I'm not even certain where to begin this post.
In fact, it's probably two posts.
As a writer writing to other writers, I could dedicate an entire post to the "whys" and "hows" of, when creating characters for a story, delving into their psyches and probing the motivation of all they do. That, to me, is part of the process to creating lifelike characters.
But when a reader writes to me and says students working on their doctorate in psychology could write a thesis based on the BryonySeries, because the characters are so well-crafted and complex, that means more to me than millions of copies sold.
Although millions of copies sold would be nice, too.
That same reader (at least on the summer side of things) is planning, once the cooler weather arrives, to re-read the Bryony trilogy and
Before the Blood (eight books in all), making notes, and perhaps writing a thesis on it.
My response? I'll buy a copy!
The reason is less about being hungry for feedback on my work and more about learning the type of impact years of solitary work has made, on one person, at least.
That said, this same reader left a review on Amazon last night. I've posted it below.
I generally don't need motivation to write. But if I did, this review would do it.
Have a blessed Tuesday, readers, writers, and BryonySeries fans! :)
5.0 out of 5 stars
This prequel to the Bryony series solves some mysteries and creates even more
July 5, 2019
Format: Paperback
Verified Purchase
If you’ve read Denise Baran-Unland’s "Bryony" trilogy (
Bryony,
Visage and
Staked!), you already know it’s a “vampire tale.”
If you’ve read it more than once, you realize it’s much more.
I’ve come to the conclusion that Unland’s series – in part - is a study of what motivates humans (and vampires) to do the things they do. Sounds pretty simple, right?
You may well ask, “Why did the author write eight books attempting to determine why people make bad decisions?"
Consider this: Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung spent decades of research attempting to understand why otherwise intelligent human beings make decisions that impact their lives so negatively. Unlike the aforementioned fellows, Unland has come scarily close to revealing exactly what drives human beings.
Before the Blood: Bryony Simons (BTB) is Unland’s fifth and final prequel. In the trilogy, Bryony Simons, nee Marseilles, has been dead for decades. Her spirit drives the characters, but we never get to know the real Bryony.
The prequels,
BTB, Bryony Simons and
BTB, Bryony Marseilles, give the reader the opportunity to know (and love) Bryony as a human being in the village of Munsonville.
(This last installment of ) BTB begins more like a fairy tale than Gothic horror. The girl on the brink of womanhood has no memory of her own long-dead mother. Her unrequited love for Owen Munson, her “cowboy,” ends tragically.
Her father preaches love, but is cold and absent. Bryony turns to beautiful Lake Munsonville for solace. She loves and identifies with the lake as she resigns herself to a life without true love.
Then, out of the blue, rich and renowned composer and concert pianist, John Simons, falls immediately and madly in love. At seventeen, Bryony knows little of love and is swept along in the current of his ardor. John Simons, a sophisticated man of the world, agrees to settle in the backwater village of Munsonville to make Bryony happy.
He builds her a mansion replete with servants and ladies in waiting. He dedicates a composition to her and has a hybrid flower named for her. He feeds her delicacies. He coddles and spoils her. John Simons’ entire universe revolves around the fragile young woman.
All is bliss and then it is not. The transition from joy to sorrow is gradual and insidious.
Those who haven’t read the trilogy may not immediately catch the underlying malignancy, but it’s there all the same. The choices all have made come back to haunt them.
There’s John Simons, who has made a deal with the devil.
And there’s the devil himself, Kellen Wechsler, who is ostensibly John Simons’ manager. In this tale, Wechsler is relatively low key and that’s not necessarily a good thing.
Henry Matthews - whose deal with the devil is pending - also appears. He lusts quietly for Bryony, sacrificing everything for the opportunity to possess her, even temporarily. His intentions are not evil, but that hardly matters in the scheme of things.
Of special note is Dr. Gothart, a nebulous character. The good doctor is always vaguely behind the scenes pulling strings and offering advice. The human condition seems to be a source of endless amusement to the good doctor. Whether he's a god, a demon or a fey creature, Dr. Gothart is terrifying.
Dr. Gothart’s “daughter,” Millicent, is far less subtle. Her jealousy of Bryony leads her to destroy the girl’s illusions of her beloved lake. As she sees her nurturing lake transformed, she's forced to reassess her own identity.
Unland’s Bryony trilogy and the prequels are cautionary tales. In each book, there are signs galore that read, “DANGER – DO NOT ENTER.” John Simons, Kellen Wechsler and Henry Matthews make conscious decisions to fly into the flames.
Bryony’s decision is more or less made for her. It may be argued that she never had a choice in the decision to marry John Simons. She was a hapless fly caught in a web of illusion.
The Bryony series is a masterpiece. These are not books to be read in an afternoon at the beach. Without a doubt, each book is entertaining - difficult to put down. However, the series is far more than the sum of its books.
I've read the trilogy four times. I've read each of the prequels at least twice. Still, I'm learning something new about the plot, the characters and the author.
Illustration by Kathleen Rose Van Pelt for "Bryony."
Illustration by Christopher Gleason for "Staked!" Follow him
at artworkbytopher.com.
