The Neon City (In The Gutter Looking At The Stars Book 1) by Sean O'Leary; Female Led Hard Boiled Neo Noir is Among O’Leary’s Best

 

The Neon City (In The Gutter Looking At The Stars Book 1) by Sean O'Leary; Female Led Hard Boiled Neo Noir is Among O’Leary’s Best

By Julie Sara Porter 

Bookworm Reviews

Spoilers: Last year, I became acquainted with the Mystery novels of Sean O’Leary through the novel, The Bangkok Girl. It was a modern hard-boiled noir novel with all of the usual trappings of the subgenre: a dark sinister urban setting, cynical detective, innocent victims, organized crime, inept or corrupt officials, and just a genuinely pessimistic feeling overall. It was a throwback to an old genre but it also had the psychological depth of current postmodern literature. 

Now, O’Leary is at it again with his latest series, In The Gutter Looking At the Stars (such a poetic name) and its first volume, The Neon City. Similar to its predecessor, it takes a postmodern attempt at a familiar and deeply respected subgenre. 

O’Leary excels at that. In The Bangkok Girl, his lead detective, Lee Jensen had all of the usual traits associated with such a protagonist: hardened outlook, teeth-grinding mist trust and grudging respect with local law enforcement, empathy for the victims, and hatred for the people who get rich and profit out of others’ misery and a system that allows this exploitation of misery to continue. However what set Lee apart from his literary ancestors was his health. Lee had Schizophrenia and required medication. The book reveals this dark cynical urban world seen through the perspective of a disabled character and how his condition limits and aids him in his investigations.

The Neon City also gives a fresh perspective but not on ability. The perspective is one of gender and sexual orientation. This book features two memorable female lead characters: a sharp cynical PI and a damaged trafficked young woman forced into sex work.

Candy Wong is a Hong Kong based PI who is hired to look for Maye, a girl who disappeared after accepting a suspicious housekeeping position. We get the story from both Candy's and Maye’s points of view, from the detective and the victim.

The dual narration is the strongest highlight of this book. O’Leary captures the deuteragonists’ individual voices, experiences, attitudes, personalities, and behaviors. They have very few moments together, so their individual stories are separated by proximity but are equal in impact and storytelling. 

Candy is both a tough talker and nervous newcomer. She isn't above mouthing off to supervisors, clients, or colleagues. (When she is first introduced to the case by her boss and mentor, her first questions are “Who's paying me and how much?”). Her insatiable curiosity, rapid fire sharp tongue, and athletic energy give her the mental and physical advantage to excel at her job.

 She is similar to the wisecracking heroines from Old Hollywood films usually played by the likes of Barbara Stanwyck, Eve Arden, Rosalind Russell, or Katharine Hepburn. She is the tough talking gal who can outsmart those around her and still display some vulnerability.

Candy’s vulnerability manifests itself into her romantic life and uncertainty about her profession. Candy is a lesbian and has an on-off relationship with her girlfriend, Odesa. During the case, the two have a passionate mostly sexual relationship which they contemplate taking further.

It's interesting to feature a queer character whose sexuality is not the main focus of the book. It is a subplot like other Mystery novels where the detective has to juggle professional and personal conflicts. Candy and Odesa’s relationship could move forward but it could also end rather abruptly. The subplot doesn't overpower the book, but allows Candy the freedom and breathing space to reveal her more emotional moments.

 Another moment that reveals Candy's vulnerability is when she admits her own deficiencies in investigation. When she hits a stumbling block, she hits social media and chats with the experts: her fellow private investigators. 

One of them is our old friend Lee Jensen. The siblings from another father/author compare notes about recent investigations and provide advice about present cases. 

Even though I only read The Bangkok Girl previously, I do know that this is O’Leary’s 14th book. So I wonder if the other characters are also protagonists in O’Leary's books. If so, that's a humorous prospect imagining all of the main characters gathering together to mention their confusion about the plot holes or narrative blocks that take the form of investigation conflicts. It would be hilarious to also picture them talking smack about that weird guy that keeps writing about everything that they do and say. 

The other point of view character in the book is Maye. Her trajectory is by far the most emotional and intense in the book. She begins as a terrified and frightened girl then transforms into a traumatized hardened woman.

When we are first introduced to Maye, she is running from the housekeeping position when she realizes that it is a front for a human trafficking ring. Her tension is palpable as she tries to enter a safe space only to encounter rejection and betrayal that returns her to where she started.

