Title: Where Oblivion Lives
Series: Los Nefilim Book One
Author: T. Frohock
Genre: fantasy, historical
LGBTQ+ Category: Gay
Publisher: Harper Voyager
Pages: 368
Reviewer: Melissa Brus, Paranormal Romance Guild
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About The Book
A lyrical historical fantasy adventure, set in 1932 Spain and Germany, that brings to life the world of the novellas collected in Los Nefilim: Spanish Nephilim battling daimons in a supernatural war to save humankind.
Born of daimon and angel, Diago Alvarez is a being unlike all others. The embodiment of dark and light, he has witnessed the good and the horror of this world and those beyond. In the supernatural war between angels and daimons that will determine humankind’s future, Diago has chosen Los Nefilim, the sons and daughters of angels who possess the power to harness music and light.
As the forces of evil gather, Diago must locate the Key, the special chord that will unite the nefilim’s voices, giving them the power to avert the coming civil war between the Republicans and Franco’s Nationalists. Finding the Key will save Spain from plunging into darkness.
And for Diago, it will resurrect the anguish caused by a tragedy he experienced in a past life.
But someone—or something—is determined to stop Diago in his quest and will use his history to destroy him and the nefilim. Hearing his stolen Stradivarius played through the night, Diago is tormented by nightmares about his past life. Each incarnation strengthens the ties shared by the nefilim, whether those bonds are of love or hate . . . or even betrayal.
To retrieve the violin, Diago must journey into enemy territory . . . and face an old nemesis and a fallen angel bent on revenge.
The Review
This is the fourth book about the Nefilim by Frohock. The first three are novellas, but are not necessary to thoroughly enjoy this book. The world that is created takes the reader into Europe between World War I and World War II.
I love that amongst the good and evil in the history of that period, Frohock has placed angels and daimons, and our main voice for this narrative, Diago, who is literally both. The concept of the reincarnation of angels and daimons, with the ability to tap into the memories of those previous lives, is so intriguing.
Dancing on the line between horror and fantasy, the adventures and situations that Diago faced kept me flipping pages long after my bedtime. What made the book hard to put down was the connection between the characters. The relationship between Diago and Miquel is not simple. None of the relationships are. The fact that these connections had lifetimes of memories made it even more interesting and creates a depth of empathy for them that is surprising.
I really appreciated that failing was not seen as an end, especially when pressing forward was a threat to the family. The concept of family is addressed in many ways. The family we are born into versus the family we choose is a primary focus.
There is deftness to the language that makes you think about this story long after you have finished the book. I can definitely recommend this book for fantasy and horror fans. But even if you aren’t a fan of either of those genres, this is just an overall good story for any reader.
The Reviewer
In writing this bio I am taking a rare break from reading! I always have a book on hand just in case there is time to sneak in a chapter or two. As a military spouse and a mom of two boys, it is amazing how often I am hurrying up to wait. Luckily for me I don’t have a favorite genre so I get lots of fun authors to choose from. My education was in sociology and mental health counseling, so stories with strong character development are my favorites. Happily Ever After is the best part of romance for me because real life is hard enough.
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