Subject: THE THREAD THAT BINDS THE BONES by Nina Kiriki Hoffman

From: [email-masked]
Date: 25 Aug 93 01:21:33 GMT

THE THREAD	THAT BINDS THE BONES by Nina Kiriki Hoffman
		       A book review by Evelyn C. Leeper
			Copyright 1993 Evelyn C. Leeper

     I rarely read fantasy, but I have liked Nina Kiriki Hoffman's short
fiction in PULPHOUSE, WEIRD TALES, and elsewhere, so I picked up this book.
the cover makes it look like a drawing room comedy with ghosts cavorting
about.  It isn't.  It's a rather dark tale of enchantment and slavery and
power and twisted emotions and mis-used talents.

     Tom Renfield has always had special powers but tried to deny them.
Laura Bolte comes from a family that revels in their powers, but she has
rejected them until a return to her home triggers events that will force
both her and Tom to use their powers to take sides in the coming fight.

     THE THREAD THAT BINDS THE BONES is reminiscent of those witchcraft
movies that some studios such as Hammer Films used to make (THE DEVIL'S
BRIDE comes to mind).  It's not about witchcraft or devil worship, but there
is some of the same feel of strange powers and hidden secrets and dangers.
The beginning also brought to mind THE TWILIGHT ZONE, with its outwardly
normal town that a bit at a time starts seeming strange.  Hoffman has always
seemed to specialize in the dark side of the human soul, and she puts this
talent to good use here.  Unless you have a complete aversion to fantasy,
you may want to give THE THREAD THAT BINDS THE BONES a try.

%T	  The Thread That Binds	the Bones
%A	  Nina Kiriki Hoffman
%C	  New York
%D	  May 1993
%I	  AvoNova
%O	  paperback, US$4.99.
%G	  ISBN 0-380-77253-1
%P	  311pp

Evelyn C. Leeper | +1 908 957 2070 | [email-masked] / [email-masked]