Hide Me Among the Graves

Apr 07, 2012 karen rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: distant-lands

byron is not in this book.
at all.

which is a shame.

when this came in to the store, greg handed it to me and grunted something like, "here. byron."

and i was like "yayyyy!" because of all the millions of books i have read that have byron as a character, tim powers is the only one who ever got it "right." and i skimmed the dust jacket and saw polidori's name and saw byron's name, but didn't really read it too closely because i knew i had to borrow it immediately.

and i kept waiting for byron to appe...more

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May 19, 2012 Christopher H. rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: american-authors-translators, american-literature, fantasy-scifi, historical-fiction, modern-literature, neo-victorian-literature, read-in-2012, favorites, horror

A couple of observations about Tim Powers and the books that he writes--First, he can weave a hell of a tale! Second, he certainly does his homework, as his blending of historical fact within his fiction borders upon both the sublime and brilliant! Hide Me Among the Graves is only the third novel by Powers that I've read, but it is easily the best. The other two were The Anubis Gates and The Stress of Her Regard.

By way of background, and as some of you may know, I am a huge fan of the Victorian...more

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Mar 19, 2012 Melissa Proffitt rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: own, fantasy, supernatural, dark-fantasy, secret-history, historical-fiction

Like almost every other reviewer of this book, I have to say: do NOT read this if you haven't read The Stress of Her Regard, to which this book is something of a sequel. Tim Powers excels at creating alternate explanations for actual historical events, and at revealing the truth behind those mysteries, but in this case, those revelations all happened in the first book. Combine this with the return of characters (or their descendants) from The Stress of Her Regard and you have a book that can't c...more Like almost every other reviewer of this book, I have to say: do NOT read this if you haven't read The Stress of Her Regard, to which this book is something of a sequel. Tim Powers excels at creating alternate explanations for actual historical events, and at revealing the truth behind those mysteries, but in this case, those revelations all happened in the first book. Combine this with the return of characters (or their descendants) from The Stress of Her Regard and you have a book that can't completely stand on its own.

That said, as a companion to this much-earlier novel, Hide Me Among the Graves works very well to bring this mythology to a close. In Stress, the characters' actions to stop the vampire/nephilim creatures are effective, but not permanent, where in this novel the goal is not just to survive, but to win. The central historical figures this time are the Rossetti family of literary and artistic fame, relatives of John Polidori who, in the previous story, became one of the nephilim. I had no idea the real Polidori was the Rossetti children's uncle, and if this was Powers' plan from the start, I am totally impressed; we go from the real Polidori being one of the fathers of vampire fiction, to the fictional Polidori becoming a vampire himself, to vampire Polidori's attentions to his family giving them outstanding artistic abilities, to those periods of genius matching up with the historical assessment of the quality of Christina and Dante Gabriel Rossetti's respective works. Powers sees connections between the most unlikely of events and, more importantly, makes us see them too.

I'm giving this only four stars mainly because I'm not sure how I feel about tying this book so closely to another, let alone one published thirteen years earlier. To me, part of the joy of a Tim Powers novel is discovering a new or reimagined mythos, not just continuing to explore an old one. (Even with the linked novels Last Call, Expiration Date, and Earthquake Weather, each book either entangles the characters in a new mythos or reveals a previously unknown aspect of an old one.) I'm also not sure about using the Rossetti family and Algernon Swinburne as the pivotal historical figures, because as important as they are to literature (maybe not Swinburne, but I've always felt he was sort of a hack--and hey, Powers says I'm right about that!) they aren't nearly as well known as Shelley or Byron, and I feel this makes Hide Me Among the Graves less accessible to people who don't know their 19th century literature. On the other hand, maybe Tim Powers' ideal audience for his books is people who *do* know their 19th century literature, in which case this isn't so much a problem. My personal quibble is that I don't care for books that make huge temporal jumps--this story begins in 1845 and ends around 1888, skipping five or nine years between sections. This is probably to accommodate that whole matching the story with the Rossettis' and Swinburne's artistic output, so it's necessary, but personally annoying.

Tim Powers is one of those authors I can't imagine writing a terrible book. I enjoyed this immensely, despite my criticisms, but I admit I'm already looking forward to whatever he writes next.(less)

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Feb 16, 2012 Laura rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-mt-bookpile

This one took a while to get into and figure out what was going on and which version of the vampire/ghost mythology was being put forward.