This lesson reveals a hard bitter truth that the world can be cruel and doesn't care about what happens to her. Now in captivity and forced into sex work, Maye is left with nothing. She moves and works physically alive but figuratively dead, playing the part of a beautiful object of desire while her independence, self-reliance, and emotional strength are crushed from within.

The traffickers use various means to control. They drug Maye to lower her inhibitions and change her name and appearance. This is a tactic that is often used on trafficking victims. It is their captors’ way of saying, “We own you. You are whoever we say you are. Your old self is dead now.” It has a psychological effect on Maye as she falls into and wearily accepts the identity that they give her. 

However, Maye is not completely helpless. She tries to survive and even thrive in her new surroundings. She cultivates alliances with some of her captors and her clients. It is a survival instinct but it also creates conflict among her assailants so their ties are weakened. 

If they want her to be the helpless victim, she will be the helpless victim. If they want her to be the seductive siren, well place her in water and point her to the sailor's direction. Because she is ready to pleasure, ready to seduce, and ready to fight by submission.

Maye does what her captors want and plays on their expectations. She can use their weaknesses against them so she can either escape or failing that ascend within the organization to a position where she is no longer the injured victim.

With Candy and Maye, this is a strong female led mystery novel. It tells an engaging case from the victim and their potential rescuer and makes them both fascinating characters surviving in the intense hardened cynical dark urban nourish world.

The Wine Broker (The Richard O'Brien Series Book 3) by Ian Rodney Lazarus; Vintage Third Volume Has a Dry But Crisp Taste of Suspense, High Stakes, and Murder

 The Wine Broker (The Richard O'Brien Series Book 3) by Ian Rodney Lazarus; Vintage Third Volume Has a Dry But Crisp Taste of Suspense, High Stakes, and Murder

By Julie Sara Porter 

Bookworm Reviews 

Spoilers: The Richard O’Brien Series has a talent for beginning as one thing and turning into something else. Con and Consequence begins with an internet scam that eventually involves international terrorism. In Cease to Exist a lab theft leads FBI Special Agent Richard O’Brien to a mystery that includes genetic engineering and government conspiracies. Now in this third go round, The Wine Broker, Ian Rodney Lazarus begins this case with a bottle of stolen wine.

O’Brien investigates a burglary in the home of Alexander Sisky, a Russian diplomat. While observing the place, O’Brien notices that Sisky’s wine collection had been tampered with like someone took a bottle or left one behind. That and a threatening note regarding one of the bottles leads O’Brien to study the wine smuggling market. This seemingly innocuous crime spirals into larger ones involving organized crime particularly the Yakuza. Meanwhile, Jack Tanaka, the Yakuza’s latest recruit ascends higher into the criminal organization going from deliveries and smuggling to mutilation and murder.

The setup for The Wine Broker is nowhere near as compelling as the previous books in the series and falters a bit here and there. Because of that it is the weakest one in the series. How many people would be interested in reading about wine theft after all?

However, there is a lot of interesting information about the wine industry and the illegal activity that is involved. Much of the insider information includes ocean fermentation, intentional mislabeling and vintaging, sneaking contraband into cases and bottles, and using the seemingly victimless crime of wine smuggling to hide greater crimes. The greater crimes are where the Yakuza come in.

Volume 3 has a lot to offer in terms of plot and character to make it a worthwhile entry. O’Brien is up to his usual tricks particularly in his relationships with women. He has an affair with a wine connoisseur who offers more perspectives than just vino expertise. He reunites with his former colleague and lover, Sarah Goodman and it becomes clear that even though Goodman is married to someone else, she and O’Brien aren't quite over one another.

As with previous volumes in the series, we get another fascinating antagonist. This book's answer to Con and Consequence’s Jelani and The Professor and Cease to Exist’s Emma Lee and Dennis Spence is Jack “Tobacco” Tanaka. He has one of the most unique introductions. He does a stand up act at a comedy club and bombs tremendously.  

This shows him as a man with a lot of nerve and plenty of bravado but not a lot of sense. Tanaka is someone who wants to be noticed, wants to be wealthy, and wants to be the center of the room but is uncertain and naive about how to pursue it. He jumps into situations without any forethought over how it should go. He holds for the applause but doesn't bother with fine tuning the material to make it worth paying attention to.

