Ancient Illusions [Large Print]

by Joanne Pence

Overview

A long-lost diary, a rare book of ghost stories, and unrelenting nightmares combine to send archeologist Michael Rempart on a forbidden journey into the occult and his own past.

When Michael returns to his family home after more than a decade-long absence, he is rocked by the emotion and intensity of the memories it awakens. His father is reclusive, secretive, and obsessed with alchemy and its secrets--secrets that Michael possesses. He believes the way to end this sudden onslaught of nightmares is to confront his disturbing past.

But he soon learns he isn't the only one under attack. Others in his life are also being tormented by demonic nightmares that turn into a deadly reality. Forces from this world and other realms threaten madness and death unless they obtain the powerful, ancient secrets in Michael's possession. Their violence creates an urgency Michael cannot ignore. The key to defeating them seems to lie in a land of dreams inhabited by ghosts ... and demons.

From the windswept shores of Cape Cod to a mystical land where samurai and daimyo once walked, Michael must find a way to stop not only the demons, but his own father. Yet, doing so, he fears may unleash an ancient evil upon the world that he will be powerless to contain.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781949566369
Publisher:	Quail Hill Publishing
Publication date:	01/13/2019
Series:	Ancient Secrets , #3
Pages:	710
Sales rank:	574,141
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 1.56(d)

About the Author

Joanne Pence is an award-winning, USA Today best-selling author of mysteries, historical fiction, contemporary romance, fantasy, and supernatural suspense.

Editorial Reviews

"Pence will go where few authors dare to tread, especially since a broad knowledge is required for this specific book and series. Alchemy, archeology, history, literature, these are all elements that allow Pence to take a plot that is familiar, and revive it with fresh twists and turns. The pace is regulated perfectly, her execution is flawless, and there is no mistaking that you have just read the work of a brilliant author.

"No, this is a not a book with a graphic blood and gore, but there is a psychological horror waiting for every brave reader. So if you want to set off on a journey that travels the world with excitement, danger, and demons, I will not hesitate to recommend Ancient Illusions or the other books in the series for that matter. --Horror Palace

"Now, in Ancient Illusions, he [archeologist Michael Rempart] returns in a new adventure, a quest to further unravel the mystery of the pearl and its role in his life and the lives of those he knows. To do so he must confront his enigmatic father, revisit the barren landscape of the great batholith--still plagued with strange occurrences--and travel far afield...including to Japan and the eerily realistic world of Lafcadio Hearn (1850-1904) and his collection of Japanese ghost stories, themselves part of the novel's fabric. While there, Rempart must penetrate a haunted forest replete with the echoes of suicides and unravel the secrets of a world that does and does not exist. And, at each step, battle demons that rise to thwart him, demons that few others can see.

"Pence handles the various landscapes with precision and care; her central Idaho is as rough and jagged as the Sawtooth Range itself, and her creation of an alternate-world Japan brings to life images of lily ponds, stands of bamboo, woodcuts, and haiku. Her characters are empathetic, drawing readers smoothly into a world in which square-jawed Western sheriffs co-exist with shape-shifting demons, bad guys are as dangerous as the unknown powers Rempart challenges, and families are at once supporting and threatening. Love redeems...and love kills....[with] literary allusions as meaning and metaphor--Ancient Illusions fascinates, intrigues, and entertains. Highly recommended. --Michael Collings, author, scholar, poet

"Combining a sprawling cast of engaging characters, with the ensuing love, lust, deception, ghosts, premonitions, murder, demon possession, and a quest for an elixir makes this a page-turning tale. I devoured this archaeological thriller and appreciate that it molds medieval folklore, psychological phenomenon, and a magical stone while mentioning the work of well-known authors, explorers, and a likable horror legend." --Lori's Book Loft

From the Publisher