Supposedly a true story. One of the creepiest horror novels ever. Evil monks live for centuries by imbibing a potion made from the liquefied bodies of their torture victims. Eww. ( )

So first DON'T read the Foreword, it spoils one of the more interesting elements.

This is a supposedly true story told to the author by one of the protagonists. I've marked it as gothic as it has all the elements of a classic star-crossed lovers gothic romance but with an eastern twist. Mysteries of Udolpho meets Lost Horizon... that is an awful analogy even by my standards but you get the drift :lol.

Its relatively short and for a so called true tale it has a nice writing style. It certainly never goes where you might expect and left a pretty good impression. Even though the author might be slightly more fascinating than the story. ( )