The Kure [My Thoughts]

The Kure by Jaye Frances
Kindle Edition 318 pages Published September 16th 2011ASIN  B005P20C5QAMAZON KINDLE & PAPERBACK BUY LINKB&N BUY LINK NOOK

My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Book Synopsis

Forbidden by law and denounced as an abomination by the church, the Kure has been hidden for centuries...

John Tyler has never met Sarah Sheridan, but he knows he must find her, and somehow convince her that she is the key to unlocking the power of an ancient ritual that will rid his body of a rare and ravaging disease.

 But as cure quickly becomes curse, John realizes the ritual is more than a faded promise scrawled on a page of crumbling paper, and he discovers, too late, that the unholy text has unleashed a dark power that is driving him to consider the unthinkable.

 Ultimately, John must choose between his desperate need to arrest the plague that is destroying his body, and the virtue of the woman he loves, knowing the wrong decision could cost him his life.

My Thoughts

When the author contacted me about possibly reading this book I researched reviews from fellow bloggers and my interest was caught firmly by the mixed reactions that I found. Some people obviously could not get past their initial revulsion of the affliction that the character of John Tyler describes when he wakes up one morning in pain to find a horrible sight from his abdomen to his groin.

I admit that the old saying "Curiosity killed the cat" came to mind, however in this case curiosity allowed me to find a story that while it does have parts that turn your stomach it also reads easily, has characters that are very relatable to and turned out to be well constructed from start to finish by the author.

The characters that the author created in John Tyler and Sarah Sheridan are likable people. John is a twenty three-year-old man who is making his way alone after his father passes away, he works hard, is kind to his fellow man and thus far has kept himself rather aloof from the eligible young women in his area.

Sarah Sheridan is the daughter of a wealthy man, her family is also all gone except for her father. She and John have not seen each other in many years even though they live fairly close to one another.

It was quite interesting to watch how the conflicting emotions that both John and Sarah felt came into play, each of them had to make hard decisions during the course of the story that lead to some tense moments that keep the reader turning the page to see what happens next.

I thoroughly enjoyed the interactions between John and Sarah, this story kept my interest from the first page and it never wavered even during the parts where the affliction was described in vivid gory detail.

This story does have an appeal both to adult readers over the age of 18 and younger readers who enjoy a bit of graphic horror, however would not recommend to anyone who expects a torrid romance because that is not the case within this plot. The paranormal element was not developed as fully as I thought it would be but what was hinted at in book 1 should be carried over and explained even more fully in book 2. There is romantic attraction between John and Sarah, a very strong one that hopefully will also get a chance to develop further within book 2 when The Karetaker picks up where The Kure left off.

My only advice is be sure you go into reading this with an open mind, also if you cannot stand to read graphically described scenes beware that there are a few that will turn you green and if not make you sick will certainly make you gag.

The author has created a uniquely unusual story that delves into superstition, dark magicks and the resilience of the human mind to accept things that are too horrible to contemplate under normal circumstances, a story that will haunt you with it's ugliness and also it's beauty!

[Kindle ecopy of book provided by author in exchange for an honest review.]
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