Because Tanaka is in over his head with the Yakuza, many of the suspenseful and graphic scenes are seen by him. One of the early chapters shows Tanaka going through a painful induction ceremony that involves mutilation. It is a moment that makes the Reader cringe with empathetic while also yelling, “Get out while you still can, Idiot!”

Crime becomes an addiction for Tanaka. As he ascends higher, he becomes enamored with the money, glamor, fear from victims, and the reckless daring of committing crimes and getting away with it. It's quite easy to become hooked and Tanaka sacrifices everything about his former life, including his personal identity, to get his fix.

The Wine Broker has a dry, crisp taste of a psychological thriller and a hard boiled detective noir. Readers can feel the distinct aroma of suspense, high stakes, and violence in a dangerous world of criminal organizations hiding under a veneer of sophistication, wealth, glamor, and status. Overall, it has a long clean but not always pleasant finish.

Carriers Divine Measure Book 1 by Lisa Llamrei; The Matriarch Matrix Mystery of The Matriarchs Book 1 by Maxime Trencavel; The Matriarch Messiah Mystery of The Matriarchs Book 2 by Maxime Trencavel

 Carriers Divine Measure Book 1 by Lisa Llamrei; The Matriarch Matrix Mystery of The Matriarchs Book 1 by Maxime Trencavel; The Matriarch Messiah Mystery of The Matriarchs Book 2 by Maxime Trencavel 

Carriers (Divine Measure Book 1) by Lisa Llamrei 

Carriers is a suspenseful and intricate thriller about the mysteries of human perception and natural and supernatural curiosities.

Nora Lansing, a deaf cryptographer receives a coded message from her missing friend, Marisol. The message leads Nora to pictures of crop circles. Nora is doubtful but curious and worried about her friend, so she books a tour of the circles headed by Steven Campbell, a tour guide and musician. Other people start disappearing in the same manner as Marisol suggesting a connection. Nora and Steven are thrown into a mystery involving aliens, ESP, secret societies, and conspiracies. 

Carriers is the kind of mystery and thriller that introduces some fascinating possibilities and theories about many real life mysteries. Crop circles have been believed to be everything from UFO signals to experimental art projects or hoaxes. When Nora and her companions enter the crop circles she feels an energy surge, sees light formations, and senses that she is being watched. There are hints that these circles came not from human means but by something otherworldly. 

The book is filled with action chapters where Nora, Steven, and their colleagues have to escape from secret societies that have their own agendas with the information that Marisol gathered. There are also moments of betrayal when characters turn traitors on one another and suspicions are raised about other dubious figures. It’s the kind of compelling adventure that holds the Reader’s interest with its various twists and cliffhangers.

One of the strongest themes in this book is language and communication. Because Nora and Marisol are deaf, they mostly communicate through sign language which requires an interpreter or use their phones for written messages. They also communicate to each other through mathematical languages and codes. This is how Nora learns of her friend’s discoveries and troubles. It is a complex language that doesn’t need words. It just needs two brilliant minds in synchronization and understanding. 

Steven also has a way to communicate without words. He uses music. He has synesthesia which means that two or more senses work at once, so he can see lights whenever he hears notes play. There are beautiful moments when Nora sees him play music. She sees his deepest emotions and reverence that reveals more than dialogue ever could. 

This book explores the various meanings of language and how humans use different means of expressing their strongest emotions towards each other. All it takes is another soul who understands. 

The Matriarch Matrix (Mystery of The Matriarchs Book 1) by Maxime Trencavel 

The Matriarch Matrix by Maxine Trencavel is a complex engrossing Thriller about ancient secrets leading to ancestral memory and future possibilities.

Peter Gollinger, a copy editor, has recently inherited an oral tradition passed down by his deceased grandfather, a tradition that is told in riddles and leads to an ancient discovery. Zara Khatum is a Kurdish warrior battling the Daesh and is the heiress of a long matrilineal line. The two of them are hired by tech mogul Alexander Murometz who also has a shared complicated history with Zara. Their mission leads them to the temple of Gobekli Tepe and an object that could lead to untold power, knowledge, and potential destruction. 

The adventure in this book has many byzantine layers that link the past and present. Many characters are descended from others and follow similar paths that their ancestors did. People switch sides, family members battle one another, and couples are reunited as though they were predisposed to repeat one another. 

