Priest has a knack for the creepy and supernatural. A fun and spooky read, and as skillfully written as the rest of her books. Highly recommend.

I’m always willing to try Cherie Priest’s books: I haven’t loved all of them, by any means, but there’s usually been something — an idea, a sense of atmosphere, a character — that just really makes it for me. So it was this time: I got really interested in gentle, tortured Tomas, in good-hearted and lively Alice, and I wanted them to triumph. I hated what was happening to Tomas, and to the community Alice finally found of people like her. I enjoyed Alice’s irreverence, her good intentions, her delight in things like food and drink and the fact that she didn’t care what people thought of that, for the most part.

The solution to the mystery of what’s haunting Tomas didn’t surprise me any, and the way things worked out was pretty much as I expected too. The strength of it was in how badly I wanted things to be okay for Tomas, how much I wanted them all to triumph, and the fact that I was actually afraid that one particular character would die before the end of the book.

The horror here is mostly, for me, in the way Tomas is manipulated which is really what darkened the book for me. Violent and demonic ghost/spirit/things, eh, but those things hiding themselves and using a (relatively) innocent man — that got to me.

"A new dark historical fantasy from the “supremely gifted” Cherie Priest, author of Mapelcroft and Boneshaker.

In the trenches of Europe during the Great War, Tomás Cordero operated a weapon more devastating than any gun: a flame projector that doused the enemy in liquid fire. Having left the battlefield a shattered man, he comes home to find yet more tragedy—for in his absence, his wife has died of the flu. Haunted by memories of the woman he loved and the atrocities he perpetrated, Tomás dreams of fire and finds himself setting match to flame when awake....

Alice Dartle is a talented clairvoyant living among others who share her gifts in the community of Cassadaga, Florida. She too dreams of fire, knowing her nightmares are connected to the shell-shocked war veteran and widower. And she believes she can bring peace to him and his wife’s spirit.

But the inferno that threatens to consume Tomás and Alice was set ablaze centuries ago by someone whose hatred transcended death itself...."

Ironic to have a Cherie Priest new release seeing as she recommended the previous book here.

Cherie Priest takes a look at the Spiritualism movement and the aftermath of World War I, as Cassadega, a refuge for mediums and psychics, is rocked by a fiery spirit transported straight from the battlefields of Europe. Suspenseful and atmospheric.

Recommended for those with an interest in turn-of-the-century Spiritualism.
The setting of this book, Cassadaga, FL, has a real-life reputation as being the place to go if you somehow can't get ripped off by a so-called psychic closer to home - but the history of the town being associated with the search for the paranormal dates back to 1875. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cassadaga,_Florida)

In this novel, the 'spirits' are all-too-real - and not always benign.

Alice Dartle is a genuine medium. It runs in her family, but she doesn't quite know what to do with her abilities. She's terrified of being lynched as a witch, if anyone finds out about her powers. When she hears about the spiritualists at Cassadaga, she packs up and goes on a pilgrimage in the hopes of finding a community where the will truly belong.

Tomas Cordero has had a different kind of experience. A number of unexplained fires have been starting in his vicinity. He secretly hopes that these unexplained phenomena are a sign that his deceased wife is trying to contact him from beyond the grave. But as the events get more and more out of control, and tragedy strikes, he hopes to find help in Cassadaga.

I liked this book more than Priest's recent 'Lizzie Borden' books, but not as much as her earlier Clockwork Century or Eden Moore books. It was more slow-moving than the story seemed to demand; and I think a novella length might've suited it better.

Many thanks to Berkley and NetGalley for the opportunity to read.

I think my expectations for this book didn't quite line up with the reality. From the synopsis, it almost sounded like some sort of romance (though not quite) but I soon learned that the book alternates points of view between the characters mentioned, Alice and Tomas. Not exactly what I thought and the result was a story that I never fell into.

It took a while before I was really hooked and in the case of Brimstone, I was never truly hooked, just interested enough to keep reading rather than put it aside. I thought the setting was unusual but interesting, told in the 1920's in Florida. There wasn't too much in terms of the world-building beyond the location and a few details here and there, and I would have liked to have seen more but being set in our world (with a twist), I was able to fill in the blanks a bit.

