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Death Mask
Who knew that placing a bid on eBay could be so deadly? When Alex wins an auction for an artifact, she is pulled into an adventure full of magic, old gods, and prophecy. Can she survive a feud between warring titans? Death Mask is a novel that blends action, mystery, and fantasy. It’s a tale that delivers heart-pounding excitement.
Ghosts, gods, and cursed relics are at the heart of this thrilling story. Death Mask is a modern retelling of an Egyptian myth. It tells of the battles between ancient deities representing order and chaos. Set in the present day, it is also the story of a young woman, Alex Kincaid, struggling to hold on. She gets caught in a deadly conflict by placing a bid on an eBay auction for a golden mask. This relic confers protection and unimaginable power to its owner. Alex contends with ancient vendettas, mortal dangers, and ghostly guides imparting terrible knowledge. Ultimately she discovers that aliens walk among us. If Alex can endure, there is a steep price for her new-found power... her soul!
Ghosts, gods, and cursed relics are at the heart of this thrilling story. Death Mask is a modern retelling of an Egyptian myth. It tells of the battles between ancient deities representing order and chaos. Set in the present day, it is also the story of a young woman, Alex Kincaid, struggling to hold on. She gets caught in a deadly conflict by placing a bid on an eBay auction for a golden mask. This relic confers protection and unimaginable power to its owner. Alex contends with ancient vendettas, mortal dangers, and ghostly guides imparting terrible knowledge. Ultimately she discovers that aliens walk among us. If Alex can endure, there is a steep price for her new-found power... her soul!
237 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 1, 2021
1 person is currently reading
422 people want to read
About the author
Nora Delzelle
3 books12 followersNora Delzelle’s is an avid reader of almost every fiction genre imaginable, but her preference has always been science fiction and fantasy. Growing up in the ‘70’s, people thought it was weird that she loved reading stories by Bradbury, Herbert, and Asimov. She eventually went into a satisfying career in the sciences because she loved those stories. She finally put pen to paper, and The Secrets of the Kings was the result.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
August 31, 2021
"This is a tale of vengeance."
A vengeance started with Set and his brother, Osiris, and continued to Alex and few mad people around her.
Alex won in auction an ancient Egyptian mask on eBay! But, this is not good news. She was so excited that buy it at a low price. A beautiful gold mask that your cat hates! You should trust your cat and get rid of the mask soon as you can. Or, Stuck with the walking dead man, revenge god, and so many other crazy things.
Death Mask: A Tale of Vengeance by Nora Delzelle was a mystery and urban fantasy story that I wish was with more detail about Set and Horus, or in ancient times. It was easy and enjoyable reading this fast-paced, suspenseful, and surprising story.
Many thanks to Xpresso Book Tours and NetGalley for giving me the chance to read Death Mask: A Tale of Vengeance by Nora Delzelle, I have given my honest review.
A vengeance started with Set and his brother, Osiris, and continued to Alex and few mad people around her.
Alex won in auction an ancient Egyptian mask on eBay! But, this is not good news. She was so excited that buy it at a low price. A beautiful gold mask that your cat hates! You should trust your cat and get rid of the mask soon as you can. Or, Stuck with the walking dead man, revenge god, and so many other crazy things.
Death Mask: A Tale of Vengeance by Nora Delzelle was a mystery and urban fantasy story that I wish was with more detail about Set and Horus, or in ancient times. It was easy and enjoyable reading this fast-paced, suspenseful, and surprising story.
Many thanks to Xpresso Book Tours and NetGalley for giving me the chance to read Death Mask: A Tale of Vengeance by Nora Delzelle, I have given my honest review.
August 4, 2021
Writing and publishing a book is an admirable accomplishment. It’s also one that’s been made increasingly easy in these days of digital publishing, meaning almost anyone can do it. When, the thing is, of course, no everyone should. Or they should as a vanity project, but the readers must go in with expectations adjusted accordingly.
This seems to be the case here. The author has obviously put a lot of work into crafting this tale to reflect her interests (good ones, mythology, ancient past, etc.) and her talent and the latter just isn’t quite there. This book is actually a really good example of a decent if not original idea executed with a flat, bland write by numbers approach.
It practically screams amateurish debut…the stilted dialogue, the carboard cutouts of characters, the cheaply rendered romantic entanglements. At its very best, it’s as generic as the cover. Otherwise, it’s just a pure waste of time. Not that much time, but still…time. And the author plans to continue with this too, serializing it, which is just…
The basic plot here is this…a 24 year old woman buys an ancient Egyptian mask off the internet and finds herself enmeshed in a historically fraught conspiracy and an ongoing battle of forces greater then herself. Through assistance of her devoted potential love interest and extended, extensive dream sequences, she must sort it all out and you know she will, because sequel.
