REVIEW: Enterprise of Death by Jesse Bullington

Enterprise of Death by Jesse Bullington
Publishing Information: Paperback; 24 March 2011
Publisher: Orbit
ISBN 10: 0316087343
ISBN 13: 978-0316087346
Standalone
Copy: Out of pocket
Reviewer: Tyson

Synopsis: "As the witch-pyres of the Spanish Inquisition blanket Renaissance Europe in a moral haze, a young African slave finds herself the unwilling apprentice of an ancient necromancer. Unfortunately, quitting his company proves even more hazardous than remaining his pupil when she is afflicted with a terrible curse. Yet salvation may lie in a mysterious tome her tutor has hidden somewhere on the war-torn continent.

She sets out on a seemingly impossible journey to find the book, never suspecting her fate is tied to three strangers: the artist Niklaus Manuel Deutsch, the alchemist Dr. Paracelsus, and a gun-slinging Dutch mercenary. As Manuel paints her macabre story on canvas, plank, and church wall, the apprentice becomes increasingly aware of the great dangers that surround her. She realizes she must revisit the fell necromancy of her childhood . . . or death will be the least of her concerns..."

When Bullington's The Sad Tales of the Brother's Grossbart arrived on bookshelves, I quickly ordered it and then devoured the novel as it was something fresh and yet spoke to the darker side of what I imagined the middle ages were. In Enterprise of Death, Bullington returns to that dark time in human history. This time around, we have a young woman as the protagonist and I think Bullington did an excellent job of bringing her to life. She seemed plausible and real. She is joined by a small group of individuals that help her and slip in and out of her life. However, they really had a hard time capturing my imagination and as I continued to read, I found myself loosing interest in the quest and the cast.

It is probably why I can't give a shining review of Enterprise of Death. my interest began to wane half-way through the story. Where his debut novel had great characters, Enterprise of Death's cast is lackluster at best. The plot is interesting, but without really caring about anyone in the story, I found myself drifting on to other thoughts. While I can't recommend The Sad Tale of the Brother's Grossbart high enough, I have to say stay away from this particular novel. Enterprise of Death just does not keep you interested.

With that said, I do look forward to Bullington's next novel what ever that novel may be. He is very talented but Enterprise of Death was not an entertaining read for me and that is what I look for in a novel.

Plot 7/10
Characters 4/10
Style 5/10

Overall 5/10