Review: Makandal’s Legacy by C G S Millworth

It’s book review time Dear Readers! Today’s book is Makandal’s Legacy by C G S Millworth, a vampire novel which gives vampire fans something new, a dark story inspired by a Haitian legend.

“Francois Makandal fought a battle for freedom from the world of slavery in which he lived. We learn that he asked the voodoo spirits for a unique gift for his son – one that has impacted greatly upon the lives of others ever since.”

The story follows the life of an incredibly naïve poet named Galdon, from his beginnings in England to the dark adventures he has in the United States and later to Transylvania. Throughout the story the author gives readers a look into the meaning of good and evil, all while questioning faith and religions from Voodoo to Catholicism. Honestly, this book is a big mix of Anne Rice and Bram Stoker – you have Rice’s love for religion and philosophy, and then you have Stoker’s autobiographical writing. On top of that, Millworth’s vampires are exactly like Stoker’s, so if you are a fan of the classic vampire then you will love the vampires in this book.

The moment I began reading it was clear that the author is an incredibly intelligent and articulate man.  However, maybe a little too articulate.  Excessive narrative descriptions seem to stretch to an exhausting point for my tastes.  Readers want to be able to visualize the characters and every scene, but for me it was too verbose.  Makandal’s Legacy does in fact have a great story full of magic, vampires and much more, but since the author strays from the plot so often I just found myself unable to really enjoy the tale

Overall, many of the ideas behind Makandal’s Legacy are great and the story is fascinating.  The characters were incredibly interesting, I loved meeting vodun Jericho and Constance and seeing where their voodoo-filled relationship with Galdon went. However, I was greatly disappointed by the cold and robotic feel of each character. The dialogue was far too formal and unbelievable, which made it difficult to read through. Now, if you cut out half of the book’s excessive details and re-write some of the dialogue, then I would rate it 5 out of 5 stars, but as it sits I can’t give it more than 3 stars.

– Moonlight