This was a hard book to follow. I had a hard time getting into the story and characters. I think If the story took off quicker, it would have been better.

Having successfully established the reincarnation concept and haunted setting of Nemesis of the Gods with Wrath of the Ancients, Catherine Cavendish has free reign to up the ante in terms of gothic horror with Waking the Ancients, and she makes the most of it. As taut and atmospheric as the first book was, this second installment really gets under your skin and inside your head.

It's hard to be original with a haunted house story, even one involving reincarnation and possession, so execution is everything - and that's where Cavendish excels. She paints such a vivid picture that you can actually feel your heart racing . . . the chills of sweat upon your skin . . . and sourness in your stomach. The story of Paula Bancroft and her sister, being driven mad by the happenings in the estate of Dr. Quintillus, is one of the strongest pieces of horror I have read in quite some time.

Where the book fell a little bit short for me was with the historical element that dominates the second half of the book. As interesting as Lizzie's story is, Paula's story was so strong that shifting gears felt like an intrusion or a distraction. There were some interesting elements in there, additional pieces of Dr. Quintillus' story, but I found myself anxious to get back to the present. When we finally do - and I have to be careful here, lest I spoil anything - the reincarnation and possession that was so deftly teased in the first book finally comes to fruition.

Fortunately, Damned by the Ancients is only a finger-swipe away, so watch for my review of the trilogy's conclusion tomorrow!

What's a mummy got to do to get some eternal rest around here? When you're the obsession of one Dr. Quintillus, chances are you're going to keep getting dragged away from the netherworld. WAKING THE ANCIENTS is Catherine Cavendish's 2nd story in the Nemesis of the Gods series and we begin back in Quintillus's mansion in Vienna that has sat vacant ever since all the events of WRATH OF THE ANCIENTS unfolded. As you can imagine, it's not easy selling a house when there's been murders and ghosts between it's walls. Luckily for the real estate agent, Paula and her husband are looking to relocate to Vienna and they fall in love with the mansion. Paula's husband has to leave on business to America soon after they move and leaves Paula there all alone. She soon learns why the house has been on the market for so long. Crazy things start happening one after another and we're off on another funhouse ride with the dead at the controls.

Its good to be back in Cavendish's world of crazy, sadistic professors obessessing over long-dead pharaohs. WRATH was a blast to read as Cavendish's gothic style of storytelling really stood out. The characters were interesting and the settings were extremely realistic. You can tell she's spent time in both Vienna and Egypt. With WAKING, it feels like there was a slight misstep in the first third of the book. So many things keep happening to Paula right after she moved in, it was hard to believe that she was able to write them off as her imagination. I could see one, maybe two instances, but there was a whole slew of haunted happenings one right after another that she wasn't able to take a breath. It felt, to me, that any sane person would've been running right out the door, regardless of what her absent husband would say. It also felt too much like a retelling of the happenings in WRATH without much originality to seperate the two. Where I think WAKING shines is in going back to 1908 and telling Lizzie's story and her exploits while accompanying Quintillus on his Egyptian dig. Cavendish was clicking on all cylinders here and this was the part of the story that I wanted more of. All in all, still a good story and I'm looking forward to part three of the series.

3 1/2 Egyptian Curses out of 5


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In 1908, Lizzie Charters accompanies archaeologist Dr. Emeryk Quintillus on a dig in Egypt, unaware of his obsession with Cleopatra and his plan to bring her back to life using Lizzie's body.

In 2018, Paula and her husband, Phil, have relocated to Vienna for Phil's job, signing a three-year lease a breathtaking mansion with a too good to be true price tag. Paula soon realizes the reason for the low price when Phil goes away on a business trip, leaving her in the house alone. Strange occurrences lead Paula to discover the previous owner of the estate was Dr. Quintillus, who is still trying to find a way to be with his love, Cleopatra, even through death.

I love Catherine Cavendish's writing. Excluding Waking the Ancients, I've read five of her books (so far) — Linden Manor, The Pendle Curse, Dark Avenging Angel and The Devil's Serenade — and I've enjoyed all of them. Cavendish is great at writing detailed descriptions that immerse you in the story and establishing an eerie atmosphere.

The most important part of a novel to me are the characters and Cavendish writes believable and relatable characters. I've been trying to not only read more horror books written by female writers, but to also read more horror books with strong female protagonists, which all of Cavendish's books feature.

The plot of Waking the Ancients is unique, combining the real history of Cleopatra with a fictional story about the supernatural.

