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The Haunting Of Alaizabel Cray
The Alienist meets Dracula in this gripping, gothic-horror thriller from young UK phenom Chris Wooding.Thaniel, just seventeen, is a wych-hunter. Together, he and Cathaline--his friend and mentor--track down the fearful creatures that lurk in the Old Quarter of London. It is on one of these hunts that he first encounters Alaizabel Cray. Alaizabel is half-crazed, lovely, an...more
Paperback, 304 pages
Published
August 1st 2005
by Scholastic Inc.
(first published 2001)
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I really enjoy reading Chris Wooding's novels. There's always something very dark and weird to the worlds he creates, and it makes the stories edgy and exciting. The Haunting of Alaizabel Cray is no exception.
Set in an alternate universe of Victorian London, there are more than just famous serial killers (in this case, it's Stitch-face) to worry about. Ever since the city was bombed, wych-kin have been appearing in the Old Quarter. They kill, possess, steal babies, and just generall...more
Set in an alternate universe of Victorian London, there are more than just famous serial killers (in this case, it's Stitch-face) to worry about. Ever since the city was bombed, wych-kin have been appearing in the Old Quarter. They kill, possess, steal babies, and just generall...more
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Becky
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review of another edition
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review of another edition
Shelves:
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library,
young-adult,
mystery-and-thrillers,
2010,
fantasy,
historical-fiction,
multi-dimensional,
reviewed,
romance,
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I was browsing the YA section of my local library and I stumbled across this book. Or maybe I should say that it called out to me. The blurry cathedral on the cover just promised to be dark and mysterious. I'm a sucker for dark, broody, creepy, gothic (etc) type stories, and this delivered just that.
I haven't read anything by Chris Wooding before, in fact, I'd never even heard of him until I picked up this book. As soon as I'm done writing this review, I'm going to be adding his ot...more
I haven't read anything by Chris Wooding before, in fact, I'd never even heard of him until I picked up this book. As soon as I'm done writing this review, I'm going to be adding his ot...more
Another unexpected wonder by Chris Wooding. In an alternative Victorian London, young Thaniel Fox hunts wych-kin, the spooky beings who haunt the Old Quarter. While hunting, he encounters the beautiful Alaizabel Cray, who is possessed by a spirit that makes her an attraction to all sorts of wych-kin horrors. In solving Alaizabel's mystery, Thaniel and his mentor Cathaline become discover a secret society that is threatening not only London, but humanity itself. This atmospheric tale is perfe...more
I'm maybe a bit below four stars on this one, but I'll round up because my teen book group really seemed to like it, and teen appeal counts for something with YA lit.
In general, this book held my interest well. It was pretty original, and the writing is decent. Toward the end, though, it seemed to get a bit heavy handed with the philosophical aspects of the story. I like the idea that the witch-kin (ghoulish beings of all sorts) come from the dark part of human minds, but to say that ...more
In general, this book held my interest well. It was pretty original, and the writing is decent. Toward the end, though, it seemed to get a bit heavy handed with the philosophical aspects of the story. I like the idea that the witch-kin (ghoulish beings of all sorts) come from the dark part of human minds, but to say that ...more
So I'm actually not going to rate this book until I've finished my review. I've had a lot of mixed feelings about this one. Normally I would just decide whether a book is good or not, but for some reason I just couldn't decide this time around. I felt maybe reviewing it would finally bring me to a conclusion. The problem might have been that I actually found the main characters bland. Whilst the ones that stood out were the bad creepy ones, and you know when your preferring the bad guys over the...more
This one's a keeper. Some books just hit you in the first few pages, and you know deep in your gut that you've stumbled on a true find. Wooding has crafted a gritty, atmospheric fantasy set in the Old Quarter of London. Thaniel is a wych-hunter; he hunts Cradlejacks, monsters who steal babies. He protects Alaizabel who is mysteriously possessed and a magnet for evil creatures. The tools of a wych-hunters trade are well-detailed, and it's a pleasure to read such a well-thought out form of magic....more
cross-posted from Book Haven
Элайзабел Крэй и Темное Братство – одна из моих самых-самых любимых подростковых книг. Это как раз тот самый иллюзорный идеальный случай, когда главный герой вызывает неподдельное восхищение, женские персонажи вызывают симпатию, в мотивацию главного злодея возможно поверить, а второстепенные персонажи не фон, а участники действия. И главное! От приключений героев невозможно оторваться, но еще очень радует тот факт, что все происшествия в книге в конечном...more
Элайзабел Крэй и Темное Братство – одна из моих самых-самых любимых подростковых книг. Это как раз тот самый иллюзорный идеальный случай, когда главный герой вызывает неподдельное восхищение, женские персонажи вызывают симпатию, в мотивацию главного злодея возможно поверить, а второстепенные персонажи не фон, а участники действия. И главное! От приключений героев невозможно оторваться, но еще очень радует тот факт, что все происшествия в книге в конечном...more
I want to give a review of a book that's been out for about seven years and one that I had never heard of (P.S. I usually like to pretend I've heard of everything). I am aware of who the author Chris Wooding is, but I was not familiar at all with his book The Haunting of Alaizabel Cray until a co-worker placed it into my hands and told me I needed to read it. So I read it, and now I want to share it with you.