Turns out that John Polidori, friend to Byron and a doctor, became a vampire when he committed "suicide" and he's infected his brother-in-law, Gabriele Rossetti; Rossetti's children, including Dante Gabriel and Christina, take on the role of fighting these risen ghosts. Garlic, metal, silver bullets, staying in an enclosed area and using birds to capture the s...more

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Mar 31, 2012 Tim rated it 4 of 5 stars

The unwary might stumble upon Tim Powers' new novel, "Hide Me Among the Graves" and think: latecomer to the vampire craze. Powers' longtime fans, though, will recognize the book as a sequel to his excellent 1989 novel, "The Stress of Her Regard," but with those readers, belated recognition of the relationship would be understandable: nowhere on the "Hide Me" cover is the link between the books mentioned, so buyer beware. Does it matter? Yes and no. The reader who has completed "Stress" will be f...more The unwary might stumble upon Tim Powers' new novel, "Hide Me Among the Graves" and think: latecomer to the vampire craze. Powers' longtime fans, though, will recognize the book as a sequel to his excellent 1989 novel, "The Stress of Her Regard," but with those readers, belated recognition of the relationship would be understandable: nowhere on the "Hide Me" cover is the link between the books mentioned, so buyer beware. Does it matter? Yes and no. The reader who has completed "Stress" will be far more comfortable with Powers' complex take on Victorian era (and before) vampirism, and recognizing the handful of recurring characters will boost enjoyment. But newcomers to Powers still are likely to enjoy the new book plenty, and aren't likely to be too confused. It's like the fact that knowledge of Keats, Shelley and Lord Byron is helpful to enjoyment of "Stress," and familiarity with painter Dante Gabriel Rossetti, his sister poet Christina Rossetti and poet Algernon Swinburne — I had next to no such familiarity — is a boon to reading "Hide Me."

In any event, Powers has returned to familiar unholy/holy ground here, and it's very welcome. "Hide Me Among the Graves" is just his second novel since 2001, and 2006's "Three Days to Never" was, by his standards, mediocre. This new novel seems at first merely a welcome return to Powers' 19th-century England under the sway of the odd vampire, but it gathers strength every step of the way and, in the end, is every bit as good as "The Stress of Her Regard." I'd still advise reading the earlier novel first, however.

"Hide Me" picks up in 1845, 20-some years after the main action of "Stress." By shedding her blood on a small statue containing the essence of her uncle, Christina Rossetti resurrects the vampiric ghost of John Polidori, Lord Byron's former physician. In the coming years, Christina, her brothers and sister and Swinburne become enmeshed in Polidori's gathering power and nefarious plans. So, too, does John Crawford, son of the "Stress" protagonist. In 1862, he learns that his interlude with a then-prostitute, Adelaide McKee, seven years earlier, resulted in the birth of a daughter, Johanna, who now is imperiled by Polidori. Crawford and McKee eventually join forces with the Rossettis in trying to vanquish Polidori and a female vampire who is the companion of Edward Trelawny, a writer and former friend to the long-dead Shelley and Byron. Trelawny, a bridge between the human and Nephilim species, tries in his own way to aid Crawford/McKee and the Rossettis.

Powers, a master of ghosts and secret histories — the "real" explanations behind what happened to historical figures — generally wants nothing to do with either new-school sexy-cozy vampires or, at least on stage, old-school biting of necks. He's more interested in the psychic links between vampires and those they prey upon, and the power exchanges. Here, victims of a vampire's "attentions" benefit through great enhancement of their creative powers. Poets, for example, are inspired to great heights when vampires become their "patrons," but there are costs to their physical well-being (sunlight sensitivity, hastened death) and, particularly, to those they love: vampires are insanely jealous and will eliminate the loved ones of those they've preyed upon. As Powers describes a vampire's effect: "She was more like a sun that ignited a reciprocally fueled solar fire in him, while simply incinerating any lesser planets that presumed to orbit him." Powers may go easy on the biting, but, after a merely good opening third of the novel, he ratchets up the action and weird goings-on into an embarrassment of imaginative riches. Graves, seances, strange creatures, underground passageways, bottles of garlic uncorked to evict vampires, beings descending from the sky, legions of street waifs drawn to the vampire-connected, a twice-dead boy blindly directing hordes of seeking wasps. As is usual for Powers, the details and inventive explanations in his stories are absolutely astonishing. When he builds a world, he goes all out and creates it on his terms. If it's overkill — and some might feel it is or be a little baffled by the details — it's a glorious form of overkill, such as undead ghost vampires would appreciate.

Powers is one of my favorite writers, and I was delighted to find that "Hide Me Among the Graves" is far from a nostalgic revisit to old haunts. I don't think it's his best work, but it's in the ballpark. And that's a wonderful thing from a 60-year-old author who has been writing novels since the mid-'70s. Bravo.
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Apr 04, 2012 Mark rated it 3 of 5 stars

Update: Ripped through it. Didn't love it. Liked it though, enough to slow down and re-read passages, at times.