This book is the second in the Nemesis of the Gods series, but each can be read as a standalone novel. I haven't read the first book in the series, Wrath of the Ancients, and I wasn't confused at all, but I enjoyed this book so much I'll definitely be reading the first book. The third book in the series, Damned by the Ancients, will be released October 23 and I'm already counting the days! I highly recommend Waking the Ancients to anyone looking for a creepy supernatural tale.

Cavendish’s ghoulishly horrifying writing strikes again. Only this time, the bite is much more interesting because she takes you on a journey as to how the spirits came to be who and what they are!

Paula Bancroft’s family just leased the very famous Villa Dürnstein, once owned by Dr. Emeryk Quintillus. Although the house still stands, it continues to wreaks havoc on any living soul trying to co-exist within its confines. Paula is left with having to get the house together since her husband has to be away for his job. And of course, strange occurrences begin to happen, as Paula gets acclimated. Pictures hanging on the wall appear to have eyes following her everywhere she goes. The sounds of broken dishes and footsteps walking up and down the hall begin to heighten her senses. Paula by no means is a fraidy-cat, but she had to admit to herself that something wasn’t quite right about this house.

To further drive home that point, when a door appears out of nowhere leading to the basement, Paula knew it was time for her to do something. She called her sister who graciously agreed to take time off from work and hang out with her sister. She wanted to see exactly what her sister was talking about. Once Dee arrives, the pathway to the door shows itself again and the sisters decide to go down the stairs to find out what was there. Hmm, not exactly sure I’d do that, but these characters had inquisitive minds and wanted to know. And what they soon found out is that Dr. Quintillus is alive and well, as well as other spirits lurking within the basement.

While on their little escapade, Paula discovered the infamous Gustuv Klimt painting of Cleopatra. She couldn’t imagine why anyone would want that photo to stay in the basement and not hung in the library as it should be? Hmm, really, Paula? If looking at a wall hanging changes positions every so often, she really thought adding another painting would make the house more of a home? Wow! But at any rate, strange occurrences continued to happen and Paula was finally at her wits end. What was a woman to do? That, readers, you must continue on the journey to find out what lies ahead.

This was an amazing story! Cavendish is such a great storyteller leaving the reader to conjure up everything imaginable plus some. These characters, albeit for me to say, seemed a bit stupid at times, but I suppose we really wouldn’t have a story if they didn’t take us along for the ride. What the reader will soon learn is that what you think you know you really don’t. I’d strongly recommend if you haven’t read the first book in the series, that you do. It will make sense to you when the story unfolds and the spirits begin narrating.

If you love a good horror read, check this book out! You’re in for a real special treat. What a great read!

I didn’t read the first book in the Nemesis of the Gods series. But the second book, Waking the ancients, was written to stand on its own. I didn’t feel like anything was missing or that I needed a bunch of backstory about the characters. Waking the ancients revolves around Paula, our protagonist, who lives in a famous house, which seems to have a ghost or two. The paranormal elements were pretty good and I didn’t know if she was losing her mind, or if the ghosts were real. I found the use of a cold draft a bit cliché and over used. Also, I thought the wife and sister being alone in the house a bit stereotypical. Paula’s husband was gone on business for much of the story, especially when the ghost was around and that felt too easy.

For me, the book became much better when the story went back in time and I learned about the history of the previous home owner and why there was the possibility of ghosts in the home. It would have been great for the story to start here, where I found characters to be more developed, including an antagonist who was a real piece of work. This is where things became more interesting and I was engaged in the plot. But, as the plot transitioned back to the current time period, I found myself lost in several places and noticed a few holes that didn’t make sense. I also didn’t understand why certain events happened and further explanation would have been helpful, i.e., why the basement door in the kitchen was bolted. In the end, I was surprised by the multiple betrayals and twists which was a good set up for the next book in the Nemesis of Gods series.

Review: WAKING THE ANCIENTS by Catherine Cavendish

Some dark magic never dies. Some historical figures should not be returned to life {Idi Amin, Stalin, Pol Pot. Cleopatra and her sister}.

Paula and Phil Bancroft have just signed a three-year tenancy on a lovely mansion in the extraordinarily historied and cultured city of Vienna, Austria. Phil holds a significant post at the UN, and Paula is an artist and former history teacher. Unfortunately she is also psychically vulnerable, and their lovely new home is possessed by an evil magician/ archaeologist who will literally stop at nothing and no one to bring Cleopatra back to life (or some semblance of life).

Catherine Cavendish can unfailingly be counted on to scare readers senseless as simultaneously we find ourselves totally engrossed with her realistic characters. This haunting tale is second in the new WRATH OF THE ANCIENTS Trilogy.