Daniel Rhodes - Adversary

[dem bones]

Daniel Rhodes - Adversary (New English Library, 1989)

Blurb:

Daniel Rhodes presents us with something more than a horror novel, skilfully blending centuries-old black magic into a modern setting.
In NEXT, AFTER LUCIFER, the undead spirit of Guilhelm de Courdeval, a medieval French Templar rumoured to have sold his soul to Satan, rose from centuries of imprisonment to possess an American college professor who probed too deeply into the legend of Courdeval's occult powers and evil deeds.
Now, in ADVERSARY Courdeval resurfaces in San Francisco and resumes his career in the service of the Adversary, the enemy of mankind. Posing as a spiritual teacher, he extends his influence over four young Americans who all want something just beyond their reach. Lawyer Nicole Patrick is attractive and single – but the man she loves treats her like a sister. Spencer Epps has a sexy mistress and a rich father-in-law – but he's been dipping into the till to support his illicit love life and cocaine habit, and things are closing in on him. Charity Haverill wants revenge on a lover who jilted her. And Robbie Kinsella is hungry for knowledge of the occult.

By offering seemingly harmless fulfilment of these desires, Courdeval elaborately seduces his "students" into joining him in the service of evil — until they find out, too late, the price they must pay for what they have received.

Meanwhile, Courdeval plays a sinister cat and mouse game with the only people who know the truth of his origin: the French priest Etien Boudrie and the housewife Melusine Devarre, gifted with second sight.

ADVERSARY is a chilling tale of desperation, revenge, and black magic.

i've not read either yet, but this is the sequel to Rhodes' debut novel, Next After Lucifer (St. Martins, 1987), which won praise from no less than Mike Ashley in Ghosts & Scholars #11 (1989). Rhodes dedicated the first book to M. R. James and freely acknowledged Next ...'s debt to Count Magnus, Canon Alberic's Scrapbook and Margaret Irwin's The Book. If Mr. Ashley's review is anything to go by, he caused no great embarrassment to his influences.

And then came Adversary. Mr. Ashley's brief comment was as dismissive as the first had been guardedly supportive. Mr. Rhodes had let the side down! "Gone .... are the Jamesian moments and images. Instead, it has become an excuse for violent and sexual episodes. Search as you may, there isn't the slightest Jamesian element to it. Sad. This has all the bad things about Next After Lucifer and none of the good" (G&S #12, 1990)

all of which, perversely, makes them both sound quite promising. At 354 pages it will be a while 'til i get around to Adversary, but if anyone else has read either book, what did you make of them?

[andydecker]

I read Next, after Lucifer ages ago. Wonderful novel. Hot summer in France, a scary Templar - at a time when the Templars were not that milked dry in the wake of Dan Brown -, loads of atmosphere. A bit slow, but worthwhile.

Never got the sequel, though.

[andydecker]

Here is the first one.

Blurb:
HE MAKETH ME TO LIE DOWN IN RUNNING WATER
+ + +
DISTURB NOT THAT WHICH RESTS

Cut deep into the centuries-hidden gravestone, the words might have given some pause for thought. But time was pressing.

The rich American who had rented the villa down below wanted water for their pool. Water! When all the southern French countryside and the crops were baked brown by the drought!

The ruined, superstition--haunted castle of Montsévrain loomed over the furtive night-drilling party as they pulled away the stone.

The stone had marked the last uneasy resting place of Guilhem de Courdeval, Kinght Templar, sorcerer and genius of evil.

The stone that damned up a terrible, malignant force ...

[dem bones]

thanks, andy. i've added that to the, er, site. could be a while before i get around to Adversary as i really should try and track down a copy of Next After Lucifer first. Mike Ashley was most impressed with the scenes involving de Courdeval's demonic familiar, Celui, "something short and squat, muffled entirely in a hooded garment", which suggests he's read some Eleanor Scott, too.