The Tortuous Serpent: An Occult Adventure Book

This dark historical fantasy features real-life magicians John Dee and Edward Kelley of the late 16th century, their spirited wives, a cunning rabbi from the Prague ghetto, and various monsters, both human and supernatural. All are focused, for good or for ill, on a twisted, chthonic version of the goddess Lilith. If "the tortuous serpent" is empowered by the right spell, her loathsome womb will flood the world with hideous creatures. The likeable heroes must avert the Apocalypse, but not before enduring a slew of horrifying (and entertaining) adventures. One factor that can make all the difference in a story based on magic is whether the author is well-versed in the field: Donald Tyson displays ample knowledge to support his claim to be "a Western ceremonial magician in the Hermetic tradition." He's occasionally prone to hyperbolic words such as "incredible," but for the most part uses a matter-of-fact descriptive style to create vivid word-pictures of magical and beastly phenomena. Read More