A good enough read, but for Powers fans, it'll be familiar stuff, images and ideas already hashed out in "The Stress of Her Regard," "Declare" and others. What seems to be missing is the sense of something larger at stake, which Powers grasps for in the story/legend of the ancient warrior-woman Boadicea (which continually made me think of one of my top 10 favorite words, bodacious), but...more

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Apr 15, 2012 Tim Lewis added it

Premise: When Christina Rossetti smears her blood on the little statue belonging to her father, she unknowingly releases a curse upon her family: the vampiric spirit of her late uncle John Polidori, physician to poet Lord Byron. Not only does Polidori’s spirit inspire great poetry and painting to Christina and her brother Gabriel, it threatens their other family members and resurrects Gabriel’s dead wife as a vampire as well. They agree that their uncle must be stopped at all costs.

The Rossettis...more Premise: When Christina Rossetti smears her blood on the little statue belonging to her father, she unknowingly releases a curse upon her family: the vampiric spirit of her late uncle John Polidori, physician to poet Lord Byron. Not only does Polidori’s spirit inspire great poetry and painting to Christina and her brother Gabriel, it threatens their other family members and resurrects Gabriel’s dead wife as a vampire as well. They agree that their uncle must be stopped at all costs.

The Rossettis are not the only ones threatened by Polidori. Adelaide McKee is a reformed prostitute who had a tryst with the veterinarian John Crawford seven years earlier, producing a child who had been previously presumed dead. When she discovers that the girl is alive and in danger of being claimed by Polidori, she strikes out with Crawford to find the Rossetti family for their help to save her daughter and to stop Polidori.

Racing across Victorian London streets, riding on carriages, and climbing through dark and mysterious sewers, they all discover there are strange supernatural unseen things in their midst, and the very foundation of London is at risk. With the help of Edward Trelawney, friend of Shelley and Byron, they must track down vampires, speak with ghosts, and discover the way to stop the destruction of their loved ones and of London before it is too late. Some are willing to give up the muse in exchange for stopping Polidori, but there are others who are willing to embrace him and all that entails.

Themes: One of the great themes in Hide Me Among the Graves is sacrifice. Several of the characters are faced with sacrificing their poetry, painting, and other writings in exchange for stopping Polidori. Not every character is willing to do so, and the cost of themselves and of others. It is interesting that the sacrifice can be seen as going either way, as a sacrifice of soul and life in exchange for the muse and eternity, or vice versa.

Hide Me Among the Graves is also a redemption story, with Adelaide McKee making up for her past sins by her relentless pursuit of Polidori and her daughter, Johanna, and with Christina attempting to redeem her mistake of releasing Polidori to begin with. Crawford seeks redemption for his mistakes by following wherever McKee leads him. We even find Trelawney faced with opportunities for redemption after an entirely unrepentant lifetime.

The love story between Crawford and McKee comes into full view when they discover their daughter from their tryst years before is still alive. The steps they take to save her lead them to face their feelings for each other years after their one night stand.

Pros: Hide Me Among the Graves has exquisite characters full of depth and faults, with opportunities for failure and for redemption. The setting plays such a huge part in the story and is so well established that, even though I have never been to London, I felt like I was riding in the cabs and crawling underground right along with the characters. The supernatural elements are so full of intrigue that I felt transported to another world within a world, and was especially fearful for the characters when Polidori and the other vampires revealed themselves.

Cons: The story is thick with information and characters. I was a little confused at the beginning, not knowing anything about the book, as to what was happening and who these people are. Some assumptions are made that you will simply buy into some supernatural or magical elements without explaining why or how they work before you even know what kind of a book this is. As it progresses, however, and you learn more, they begin to make sense at least in the context of this story.

Recommendations: Using real historical figures and giving them unique personalities, this is historical fantasy at its best. Reading Hide Me Among the Graves made me feel the same way I felt after reading Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell for the first time. Powers places you right amongst the characters and makes you feel and fear as they do, especially when facing the supernatural and as they make new discoveries of the unknown. Pushing past Bram Stoker’s Dracula, this is my new favorite vampire novel.(less)

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Sep 29, 2012 Jason Modisette rated it 2 of 5 stars

A warning: this is a sequel to The Stress of Her Regard - which, strangely, is mentioned nowhere on the cover. The reader is assumed to be familiar with the non-standard vampire mechanics from the first book. The mechanics are further elucidated here - I admit I came out of Stress without a very good understanding of them - but I wouldn't recommend anybody read this book first.

Tim Powers always has good ideas, but in recent years he seems to have more and more trouble putting together a captiva...more

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Mar 16, 2012 Stefan rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, did-not-finish, fifty-page-fridays

Here's the Fifty Page Fridays mini-review I wrote about this novel:

http://farbeyondreality.com/2012/03/1...

