Kalista seeks to change that. When her young and narcissistic uncle, Viego, becomes king, she vows to temper his destructive instincts, as his loyal confidant, advisor, and military general. But her plans are thwarted when an assassin’s poisoned blade strikes Viego’s wife, Isolde, afflicting her with a malady for which there is no cure. Some of us changed their mind. It must have been too difficult. Others kept close to their Goth soul. I wasn't sure what to expect from this, but I liked what I got. It's a series of essays linking aspects of Goth to his life, the formation of the Cure, how Goth bands and artists have contributed to the current pop and alternative scenes. There is even a bit on aging and Elder Goths.

Camavor is a brutal land with a bloody legacy. Where the empire’s knights go, slaughter follows. Kalista seeks to change that. When her young and narcissistic uncle, Viego, becomes king she vows to temper his destructive instincts as his loyal confidant, advisor, and military general. But her plans are thwarted when an assassin’s poisoned blade strikes Viego’s wife, Isolde, afflicting her with a malady for which there is no cure. As Isolde’s condition worsens, Viego descends into madness and grief, threatening to drag Camavor down with him. Kalisa makes a desperate gambit to save the kingdom: She searches for the long-lost Blessed Isles, rumored to hold the queen’s salvation if only Kalista can find them. But corruption grows in the Blessed Isle’s capital, where a vengeful warden seeks to ensnare Kalista in his cruel machinations. She will be forced to choose between her loyalty to Viego and doing what she knows is right–for even in the face of utter darkness, one noble act can shine a light that saves the world. This book had been highly anticipated by me, as well as, many in my friend group. I pre bought the audiobook on Libro.fm months in advance. So far, this year, has been a fantastic year for me reading books related to my favorite kind of music- Goth and Post-Punk. When I was a teenager in the’90s, I loved talking to my aunt and uncle—my dad’s younger siblings who listened to cool music and wore cool clothes—about punk and new wave music they listened to in the ‘70s and ‘80s. Tolhurst is about the same age as my aunt and uncle, and reading his thoughts about the same genres of music has the same effect. I would love it if I could meet Tolhurst at a book signing. If you have merely a passing interest in learning about the whole culture of Goth, I would recommend that you get a copy of this book because you will devour it easily in a couple of days and maybe you might find yourself inclined to explore the darker side of life.But corruption grows in the Blessed Isle’s capital, where a vengeful warden seeks to ensnare Kalista in his cruel machinations. She will be forced to choose between her loyalty to Viego and doing what she knows is right–for even in the face of utter darkness, one noble act can shine a light that saves the world. “In the tradition of the most memorable Greek tragedies, Anthony Reynolds weaves a propulsive tale of love, loss, war, and duty that recalls the adage, ‘the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for the good to do nothing.’ Those familiar with League of Legends know where this story must leave us, but RUINATION’s power is that—like all good myths—knowing how it ends is just the beginning.” - Evan Winter, author of The Rage of Dragons

One of the things I especially liked was Mr. Tolhurst's inclusive attitude when loosely defining musical categories instead of trying to rigidly gate-keep only the purest of the Goth. well done. Kalista seeks to change that. When her young and narcissistic uncle, Viego, becomes king she vows to temper his destructive instincts as his loyal confidant, advisor, and military general. But her plans are thwarted when an assassin’s poisoned blade strikes Viego’s wife, Isolde, afflicting her with a malady for which there is no cure.The Cure have always been one of my favourite bands. Boys don’t cry (1979) on top of my list because it is the first I listened to. You know, like a first kiss. Seventeen Seconds (1980), Faith (1981) and Pornography (1982), their three most gothic albums still giving me some strange energy that helps connect with myself in a unique way.

Lol Tolhurst was born in a small town in England, and wanted to get out almost from the beginning. Tolhurst was interested in music, forming bands, and working with his best friend from the age of five Robert Smith. Together the two would go on to create one of the greatest and most influential bands of the eighties, The Cure, but to get there there would be a lot of other influences. Tolhurst looks at the music of the time, punk and how as the anger of the music was co-opted into different darker things, many of these punk musicians began to create a different kind of music. Angry yes, but introspective, as the rage of youth settled into the grudging acceptance of how things were. Tolhurst looks at the draw of Gothic literature, the influences this had on music, the spread of Goth music and culture to Europe and finally to the Americas, where bands literally changed lives and influenced generations of musicians to come.Major props for including some of my favourite bands like And Also the Trees and All About Eve. I especially loved hearing more of Julianne Regan's thoughts, as I’m in love with her writing and am in desperate need of a book written by her as well. I usually don't enjoy reading about listening music. Most writers fall so far from capturing the experience that it's uncomfortable. But this guy manages to capture the elusive in a way that's not only a completely accurate discription, but is also a joy to read. Excellent intro to goth written by someone who actually created it: Lol Tolhurst, drummer for The Cure and one of the two original and remaining members along with Robert Smith. Lol is a humble fellow in an industry where many aren't, and has that very, very twee British sensibility without the cringe, being the affable chap that he is. If you're looking for a definitive guide to goth, this isn't it, and the book should be more fittingly titled "Goth Music", as that's the main focus here. But as an intro to the subculture, it's fantastic.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book because I love The Cure and Goth bands and novels. I wanted to give this book 3.5 stars, but I can’t do rating fractions on Goodreads. Tolhurst is at his best when he discusses his experience writing and performing music. This is what made his previous book, Cured, so good. Goth: A History is well written but a little disjointed. Tolhurst discusses numerous punk, post-punk, and early and modern Goth bands and their influences on The Cure and other bands. Some bands get more attention; others much less in a manner that seems a little unfocused. There are photos sprinkled throughout the book, but they’re low quality and a little blurry. Several chapters don’t have introductions, which would have improved the book’s organization. As The Cure’s drummer, Lol toured the globe many times over, supporting the ground-breaking albums Three Imaginary Boys, Seventeen Seconds, Faith and Pornography. He took on keyboard duties in the mid-eighties until his departure from the band in 1989, at the time of their masterwork Disintegration.More recently, 2011 saw a momentous reunion tour with his former bandmates and Lol performing with The Cure again for the first time in over twenty years.