The Sorcery of White Rats
A Novel
Musings on God, art, and dreams wend into The Sorcery of White Rats, an expressive fantasy novel.
In Adam Bertocci’s eloquent fantasy novel The Sorcery of White Rats, two women must choose to save or destroy the world.
Bristol and Monroe have been roommates for years. Their relationship is akin to sisterhood, making it all the more jarring when Monroe wakes one morning and proclaims they must leave the city at once. As the pair meet up with old friends—including Xochitl, who studies neurology and psychology—a quest to understand Monroe’s peculiar vision about the end of the universe begins. Monroe must deal with the ethereal and elusive queen speaking through her own voice, while Bristol steps into the role of a muse and attempts to protect humanity for the coming centuries.
Though the narrative moves between the women in a fluid manner, Bristol’s transformation from fearful to brave is most central to its progression. At first, she is skeptical of Monroe’s claims that the world is ending and exudes resignation—for example, dragging a frame from the garbage to hang her headshots in, assuming that no one would ever see them. But as the story progresses, she becomes more confident about her philosophies on God, art, dreams, and her place in the world-ending event, speaking with increasing self-awareness.
The prose is rich and descriptive. As Monroe undergoes her metaphysical transformation of the mind to see the upcoming apocalypse, for example, she feels “the burdens of reality lurking just beyond her translucent curtain.” Concise metaphors also dot the pages, as when Bristol describes her life as an artist and how she will continue to throw herself at “brick walls” in the name of creation. The inner worlds of the characters are also well described.
However, the book’s progression is somewhat interrupted by interview responses from different characters after the apocalyptic event has taken place, leading to the understanding that all do not die and that the world will carry on. While the interviews give context for the preceding events and the philosophical questions posed throughout, they also take away from the tension created by Monroe’s brush with the queen and Bristol’s scramble to understand her new reality. Still, the ending does an able job of bringing all the plot points together into a cohesive whole.
The Sorcery of White Rats is an intricate fantasy novel in which roommates hope to stop the end of the world.
Reviewed by
Jennifer Maveety
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book and paid a small fee to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. Foreword Reviews and Clarion Reviews make no guarantee that the publisher will receive a positive review. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
