Ratings19
Average rating3.8
The Book of the Most Precious Substance by Sara Gran is an exciting new supernatural erotic thriller, marking the debut of Gran's new publishing label Dreamland Books. I think it's important to provide a content advisory at this point, this book is appropriate for adult readers only, age 18 or older. Though I had previously read Gran's book Come Closer, this novel represented a departure from my typical reading fare. It was a very sexual story detailing the adventures of an author-turned-book-dealer named Lily, on her quest for a very rare occult volume. Lily's husband Able has some form of early on-set dementia, and the sale of this desired yet elusive Book of the Most Precious Substance could provide much needed life changing money. Thus Lily goes on a globe trotting adventure chasing rumors of the book. Even though I don't normally read erotica, I was really drawn in by the thriller and supernatural/horror elements of this story. I wanted to know if Lily and her associates would find the book, if the magic was real, and ultimately where this volume was going. I enjoyed the ride for the most part. I did think the plot got a bit thin at a few points, and perhaps the page count was a bit long (over 100 pages longer than Come Closer). There were a few places where I think the book could have been tightened up. Yet, overall I did find the mysteries and suspenseful elements compelling and Gran's prose to be well written. The ending was a mixed bag for me, I felt lots of conflicting emotions, but overall I enjoyed this story. I look forward to seeing what's next from Dreamland Books and Sara Gran ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️