So essentially this is like Ancient Aliens, The Mask and maybe The Mummy getting together and producing a malnourished deformed offspring that should have probably been aborted, because despite the individual and very different awesomeness of the parent properties, some things just shouldn’t breed.
Throughout the book the main protagonist is described several times as unoriginal and not very bright. Well, given the quality of narrative here, it probably wasn’t an intentional sign of self awareness but there, a perfect description for this book. It isn’t the worst thing out there and, to its credit, well edited, it’s just a bland dud.
It has managed to gather some really good reviews though, so my opinion is definitely in the minority here. Make your own choices. You will, anyway. Thanks Netgalley.
This and more at https://advancetheplot.weebly.com/
This seems to be the case here. The author has obviously put a lot of work into crafting this tale to reflect her interests (good ones, mythology, ancient past, etc.) and her talent and the latter just isn’t quite there. This book is actually a really good example of a decent if not original idea executed with a flat, bland write by numbers approach.
It practically screams amateurish debut…the stilted dialogue, the carboard cutouts of characters, the cheaply rendered romantic entanglements. At its very best, it’s as generic as the cover. Otherwise, it’s just a pure waste of time. Not that much time, but still…time. And the author plans to continue with this too, serializing it, which is just…
The basic plot here is this…a 24 year old woman buys an ancient Egyptian mask off the internet and finds herself enmeshed in a historically fraught conspiracy and an ongoing battle of forces greater then herself. Through assistance of her devoted potential love interest and extended, extensive dream sequences, she must sort it all out and you know she will, because sequel.
So essentially this is like Ancient Aliens, The Mask and maybe The Mummy getting together and producing a malnourished deformed offspring that should have probably been aborted, because despite the individual and very different awesomeness of the parent properties, some things just shouldn’t breed.
Throughout the book the main protagonist is described several times as unoriginal and not very bright. Well, given the quality of narrative here, it probably wasn’t an intentional sign of self awareness but there, a perfect description for this book. It isn’t the worst thing out there and, to its credit, well edited, it’s just a bland dud.
It has managed to gather some really good reviews though, so my opinion is definitely in the minority here. Make your own choices. You will, anyway. Thanks Netgalley.
This and more at https://advancetheplot.weebly.com/
June 19, 2021
A well-crafted sci-fi fantasy...
Forty-some years ago my uncle gave me a science fiction anthology. It was a thick red hardback that I read from cover to cover. It inspired a lifelong love of the genre. The stories in that book made me think outside the box. They filled me with awe for the imagination it took to write them. That book still remains in my collection today. The title is OMNIBUS OF SCIENCE FICTION, edited by Groff Conklin, a well-known and prolific editor of the genre. It was published in 1952, the Golden Age of Science Fiction. It’s a substantial volume, 562 pages, with 43 stories divided into sections relating to a common theme. Some stories are fun, some are thought-provoking, and some are adventurous. I love them all.
Death Mask: A Tale of Vengeance by Nora Delzelle is a wonderfully written and richly descriptive novel with brilliantly drawn settings and characters. The author weaves a well-crafted sci-fi fantasy that will captivate the reader’s attention from the start. Skillfully constructed, this exciting and thrilling sci-fi will have you turning the pages from beginning to end. There’s also plenty of imagery in the writing style that makes you feel you are right there in the story, and that’s something I look for in a good book.
The plot is intricately carved, as the synopsis suggests: ‘Ghosts, gods, and cursed relics are at the heart of this thrilling debut by Nora Delzelle. Death Mask is a modern re-imagining of the battles between Horus and Set, ancient Egyptian deities that represent order and chaos. It is a story about a young woman, Alex Kincaid, who gets caught in their deadly feud by placing a bid on an eBay auction for a golden mask. This relic confers protection and ageless power to the owner. Alex has to contend with angry gods, prophetic dreams, and ghostly guides imparting knowledge to discover that the ancients still walk among us. If Alex can survive, there is a steep price for her new-found power... her very soul.’
I enjoyed the story, character development, and dialogue. There were plenty of plot twists that I didn’t see coming and that added to the book’s mystique. When I stopped reading to work, I found myself wondering what happened in the book, and replaying parts of the novel in my head to see if I could figure more out. It's a solid read that benefits substantially from a raft of better-than-average elements. Highly recommended.