Many of the characters share themes of family legacy. Peter’s is an oral tradition that his family told one another. The meaning isn’t clear but it is what connects him to his ancestors. This tradition also opens up actual memories as he recognizes not only his own soul in the past but those of others like Zara. For him, this trip is a discovery of answers that have been hidden by words and images.

Zara’s lineage is more concrete. She knows where she came from. She knows that she came from a powerful lineage of wise courageous women who have watched their power and influence become smaller and more diminished by the dominance of men. This journey for her is an act of reclamation to reacquaint her with a history that was never really lost. It was just hidden and waiting to be rediscovered. 

The Matriarch Messiah (Mystery of The Matriarchs Book 2) by Lisa Llamrei 

In this volume of The Mystery of The Matriarchs series, The Matriarch Messiah, the book lives up to its name. The most fascinating character arcs belong to the female characters while the men are pushed to the sidelines. It's a deliberate subversion of the usual gender roles often found in Adventure novels where male protagonists go on the adventure of looking for valuable treasure or information and women are the obligatory love interests/sidekicks. 

Peter Gollinger and Zara Khatum have returned from their previous adventure in which they found a valuable ancient object in Gobekli Tepe and fell in love. Now they are contemplating their next move when tech CEO/financier, Alexander Murometz reappears to give Zara another assignment. She and Peter have to travel to a cavern of blue light but they have to do it as a couple. Meanwhile, Rachel Capsali wants to uncover the truth about an ancient goddess.

The adventure aspects are brilliant with the usual historical clues, traps, betrayals, exotic locations, and spine tingling suspense. But its strength lies in characterization. The female presence of Zara, Rachel, and Mei, a former associate of Murometz and lover of Peter's are the best parts.  They embody different pantheons and goddesses. They are women of substance and goals and propel the narrative by their actions.

Zara is caught between her love for Peter and her own personal calling. She wants to live an ascetic life as a Sufi priestess like Rabi’a al-Adawiyya, a woman who dedicated her life to living in solitude and serving her god, Xwede. To do that Zara has to withdraw from emotional attachments including Peter’s. 

She loves Peter but isn't sure that she is supposed to spend her life with him. She also resents Murometz’s pestering for her and Peter to consummate their relationship and conceive a child to pass their intelligent strong genes along. Joke's on Murometz because a graphic assault rendered Zara unable to bear children. While going on this adventure, Zara has to weigh her dedication to her heart and love for Peter or her head and religious devotion.

Rachel represents a different aspect. While Zara is a Kurdish Muslim, Rachel is Jewish and a Torah scholar. Her main interest is in the myths of Asherah who some ancient texts imply was the wife of Yahweh before she was edged out by male rabbinical scholars and chroniclers. 

Like Zara she is intellectually devoted to her faith and wants to restore the female presence in mythology and history. The journey is Rachel's determination to find the answers that she sought. 

The conflict between Rachel and Zara is reminiscent of the continuous Middle Eastern conflicts with each woman representing the two sides. They are both strong-willed devout women with similar goals suggesting that both sides have more in common than they are aware. They have problems that could be resolved through conversation, compromise, and understanding of interdependency. Trencavel humanizes both sides by giving them voices.

Mei, the third character, comes from a different place, a wealthier posher, more polished place than her protagonist sisters. She is a stylish fashionista who didn't mind playing up on her femininity to seduce Peter. She also had a troubled relationship with Alexander Murometz in which they shared ideas in business and in bed. She was someone who tried to be in control of any situation but things reached a downward spiral.

Now she questions her alliances and future. Once a shallow superficial character, she is forced to look inward towards who she really is and what she wants. She is also pregnant and weighing whether or not she wants to be a mother and if the father is a good fit. Her goddess association is Jiang, a Chinese fertility goddess, who had to isolate herself to give birth. Mei has to wonder if being at the center of such chaos, corruption, war, and destruction and whether she can or should have a child.

Mei, Rachel, and Zara are faced with immense choices and crossroads where they have to weigh their own fates, decisions, personal outlooks and also have to consider what is best for the world as a whole. 