The two perspectives kind of worked but, like in most multi-POV stories, I ended up picking a favorite and disliking reading the other. In this case, I enjoyed Alice's scenes more despite how she got on my nerves at times. She was the stronger of the two characters, though Tomas had his moments. As for the rest of the characters, they never really made an impact on the reading experience and didn't strike me as anything beyond names on a page.

Finally, the killer for me on this one is the pacing. I liked Priest's style to a degree, but the book took forever to pick up. When it finally did, well, IT DID, but the lead-up to that was too long for my tastes.

Ultimately, I think a combination of mixed signals as to what to expect and the story itself made this one a no-go for me.

Brimstone follows Alice Dartle, a clairvoyant from Virginia, and Tomas Cordero, a suit designer from Ybor City. Alice has moved to the small community of Cassadaga, Florida, a city known for it's mediums and spiritual leanings, to learn more about her abilities. After a series of fires both in Ybor City and Cassadaga, Tomas and Alice come together with the spiritual community to find out who is behind the fires and how it can be stopped.

I was skeptical going into this book because Cherie Priest's books are very hit-or-miss for me: I either love them or hate them. I was happy to discover that I absolutely love this one and once it really got going I couldn't put it down. She does a great job of writing the points-of-view of Alice and Tomas. They consistently alternate chapters without getting any unnecessary overlapping. A few parts of dialogue throughout the book could have been better, but that's really my only complaint about this book. Part magical realism, part historical fiction, part fantasy, this book has a lot going for it.

I also found it neat to find out that this is a real town in Florida that is less than an hour from where I spent much of my childhood.

I had to set this aside. I wasn't connecting with the story or the characters. I won't be rating or reviewing this title. Thank you for the opportunity.

Cherie priest has a rare ability of being able to draw her readers into any take she chooses to put forth into the world. Brimstone is no exception. It was a thoroughly enjoyable story, with all the elements that make Ms. Priest a pleasure to read.

Not my favorite Cherie Priest book but an interesting and weird love story in a very interesting location. A fun read but I was hoping for more.

Review goes live on April 19 on Butterfly-o-Meter Books at 00.00 am GMT+2 and will show up on Goodreads sometime later.

In a Flutter: Lovely writing, but more-than-one-POV strikes again…
Fluttering Thoughts:
Worldbuilding: The ’20s Florida setting was interesting to experience through our two main characters. It was a world full of wonder and hope via Alice’s eyes, and a somewhat desolate, hopeless one via Tomas’s. I liked the contrast.
Characters: Both Alice and Tomas were interesting characters. It was a nice parallel, with young Alice going on an adventure in order to live more independently and use her gifts as she desired; and Tomas, a man with a lot of heavy personal history, living a sad and lonely life, seeing everything through the lenses of loss. I personally enjoyed Alice a lot more, because I kind of tend to have issues with PTSD stories, more so when they’re war-related. I hoped it would be less focused on in Tomas’s POV, but it was very present, and it just makes me get emotionally detached by reflex. So while I enjoyed Tomas as concept, I sort of got to not be able to stand being in his story. 🙁
Plot: The two stories that entwined were interesting, though somewhat slow for my personal liking. While I enjoyed that in Alice’s side of the story, because I enjoyed spending time with her – when it came to Tomas the tempo felt always wrong. I’m aware it wasn’t a difference in the actual tempo, but in my perception of it as a result of my reaction to the characters. Be that as it way, it still felt slow, regardless of the reason.
Writing: First person, past tense narrative, dual POV. While I really enjoyed the style, I don’t seem to enjoy POV switches lately – even less so in 1st person. I liked each of the character’s voices, but switching between them just served to annoy me, somehow.
Curb Appeal: Cool cover, hooking blurb – impulsive buy material for my historical paranormal craving.