Forty-some years ago my uncle gave me a science fiction anthology. It was a thick red hardback that I read from cover to cover. It inspired a lifelong love of the genre. The stories in that book made me think outside the box. They filled me with awe for the imagination it took to write them. That book still remains in my collection today. The title is OMNIBUS OF SCIENCE FICTION, edited by Groff Conklin, a well-known and prolific editor of the genre. It was published in 1952, the Golden Age of Science Fiction. It’s a substantial volume, 562 pages, with 43 stories divided into sections relating to a common theme. Some stories are fun, some are thought-provoking, and some are adventurous. I love them all.
Death Mask: A Tale of Vengeance by Nora Delzelle is a wonderfully written and richly descriptive novel with brilliantly drawn settings and characters. The author weaves a well-crafted sci-fi fantasy that will captivate the reader’s attention from the start. Skillfully constructed, this exciting and thrilling sci-fi will have you turning the pages from beginning to end. There’s also plenty of imagery in the writing style that makes you feel you are right there in the story, and that’s something I look for in a good book.
The plot is intricately carved, as the synopsis suggests: ‘Ghosts, gods, and cursed relics are at the heart of this thrilling debut by Nora Delzelle. Death Mask is a modern re-imagining of the battles between Horus and Set, ancient Egyptian deities that represent order and chaos. It is a story about a young woman, Alex Kincaid, who gets caught in their deadly feud by placing a bid on an eBay auction for a golden mask. This relic confers protection and ageless power to the owner. Alex has to contend with angry gods, prophetic dreams, and ghostly guides imparting knowledge to discover that the ancients still walk among us. If Alex can survive, there is a steep price for her new-found power... her very soul.’
I enjoyed the story, character development, and dialogue. There were plenty of plot twists that I didn’t see coming and that added to the book’s mystique. When I stopped reading to work, I found myself wondering what happened in the book, and replaying parts of the novel in my head to see if I could figure more out. It's a solid read that benefits substantially from a raft of better-than-average elements. Highly recommended.
July 25, 2021
Death mask brings the Egyptian myth to life in this adventurous, mysterious plot. As the name of the book implies, death is covered in a golden mask with consequences for the bearer. It holds ancient secrets and only when you become part of it can you recognize its power.
When Alex finds the mask on eBay, she did not know how her life would change with this bidding. From the moment it became her property rolls flips and is she drawn into the spell wrapped in mystery which takes her into frightful dreams.
In her dreams, she gets to know the genuine mystery of the myth. Set, Osiris, and Horus become actual entities she has to conquer. She meets an unusual friend and benefactor that schools her in the origins of the mask. Forcing her to tap into her strengthens or die.
Her best friend, Gabriel, is a loyal friend that helped her decipher the secrets the mask holds. As he tries to learn its truths, other truths come apparent and he will do the ultimate sacrifice to keep her safe.
It is a fast-paced plot with great tension that keeps you in the book. An easy read with good grammar to make this an excellent read. A highly recommended book for all fantasy mystery readers.
When Alex finds the mask on eBay, she did not know how her life would change with this bidding. From the moment it became her property rolls flips and is she drawn into the spell wrapped in mystery which takes her into frightful dreams.
In her dreams, she gets to know the genuine mystery of the myth. Set, Osiris, and Horus become actual entities she has to conquer. She meets an unusual friend and benefactor that schools her in the origins of the mask. Forcing her to tap into her strengthens or die.
Her best friend, Gabriel, is a loyal friend that helped her decipher the secrets the mask holds. As he tries to learn its truths, other truths come apparent and he will do the ultimate sacrifice to keep her safe.
It is a fast-paced plot with great tension that keeps you in the book. An easy read with good grammar to make this an excellent read. A highly recommended book for all fantasy mystery readers.
July 13, 2021
This story is a wonderful blend of many genres such as action and adventure, mystery, romance, and fantasy. It is written in a unique format—one that I haven’t ever seen before. And the depth and breath of the emotion expressed in this book is also beyond anything I have ever seen, making this a wonderful read!
This book is written by a debut author, Nora Delzelle. Her writing is clean, crisp, and moving. Death Mask is a modern re-imagining of the battles for supremacy between ancient Egyptian deities.
Alex Kincaid gets caught in a deadly conflict by placing a bid on an eBay auction for a golden mask. The bid for a beautiful mask would involve her in events that she never imagined and would ultimately climax to a test of her love and faith, both in herself and her friends. Can she survive these vengeful gods?
