They say the dead should rest in peace. Not all the dead agree. **This start to The Undertaken trilogy is a "thought-provoking gothic fantasy" and a "genuinely eerie tale" (Publishers Weekly). **"Berk's writing style and language are reminiscent of the classic gothic works of Nathaniel Hawthorne and Shirley Jackson" (School Library Journal) When Silas Umber's father, Amos, doesn't come home from work one night, Silas discovers that his father was no mere mortician, but an Undertaker who worked to bring The Peace to lost and wandering souls. With Amos gone, Silas and his mother move back to Lichport, the crumbling seaside town where he was born, and Silas seizes the opportunity to investigate his father's disappearance.
When his search leads him to his father's old office, he comes across a powerful artifact: the Death Watch, a tool that allows the owner to see the dead. Death Watch in hand, Silas begins to unearth Lichport's secret history--and discovers that he has taken on his father's mantle as Lichport's Undertaker. Now, Silas must embark on a dangerous path into the Shadowlands to embrace his destiny and discover the truth about his father--even if it kills him.
Critically acclaimed folklorist Ari Berk explores the worlds of the living and the dead, and the relationships between parents and children in an novel steeped in lore, mystery, and magic.
Review
βAri Berk writes deftly about loss and love, mining a rich vein of ghostly folklore with vivid prose, style and wit. A marvelous tapestry of a book.ββHolly Black, New York Times bestselling author _
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_βThis truly gothic novel is imbued with hauntingly beautiful prose and vividly drawn characters set in a town just as intriguing as its inhabitants.Death Watch will linger with you long after you lay it to rest.ββTony DiTerlizzi, New York Times bestselling author of The Search for WondLa
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_"Berkβs writing style and language are reminiscent of the classic gothic works of Nathaniel Hawthorne and Shirley Jackson. The plot and pacing have a haunting, dreamlike qualityβthe type of dream that morphs into nightmares that jolt sleepers awake with a pounding heart and shaking hands. Readers who enjoyed Melissa Marrβs Graveminder should find this book intriguing."--School Library Journal
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_" [A] thought-provoking gothic fantasy...a leisurely, digressive, yet genuinely eerie tale...Berkβs setting is atmospheric and creepy, fleshed out with a wealth of funereal traditions and folklore..an intriguing opener."--Publishers Weekly
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_"Berkβs novel is a labor of love, focusing on his interest in folklore, ghost lore, and the customs surrounding the dead...a rich and complex book...in the hands of the right reader, it will be savored."--VOYA
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_"Those who like complexity in their scary tales will find their patience rewarded by the satisfying conclusion."--BCCB
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_"Ari Berk's compelling prose draws aside death's veil revealing a macabre, visceral, and utterly believable folkloric world. Eerie and poignant,Death Watch is at once chilling and full of heart." _
_-- Brom, artist/author of the Chesley award-winning novel The Plucker.
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"Every now and then a book comes along that breaks the mold of everything that has gone before.Death Watch is such a book. At once a profound and moving meditation on death, and an extraordinary edge-of-the-seat adventure, it is one of the most original and powerful novels I have read in my lifetime." β John Matthews, New York Times bestselling author of Pirates and Arthur of Albion
About the Author
_Ari Berk is the author of the Undertaken trilogy and Nightsong , illustrated by Loren Long. He works in a library filled to the ceiling with thousands of arcane books and more than a few wondrous artifacts. When not writing, he moonlights as professor of mythology and folklore at Central Michigan University. He lives in Michigan with his wife and son. Visit him at AriBerk.com. _