely on board for this story of an unlikely sleuth figuring things out and snooping in her free time. Honestly, I was envious of that gig. She had all of her meals brought to her, typed up some juicy tidbits all day, and snooped all night! Sign me up for that. Anyhow, the more she learned about Dr. Quintillus (a foolish and arrogant tomb raider), the more involved she became. She seemed capable and smart and though fearful of the sounds in the walls and other events, she faced down things as they happened. Eventually though she calls in an old friend/colleague. An older gentleman who shows up and basically takes over the investigation and that turn of events made me a little sad, I cannot lie. I would’ve preferred it if he were delegated to helpful assistant status but alas it was not meant to be. Then at perhaps the 70% mark or so the book switches POV jumping forward in time and introducing a new character and that threw me a little bit. The final act brings everything back together with a decent ending but it all felt a little too rushed at points for my liking.

The writing has a quiet, lovely old-timey feel to it and though I didn’t love some of the turns the story took, I did enjoy reading it. It’s the perfect book to curl up with on a cold night next to a few candles or a fireplace (if you’re lucky enough to have one) or a cooperative beast and I think many readers will enjoy the story especially if you’re interested in ancient Gods and curses.

This was my first novel from Catherine Cavendish and I’m kicking myself for not checking out her work earlier. Cavendish offers up an atmospheric gothic horror tale that effortlessly blends together history and the supernatural to create an unsettling horror story that will appeal to almost any horror fan. While leaning a bit more toward quiet horror territory, there are plenty of hair-raising scenes draw from the steadily growing dread Cavendish creates over the course of Wrath of the Ancients. I’m definitely a fan and can’t wait to dive into some of her other works. This one is listed as Nemesis of the Gods #1, so I’m hoping there is more to come from this line even if they are only loosely connected.

DESTINY IN DEATH

It's 1908 and Dr. Emeryk Quintillus excavates Cleopatra's burial chamber. He takes the sacred relics from the unearthed tomb. Madness ensues. He ends up killing his entire excavation team. He bolts from the site, barely escaping the quake that consumes the chamber.

In 1913, Adeline Ogilvy takes a job transcribing the late Dr. Emeryk's memoirs at his mansion. The journal entries shed light on the madman who thought he could reincarnate Cleopatra. Something followed Dr. Emeryk Quintillus home from Egypt. Strange things start happening in the mansion.

Catherine Cavendish delivers the disquiet and dread–two things I love! The characters are interesting, and I found myself needing to know more about Adeline. I like how the author went through the years with the different homeowners. Some parts could've been longer, though. I love history and Catherine Cavendish did her research. The history is believable, which greatly enhances the story for me. The story unfolds smoothly. The dialogue is good. There is enough mystery to keep anyone reading. Catherine Cavendish packs more into 176 pages than most authors do in 400 pages. The eerie ending will creep up on you. I'm looking forward to the next installment in the series. The cover is cool, too!

Highly Recommend!

5/5 stars! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

There were different sections of the book spanning different eras of time, but it moved rapidly and really sucked me into it. A lot of usual horror tropes are at work here, from the creepy areas of a house that no one wants to enter, the paintings that seem too lifelike, and missing persons over decades. The overall story is fascinating, and the creepy elements were fun to watch play out. The villain is truly horrible and creepy, with no redeeming qualities at all.

What a great read! Of course I had to read this book during the day because I’d have been a paranoid mess if I had read it at night. The heightened suspense and fear factor had me flying through this book. I would find myself muttering to the character Adeline: “don’t go down there”, “don’t open that door”, “don’t trust that person”, and does she listen? No. Characters in horrors are not the brightest. But that is what makes a horror a horror. There would be no plotline if she just up and ran the moment something out of the ordinary happened...as I would.
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Characters:
Adeline Ogilvy – Adeline takes a job in Vienna, Germany hoping for a fresh start. She is to transcribe the memoirs of the late Dr Quintillus whilst living in his home. When she unlocks a small hidden door in the corner of his library, she unknowingly unlocks the Doctor’s evil secrets, setting her on a path she can’t run from. Paintings, hieroglyphics, ancient God’s and a long dead ruler – somehow Adeline is connected to all this.
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Dr Emeryk Quintillus – The alleged late Doctor who was entirely obsessed with Cleopatra. As I presumed before I started, he unleashed an evil upon himself and his home.
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Jakob Mayer – A Professor in Egyptology and a father figure to Adeline. He helps Adeline unravel the horrors living within the late Dr Quintillus’ mansion.
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Adeline was a fierce, relatable and fun heroine. When she found her backbone and fought back against the evil I was so proud!
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"In Adeline’s ear, a woman’s voice she had heard before whispered in its unintelligible language. Anger once again drowned her fear and poured out of her. “Speak in a language I understand or shut up!”'

