House de Gracie

by Dennis Maulsby

Twenty-eight-year-old Army Major Hugh de Gracie returns to his half a millennium old family home in the Adirondacks for the first time in a decade. He is close to death, due to the cumulative effect of wounds and an untreatable virus acquired as a Taliban prisoner in Afghanistan. Kept ignorant by father and family during his childhood and rebellious teenage years, he does not realize the true nature of the family residence. The de Gracies both serve and are served by their domicile. The multistory de Gracie chateau is a living plant, a mythical tree of life, whose human companions have evolved over tens of thousands of years to function as symbiotes to what they call the mother-tree.
Complicating matters, the fighting in Afghanistan has earned him an implacable human enemy, one whose culture insists on vendetta. Fahad, a Taliban commander, backed by the vast resources of a wealthy Saudi family, seeks revenge for Hugh’s killing of his relatives. In less than a year, the war will come to upper New York State.

325 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 29, 2020

Reviews

[Reader Views · Rating 5 out of 5]

“House de Gracie” by Dennis Maulsby begins with Major Hugh de Gracie returning home from war in Afghanistan. His time away has ravaged his twenty-eight-year-old body. He returns minus an eye, and deathly ill from having contracted a fatal disease from bat guano. He also acquired an enemy with a vendetta. When de Gracie left home ten years prior, he left with no attachments. Upon returning, he discovers an amazing story about his ancestors, current family members and the house in which they reside. He quickly finds himself getting pulled into the family legend. The de Gracie family and the house share a symbiotic relationship in which both help each other not only survive but thrive. The family members and the house unite to fight Hugh’s enemy, who has come to the de Gracie land in hopes of destroying them all. Amazing secrets, mysterious family members, personal vendettas and a mythical house combine to create a story you won’t soon forget.

“House de Gracie,” tells an incredible tale in which the author does a fantastic job of seamlessly tying together a novel with both gothic elements and a modern war story. I was pleasantly surprised to see that this could actually be done well. It was interesting to see modern day technology used alongside an ancient power derived from nature.

The protagonist is a complicated character that has been affected by both the family secrets and his time being held captive in Afghanistan. He continues to evolve throughout the fantastic story. The supporting characters are also interesting, and I enjoyed learning about their incredible histories. The House de Gracie is a home full of interesting secrets that are fascinating to read about as they are revealed. While the tale comes to an end, it does leave doors open for future related novels. I truly hope that the author creates a series that will branch off from this story.

Readers will love “House de Gracie” and definitely find themselves looking for more writings by Dennis Maulsby.

[Military Writers Society of America (MWSA)]

MWSA Review

Dennis Maulsby’s House de Gracie is an excellent mix of fantasy fiction and military action that will leave the reader wanting more.

Hugh de Gracie is a worn out, half-blind, shot up military officer who is out of the Army because of his injuries. He doesn’t have long to live, and so he returns to the family mansion to live out his remaining days. While home, he learns two important things. First, being home has completely cured him of any illness, and second, he has started a blood feud with the family of terrorists he killed when escaping Taliban activity. As he learns more of his family history, he realizes that the timelines don’t make sense. His father should be MUCH older than he looks. More and more, as Hugh learns that things are not what they seem, he is hurtling down a path of reckoning with a Muslim fanatic that will see much bloodshed by both families.

While I am not a fan of fantasy fiction, I am a fan of military fiction, and I love how Maulsby weaves both together to create one of the most unique stories I have ever read. The story seems perfectly plausible, even though it shatters the normal boundaries of time and the human relationship with nature. It’s very well done, and a fun read besides. I am absolutely hoping for a sequel!

Review by Rob Ballister (June 2020)