This was my second Cherie Priest read, and while it went better than the first (that was MG, and I don’t really go with that flow), I still didn’t enjoy the ride as much as I was sure I would. It’s really weird, because I like the writing, the story ideas, and character concepts, and yet all in all I didn’t enjoy the ride as much as I thought I would. I was sure it was an issue with the head-space I was in, but I read another right after and had a lot of fun with that, so it wasn’t my head-space as much as a matter of chemistry.
I recommend Brimstone to ’20s Florida (or not) enthusiasts who embrace paranormal elements in their historical reading, to fans of psychics and those of recovering-from-trauma stories too. It’s well-written, has interesting characters, and an entertaining story. It didn’t really work out between us, but I’m sure it can and will work like a charm for many others 🙂

Brimstone is a standalone novel set in the 1920's Florida. It is told in alternating POV's with Alice Dartle and Tomas Cordero as primary protagonists. 22-year old Alice is a clairvoyant from a long line of witches who has chosen to move away from her home, and travel to a place in Florida called Cassadaga. Tomas is a veteran of World War I and a tailor of some renown. He worked as a flame projector operator in the war, but is haunted by thoughts of his deceased wife who died of influenza, and untimely fires that target those closest to him.

Cassadaga is a place where people travel from all over the country to visit. Cassadaga is where a Spiritualist Camp is located, and hopefully, where Alice can be free to use her gift. It is a place where the weather is warm, and sunny almost all the time. It is a place that Alice is drawn to thanks to the small town atmosphere, but also has her own quirky characteristics. The girl loves to drink. She loves to party. She loves to be with people who enjoy the same. If you haven't figured it out yet, this story also takes place during the Prohibition which is funny seeing as the booze is a plenty.

Tomas suffers from what psychiatrists today would call PTSD. He is a tortured soul, suffering from the things he saw in war. In the early 20th century, soldiers returning from war didn't get the treatment the do today. They are referred to as shell shocked, and looked sideways at because you never know when they might snap. Tomas struggles with his wife's death, the constant fires that continue to pop up inexplicably, the fires which causes him to take his new companion
Felipe, the chihuahua to find Alice and Cassadaga in search of answers for better or worse.

One of the main things that connects both characters, is fire. She dreamed of an American soldier surrounded by fire, being haunted by it, He has way too many encounters with fire to be considered anything but directed at him. It's also concerning to say that his deceased wife, who died while he was away at war, plays a huge part in the story's events as well. This is a story that moves forward quickly. As Tomas puts the pieces together of a bizarre puzzle, Alice is finding her own way through learning more about her abilities that brings Tomas to Cassadaga to find answers.

For the record, Cassadaga is actually a real place. It is a small unincorporated community located in Volusia Count, Florida, in between Orlando and Daytona Beach. Also, Tomas's home town of Ybor City, Florida is currently a neighborhood in Tampa, Florida founded by immigrants from Cuba, Spain, and Italy.

As always with Ms. Priest's work, the writing is lyrical and immediately engaging, and while all her books have in the past been various degrees of excellent, it's the characters that won the title for me this time around. Spellbinding, funny, creepy, and magical, BRIMSTONE is my favorite book from this author to date.

Cherie Priest's latest is out on shelves, readers! I mean, a new Cherie Priest release is always cause for celebration, right? I certainly think so.

Alice Dartle has a gift. It's this gift that has brought her to Cassadega, Florida, where she hopes others like her will help her hone her skills. Cassadega offers Alice not only a chance to learn, but a chance to finally fit in. To feel at home amongst those who share abilities akin to her own. But while there, Alice begins to tap into dreams of fire. Dreams that belong to a widowed war veteran who is haunted by the events of his past.

Tomás dreams of fire, but the fire isn't confined to just his dreams. The fires have spread into real life. As the damage intensifies and begins to threaten others, Tomás is convinced it must be the ghost of his dead wife. But Alice isn't so sure. Together they'll have to find the root of these conflagrations if they're to survive.

So not only is Brimstone set during the 20s, which is super cool, it's set around the very real Cassadega Spiritualist Camp, which still exists today. Called "the psychic capital of the world" Cassadega is, according to Wikipedia, "... a small, unincorporated community located in Volusia County..." According to the website, the camp is over a century old and still offers readings and other services including history tours.

So yeah, a super cool setting x 2. And it's a setting - both time and place - that Priest brings to life beautifully!

The narrative is split between Alice and Tomás, the latter of whom is a lonely haberdasher in Ybor City. Alice, of course, is psychically gifted - something that runs in her mother's family (prior generations of women in the family have been burned or hanged for such gifts). Surprisingly, though, it's Alice's father who offers her the most support.