The characters and storyline are well-crafted. The story is about ghosts, gods, and cursed relics. It’s a tale of vengeance in which the reader will wonder what will happen next to Alex right to the very end. Alex had no idea that her life would turn into such a perplexing series of events as she picks up a listing with an Egyptian Death Mask that was up for bid on eBay.
This is a thought-provoking work. It is a powerful collection of poems that speak from the heart and soul of a pure artist. I feel that I grew as a writer having read this book. I can’t wait to read Nora’s next book.
Website: https://www.NoraDelzelleBooks.com
This book is written by a debut author, Nora Delzelle. Her writing is clean, crisp, and moving. Death Mask is a modern re-imagining of the battles for supremacy between ancient Egyptian deities.
Alex Kincaid gets caught in a deadly conflict by placing a bid on an eBay auction for a golden mask. The bid for a beautiful mask would involve her in events that she never imagined and would ultimately climax to a test of her love and faith, both in herself and her friends. Can she survive these vengeful gods?
The characters and storyline are well-crafted. The story is about ghosts, gods, and cursed relics. It’s a tale of vengeance in which the reader will wonder what will happen next to Alex right to the very end. Alex had no idea that her life would turn into such a perplexing series of events as she picks up a listing with an Egyptian Death Mask that was up for bid on eBay.
This is a thought-provoking work. It is a powerful collection of poems that speak from the heart and soul of a pure artist. I feel that I grew as a writer having read this book. I can’t wait to read Nora’s next book.
Website: https://www.NoraDelzelleBooks.com
July 22, 2021
Quick paced fun summer read.
Action packed page turner with interesting twists.
Action packed page turner with interesting twists.
June 27, 2021
Death Mask: A Tale of Vengeance by Nora Delzelle - a debut novel from a wonderful author who surpasses our expectations with her well-written novel and characterization. She's given her imagination and creativity a wild run to give us the readers, a memorable and enjoyable read.
Richly descriptive characters, and well-crafted storyline, this is a modern re-telling to an age-old war of the deities Horus and set in the current era. Alex Kincaid unintentionally gets caught in the crossfire thanks to the mask she wins in an auction.
So, what happens now? What does Alex do with the power that the mask gives her? Feel like you're in the middle of the action-packed all-out war. The synopsis does justice to the story and I absolutely love this author to bits. She's has kept me hooked to the book right through to the end.
If you love a good story with well-rounded characters, fiction and magic in your stories with deities and other supernatural beings running amuck, you have it with this book.
Richly descriptive characters, and well-crafted storyline, this is a modern re-telling to an age-old war of the deities Horus and set in the current era. Alex Kincaid unintentionally gets caught in the crossfire thanks to the mask she wins in an auction.
So, what happens now? What does Alex do with the power that the mask gives her? Feel like you're in the middle of the action-packed all-out war. The synopsis does justice to the story and I absolutely love this author to bits. She's has kept me hooked to the book right through to the end.
If you love a good story with well-rounded characters, fiction and magic in your stories with deities and other supernatural beings running amuck, you have it with this book.
August 27, 2021
I was given an advanced copy of this novel for free and am leaving this review voluntarily.
I always knew eBay was trouble. Nora Delzelle just confirms my suspicions in her debut novel, Death Mask. Chemist and cat-mom Alex stumbles upon a beautiful artifact for auction and becomes the proud owner of the rare ancient Egyptian mask. Unfortunately, finding this mask brings a whole slew of danger and mystery into Alex's life. Soon her dreams are being haunted by mysterious warriors, and her waking hours are not much better. With the help of a friend, she searches for the answers to stop history from repeating itself.
I could go on and on about how original and unique this storyline is. But I won't because I refuse to spoil it. All I can say the way the story unfolds will have readers frantically flipping through pages to find out where it's going next. Even though it's a contemporary novel, Death Mask chronicles several stories throughout time and space. Our main protagonist, Alex, will be relatable to readers because she's just a regular person who hits terrible luck. And then fantastic luck. And then horrible. With the help of her friends, she searches for answers to prevent history from repeating.
While the storyline and twists are so incredible, the fine details didn't match that standard. There's a lot of telling instead of showing. The most glaring example of this is when Alex is introduced. Her entire life story is summed up into one paragraph, listed almost like bullet points. While these details are vital, they would have flowed better had they been laid out more gradually. While the story is incredible, it doesn't flow together organically. It also has grammatical errors, spelling issues, missing words, and dialogue that doesn't line up. Usually, those issues wouldn't cause the rating of a novel to change for me. However, these are continuous enough that it takes away from the enjoyment of the story.