Short version: looks like a great novel, but it's probably best if you read The Stress of Her Regard first.

Long version: click on the link above!

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Feb 22, 2013 Rick Urban rated it 4 of 5 stars

Although "Hide Me Among the Graves" is only the second Tim Powers novel I've read ("Three Days to Never" being the first), I was certainly prepared for the wildly creative and imaginative narrative he serves up here, and yet I still had a bit of a problem getting a good grasp of the story he lays out. Perhaps it was because I couldn't devote my customary time to reading it in great chunks, or maybe it was because the supernatural concepts he embellished here originated in a previous novel, "The...more Although "Hide Me Among the Graves" is only the second Tim Powers novel I've read ("Three Days to Never" being the first), I was certainly prepared for the wildly creative and imaginative narrative he serves up here, and yet I still had a bit of a problem getting a good grasp of the story he lays out. Perhaps it was because I couldn't devote my customary time to reading it in great chunks, or maybe it was because the supernatural concepts he embellished here originated in a previous novel, "The Stress of Her Regard", and so may not have been as clearly delineated in this volume as in his previous work. I hesitate to blame MR. Powers, because it is quite obvious that he is an author of great imagination and lavish detail. I can say that, despite these handicaps, "Hide Me Among the Graves" is an exciting, thrilling and macabre tale that I want to read again soon; furthermore, I want to read "The Stress of Her Regard" to set the state for a revisiting of this tale.

To say that this book deals with vampires and their victims is to give the book very short shrift, because Powers has expanded upon the hoary cliches of the undead genre and breathed fresh and witty life into this oldest of supernatural phenomena. Not since Anne Rice's Vampire histories has there been such an elaborate and detailed re-imagining of the vampire mythos as we get in this book, and the wit referred to begins with the fact that 19th century Pre-Raphaelite poets of the Rosetti family are being haunted by their dead uncle, John Polidori, a real historical figure and doctor to Lord Byron; the humor comes from the fact that Polidori, the relentless and seemingly immortal villain of the novel, was the man who created one of the very first vampire tales in his short story "The Vampyre", a product of the same "ghost story challenge" that lead to Mary Shelley writing "Frankenstein". Further amusement can be taken from the fact that these undead creatures, far from being simple parasites, are akin to muses, and for the blood they extract, provide their "victims" with both physical vigor and, more importantly for the various desperate poets who people these pages, the ability to write poetry of a quality that transcends the mediocre talents they evince when left to their own devices.

Also clever is the way in which the author picks and chooses which of the many vampire legends he uses as is and which he embellishes to suit his own needs: vampires must be invited in by their victims, they drink blood, and they are repelled by garlic and wooden stakes, yet they are more ghosts than flesh and blood, can be trapped within tiny pieces of statuary, and have byzantine rules regarding their movement in our world (perhaps a few too many, in fact: barely a chapter goes by without a new fact being unearthed about how to deal with these creatures and the otherworldly London that its characters inhabit.)

Nevertheless, this complicated narrative, full of incident and portent, can be a truly creepy and haunting read, what with descents into the subterranean world of Victorian London, exhumation (and mutilation!) of long dead relatives, seances, living dead fetuses that grow into monstrous apparitions, and mournful deceased relatives that live in the bodies of fish and other creatures just beyond the bridges that straddle the Thames. The threat of Polidori and his co-conspirator, the historical figure Boadicea, seems mortally real, and the various battles against these demons by the novel's protagonists have real life and death consequences. A feeling of deep melancholy overlays the entire tale, as the Rosettis and their new-found allies, veterinarian John Crawford, former prostitute Adelaide McKee and their daughter, fight seemingly impossible odds to escape the escalating threat of the Polidori. With its echoes of vampire lore from Polidori through Stoker and beyond, "Hide Me Among the Graves" is a triumphant addition to the vampire literature and an extremely entertaining and satisfying thriller.(less)

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Jan 31, 2013 Jennifer rated it 3 of 5 stars

3.5/5
Read this book: If you like Victoriana or a gothic horror mood.

HMATG starts as a creepy, personal horror story about a family haunted by an unknown power. Then it spirals outward to include more point-of-view characters and a broader story. Characters who were important in the beginning fall into the background and then re-emerge into the foreground sporadically, giving me the unsettling feeling that I never really knew whom the book was *about.* As the villains become better explicated, th...more

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Aug 08, 2012 Daniel Cann rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is the first Powers novel I have read and I wanted to see for myself whether it lived up to its promise.

This is very moody and atmospheric. I love a good Gothic thriller, and this one manages to build interest and suspense with its shape-shifting vampires, nephilium and ghosts. Here séances take place in a fog-shrouded London that boasts secret tunnels and lairs.

