Don’t fear the Reaper September 12, 2009 – Frazer Lee – London, UK
Don’t fear the Reaper … pour him a drink and loan him your copy of GRIMMIE by talented newcomer Linda S. Cowden. This book is a dark whirlwind romance with the hereafter, vividly realized and ambitious in scope. All at once lyrical, touching, chilling and surprising – this character study of Death is compellingly interwoven with the stories of those he touches. Life is one hell of a ride – Grimmie is one hell of a read.
What a nice change of pace! July 19, 2008 – Kimberly Raiser – St. Augustine, FL, USA
What a refreshing view of the Reaper. Cowden’s imagery is wonderful and enticing. Her characters are well developed, intriguing and keep you coming back for more!
A feast of variety for every palate. July 4, 2008 – W.R.R. – Houston, TX, USA
The first things that drew me into this book and hooked me were the plot and characters, but now that I’ve finished it, my favorite part is the soldiers in Vietnam and the Goth subculture characters. Not many writers explore the vampire subculture in New York City, and I’ve never seen one address the issue of sanguinarians. Not only does Ms. Cowden go there, but she treats the subculture with respect.
The story of the Marines in Vietnam had me angry at times, and in tears at others, with a lingering awe for what our troops (of today and yesterday) go through for our freedom. The story is rendered with just enough technical detail to please the war/weapons buffs, but not so much that others get lost.
This book has something for everyone: a little romance, lots of angst, excellent violence and horrific bits, and a near epic scope that travels to Japan, Sodom and Gomorrah, Kansas, Vietnam, and back to New York again. But it’s not just locales the reader travels to – some of the travel is into Grimmie’s insights and memories of ages and events past, giving tantalizing peeks into both history and his character. Among those peeks are hints of mysteries unanswered, too, and I’m hoping that means a sequel might see the light of day in the future; after all, 585 pages just aren’t enough.
Grimmie March 4, 2008 – Carolyn J. Taley – Lancaster, OH, USA
What can you say about the Grim Reaper? Well, throw away all your preconceived notions and opinions as you delve into the pages of Grimmie by Linda S. Cowden. You will be caught up in the richly descriptive lives of all the characters and especially Corwin Grimm, the Reaper, as he struggles with before now, unknown “human feelings” such as sympathy, respect, friendship and most of all love, as he goes about his day-to-day claiming of the harvest. You will find yourself, maybe unbelievably, cheering and encouraging him in the rightful retribution of sanctions against the utmost evil side of humanity and crying in sympathy as he MUST take those in death that he calls friends or of the innocents of mankind.
I have been a fan of Linda S. Cowden since reading some of her short stories and Grimmie shows off her talent as an author to a much greater degree. She will make you see the Grim Reaper in a new light and perhaps, make you remember after all that he is in fact an Angel doing a job assigned by a higher power. As always, she leaves you waiting in great anticipation for her next work!
Anne Rice meets J.K. Rowling in a dark alley. December 31, 2007 – J. Szebehely – Texas, USA
The characters breathe, sigh and stir, and in doing such, they touch the soul. This author’s thoughtful approach to a big subject (hey, it’s only life and death) is key. The reader can’t help but be drawn into a delicate dance. Many stories weave the tapestry of this book. Read it again, and get another gift. This author’s an artist, with a great touch. The book is crafted with uncommon perception, guided by exceptional intuition into the human (and paranormal) experience … interesting … insightful … a page turner!
The Grim Reaper Has a New Face December 3, 2007 – Melody R. Ringo – Houston, TX, USA
Grimmie reaps more than mere expired human souls in this fascinatingly fresh, yet often morbidly dark tale of the age-old struggle between good vs. evil, light vs. darkness, life vs. death. Twenty-first century humanity comes alive in author Linda Cowden’s characters who, although born with free will, blindly make analogous and fateful choices like those of their ancestors, and must cope with the resulting consequences-for better or for worse.
But something is strangely different in Cowden’s highly imaginative depiction of the Reaper’s story. This time, a lone saxophone serenades the restless harvest. New rules emerge as an evolved Reaper tests not only the limits of his eternal undertaking, but also a burgeoning sense of vigilantism, by exploring dangerously intimate encounters with those on this earthly plane.
An ominous wind encircles the globe, as one by one the characters discover their personal destiny is mysteriously entwined with Grimmie’s. The author is adept at building a plot filled with suspense and intrigue, like gathering storm clouds on a distant horizon.
Cowden masterfully spins an elaborate web, successfully capturing deeply alluring characters, wrapping each one in imperceptible threads of a tightly woven plot. Where else would you find a Roman Catholic priest, a prostitute, a mystic, an Evangelical minister and rival Wicca covens between the covers of one book? Some wrestle personal demons, some battle impossible circumstances; still others grapple with issues of morality, injustice and destiny. All, while invisible spiritual forces propel the story to a brilliant and unexpected conclusion, inexorably tied to the eternal circle of life. This story is one sure to leave readers breathless, but yearning for more.
A Compelling and Compassionate New Voice November 30, 2007 – Valerie Puntney – Belleville, IL, USA
I’m in love with the Grim Reaper, and Linda Cowden is responsible. After all, who could resist the darkly handsome, at times darkly humorous saxophone-playing entity who has become a tortured “soul”, struggling with the ethical consequences of his increasingly personal involvement in human affairs – in one particular case, an affair of the heart?
Grimmie is the protagonist, and such a fully fleshed-out, believable one that it’s difficult to remember the death’s head that lies beneath. But that too is a part of this tale. Along the way he encounters a host of memorable supporting characters including two wise women of a certain age who become his confidantes, a young woman seemingly gifted with psychic talents he’s known virtually since conception, a daring-do doomed Viet Nam soldier and a Christian fundamentalist extremist who are just a few of those so convincingly limned by Cowden’s pen. In my view, her characters are the real miracle of this book, each possessing such psychological integrity. The author is so very capable of inhabiting each with great authenticity.
But character development is far from Grimmie’s only strength. Cowden’s fresh new voice weaves a tapestry rich with dark overtones, sly humor, beautifully detailed settings and some highly original plotting and story lines. She has captured the current Zeitgeist too, pulling in elements of the arcane, the psychic, the otherworldly and the downright horrific. But above all, it’s the humanity of the story that shines forth. The author creates a world that, though based in fantasy, seems so entirely plausible and wonderfully nuanced that you won’t want to leave it. It’s sure to mesmerize.
A stellar first novel by newcomer Linda S. Cowden. November 30, 2007 – S.W. Smith – Houston, TX, USA
In what I hope to be a long line of great story telling, Cowden weaves a rich tapestry of urban fantasy set in modern day New York City with detailed, realistic and well developed characters. Her descriptions are lush and effortlessly impart everything necessary to create the proper proscenium of the mind where her actors are free to explore their environments while remaining true to their natures.
Grimmie is more than an exploration of the human condition; it is a delightful and dark examination of one of life’s greatest truths: Everything in life is a choice. Choose well.