NETHERWORLD – Lisa Morton

Netherworld was published by JournalStone in 2014.

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In nineteenth-century Victorian England, a young widow finds that she has inherited more than her late husband’s property: The Furnavals serve as the ancestral keepers of supernatural portals scattered around the globe. When demonic entities begin crossing over from the Netherworld, Lady Diana realizes that a war is brewing, and she must be the one to confront it.

Accompanied by a young Chinese sailor named Yi-kin, her feline guardian Mina, and a mysterious scholar, Stephen, Diana will begin a journey to solve the mystery of her husband’s death and prevent the apocalypse.

Netherworld was named to Book Riot’s list of “100 Must-Read Books About Monsters”

ENDORSEMENTS

“Disturbing, chilling–and wonderful! Lisa Morton’s Netherworld is a tale that grips you from beginning to end. And it’s the kind of book you pick up again and again–marveling at the wonderful atmosphere created that sweeps you in–and stays and chills with you into the dark of night.” – Heather Graham, New York Times-bestselling author of Blood Red and The Night is Forever

“Netherworld is a crazily fun romp, compulsively readable and full of wit, engaging characters, and wonderfully weird supernatural twists. Lisa Morton has created dazzling entertainment that’s a great mystery, historical thriller, spy story, and horror novel all rolled into one.” – David Liss, Edgar Award-winning author of The Whiskey Rebels and The Ethical Assassin

“Action, suspense and deep horror are the hallmarks of Lisa Morton’s Netherworld. The protagonist Lady Diana Furnaval is the most compelling female adventurer since Evy Carnahan of The Mummy franchise, as she travels the world fighting an ancient evil world of monstrous beings lurking just beyond ours. Morton’s cinematic style effortlessly delivers Victorian era England, Canton, Calcutta and Los Angeles, which must mask many fine hours of research; and paces the story so that the book is near impossible to set down. You may recognize a source of your own terrors as you follow Lady Diana and her companions through challenge after terror after revelation. The best fiction is part myth, part cold reality and Netherworld doesn’t fail either of those counts – the first novel in what promises to be a series of what the Victorians would have called ‘rollicking adventures’.” – Rocky Wood, Bram Stoker Award-winning author of Stephen King: A Literary Companion

REVIEWS

“Netherworld is a non-stop theme park ride, every bit as kitschy as it is thrilling. Morton writes with a genuine cinematic flair…That Morton can also effortlessly weave bits of social commentary into the narrative (classism, racism, sexism…all present and accounted for) without the heavy-handedness that would plague lesser writers helps sets Netherworld apart from its genre brethren…Morton masterfully opts for a straightforward narrative style in Netherworld, which gives the novel an instant readability that lends to the feeling that the book is marked by a running time instead of a page count. Like a literary set designer, she uses a commanding economy of words to fashion exquisitely grotesque set pieces that lend to the urgency of Lady Diana’s many harrowing otherworldly predicaments while bestowing the novel with a classic horror sensibility.”- Vince A. Liaguno, Dark Scribe Magazine

“A delightfully scary meld of science fiction, fantasy, horror, and mystery, with the best qualities of them all…a great adventure…” – Laura Strathman Hulka, Story Circle Book Reviews

“Lisa Morton writes with panache, cornering the flavour, atmosphere and social mores of England, Europe and the United States in the latter part of the 1800’s…a fun ride…” – Martina Bexte, BookLoons Reviews

“Morton excels at incorporating legend, folklore, and even religion into a narrative depicting how nightmarish creatures seek to enter our world…Netherworld’s suspense and pacing will keep the reader both guessing and turning pages. This reviewer looks forward to finding out what adventures and challenges Diana faces next.” – Carol Malcolm, Bitten By Books

“Netherworld, Book One of the Chronicles of Diana Furnaval by Lisa Morton is an excellent, well researched and written book that will remove you from your living room and take you on an epic journey around the world and beyond…Netherworld will have you on the edge of your seat until the last page!”- Louise Woods, Readers’ Favorite

“Fast-paced and intriguing, Netherworld is the kind of book that you wind up reading into the night because you can’t wait to find out what happens next. It crosses genres over mystery, intrigue, and horror. Netherworld is non-stop action and its plot travels the world, and Morton seamlessly changes cultures as Diana travels. I do recommend that you read this book, especially if you are attracted to 19th Century gothic works with a modern twist. Highly original, I can’t say I have ever read anything quite like Netherworld.” – Jeani Rector, The Horror Zine

“Hold on to your hats for this one, people. Right from the first page Lisa has you and you will not be able to stop…Lisa has delivered a book that firmly cements her place as one of the best writers working today…in any genre. With Netherworld – Book One of the Chronicles of Diana Furnaval Lisa has created a heroine for the ages that is sure to please any reader that likes grand adventure, intrigue and outright terror.” – Peter Schwotzer, Literary Mayhem

“The keys to this fascinating first Chronicles of Diana Furnaval are the alternate vivid Victorian era and the wonderful anachronistic heroine who is way ahead of her time…readers will enjoy this action-packed historical fantasy.” – Harriet Klausner, The Midwest Book Review

“Netherworld is an unusual paranormal historical tale…I’ll be curious to see what direction Lisa Morton takes with future books in the series.” – Debbie Wiley, FreshFiction

“Netherworld contains elements of historical fiction, fantasy and horror, making it an amusing and sometimes creepy read...Netherworld is a fast-paced romp through a paranormal world.” – Whitney Smyth, Portland Book Review