Packed with mystery, matters of the occult, the supernatural, and a family like no other, this is top-notch literary entertainme...more

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May 15, 2012 Derryl Murphy rated it 5 of 5 stars

While not necessary, I do think it's a good idea if you first read The Stress of Her Regard (one of my all-time favorite novels) as well as the story "A Journey of Only Two Paces" from the collection The Bible Repairman and Other Stories, which acts as a bridge between the two. That said, Hide Me Among the Graves could be read as a stand-alone novel, although I firmly believe you would be missing a lot of the undercurrent of awareness that knowing the previous stories supplies you.

As for the boo...more

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Apr 11, 2012 Star (The Bibliophilic Book Blog) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed

‘Hide Me Among the Graves’ is a chilling gothic tale full of ghosts, vampires, and Nephilim. Focusing on the historical figures - siblings Christina and Dante Gabriel Rossetti – Mr. Powers has given us an alternative view of the origins of creativity and madness. A Victorian London suffused with the supernatural draws you into the clutches of the monsters and ordinary folk. Unlikely acquaintances and future friends are forced to combat the evil Christina Rossetti had quickened many years ago, be...more

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Mar 24, 2012 Andrew rated it 5 of 5 stars

I have survived a string of Tim Powers novels that I didn't care much about (but also _Declare_, which I loved). So I worried about a long-interval sequel to _The Stress of Her Regard_. Unnecessary! This is one of the good ones.

The original book had Byron, Shelley, their crowd of artsy associates, and (protagonist) Michael Crawford. This one, set a couple of decades later, has Christina and Dante Rossetti, *their* crowd of artsy associates, and (new protagonist) John Crawford. Plus the vampires,...more

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Mar 24, 2012 Kathleen (Kat) Smith rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: dark-fantasy-horror-fiction, historical-fiction, fantasy-adventure-fiction, supense-thriller-fiction

If you love a story set in the mid 1800's in the dark and cold world of old London, where the monsters that lie await when the sun goes down is your type of thriller/suspense, then Hide Me Among The Graves by Tim Powers will be the perfect novel for you.

When I set out to review this one, I didn't realize that there was a prequel of sorts that would help the reader get a bit of historical background on the creatures that roam the dark London streets in this novel so The Stress of Her Regard might...more If you love a story set in the mid 1800's in the dark and cold world of old London, where the monsters that lie await when the sun goes down is your type of thriller/suspense, then Hide Me Among The Graves by Tim Powers will be the perfect novel for you.

When I set out to review this one, I didn't realize that there was a prequel of sorts that would help the reader get a bit of historical background on the creatures that roam the dark London streets in this novel so The Stress of Her Regard might be the answer if you find yourself questioning what you're reading as you begin. I implore you to continue your effort because once you understand that there are two different stories that combine as you read on, then the ride will become more enjoyable.

The premise behind this one involves the first set of characters The Rossetti family. Through a brief discussion with her father before his dies, Christina is informed that her father possesses a stone figure that has invited supernatural creatures into their lives. The creatures are vampire/ghosts that benefit their hosts by offering them enhanced-talents such as the ability to paint or write well, but there is also a price to pay. Unfortunately for Christina instead of taking her father's advice and destroying the figure, she duplicates her father's ritual and brings forth her dead uncle, Polidori. Only now, she wishes to find a way to get rid of it before the curse destroys more that just her family.

The second set of characters that the reader is introduced to are an ex-prostitute known as Adelaide McKee and a veterinary-surgeon, John Crawford who are brought together by their uncanny ability to protect themselves from the creatures of the night. Now years later, Adelaide confesses to John that she lied to him when they first met and subsequently had his child. The child has died and now Adelaide is convinced they have to try and find a way to keep her from becoming a vampire/ghost.

I received this book compliments of William Morrow, a division of Harper Collins Publishers, for my honest review and love the rich detail the author uses to construct the setting and characters for his story. I almost gave up at the beginning because the storyline is a bit confusing but after reading what others had written that read this one, I knew I had to go back with a bit of gusto and complete it. I was so glad I did! This is not your sparkly vampire love story, but one that most writers created long ago, when monsters and shadows did not stay where they should. For those of you looking for those old suspense thrillers, this is the perfect book for you. Be prepared however, the beginning can be difficult but once you know that two sets of characters exist you can proceed along at a great pace. I rate this one a 4 out of 5 stars. (less)

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Feb 28, 2012 Michael O. rated it 4 of 5 stars

Disclaimer: I read the novel in its proof copy, so the published version may be slightly different.

