Stealing Sacred Fire
Storm Constantine
Penguin, pbk, 357pp, £5.99
Reviewed by Melanie Williams-Manton

The last of the Grigori trilogy, the story of the fallen angel offspring of some Elder Race who fell in with the daughters of men. Many of the characters are familiar, though some new faces have come to gather round Shemyaza, reluctant hero and now symbolic king of the Grigori.

Like the second part, Scenting Hallowed Blood, this instalment is noticeably shorter than the opening volume. This has advantages as well as disadvantages. The plot is fairly driven along, lent an almost thrillerish suspense, while there are enough hints to keep the reader guessing. The lush, descriptive passages stand out all the more, given an effective counterpoint by the tension and drama. This makes for an effective balance: when it needs to the story slows down and allows the reader time to absorb everything; then the rollercoaster starts again. Some parts feel a little rushed, as if the writer has been forced to move on before she is ready, but fortunately this happens rarely and doesn’t detract from the story.

Stealing... is curiously relevant, given the setting. Shemyaza and his followers journey to an Iraq ruled by a dictator-king who believes himself descended from angels, and then to Egypt, where the fulfilment of a prophecy awaits them. All this is set against religious and military turmoil and a backdrop of impatience and expectation at the coming of the new Millennium. Iraq or, more precisely, the territory of the Kurds, is the cradle of civilisation, ancient home of the Grigori, and the site of much of the action. As in the previous novels there are visions and transformations, allies in unexpected places and betrayals. The destiny of both humanity and Grigori is in the balance. As some factions desire, affairs can stay the same or, perhaps, descend into greater darkness, or the world can journey into a new, brighter age.

As the climax approaches there is a sense that the Grigori are as much pawns in this story as the humans they covertly shepherd. The concept of the Grigori and their involvement with humanity has a global feel and, as such, is a fitting end to the cycle. Fortunately, Constantine hasn’t fallen into temptation and gone on to detail the aftermath of these cataclysmic events. Hints are offered, but nothing concrete. The rest, like a sun not yet seen over the horizon, is left to the imagination.

Overall, entertaining and dramatic with enough surprises to keep the most demanding reader happy. As always the writing proves Constantine a storyteller of the first water.