Vengeance is a tempting route to catharsis and inner peace, but it can also take the form of a curse. Its lasting effects are powerful enough to damage other people across different generations as well. Such is the case in Nora Delzelle’s first novel Death Mask: A Tale of Vengeance. 

Here, we follow Alex Kincaid, a young and talented chemist and history buff who inadvertently wins an ancient Egyptian death mask through an eBay auction. When it arrives at her doorstep, it seems nothing more than a morbid artifact. Little does she know that it contains power and secrets she couldn’t even begin to understand. 

As a novel rooted in history and mythology, Death Mask surprisingly feels like a breeze – even for those who aren’t knowledgeable of its subject matter. Novels like these can sometimes feel like homework, but Delzelle delivers the history lessons through a Trojan horse of action and suspense. 

Across brief forty-nine chapters, we are introduced to fascinating characters like the murderous and mysterious Chase and Alex’s loveable gang of friends. It is through dialogue, mostly, that the historical context is told, so instead of having to pause for footnotes, the story is constantly pushing forward. 

While the novel is entertaining and fast-paced, I would have appreciated more depth. We know plenty about what happened to Set and Osiris, and I would have loved to have learned more about our heroine Alex as I feel some more backstory would have helped readers to connect with her emotionally. 

Throughout the novel, we get to see a romance that slowly forms between her and Gabriel. While these tender moments serve as a reprieve from the novel’s non-stop march, I was left want to know more about their past.

Death Mask: A Tale of Vengeance is a thrilling urban fantasy novel that is consistently entertaining. Any reader who enjoys suspenseful supernatural fiction will have plenty to enjoy in this contemporary thriller. 

Pages: 126 | ASIN: B0964249Z5