With all the listed above, I rate Death Mask three out of five stars. The plotline is so complex and intriguing, with so many elements involved that somehow work together. But the fine details in the narration don't offer the support the story requires.
As there's no mature adult content, and the violence is very mild, I would recommend this novel to readers in the younger YA range. It would be perfect for those interested in Egyptian mythology, layered magic systems, and unraveling mysteries.
I always knew eBay was trouble. Nora Delzelle just confirms my suspicions in her debut novel, Death Mask. Chemist and cat-mom Alex stumbles upon a beautiful artifact for auction and becomes the proud owner of the rare ancient Egyptian mask. Unfortunately, finding this mask brings a whole slew of danger and mystery into Alex's life. Soon her dreams are being haunted by mysterious warriors, and her waking hours are not much better. With the help of a friend, she searches for the answers to stop history from repeating itself.
I could go on and on about how original and unique this storyline is. But I won't because I refuse to spoil it. All I can say the way the story unfolds will have readers frantically flipping through pages to find out where it's going next. Even though it's a contemporary novel, Death Mask chronicles several stories throughout time and space. Our main protagonist, Alex, will be relatable to readers because she's just a regular person who hits terrible luck. And then fantastic luck. And then horrible. With the help of her friends, she searches for answers to prevent history from repeating.
While the storyline and twists are so incredible, the fine details didn't match that standard. There's a lot of telling instead of showing. The most glaring example of this is when Alex is introduced. Her entire life story is summed up into one paragraph, listed almost like bullet points. While these details are vital, they would have flowed better had they been laid out more gradually. While the story is incredible, it doesn't flow together organically. It also has grammatical errors, spelling issues, missing words, and dialogue that doesn't line up. Usually, those issues wouldn't cause the rating of a novel to change for me. However, these are continuous enough that it takes away from the enjoyment of the story.
With all the listed above, I rate Death Mask three out of five stars. The plotline is so complex and intriguing, with so many elements involved that somehow work together. But the fine details in the narration don't offer the support the story requires.
As there's no mature adult content, and the violence is very mild, I would recommend this novel to readers in the younger YA range. It would be perfect for those interested in Egyptian mythology, layered magic systems, and unraveling mysteries.
July 9, 2021
“Order is not inherently good, just as chaos is not inherently evil.”
Nora Delzelle’s fast paced thriller had my heart pounding as I turned pages to see how it would end. As a debut by the author, there were numerous moments of potential and some brilliant descriptions as we walked alongside Alex and some coworkers/friends and her peculiar encounters and experiences with an Egyptian mask. The author did a great job balancing dialogue and description, all the while keeping me intrigued. The twists and turns along the way partnered with the magic of the mask kept the pacing on point and the story enjoyable.
Nice job!
Nora Delzelle’s fast paced thriller had my heart pounding as I turned pages to see how it would end. As a debut by the author, there were numerous moments of potential and some brilliant descriptions as we walked alongside Alex and some coworkers/friends and her peculiar encounters and experiences with an Egyptian mask. The author did a great job balancing dialogue and description, all the while keeping me intrigued. The twists and turns along the way partnered with the magic of the mask kept the pacing on point and the story enjoyable.
Nice job!
July 26, 2021
There's a lot of potential in this story and I think that some editing would surely help.
The plot is well developed and entertaining, I found the characters a bit underdeveloped.
It's a good idea even if it's not my cup of tea
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
The plot is well developed and entertaining, I found the characters a bit underdeveloped.
It's a good idea even if it's not my cup of tea
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
July 10, 2021
Fair work
I rarely read science fiction coz most are never satisfying...just like this, wish Nora could develop her characters better than this... but being the first few books by this author guess others will be better.
I rarely read science fiction coz most are never satisfying...just like this, wish Nora could develop her characters better than this... but being the first few books by this author guess others will be better.
September 1, 2021
A fun, is straight forward, read. Not every book has to be Shakespeare to be enjoyable. This book is like a fun B movie. Read it for what it is, maybe this is the definition of a beach read? I liked it.
January 30, 2022
Delzelle has written a thoroughly engrossing novel that crosses ancient Egypt and the present day. The book keeps one glued to their seat until the last page. I look forward to Delzelle's next book.
June 29, 2021
Thank you Goodreads for giving me a free copy. It was a quick read. I admired Alex's decision about Set and enjoyed the revelations at the end of the book. I'm looking forward to the next one.
October 1, 2021
This was shockingly bad. Great concept but terrible execution. RTC
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews