{"id":1428,"date":"2019-06-19T21:37:30","date_gmt":"2019-06-20T01:37:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/?p=1428"},"modified":"2019-06-19T21:42:59","modified_gmt":"2019-06-20T01:42:59","slug":"where-oblivion-lives","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/2019\/06\/19\/where-oblivion-lives\/","title":{"rendered":"Where Oblivion Lives"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"By T. Frohock
\nHarper Voyager, ISBN:978-0062825612
\nPaperback, 368 pages. \u00a92019<\/p>\n

Diago, a nefil born of an angel-daimon pairing, has been tasked by the leader of Los Nefilim with finding The Key, a musical sequence that can unlock the barrier between realms and unite the nefilim\u2019s voices, empowering them to save Spain from the coming darkness. But Diago finds it hard to focus when nightmares plague his sleep, dreams in which his stolen Stradivarius plays the same jarring notes over and over, prompting snatches of memories from prior incarnations that torment Diago with his past mistakes.<\/p>\n

Now Diago has the chance to prove himself, to heal past wounds in himself and others. To do so, he must leave his husband and their seven-year-old son, venture into a rival stronghold to retrieve the violin, and confront powerful enemies who still hold a grudge and are out for revenge. His success or failure will carry consequences not just for Diago and his family, but for all of Spain.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m not usually a fan of historical fiction, but a story in which things happen the way we know them, but for different reasons than we thought? Bring it!<\/p>\n

In Where Oblivion Lives<\/em>, T. Frohock has penned a unique, captivating historical fantasy that takes place behind the scenes in 1932 Spain, France, and Germany. Tension in pre-war Europe flavors the backdrop of the story, casting shade across the already shadowy nefilim who live unnoticed among mortals. It is the business of the Inner Guard, those nefilim enclaves empowered by the Angelic Thrones to monitor daimonic activity, to track and counter dark magic. Between fallen angels, the rise of Nazis, and looming civil war, there is plenty to keep Los Nefilim busy.<\/p>\n

Nefil are magical beings at heart and Oblivion<\/em>\u2019s main characters all have especially powerful skills. The nefilim require constant magical protection, as their work is often fraught with danger. Frohock weaves an accurate and esoteric tapestry of wards, glyphs, and magical energy throughout the book, including one element I\u2019ve not seen used often: music. Sound. Vibrations of various frequencies, whether sung with voice or played on instruments like the Stradivarius, serve to empower the glyphs drawn by angel, daimon, or nefil. I took piano lessons for years (long ago), and was pleased to recognize familiar musical terminology in the text. But beyond that detail, this unusual element added a layer of texture to the narrative that fleshed it out beyond just reading the words and visualizing the scenes. I could almost hear<\/em> the nefilim\u2019s songs, or the screeching attack of notes from the Stradivarius, or Diago pounding the piano\u2019s ivories in search of The Key. Other senses come into play as well in his memory flashbacks from the prior war\u2014the squelch of mud, the stench of smoke, the pressure of earth-shattering bombs.<\/p>\n

There is plenty of action in Oblivion<\/em>, but I found it to be more of a quiet burn rather than a fast-paced thriller, at least until near the end when things heat up quite a bit. Anxiety builds in scenes akin to those in movies where the hero is sneaking around in a place where they aren\u2019t supposed to be, and you find yourself on the edge of your seat, biting your nails and shouting, \u201cGet out of there! Someone\u2019s coming!\u201d Tension between characters carries over from past incarnations into their present lives, coloring every word, every smile, every twitch of one\u2019s brow, and interpreting their meaning\u2014for reader and for character\u2014added yet another layer of pressure to the scenes.<\/p>\n

Getting to know the characters was part of the fun of this book. Watching Diago develop was a joy, especially given where he started and all he had to contend with since. The other characters each contribute to flesh out Diago\u2019s world, worrying with and about him, striving to help him, making him feel like a part of something bigger, a member of an extended family rather than the rogue he\u2019s always been. Watching him address those changes on his own terms felt authentic, believable. I loved his strength, his tenderness, his vulnerability. Reading the story gave me a thrill, but seeing Diago grow into his new role was the icing on the cake for me.<\/p>\n

Oblivion<\/em> is a standalone novel, though there are three prequel novellas, gathered together in one volume called Los Nefilim.<\/em> While I\u2019ve not read those, they are definitely going on my to-be-read list. In addition, two sequels will follow Where Oblivion Lives<\/em>. The first, Carved from Stone and Dream<\/em>, is now available for preorder. Watch for the third one on the author\u2019s website<\/a>.<\/p>\n

I thoroughly enjoyed this story, and have even begun reading it through a second time; the layers are so intricate, so interwoven, I am already finding meanings I missed the first time. Deep, mystical, and inspiring, Where Oblivion Lives<\/em> is one historical fantasy you won\u2019t want to miss.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By T. Frohock Harper Voyager, ISBN:978-0062825612 Paperback, 368 pages. \u00a92019 Diago, a nefil born of an angel-daimon pairing, has been tasked by the leader of Los Nefilim with finding The Key, a musical sequence that can unlock the barrier between realms and unite the nefilim\u2019s voices, empowering them to save Spain from the coming darkness….<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1429,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1428","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-reviews"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/WhereOblivionLives.jpg?fit=332%2C499&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p8n0kX-n2","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2929,"url":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/2022\/10\/23\/cage-of-souls\/","url_meta":{"origin":1428,"position":0},"title":"Cage of Souls","author":"DremaDeoraich","date":"October 23, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"By Adrian Tchaikovsky \u00a9 2019, Ebook format ASIN: B07DPRW17S File size 1865 KB It's easy to see why this book was shortlisted for the 2020 Arthur C. 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