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Book Review By Tracey Ray
Eaters Of The Dead by Michael Crichton

Arab courtier Ibn Fadlan, accompanies a group of Viking warriors as they sail to the aide of a village that has been repeatedly attacked and brutalized by flesh eating creatures that no one can describe. The creatures always attack at night and remove body parts of their victims.

The creatures attacked again after the warriors arrived and nearly wiped them out. Ibn writes a manuscript of all his experiences with the Northmen. In it he describes the rotting stench of the killers, their hairy arms and backs, and the terrible claws and teeth. Morale is low as all fear they are fighting some supernatural creatures until Ibn actually sees a human arm beneath all that hair, while engaged in battle.

Reguvinated, they reconnoiter and learn they must kill the "mother" of these mysterious creatures, their queen. When she dies, the men serving her will stop attacking the villiage. The Northmen devise a daring but dangerous plan.


Plot & Themes
Tone of book - scarey (primal ax-wielding fear)
FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION? - fantasy world/fantasy past
Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
Horror story? Yes
Horror plotlets - the monster chased me!
Descript. of chases or violence - 30 %
planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 10 %
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 20 %
Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 40 %

Main Character
Identity: - Male
Profession/status:
Age: - 20's-30's

Main Adversary
Identity: - an entire race
Has magical powers? Yes
Magical/mental powers of main antagonist: - super strength
Eccentric: Yes
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - a moderate amount
How sensitive is this character?

Setting
Terrain
Earth setting: - general past
Takes place on Earth? Yes

Writing Style
Accounts of torture and death? - very explicit references to deaths and torture
scientific jargon? (SF only) - none/very little science jargon needed
Sex in book? Yes
What kind of sex: - orgies - actual description of sex
How much dialogue? - significantly more descript than dialog
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