Life Into Death And Other Stories About The Two Gods Who Balance The Earth by E.S. Sibbald; The Hidden Raphael's Banker The Art and Finance Mystery Series Book 1 by Alessandra Oddi Baglioni; Labyrinth of Shadows (The Witch's Rebirth Part 1) by Michaela Riley

 Life Into Death And Other Stories About The Two Gods Who Balance The Earth by E.S. Sibbald; The Hidden Raphael's Banker (The Art and Finance Mystery Series Book 1) by Alessandra Oddi Baglioni; Labyrinth of Shadows (The Witch's Rebirth Part 1) by Michaela Riley 

By Julie Sara Porter 

Bookworm Reviews 

Spoilers:

Life Into Death And Other Stories About The Two Gods Who Balance The Earth by E.S. Sibbald

E.S. Sibbald’s Fantasy short novel, Life Into Death and Other Stories About Two Gods Who Balance the Earth is a lyrical, visceral, and powerful meditation on life and death. These two transitions are personified by a pair of gods who are on opposite sides, banter, vie, and love one another. 

They are present in the literal beginning. In the primordial sea, Life watches single celled organisms form and reproduce. Death appears when one stops moving. They are together at the end when after environmental and nuclear disasters have taken their toll, Life and Death stand in a global wide wasteland where nothing can ever be born or grow. If nothing can live, then nothing can ever die. So Life and Death just fade from existence. The book combines their first meeting, their last reunion, and many of the times in between to give us the full experience of this odd but loving immortal couple. 

Life and Death naturally are a study in contrasts. The first paragraphs of the book remind us that Life is in the bright places of the world while Death is in the shadows. Life exists in the birth of babies, the growth of plants, and in the forests, seas and skies. Death exists in street corners, graveyards, hospital beds, mausoleums, and in the dark corner of the human mind. Life is loved and praised while Death is feared and sometimes hated.

 Both are beautiful, powerful, awe inspiring, and are everywhere in everything and everybody. They are genderless and can take many forms, children, animals, soldiers, elderly people, men, women, married couples, single celled organisms but they always recognize each other. They are drawn together so it is no surprise that their coexistence transforms over the eons into a partnership, to a flirtation, to a friendship, to a romance, to an undying love for each other. It’s a union developed from years of observing each other watching the global experience. 

Many of the most compelling chapters occur as the duo observe mortals in many situations. They see soldiers on the battlefield killing one another, then sees soldiers on different sides calling for a Christmas Day truce during WWI (true story by the way). They participate in a Pride March when same-sex marriage becomes legal in the U.S. Death despairs over having to take a suicidal young woman and silently cheers when Life interferes giving her extra years. They see families sharing love, craftspeople and artists proud of their work, adventurers seeking another thrill, parents holding their children for the first time, and people closing their eyes for the last. 

Each experience leaves their marks on Life and Death and exposes their deeper emotions and vulnerabilities. It is no wonder that they express their love for each other as they see humans do the same. It would be impossible to dwell among mortals and not be emotionally affected by their transience and their desires to find meaning in the short time in which they are given. They try to find out who they are. Life and Death don’t have to.They just are. But that doesn’t mean that they can’t feel, can’t connect, and can’t love. 

In exploring the most important transitions of life and death, Life Into Death tells Readers about what happens at the beginning and the end. But it also tells us that what we do in between is what gives us meaning and existence. They make us alive. 

The Hidden Raphael's Banker (The Art and Finance Mystery Series Book 1) by Alessandra Oddi Baglioni;

Alessandra Oddi Baglioni’s The Hidden Raphael's Banker is a continuation to her Historical Fiction short novel, The Red Wedding. Instead of a family history about a Renaissance era family scheming and conniving against other families and each other, it's a modern Mystery Thriller with a wide conspiracy involving a painting once commissioned by said Renaissance era family.

In The Red Wedding, we learn that Atalanta Baglioni commissioned Raphael to paint a portrait of Jesus’ Deposition as an act of contrition after family members were killed during the wedding of her cousin Astor Baglioni and his wife Lavinia Colonna Orsini. This book continues the story of what happened to that painting. 

Architect and art aficionado, George Lacroix is in Rome at the Borghese Museum. He sees the painting and becomes fascinated by its origins and history. While researching the history of the Baglioni Family, the painting, and its previous owners, George stumbles across a conspiracy that reveals other motives connected to the painting. 

This book is an intricate thriller in which art and history provide clues and hints leading to modern day events. What in The Red Wedding was a simple act of repentance and memorial to those lost, in this volume became symbolic of the institutions that hold real power through politics, finance, culture, business, philanthropy, and leadership. In a meta moment, George uses Baglioni’s own previous book, The Red Wedding, for research, complete with passages lifted from the book. 