Every character in the story had an important role. They weren’t introduced if they weren’t necessary; from the butler to the maid and cook. You don’t live in a haunted house without being suspicious.
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Plot:
Another book told in third person and from the point of view from whoever was the main character in that time period. This book is told in four parts (including the prologue): 1908 with Dr Quintillus, 1913 with Adeline, 1923 with Wilhelm and Irina von Durnstein and 1964 with Markus von Durnstein. Majority of the story is set in 1913 with Adeline but I absolutely loved how this story was set over the years. Like I mentioned before all these character were important to the story and it all came back to poor Adeline. A story that transcended time founded on a thirst for vengeance and revenge. Each character a victim to an ancient war. I won’t give anything else away but this book I definitely worth the read.
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Last Note:
Horror is defined as a painful and intense feeling of fear, dread or dismay. Horror fiction would be literature that evokes these emotions in the reader. Horror can deal with the mundane or the supernatural, with the fantastic or the normal. Its only requirement is to evoke an emotional reaction that includes some aspect of fear (Horror Writers Association, 2009).
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Cavendish definitely produced a fantastic horror book! It most certainly evoked feelings of fear and dread within me but also included a fair bit of humour. As someone who doesn’t deal to well with the horror genre, I appreciated the small bit of humour as it lightened the mood. This book is one that I won’t be forgetting because it was so well told that I felt as if I were inside the book experiencing everything as well. I could easily visualise everything…and that both made the read terrifying and thrilling but most importantly real.

I remember the March 1977 cover of National Geographic, the one with King Tut’s golden sarcophagus. That is where my fascination with the ancient world began: Howard Carter, the cures of the pharaohs. These are the things that can captivate a young person’s mind.

As soon as I read the synopsis of Catherine Cavendish’s Wrath of the Ancients, I knew I had to read this book. An early 20th century archaeologist/tomb raider and the curse that follows him. This is a story that would bring me back to my youth.

Cavendish did a fantastic job in creating her villain. A remorseless, evil character without any regard for the consequences of his actions. She was equally as meticulous in the creation of her protagonist. Adeline is a character of her time, forced out of the traditional role by her circumstances. Cavendish created an instant connection to Adeline by weaving an intricate web around her.

The story flowed unexpectedly. I’ve read several books recently where the author bounces back and forth between time periods. I was expecting the same; Cavendish mixed it up by going in a straight timeline, which worked perfectly for this story. She kept me engaged the whole way through.

It was fun to see an author go back to Egypt for their monster. In a world of zombies, vampires and prehistoric sea creatures, Wrath of the Ancients is a breath of fresh air. My only complaint, I wanted more; if you can really call that a complaint.