Tomás himself has a good support system, but he know full and well that no one is going to believe that his dead wife is haunting him. Which is why he not only undertakes his own experimentation in secret, but contacts the spiritualists at Cassadega as well. And it's Alice's name that speaks to him, leading to their finally meeting.

As the story progresses, the creepiness increases dramatically. What, for Alice, begins with a tenuous connection to someone else's dreams, becomes a very real threat to her personally. And of course Tomás stands to lose everything if he can't find the true cause of the haunting and stop the fires.

I love Cherie Priest's work and look forward to each new release with great anticipation. So of course there's a lot of expectation for each new book to bear. Fortunately, she has yet to disappoint! Brimstone is no exception, proving once again that Cherie Priest is one of the best and brightest in speculative fiction!

Brimstone is what is looking to be a pattern for Mrs. Priest. Put simply it is a great female lead, some paranormal twists in/with some historical elements, all in a standalone novel. I have to say I'm certainly NOT complaining about this. In fact I'm pretty on board with this train. Strap me in, I've bought my ticket. Like with The Family Plot, which I read and reviewed last year, this is a hell of a fun ride.


Brimstone follows a young woman named Alice who is moving to a town in Florida called Cassadaga. It is a reknown Spiritualist camp/town and it's there she's looking to find help and teaching about her own 'witchy' abilities. Meanwhile, not too far way from Cassadaga Tomas Cordero is struggling with his own issues. Fires keep springing up around him, in his house and outside. They start small but things are quickly getting out of control. This is set in the 1920's, after the Great War in England and Priest does good work bringing our characters together.

Before I dive into characters I would like to point out Cassadaga, Florida. This is a real place and the Spiritualist Camp is still there. Mrs. Priest has been there, talked to those who live there now, and researched it to set her novel here. In my very basic research I found names repeated, and locations described in the novel that were from the place! I love this touch of realism added here, and I really liked learning about Cassadaga on my own time since the Spiritualist movement is something that fascinates me. So hats off for that!

On to the characters! Alice is a 'curvaceous' (to use the words of herself and others) girl who is escaping what she sees as a tense environment at home. As you can expect of a girl in the 1920's she is a bit concerned with her abilities and the history of her family - two aunts burned at the stake for being witches. Still she keeps a sense of innocence and excitement about her and I really enjoyed her once I got used to it. She reminded me, honestly, of my own sister. There was an energy there that might make you think she's silly and maybe a little on the flighty side but she also had a sharp mind behind there. Tomas Codero is an excellent mirror to Alice. A war vet, he's haunted by these fires, the war, and most of all by the wife that died before he could return. Add on to that his own ethnicity always having him to defend himself (many assume he's, if I recall correctly, a Cuban immigrant but he grew up in America and fought for America) and he made for a great read. Though I loved Alice I found myself wanting more of Tomas! Both do a lot of growing, Tomas a bit more than Alice, and being in their minds for me was very enjoyable. The rest of the cast, side notes as anyone becomes in a diary or letter format, were intriguing. I wonder if Hazel from The Family Plot was at or around this place during this time since she fits the time period? Did I miss her? I hope not! Also the dog was the best, but who can't love a dog?

The story is a simple one, but it's written in a diary format. Alternating between Tomas and Alice's records or thoughts which makes it a fast and well paced read. Though at times I got frustrated with the delay between the meeting of the two characters (it almost felt there were a few chunks where Tomas was purposefully kept away from Cassadaga so 'plot' could happen) I really liked this format. It did feel a bit thin in places but I feel like this was just due to some editing and the length. I will say I didn't see the cause for the haunting and particular attention it paid to Cassadaga and I think that was due to some 'just because'. I wanted a little more of the 'villain', a little more explanation there. I liked it, but I wanted more of it.

As usual Cherie Priest does a wonderful job building the world around the two characters, I love her settings and the little touches of sounds referenced and imagery is always a welcome addition. She does, out of a lot of urban fantasy writers, some of my favorite imagery and environment writing. The book is a great and fast read. This is one that I recommend for other Priest fans, and for anyone looking for 1920's stories with a touch of the spooky.