 It sounds bizarre that this painting would lead to such a conspiracy. But the commission was made by a very influential Renaissance-era family that was involved in high circles including The Pope and had rivalries with other families like the Medicis and the Borgias. It makes sense that they would be involved with some secret inner circles. It also makes sense that these circles would have a ripple effect into modern day with despots in suits that prefer to do their power grabs by spreading money around and remaining hidden rather than poison or stab someone at a wedding.  

There are genuine moments of suspense during George’s investigation. He meets betrayal from people who he thought that he could trust. He becomes romantically involved or is enamored with a couple of women who have their own agendas. There are many global agents who want to keep this discovery hidden and aren’t above killing to get it done.

By far the most enigmatic character is Colomba. At first she appears to be a tour guide who gives George information about The Deposition then disappears. Her story becomes more complicated when George learns that there is nobody employed at the Borghese with her name and appearance. George also encounters her other times on the streets, inside museums, and other places. She acts as a guide or guardian angel who helps George.

 Sometimes Columba provides information, warns George of danger, or keeps him away from pursuers. It’s also interesting to note that there is a similar character in The Red Wedding who also provides a similar function. This suggests that the current Columba is a ghost of the former Columba and is atoning for the death and destruction that happened in the Renaissance by preventing it from happening again. 

The Hidden Raphael’s Banker is for those who like their adventure thrillers to be widespread with conspiracies that tie history with current events, are led by brilliant experts in their field, and excite readers while making them think.

Labyrinth of Shadows The Witch's Return Part 1 by Michaela Riley 

Michaela Riley’s Historical Fantasy Labyrinth of Shadows (The Witch's Rebirth) is a rich, enchanting, and complex novel about a witch that is reincarnated over the centuries.

The Witch is a very powerful being. While there are other witches, this specific figure, The Witch, is said to be the most powerful. She has been reborn countless times. In 1590 Copenhagen she is Anna facing a witch trial in which she is to be burned at the stake. In 478, she seduces young Prince Clovis of the Franks to tell him that he will lead his armies into victory. 

The majority of this book is set in the 5th Century when Mairead, a Druid High Priestess conducts a Samhain ritual to rid her tribe of Armaeus, the most feared Daemon in the entire realm. During the ritual, she discovers an abandoned baby and takes her in. The baby, named Merona, is the current incarnation of The Witch and is destined to fight and hopefully defeat Armaeus. She shows flashes of insight from her former lives but she also has to receive training. To do that Merona must be taught by Murdach, Mairead’s friend.

This book has an abundance of witch lore weaved into the narrative. Those who have an interest in folklore and legends of witches and their origins will be fascinated with the references. Mairead and her Druids follow ancient rites and rituals

Mairead’s authority was high during a time period which still respected Druids and the Ancient Celtic traditions that they represented even as they were also aware of the transition towards Christianity that was on its way. This is a society that is firmly holding onto the old ways, even as new ones are starting to gain influence. 

An interesting twist to this book is the appearance of Armaeus and his goal. Instead of being an instrument of Satan or dark magic, he is an instrument of the evil in humanity. He encourages the Witch Trials to attack women who could fight against him and fan the flames of human prejudice. It’s interesting that the Christians who claim to be fighting Satan end up serving someone just as powerful and dangerous. But hatred often clouds judgement. People can’t always tell who their enemies really are as long as they use the right words and hate who they hate. Merona certainly has her work cut out for her. 

Some of the most fascinating chapters occur during Murdach’s training of Merona that increases her knowledge and abilities. The flashes of intuition from other lives become stronger and more concrete as she explores past lives. She also explores future lives like her time as Anna, to give herself foresight and precognition and begins to recognize patterns of people and situations that keep reoccurring. She recognizes that she, Murdach, and Armaeus have a history that stretches through time. 

Meronia also has to expand her magical abilities. Murdoch takes her on a series of tests to train her in elemental magic. She faces trials of earth, air, fire, and water to channel her abilities and control the elements. The training takes several years and many revelations before Merona is considered powerful enough to fight Armaeus.

The final test is for Merona to go to the Labyrinth of Shadows where she has to encounter her fears, face her biggest challenges, and discover her inner power. It is a challenging trial, the kind in which one could emerge as an insane threat or an extremely potent witch.