*4 Stars

🌟🌟🌟 STARS.
This is my first Book By Catherine Cavendish and I found it to be suitably chilling with an almost gothic feel to it, overall I found this an enjoyable pleasant experience.
"Wrath of the Ancients" tells the story of archaeologist Dr Emeryk Quintillus and his quest and
obsession to resurrect his beloved Queen Cleopatra through any means necessary.
Doing this sets in motion an ancient curse that will have repercussions echoing down through the century.
So this is where our Adeline Ogilvy, a young widow, comes onto the playing field.
Miss Ogilvy comes across as a very sensible, pragmatic, and I would say not easily spooked young woman. I found her to be a very likeable character.
So Adeline is employed under false pretences to journey to Vienna to transcribe the late Dr Quintillus's memoirs. Supposedly being a direct descendant of Cleopatra herself she is needed to complete Dr Quintillus ritual. To be the vessel he needs to restore his beloved Queen.
What follows is a truly frightening and menacing experience for Adeline and all who attempt to aide her in her battle with this old ancient evil.
Now, this is the part of the story I loved and despite initially thinking I was going to struggle with the writing style I soon got into my stride, riveted with not only this eerie Egyptian horror tale but also so immersed in 1913 Vienna.
I especially loved the little snapshots of historical figures intercepted throughout, this was a very nice touch indeed.
Now if I was Rating on this part of the story alone, I would give this a four star all the way.
I couldn't put "Wrath Of The Ancients" down, so needed to know what was coming next.
My main issue was that despite the excellent woven tale I encountered in Part one of this book, Part two itself fell a trifle flat for me.
It seemed rather rushed, as well as short and didn't really flow that well, just my opinion.
In fact, I would go as far as to say, I found it an actual chore.
Surprisingly, I took longer to get through this short part two than its predecessor and it pulled for me, what was a so promising book down slightly.
Thankfully Part three made me smile again especially getting to connect with an Adeline who is now in her Eighty's.
I loved hearing her casual everyday observations of the differences in life she now experiences.
It was So removed from her life in 1918 showcasing the progression of time and its effects.
So It's now 1964 and Markus Von Durnstein resides in that dreaded house, he writes needing Adaline's help, so she agrees to travel to Vienna to assist, though nothing on earth will persuade her to reside in that evil house,(Don't bloody blame her) it's a hotel all though way for Adeline.
The two team up to try and defeat the darkness encroaching, this time hopefully for good.
So I'm gonna break this down as this is a hard one to fairly judge.
Part one - So good, definite four stars.
Part Two - Seemed rushed and too short, two stars at the most.
part three - back on form again, back up to a three.
There is also a very brief afterword which I will get to that in a minute.
so I've decided to meet in the middle and give this three stars.
I also wasn't quite onboard with the style of narrative, as besides the prologue, we spent so much time in Adeline's head, it was a major shock to suddenly find myself in another.
Maybe if an extra point of view had been thrown into part one, I wouldn't have felt as adrift later on, but that's just a personal opinion.
Now for the afterword, I will be short and sweet here.
I didn't like it, thought it was completly unnecessary and it left me with a very bad taste in my mouth indeed.
So there we have it a good solid read, which I experienced a few minor issues with.
Still very much worth giving a go.
So if you like spooky gothic ghost stories with a smidge of horror and if like me you like anything to do with Egyptology give this a go.
Thank you to NetGalley the publisher and the author for providing a free arc of "Wrath Of The Ancients" By Catherine Cavendish, this is my own personal unbiased opinion.

There are some books you read you just know would translate well onto the silver screen, and this is one such book! Oh my, if you’re looking for a great horror book to read, look no further! Wrath of the Ancients has all the ingredients for a spooky tale.

Miss Adeline Ogilvy is a young woman making her way in the world. She recently lost her husband to an unfortunate accident, leaving her to fend for herself in the cruel, cruel world. Part of her plan to make a better life for herself was to seek a job that can help make ends meet. She agrees to take a typing assignment through an employment agency. She’s been hired to type up the manuscript of the world-renowned archeologist Dr. Emeryk Quintillus. Dr. Quintillus was a huge risk taker seeking the remains of his beloved Cleopatra.

While in Egypt, not only does Dr. Quintillus come across Cleopatra’s resting place, but he discovers something even greater than the Queen herself. He finds a priceless relic that will ensure his destiny for many years to come. But, finding such a rare treasure comes with a price and it’s a price Dr. Quintillus was willing to take. He ends up murdering the entire crew so he can, not only steal the relic but steal all the glory of taking credit for having found Cleopatra in the first place.

Fast forward to Vienna where we find Miss Ogilvy living in Dr. Quintillus’s mansion and beginning work on his manuscript. As she’s adjusting and typing his story, no matter how bewildered she became from reading his words, there were other strange things happening around her. The mansion held lots of mystery, and that one thing was the eerie scratching noises she heard coming from the other side of her bedroom wall. Hmmm?
What could those sound mean? A mansion of that size had to have mice and/or rats running about, and perhaps that would explain what Miss Ogilvy heard? Right? Hmm, Miss Ogivily being an inquisitive type of person decided on her days off, she’d explore the mansion’s library and catch up on her reading. And wouldn’t you know it, not only did she discover books, but a door leading to a secret room. If the strange noises weren’t enough, Miss Ogilvy had to find out where this secret room led to. Upon venturing down the dark basement, to her surprise and horror, she met her employer Dr. Quintillus. The only problem with that was, Dr. Quintillus is dead. Was she hallucinating? Was she going insane? She’s living in Dr. Quintillus’s mansion typing vigorously to get his manuscript finished, and sitting before her was the infamous Dr. Quintillus. And that, readers, is where all the sparks begin to fly.

