The Alchemy of Moonlight by David Ferraro (review)

Abstract

Reviewed by: The Alchemy of Moonlight by David Ferraro Natalie Berglind Ferraro, David The Alchemy of Moonlight. Page Street, 2023 [384p] Trade ed. ISBN 9781645679721 $18.99 E-book ed. ISBN 9781645677680 $9.99 Reviewed from digital galleys Ad Gr. 9-12 In this queer retelling of Ann Radcliffe's The Mysteries of Udolpho, seventeen-year-old Marquis Emile St. Aubert flees the aunt who controls his inheritance after she discovers his preference for men. Disguised as a servant in the household of Count Montoni, Emile faces the brutal attention of Henri, Montoni's manipulative nephew, and encounters a series of unsettling events, the first of which is his discovery of a severed hand on the estate grounds. As Emile starts up a romance with the handsome doctor's apprentice, Bram Valancourt, a jealous Henri bans Bram from the premises. Soon, Emile's true identity is revealed, and more strange happenings occur, leading the group to migrate to Udolpho Castle. An interesting premise is quickly derailed by the lack of chemistry between the characters—the [End Page 256] love triangle that forms between Emile, Henri, and Bram is hard to believe since none is particularly likeable, especially Henri. Furthermore, the moon motif, the family's aversion to silver, and the "bear" attacks clue readers early into what is really going on, but the supernatural reveal doesn't occur until nearly the end, making for a frustrating read where Emile seems naïve enough to not report murders to the authorities at the request of people he admits he doesn't trust. Even so, resolving the love triangle with a polycule is a refreshing ending, and Ferraro pins down the creepy atmosphere and the verbosity that comes with a gothic text, making the style evocative of its source. Copyright © 2023 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois