Book Review: Daughter Of Hounds

Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner

Daughter Of Hounds     Amazon US TPB Amazon Canada TPB
Caitlin R. Kiernan
Class/Genre:   Fiction   Fantasy   Horror   Supernatural   Woman Main Character
Series: Silvey and Matthews
Roc, Jan 2007, $14.00

The children of the Cuckoo or changelings are taken from their cribs by hell-hounds and given to ghouls to train as obedient slaves. They learn to hate everything and everyone Above ground and to serve their masters Below ground. Soldier, a changeling, is given assignments by the ghouls’ minion the Bailiff to kill beings living Above ground who threaten their exposure and to assassinate changelings who break the rules. Soldier believes her superiors plan to exterminate her as her usefulness has ended.

Eight year old Emily Silvey of the yellow eyes is warned by Saben Whiteto avoid horses when she visits her stepmother in New York or she, her stepmom and her friend will be dead. When a woman in a dream also warns her that she is in danger and to leave her father, she complies even though she has doubts about the veracity of her vision. When she meets Soldier, both realizes they are linked and try to save one another from the ghouls who are coming to kill Soldier and abduct Emily as she serves a special purpose in their master plan

Caitlin R. Kiernan pays homage to Lovecraft in the scary DAUGHTER OF HOUNDS. There is a sense of the foreboding gothic that creeps out the audience and the antagonists who set much of the pace seem freaky and deadly. Reminiscent of Poppy Z. Brite’s darkest thrillers, Ms. Kiernan provides Goth horror fans with a suspense laden tale that keeps readers’ attention because they want to learn why Emily is so important throughout this one sitting tense tale.

Harriet Klausner

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Harriet Klausner