I always appreciate a good novel by Cherie Priest and after having a good time with some of her previous ones, I was really curious to discover this new story! Yet I must admit that it was not necessarily what I expected.

We discover Alice and Tomas two characters who have never met and yet they are linked in dreams. Indeed, Alice has a quite exacerbated gift of clairvoyance that she tries to master by joining a group of people like her. On the other side, we follow Tomas Cordera, a man shattered by war and who tries to continue to live despite the death of his wife while he was away from home. But it seems that he has changed and as soon as he falls asleep he dreams of fire, which he also seems to ignite without desire. It started with small fires, until a disaster occurred and Tomas decides to do something. Yet, acting might well free an entity much more dangerous than he would have thought.

I was expecting a lot from this story but I finally did not manage to get into it. It was also complicated to connect with Alice or Tomas. This is not a bad book but I just did not succeed in joining or getting into the narrative perspective. Perhaps it will be different for you, but I will wait for my part with curiosity the next other novels of the author without keeping a memorable memory of this one.

We’re in 1920s Florida. It’s hot. The radio doesn’t reach everywhere yet. Electricity in homes is relatively new. Prohibition is on, but this is Florida, and Rum overflows. The Great War is over, taking many in its wake; Spanish Influenza has scoured the country, taking even more. It’s here that our story takes place: in the small town of Cassadaga, a home for Spirtalists that still exists to this day.

The novel alternates viewpoints between Alice Dartle, a seventeen year old girl from Virginia, and Tomàs Cordero, a cuban-american who’s just returned from war. At first, I thought I wasn’t going to like Alice: she breaks into tears too easily, sometimes acting more like an impetuous twelve year old than a smart young woman. But soon, I realized that her sensitive side didn’t stop her from being strong and brilliant all the same. Her insatiable love for bourbon, her huge heart, her adorable nervousness; she’s a fun character whom I would love to hang out with. Not to mention that she’s got some interesting skills she wants to develop: talking to spirits, predicting the outcomes of bets, her need to learn has brought her to Cassadaga, in hopes of honing her abilities.

And then, there’s Tomàs. A bit of a tragic character: he returned from the war, but it was his wife who stayed home who passed away. His dear Evelyn died of Influenza. He’s getting his tailoring business up and running again, trying to get things back in order, but for some reason, small fires seem to be following him around. Well, they were small at first. Now, they’re growing. They’re taking more in their wake, but they’re leaving things behind. Things, signs maybe, that make Tomàs think it could be Evelyn, trying to reach to him from beyond, trapped as a spirit. Could it be so? As the novel progresses, he seems more determined than ever, while the reader… less so.

Alice and Tomàs’s lives are connected through her talents. She sees his dreams, sees the man who’s always surrounded by fire. She knows there’s a presence there. When the fires devour more than they should dare, Tomàs makes his way to Cassadaga to beg for help. This isn’t going to be easy.

There was so much to love about this book: the style the author uses flows almost effortlessly, beautifully. The city of Cassadaga which is so beautifully evoked, with the small town feel or Turn of the Century USA while at the same time being a spiritualist camp. I ended up googling Cassadaga, and it still exists! The added sense of realism that comes from an author doing an insane amount of research was very much worth it.

I have to say, my favorite character was Felipe, the chihuahua. Good doggy. But there are so many other great people to meet.

Priest also managed to make a fantastic study of the brutality of war. So many soldiers came back from the front with PTSD, while here Tomàs comes back with something a little more… physical. The horror of the new technology of death used – the invention of the flamethrower, for example – takes a real shape here. Pure evil walks the battlefields.

I have never read a book like this before. It’s very different from what I expected, but I really loved it. The ending was beautiful, touching in a way I didn’t see coming. All in all, we have fantastic characters, fascinating setting, and a talented author to craft this all together. Well worth the read, I highly recommend it.

The Family Plot was my introduction to Cherie Priest, so when I got the chance to read this book was I pretty happy since The Family Plot is an awesome book.

Brimstone story follows two POV's one is Alice Dartle in Cassadaga, Florida. she is a clairvoyant. The second POV is Tomas Cordero a man who has lost his wife during the time he fought in the Great War. What they share is a connection, both dreams of fire. For Tomas is the fire a link to his dead wife, but Alice feels that the fire is bad, really really bad...