The prose in this book is incredible. It reads at such a smooth pace and the d...more
The prose in this book is incredible. It reads at such a smooth pace and the d...more
Chris Wooding's award-winning 'The Haunting of Alaizabel Cray' is an awesome, exciting and darkly atmospheric young adult novel. A fantasy set in a parallel 'wych'-infested London, the book is genuinely eerie in places, and has a tangible, vividly-imagined atmosphere that you can really see. The story of Alaizabel Cray, beacon to the horrors of man's subconscious, and her fellow heroes is well structured, and interesting - there is a intricate plot beneath the cinematic description, with satisfy...more
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I never expected any anticipation of a pleasurable read from this book. I was bored and I was in dire need of buying a book and I came across this book by Chris Wooding and it was on sale at that time. A book below ten bucks is what I consider a sure buy with no regrets, which is why I didn't shed a tear when I bought The Da Vinci Code. So, I bought it and let it collect dust on my bookshelves for a while until the day I was urged to read it. I finished the book in one sitting and at the end of ...more
I have read a lot of other Chris Wooding books. I loved Poison and enjoyed Storm Thief and Malice as well. This though, was one of the best of the bunch. This is a very well done book and creates a wonderful world with an excellent story.
Thaniel is a wych hunter, like his father before him. On one of his treks into the dark alleys of London, while tracking a Cradlejack, his is attacked by a young woman. He subdues her and brings her home. When she comes too he finds that her name is ...more
Thaniel is a wych hunter, like his father before him. On one of his treks into the dark alleys of London, while tracking a Cradlejack, his is attacked by a young woman. He subdues her and brings her home. When she comes too he finds that her name is ...more
Fiendishly Bookish
rated it
London has been over-run by Wych-kin for twenty years or so after the bombing by the Vernichtung. The city's residents have lived as prisoners terrorized by the nebulous and nefarious Cradle-jacks,Drowned Folk, Wights, Chackh'morg, Rawhead and Bloodybones, Deildegasts,The Hallow Ghoul, The Draug, and Stitch-Face.
Ultimately at the heart of the evil and the spawning of the Wych-kin lays the Fraternity, a coven of immense power-enough to summon a beast that will lay waste to London and...more
Ultimately at the heart of the evil and the spawning of the Wych-kin lays the Fraternity, a coven of immense power-enough to summon a beast that will lay waste to London and...more
The Haunting of Alaizabel Cray is set in an alternative Victorian London. The characters live in a London much as it really existed, except for the fact that it was bombed by Prussian zeppelins. Somehow, the Prussian bombs not only destroyed much of the Old Quarter, but also released hordes of supernatural creatures called wych-kin. This imaginary London is filled with both the new fruits of science, such as underground trains and telephones, and also with the ancient monsters of nightmares, ...more
Liz (Consumed by Books)
rated it
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review of another edition
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review of another edition
Recommended to Liz (Consumed by Books) by:
Jeremy (my boyfriend)
I have to say that up until the last few chapters of this book, I didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I did. I thought that the author tied this book together really well at the end.
The whole story is set in Victorian London and has a very Gothic mood and feel to it. At the beginning of the novel, I wasn't sure how all of the individual story lines would tie together, but the author pulled it together quite well. Also, I didn't get a sense of infeasibility as I read. It really m...more
The whole story is set in Victorian London and has a very Gothic mood and feel to it. At the beginning of the novel, I wasn't sure how all of the individual story lines would tie together, but the author pulled it together quite well. Also, I didn't get a sense of infeasibility as I read. It really m...more
I found this book on a steampunk list, but don't be fooled. It's not steampunk; in fact, it's more Lovecraftian horror, by which I mean lots of creepy creatures and not much soul.
Basically, that's the problem with this book. The characters are fairly one-dimensional and you never get close enough to them to really invest in their story. The description and detail in the book is great, but when more time goes into describing the wych-kin than the characters reaction to them, you're in...more
Basically, that's the problem with this book. The characters are fairly one-dimensional and you never get close enough to them to really invest in their story. The description and detail in the book is great, but when more time goes into describing the wych-kin than the characters reaction to them, you're in...more
Okay, so this book is predictable and the main characters aren't especially interesting... BUT it also somehow manages to be 4 stars worth of macabre funtimes. I suppose the world-building may have something to do with why I liked this story so much. I loved the semi-post-apocalyptic Victorian London and all of the deliciously chilling critters and side-characters that populated it. At any point in this story, it was clear to me that there was a landscape of potential other stories happening out...more
I enjoyed this book, it was Young Adult in tone but not pandering. I just read two books of very similar tone to this, and I liked both of them. This one has a very Gothic, Faerie Tale bent to it. Definitely felt Young Adult, like Graceling, but I was engrossed and kept with the characters.