Hide Me Among the Graves ranks as a middle-of-the-road Tim Powers novel, which still gets it 4/5 stars from me. The story concerns Rosetti family, famous for their poetry, art and criticism in the Pre-Raphaelite, haunted by the pseudo-vampires who also appeared in Powers' The Stress of Her Regard (which I have not read), and using the concept of eating ghosts which appeared in Expiration Date (whic...more

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Nov 24, 2012 Jennifer rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, library, secret-history

Tim Powers is what I'd call a master of the secret-history fantasy: a story set in what is ostensibly the real world, with many historical characters, yet imbued with a twist that takes it outside what we'd consider normal. In this case, the Rosettis, one of the leading families of the pre-Raphaelite movement in the 19th century, confront a demonic presence from their past that threatens to destroy them and all of London too.

The cover blurb suggests that this book involves vampires, and for tha...more

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Sep 08, 2012 Rob McMinn rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. If this was a television period drama series (which it damn well should be - it pisses all over Downton Abbey and its ilk), Season 1 (13 episodes) would have been based on Powers' earlier book "The Stress of Her Regard" (1989), which was a brilliant re-imagination of the lives of romantic poets, revealing that their bizarre behaviours and the odd events of their lives resulted from being beset by vampires (nephilim).

This is how I always read Powers, nowadays. I don't want to see movie versions o...more If this was a television period drama series (which it damn well should be - it pisses all over Downton Abbey and its ilk), Season 1 (13 episodes) would have been based on Powers' earlier book "The Stress of Her Regard" (1989), which was a brilliant re-imagination of the lives of romantic poets, revealing that their bizarre behaviours and the odd events of their lives resulted from being beset by vampires (nephilim).

This is how I always read Powers, nowadays. I don't want to see movie versions of his books, because a movie version will always be a loose and probably useless adaptation (in the way that "On Stranger Tides" was rubbished by the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise). No, I want to see a good, long-running TV series, to give the characters time to develop and the extraordinary events (which always fit into real world history as snugly as a pair of tight Victorian breeches) to unfold - and amaze the audience.

Powers has been blowing my mind for a long time now, and "Declare" is still my Desert Island book (and what a series that would make!), and he did vampires-and-poets long before Twiglet and Vamp Diaries and True Blood, long before Pride and Prejudice had zombies. "The Stress of Her Regard" is a superb read (if you can get hold of a copy), and "Hide Me Among the Graves" is its sequel.

(Though I don't think you have to have read the first book first, it's not that kind of a sequel, thank goodness.)

So we've moved on from the Romantic poets, and we find ourselves among the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, in a Victorian London replete with costermongers, mudlarks, street sweepers, hansom cabs, oranges and lemons, and the bells of St. Clements.

Poets and Vampires, season 2, sees some familiar names meet up with some familiar fictional characters. Byron's friends John Polidori (author of the original vampire tale and inspiration for Bram Stoker) and Edward John Trelawney, are involved with veterinarian John Crawford, the son of Dr Michael Crawford, who was the protagonist of Powers' 1989 novel.

Episode One introduces us to Christina Rosetti and her brothers and sister, who are the nieces and nephews of the late Polidori, who is not as dead as he might be. Rosetti inadvertently revives the dormant Polidori and brings trouble into the life of John Crawford, who has been told enough about the nephilim to act instinctively - whether this means throwing crushed garlic around or jumping into the Thames. In Episode Two, we meet Trelawney, survivor of many adventures with his friend Byron - married many times, and now consorting around London with his mysterious mistress Miss B.

And this is where you scurry to Wikipedia to find out how much of this is true.

The answer? All of it! Probably.(less)

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Mar 24, 2012 Jeff Miller rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is a sequel to the 1989 book "The Stress of Her Regard", a title I so liked and really expressed the contents.

The first novel dealt with a doctor who had become under the influence of a female vampire and came into the orbits of poets Shelley and Byron.

This new book involves involves the Rossetti family and John Crawford the son of the doctor from the first novel. Right now I am rather allergic to vampire novels as so many are being published and very few worth reading. Though I am not alle...more

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Nov 15, 2012 Psychophant rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed, fantasy, alternate-history

This book is a sequel to The Stress of Her Regard, and I suspect that deliberately it is detached and languid as the pre-rafaelites that are the main characters, compared to the fiery passionate Romantics of the previous book. In the 25 years between both books Powers has slightly improved his technique but he has lost the passion that made Stress... resonate so strongly with its lively characters and the Nephilim that preyed on them. The fact that the previous book is one of my all time fantasy...more This book is a sequel to The Stress of Her Regard, and I suspect that deliberately it is detached and languid as the pre-rafaelites that are the main characters, compared to the fiery passionate Romantics of the previous book. In the 25 years between both books Powers has slightly improved his technique but he has lost the passion that made Stress... resonate so strongly with its lively characters and the Nephilim that preyed on them. The fact that the previous book is one of my all time fantasy favorites may have worked against this one, as it is good but not great.