I found both storylines interesting to follow. However, the pacing was a bit off now and then and I did not think the story really took off and I did not really find the story as thrilling and interesting to read as The Family Plot. It was good, just not spectacular. The best part came towards the ending when the pacing steps up and finally, the answers started to come. Also, I did like Tomas and Alice, and I wouldn't mind reading more books with them since I liked the community of Cassadaga and the time period.

Unfortunately, this was a DNF for me. I really loved the blurb and the premise sounds amazing. But, after a few chapters, I wasn't connecting with Alice or Tomas.

Brimstone is a new standalone novel from Cherie Priest. Priest is commonly known for the steampunk alternate history that she kicked off with “Boneshaker”, but she’s also done a paranormal duology centred on Elizabeth Borden. Brimstone, though, is something else again – a historical novel with paranormal elements as well as a strong character piece.

Brimstone is set in Florida, after the close of the First World War. Much of the action is centred on Cassadaga, a small town made famous by its extensive spiritualist community. It has the feeling of a cheerful place, part small-town, part mystic camp. There’s a feeling of sunshine, and of community. Whilst there are always visitors coming and going, drawn by the reputation of the place, the central core of the town remains the same. There’s a sense behind it though – as deeper mysteries are alluded to, and dismissed in the same breath. This is a community of scholars, perhaps, of friendly mediums, of experimental séances – but it’s a laissez-faire one, where rigour and enthusiasm are in competition.
That said, the small town atmosphere and overall sunny disposition make Cassadega a haven for the dispossessed and the desperate. It’s that dichotomy which comes alive over the pages, as we’re drawn into the town – whitewashed walls and friendly neighbours are juxtaposed with mystical understanding, and again with the fraught responses of those coming into the town looking for Truth with a capital ‘t’. There’s enough of the world here to make it convincing, broad strokes laid down, with Prohibition bars and art-deco décor playing alongside camps by the railroad and cunning architecture -and the reader can fill in the blanks where required.
There’s some more context provided in flashbacks, particularly focused on the war. Here the mood is entirely different, somewhere between sombre and monstrous. Flashes of flame and mud compete with blood and injury, a vision of hell and fire. Priest does well at getting both of these spaces – the trenches and the commune – to feel alive, in very distinct ways. The lick of flame and screaming is drawn in almost dreamlike fashion, but still feels real on the page; the small town, whose secrets are if not dark, at least grey, seems a bustling, cheerful place, familiar, and enjoyable to rediscover for the first time.

The two central characters have different viewpoints, largely alternated throughout the text. One is a tailor, a survivor of the war, not entirely unharmed by it. The other wants to be integrated into the Cassadega community, leaving a defined life in order to make something of herself, with a talent she’s not entirely sure of. I enjoyed the latter, a woman not afraid to give her opinion, but also given to throes of doubt, alongside a defining compassion. Her struggles to understand her talent, conveyed through a seemingly literary account, are appropriately painful, her investigations revelatory for both herself and the reader. The other though, the tailor – is something else. There’s a raw pain at work here. A tragedy, a need for love and forgiveness in equal measure. Here is a tortured soul, struggling to renew themselves. Each drop of sweat, of fear, of need, and indeed of love drips off the page, the desperation, the need and its raw humanity making the character into a person.

The plot – as ever, I shall try and avoid spoilers. It’s a slow burner of sorts, as one of our characters begins to learn about herself and her abilities, and the other tries to discover whether escalating unusual occurrences are simply accidents, or in some way related to him, or to the world of the dead. The start is quiet, drawing you into the setting, but the tension slowly ratchets over the course of the narrative. By the midpoint, there’s a sense of incipient danger, and of the familiar, friendly places, of the warmth of the sunshine, becoming something darker and more dangerous – a place of fuel and fire. Most of the text is about the protagonists, about their hopes and their fears, and the way they interact with each other as they investigate the troubling occurrences around them. There’s honest misfortune here, and love, calamity and laughter, and even a little Truth. It’s an interesting work of eerie fantasy running side by side with historical reality – and the shape of the protagonists makes the narrative compelling, the investment making the tension, the fear of consequences, real. In short, it’s a story with a slow and steady burn, but one which is worth seeing through.