Interesting environment and world (which I was interested in learning more about, sometimes it felt a bit thinly drawn, but the author succeeded in giving me the total creeps a few times with h...more
Interesting environment and world (which I was interested in learning more about, sometimes it felt a bit thinly drawn, but the author succeeded in giving me the total creeps a few times with h...more
This book was written by the same author as Poison. It is very Gothic. Well written, but super scary, and frankly not one I would recommend. It is a young adult book as well, but I don't think that it should have been. It seemed more adult themed to me. Certainly no nudity, or cursing, but the subject matter was very dark, and I did not like the feel of the book.
Steam Punk is a very interesting genre. I would have to read a few more books in this genre before making a judgement on it. I would venture to say that in high school, Emo kids, Punk kids, and Goth kids may enjoy these books very much. These groups were previously a very hard niche to please.
The Haunting of Alaizabel Cray is very different from anything I have ever read. It was very, very dark. Darker than I care to have explored. I would may even go so far as to say sacreligious if ...more
The Haunting of Alaizabel Cray is very different from anything I have ever read. It was very, very dark. Darker than I care to have explored. I would may even go so far as to say sacreligious if ...more
In an alternate Victorian London lit by gas lamps, circled by airships, and plagued by a Jack-the-Ripper-style serial killer, Thaniel Fox is a wych-hunter who relies on an arsenal of wards, rites and charm-strings to rid the Old Quarter of demons. As fog swirls and wolves howl, Thaniel stumbles across a young woman racked with fever and certain to fall victim to wych-kin without his protection. Although Alaizabel appears insane, Thaniel learns she may be possessed by an evil spirit summoned by T...more
Oh, my God. This is my most favorite book ever! I can't even count how many times I've read it! The spine is all battered and usually when you open the book, it falls directly to the pages that I have read over 50 times already.
When I first read it, I was young and I was all, "Okaay... *insert o.O face*" Because, for a fact, it is quite dark and Gothic. Which is why I love it so. And it has all these cool wyches (monsters) in it! I just wanna tear the book open (not literall...more
When I first read it, I was young and I was all, "Okaay... *insert o.O face*" Because, for a fact, it is quite dark and Gothic. Which is why I love it so. And it has all these cool wyches (monsters) in it! I just wanna tear the book open (not literall...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Another great action story from this author!
Welcome to a dytopian London, where ghouls and phantoms, called wych-kin, terrorize citizens. If there are wych, they must be wych-hunters, and that would be Thaniel and Cathaline. As Thaniel hunts for one particularly nasty wych-kin, he finds Alaizabel Cray. Alaizabel is the key to an incredible plan that unfolds as we learn how deadly these wych-kin are. This is a well-crafted story that keeps you going right to the end.
T...more
Welcome to a dytopian London, where ghouls and phantoms, called wych-kin, terrorize citizens. If there are wych, they must be wych-hunters, and that would be Thaniel and Cathaline. As Thaniel hunts for one particularly nasty wych-kin, he finds Alaizabel Cray. Alaizabel is the key to an incredible plan that unfolds as we learn how deadly these wych-kin are. This is a well-crafted story that keeps you going right to the end.
T...more
WOW...WOW ...WOW >>>> HOLY WOW!!! This was one of the best books I have ever read!!!!!! From cover to cover,this story fast paced action and mystery. I couldn't even put the book down during the first few pages. Chris Wooding does a great job telling the story but also, at the same time mentioning the extras in Great detail. Just by reading a section of this book you have a picture of what Wooding was imagining. I strongly recommend this book for someone who is looking for a thrilli...more
this really depends on what you want from the story. if you go into it wanting a really interesting plot, told from an objective point of view with little sentimentality, you'll really like this.