It is not surprising that most of the passion (love of life, of freedom, hate of losing himself among the vampires) comes from the only Romantic to survive the fifty years that separate both books, Edward John Trelawney. Many other real characters, most of them artists, people the book. Unfortunately Christina Rossetti, her brother Dante or Swinburne do not compare favorably with Keats, Byron or Shelley, even if they probably were as they are sympathetically pictured in the book.

This time the Crawford family are not the main characters, and in my opinion the book suffers because of this. With them Powers could have written without the constraints of historical fact that affect the real characters, as most readers will have already googled them, a suspense kill switch when you know the main details of someone's life.

Finally he has also tried to shoehorn ghosts of the Earthquake Weather variety into the story, breaking continuity both with the previous book and with itself at certain points. It may be nitpicky to complain about consistent supernatural abilities, but it really breaks the serious effort he has made to integrate the supernatural into the mundane.

Yet, it has one of the best recreated Victorian Londons of the recent literature, and believable, if at times boring, characters. Add Powers mistreatment of characters to create a few brilliantly moving moments.

If you have not, read The Stress of her Regard, and if you like it, pick this one.
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Aug 17, 2012 Steven Kasow rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fantasy

I wanted to like this book more, and if I were new to Tim Powers, I think I might have. But I found Hide Me Among the Graves to be an un-needed sequel to The Stress of Her Regard, which I thought was a beautifully written standalone.

There are three elements to a Powers book: the historical setting he's researched, the unique magical elements he's come up with to explain oddities in the historical record, and the characters that bring it to life.

Since I'd already read The Stress of Her Regard, I...more

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Sep 11, 2012 TheBookSmugglers rated it 3 of 5 stars

Original review posted on The Book Smugglers

In Tim Power’s 1989 acclaimed novel The Stress of Her Regard, the protagonist Michael Crawford battles vampiric forces of evil side by side with Byron, Keats, Shelley et al.

Hide Me Among the Graves is a standalone sequel to that novel, following John Crawford, the son of that novel’s protagonist as he battles the same sort of vampiric forces of evil, this time alongside another group of artists: the Rossetti family (Dante Gabriel, Christina and their s...more Original review posted on The Book Smugglers

In Tim Power’s 1989 acclaimed novel The Stress of Her Regard, the protagonist Michael Crawford battles vampiric forces of evil side by side with Byron, Keats, Shelley et al.

Hide Me Among the Graves is a standalone sequel to that novel, following John Crawford, the son of that novel’s protagonist as he battles the same sort of vampiric forces of evil, this time alongside another group of artists: the Rossetti family (Dante Gabriel, Christina and their siblings) and their surrounding group of friends.

The above is nothing but a cheeky, basic summary and Hide Me Among the Graves is a lot more than this basic premise. It’s a historical supernatural thriller that takes basic facts about the lives of its historical characters and plays with them in an atmospheric London of the late 19th century.

The Rossettis’ siblings have been haunted by the ghost-like vampiric presence of their uncle John Polidori ever since Christina succumbed to its allure when she was a young girl and opened the doors of her life (and that of her siblings, most notably Dante Gabriel) to this spectral presence. Years later, they are still struggling against this ghost and come to realise that Polidori is not the only vampiric creature and they are not their only victims. There is the veterinarian John Crawford whose father was a victim of the same sort of creature years before; as well as Adelaide McKee, a former prostitute whose daughter has gone missing. Her connection to both John and Dante Gabriel makes these two groups of people to join forces against a common enemy. Eventually they come to learn that there is a plan to destroy London.

There is a lot to enjoy about Hide Me Among the Graves. Starting with its particular take on vampirism: these vampires are spectral creatures who take over somebody’s dead form and function as succubi/incubi as well as muse to their victims. They exert influence and although they don’t make their living victims immortal they do expand their lifeline. This concoction of ideas serves as a great exploration of both the repulsion and attraction that these creatures engender in their victims especially those with artistic souls. This is sharply explored in the particular lives of the Rossettis and Christina has the biggest struggle of them all. Her repulsion toward her uncle is as great as her attraction. There is hatred and fear born out of her Christian upbringing and the knowledge that there is nothing natural about her relationship with this Polidori creature. But there is also love and lust and the certainty that her writing is at its best when she allows Polidori to exert his influence. There is a lot of tragedy here, present in the lives of the Rossettis and for them the biggest tragedy of all is their knowledge that their work is at its best only when they open their souls to possible damnation.

