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Book Review By Harriet Klausner
Dust of Eden by Thomas Sullivan



Onyx, May 2004, 6.99, 368 pp.
ISBN 0451411382

East of Baghdad and West of Bastra exists a circle of ochre dirt guarded by three men who regard the site as the location of the Garden of Eden. Soldier of fortune Clayton Kenyon gathers a small force to steal the sacred dirt, but he dies in the attempt. A survivor sends the dirt to Kenyon's next of kin pretending it is his ashes. Many years later an elderly embittered Ariel Kenyon Leppa decides to commit suicide. However, before killing herself she uses the euchre sand that she thinks is Kenyon's ashes to paint a portrait of her daughter Amber when the child was nine years old.

When the paint dries, nine year old Amber comes to life and the forty five year old Amber confined to a wheelchair suddenly dies. A year later Denny Bryce seeks a decent nursing home to keep his father safe when he passes the Kenyan New Eden Assisted Living Center. It looks perfect as the residents seem like a family and the owner Ariel Leppa appears to be a caring person. He doesn't know that she painted residents into existence, old enemies who hurt her when they were alive. Now she uses the magic paint to turn them into whatever she wants.

THE DUST OF EDEN is a horror novel that is so scary readers will sleep with the lights on for weeks after finishing this book. No one should have the kind of power Ariel does over the lives of people she brought back from death and she is so warped and evil even her own daughter isn't safe from her. There are no heroes in Thomas Sullivan's creation only a very vicious villain and pathetic victims.

Harriet Klausner


Plot & Themes
Tone of book - suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION? - fantasy story on current Earth
Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
Horror story? Yes
Horror plotlets - the witch chased me on her broomstick!
Descript. of chases or violence - 10 %
planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 40 %
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 40 %
Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 10 %

Main Character
Identity: - Female
Profession/status:
Age: - 60's-90's

Main Adversary
Identity: - Female
Age: - 60's-90's
Profession/status:
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - an average amount
How sensitive is this character?
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters

Setting
Earth setting: - current (early 21st century)
Takes place on Earth? Yes

Writing Style
Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment
How much dialogue? - significantly more dialog than descript
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