it has been pointed out that the characters are somewhat bland and the love story is boring and pointless. and that is true, but i find most love stories to be boring and pointless so it doesn't seem like a problem to me. and the blandness of the characters is offset by the richness of the ...more
it has been pointed out that the characters are somewhat bland and the love story is boring and pointless. and that is true, but i find most love stories to be boring and pointless so it doesn't seem like a problem to me. and the blandness of the characters is offset by the richness of the ...more
Thaniel, only 17, has become a premier London wych hunter in this alternate reality horror-fantasy. His job is to track down the fearful creatures that lurk in the dilapidated, grungy version of London, almost totally destroyed by German bombs lobbed from “flying ships,” dirigibles. A fortuitous encounter with Alaizabel Cray, half crazed from a brutal possession, changes his destiny—and the world’s. The novel is well told and gripping, but readers need to be aware that the thesis of the nov...more
I thought I would really like this book. The concept is outstanding. To describe it to someone would sound just like the plot to a blockbuster movie. A duo of wych hunters rid the streets of Victorian England from a variety of wychkind (demons) while trying to solve the mystery surrounding a troubled girl found alone in the wrong part of town. But there was something missing while I was reading it. Something made the book drag on forever even though I was always interested in what was going...more
Das Buch hatte so seine Längen und ich musste Abschnitte öfter zweimal lesen, weil ich mit den Gedanken mehrmals woanders war und dann keine Ahnung mehr hatte, was ich da gerade gelesen hatte.
Ich hätte mir etwas mehr Atmosphäre gewünscht. Aber es war trotzdem schon sehr gut aufgebaut und umschrieben. Es ist nicht so, dass Schauplätze beliebig durch alle Epochen austauschbar gewesen wären.
Die ganze Geschichte hätte etwas früher in Schwung kommen können. Erst zog es sich alles etwas hin ...more
Ich hätte mir etwas mehr Atmosphäre gewünscht. Aber es war trotzdem schon sehr gut aufgebaut und umschrieben. Es ist nicht so, dass Schauplätze beliebig durch alle Epochen austauschbar gewesen wären.
Die ganze Geschichte hätte etwas früher in Schwung kommen können. Erst zog es sich alles etwas hin ...more
More steampunk than sci-fi or fantasy.
In an alternative London that was nearly destroyed in a war with the Prussian states, Thaniel is a wych hunter, bent on destroying the frightening supernatural creatures that have appeared since the end of the war. When he finds possessed Alaizabel while hunting one night, he stumbles upon a plot by an evil cult to release the horrible old gods into the world, thereby destroying human life on the planet.
Good, suspenseful page turner. Brilliant d...more
In an alternative London that was nearly destroyed in a war with the Prussian states, Thaniel is a wych hunter, bent on destroying the frightening supernatural creatures that have appeared since the end of the war. When he finds possessed Alaizabel while hunting one night, he stumbles upon a plot by an evil cult to release the horrible old gods into the world, thereby destroying human life on the planet.
Good, suspenseful page turner. Brilliant d...more
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Chris Wooding grew up in a small town in Leicestershire, where not much of anything happened. So he started to write novels. He was sixteen when he completed his first. He had an agent by eighteen. By nineteen he had signed his first book deal. When he left university he began to write full-time, and he has been doing it professionally all his adult life.
Now thirty-two, Chris has writt...more
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Now thirty-two, Chris has writt...more
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“Devil-boy Jack: "A higher power than ours directs us against the wych-kin. There is no turning back."
Thaniel Fox: "There is no higher power, Devil-boy! And I am no-one's pawn, neither man nor wych nor whatever entity you speak of."
Devil-boy Jack: "I do not speak of entities. I speak of the force that created the physics of the universe, the force that makes time flow forward and not allow everything to happen at once, the force that sets the patterns to which the planets turn. Its weapons are coincidence, unlikelihood, happenstance. It is there when a man stops suddenly to pick up a coin dropped by another man ten days before, and the woman who is to be his wife bumps into him, and five hundred years hence their offspring rules half the world. It is there when a chance comment causes a scientist to think, What if...? and ten years later a great plague is cured. It is so vast that what we call chaos is simply another part of its order, with a shape too big to see. It has no name, nor will it ever have, though man may hint darkly at fate and destiny. It is what it is... the pattern. We may choose our own paths, but the pattern is always ahead of us. It is a way. It is the way.”
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More quotes…
Thaniel Fox: "There is no higher power, Devil-boy! And I am no-one's pawn, neither man nor wych nor whatever entity you speak of."
Devil-boy Jack: "I do not speak of entities. I speak of the force that created the physics of the universe, the force that makes time flow forward and not allow everything to happen at once, the force that sets the patterns to which the planets turn. Its weapons are coincidence, unlikelihood, happenstance. It is there when a man stops suddenly to pick up a coin dropped by another man ten days before, and the woman who is to be his wife bumps into him, and five hundred years hence their offspring rules half the world. It is there when a chance comment causes a scientist to think, What if...? and ten years later a great plague is cured. It is so vast that what we call chaos is simply another part of its order, with a shape too big to see. It has no name, nor will it ever have, though man may hint darkly at fate and destiny. It is what it is... the pattern. We may choose our own paths, but the pattern is always ahead of us. It is a way. It is the way.”
