The Fiery Angel -

Valery Bruisov

Dedalus Ltd

2004

416 páginas

13h 52m

ISBN-13: 9781903517338

Set in Medieval Germany, an age of religious fanaticism and the Inquisition, The Fiery Angel tells the story of a young knight, Rupprecht, who when returning home meets a young woman called Renata who is prone to visions and claims to be searching for her angelic beloved, Madael. The pair travel together, and enter into a sado-masochistic relationship, delving deeper and deeper into occult practices. The description of the Black Mass Rupprecht attends is an excellent demonstration of the author’s profound knowledge of the supernatural. Rupprecht is obsessed with Renata, who treats him in turns with cruelty and affection. Cameo appearances are made by Doctor Faustus and Mephistopheles, and Doctor Agrippa. What is truly remarkable about the novel is that Bruisov never gives any clear solutions to the things that happen. Is Madael an angel or a demon? Is Renata really in contact with the spiritual world, or is it hysteria? Can the paranormal events be explained away by science? It is a powerful and compelling novel, dealing with key Decadent issues such as Satanism, femme fatales and sexual hysteria.