This was a magnificent horror story! It has all the elements you look for in a suspenseful story. Dr. Quintillus’s mansion, along with the weird staff he employed, to things going bump-in-the-night, and sinister laughing and images appearing and then disappearing were enough to make the hair on your neck stand at attention. Trust me, every noise I heard in my home, while reading, made me look twice to make sure there wasn’t anything there. Talk about a story making you jumpy. This was it. I’ve read Cavendish’s work before, and as always, she never lets the reader down. She executes the plot well, with characters that are interesting to read and keeps the reader turning the pages until you just can’t get enough. I truly enjoyed every part of this story.
Mello & June give Wrath of the Ancients five ghostly nods. What an exhilarating experience to travel along with Miss Ogilvy as she tries to come to terms with the reality that her dead employer has created. This story scared the hell out of me! Oh yes, my senses became very heightened while reading. Wrath of the Ancients goes on sale Tuesday, October 24, 2017. If you’re looking for books to read for your Spooktacular October reads, you’ve got to add this book to your eReaders. Warning, you might want to read this in the daytime, but for you who like to dare yourselves, go ahead and read at night! (Ha Ha!) Until next time, Intellectual Minds, keep on reading!

My third encounter with the dark imagination of Catherine Cavendish in as many years, Wrath of the Ancients is a book that (rather fittingly) has the feel of a much older story. Like the darkest stories of Poe, Stevenson, and Doyle, it is a slow-burning tale of claustrophobia, madness, secrets, and myths. It may feel oddly structured to some readers, especially with the way it so abruptly departs from Adeline's story to explore other owners of the house, but it all pays off in the end.

This is a story that starts deep in a lost Egyptian tomb, and ends deep within a secret Victorian basement. It is a story of death, obsession, and occult powers . . . a story where nothing is to be trusted, not even your senses. Although slow-burning, it does have its share of scares, with some great scenes of supernatural horror that grab you by the throat and overwhelm you with the putrescence of death.

Where the story kicked into high gear for me was in the second half, when Adeline confides in someone outside the house and they embark upon an enthusiastic purging of the basement and its haunted horrors. There is so much action and drama in that arc, so much advancement of the overall mysteries, that you appreciate the lull that follows as a chance to catch your breath.

If there is one downside to the novel, it's that it relies a little too heavily on coincidences. The fact that Adeline is such a perfect candidate to see Dr. Emeryk Quintillus' final wishes carried out is an excusable one, but there were a few later on (particularly one involving a train) that stretched the old willing suspension of disbelief to a near-breaking point. Really, though, that is a small quibble in an otherwise highly entertaining work of period horror.

If you have yet to read Catherine Cavendish, then Wrath of the Ancients is a perfect place to start.

I absolutely loved this novel! Horrible & beautiful at the same time! Definitely a must-read!

I've always been an enthusiastic fan of anything having to do with Ancient Egypt, so of course I clicked the "read request" link the nanosecond I saw it listed. This is "Ancient Egypt Lite", but I still enjoyed the scene and artifact descriptions; it's by no means a great literary achievement, but still it IS a fun and interesting read. Recommended if you love Egyptology like I do!

Adeline Ogilvy, a young widow from Wimbledon, has accepted a job in Vienna. Her assignment is to employ her skills as a typist and transcribe the memoirs of the late Dr. Emeryk Quintillus, an archeologist with a most peculiar hidden history. When she begins her recording the doctor's notes, she learns that, five years earlier, he claims to discover the tomb of Cleopatra. Even more astonishing, it seems that he has brought more than secrets back from Egypt. Strange occurrences begin to happen at the mansion. Is what Adeline seeing before her eyes real or a hallucination?

This is my first read of Cavendish and I love the slow burn in this Gothic chiller. I also like how blends an archelogical curiosity and characters with her own original take on what happened all those thousands of years ago. As the story unfurls, I can't help be reminded of the quiet horror writing style of Charles L. Grant. The characters are interesting and I'm drawn to keep turning the pages to see where they go in the story. If I have any criticism it's that there are parts where the pacing seems off. In one instance, things are doing a nice slow burn and then it closes in way too much of a flurry. But, it's a small blemish in an overall fun story. If you haven't had the pleasure to stumble upon Cavendish, Wrath of the Ancients is a great one to introduce yourself.

4 1/2 Green Glowing Apparations out of 5


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