As interesting as this insertion of these characters into this Fantasy world is, Hide Me Among the Graves proves to be more engaging when it moves focus to the wholly fictional characters Crawford and Mckee. Mckee is a particularly well-drawn female character who is fully aware of this hidden London of magic, of curses and where ghosts can be trapped in birds. I loved McKee, her budding relationship with Crawford as well as her missing daughter Johanna – who turns out to be a funny and capable street urchin.

On the flip side, the basic plot of the novel – characters get together to fight the vampires and how this affects their personal lives – is rehashed many times throughout what can only be described as a very bloated book. This is a trap of Powers’ own making because by using the Rossettis as characters, he has to inevitably follow the course of their lives. In addition, despite the fact that so many characters suffer under this evil influence, Hide Me Among the Graves is a very plot-focused novel where events brought about by external influences kept leading characters here and there. Because of that, and I admit I am not usually a fan of plot-driven novels, it lacked something more substantial so that I could fully emerge myself and sink my teeth into this novel (pun not intended) with gusto.

Ultimately Hide Me Among the Graves is a very enjoyable, atmospheric read and I found it to be extremely engaging as I read it. I am trying to find a way to say that I think this is a good, solid novel but one that in spite of its clear qualities (and there are many), lacks a je ne sais quoi . And this missing… gravitas…prevents it from being a truly remarkable novel. (less)

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Oct 23, 2012 Philtrum rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Having worked my way through all 500 pages of this work of “speculative fiction” it’s more a case of ‘Hide Meh Among The Graves’.

Powers specialises in basing his novels around real historical characters (in this case the Rossetti family) and then weaving in some supernatural hokum (in this case vampires).

This is a sequel of sorts to his 1989 novel ‘The Stress of her Regard’ which need not be read first.

I won’t go through the plot in detail here. It’s reasonably well worked out, and it’s linear (...more

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Nov 12, 2012 Eero rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: ebook, kindle

This is a sequel to The Stress of Her Regard, which I read many years ago. I might have benefited by rereading it first, but I think I was able to recall most of the important references as they occurred. Anyway, anyone who has not read Stress should do it before this one, even though it might not be strictly necessary.

Anyway, this is pure Tim Powers with the meticulously researched historical details mixed with a strange hidden underworld of magic and weirldy specific rituals and techniques. I...more

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Jun 01, 2012 Sasha rated it 4 of 5 stars

This expansive novel by Tim Powers weaves together the stories of several 19th-century Londoners: a veterinary surgeon, an ex-prostitute who deals in ghost-catching songbirds, their savvy young daughter, and four literary siblings all connected by the fact that they are victims of the vampire/ghost who sustains himself through them but offers artistic creativity in return.

Powers does a great job recreating 19th century London, detailing the streets, pubs, and even ancient underground sewer syst...more

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Jun 13, 2012 Viccy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013-lariat-books, paranormal, lariat-noms

This is a highly fictionalized account of the life of Christina Rossetti, her brother Gabriel (known as Dante in the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood), her sister, Maria and her other brother, William. At the age of 14, Christina steals a small stone statute, owned by her father, cuts her finger and rubs her blood on it. This small act enlivens the vampire of John Polidori, Christina's uncle. Along the way, we meet John Crawford, Adelaide McKee and their child, Johanna, as well as Edward Trelawny, a f...more

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Mar 21, 2012 J.C. rated it 4 of 5 stars

Tim Powers is one of a few authors whose works I collect and keep in my home library. I couldn’t wait to read Hide Me Among The Graves, especially with its connections to The Stress of Her Regard. I highly recommend reading them back to back to get the full effect of the ‘secret history’ Powers has created. The Stress of Her Regard came back into print in 2008, it shouldn’t be too hard to find.

You could read Graves on its own, but not having the backstory for some of the characters and their mot...more

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May 11, 2013 Christine rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is creepy and feelingly written book. One of my favorite passages, as two characters crawl along a suffocating tunnel:

Then he was breathing again, in rapid gasps, but over the noise of that and his thunderous heartbeat he heard McKee call softly from the darkness ahead, "Crawford, what is it?"

And he could hear in her voice the tightness of nearly unbearable strain, of savage panic savagely suppressed.

Clearly she was experiencing everything that he was, and she was not clawing her way back

...more

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Mar 02, 2013 Joanna rated it 4 of 5 stars

I don't know if I would have liked this as much if I didn't already love Tim Powers, hadn't read The Stress of Her Regard (an earlier Powers novel, which is the prequel to this one, although that's not apparent until you read it) and wasn't entirely familiar with the Rosettis and the Pre-Raphaelites. So if the previous sentence describes you, you might not enjoy it to the same extent.

That said, it contains Powers' usual dense, elegant prose, beguilingly plausible secret histories, and taut, goth...more

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