The Lilium

The Lilium by Pablo Zaragoza is a fascinating story that takes readers across time and through centuries, following three offspring of one of the primeval creatures, the woman called Lilith. This biblically themed story captures the adventures of the rebellious first wife of Adam — Lilith — who, shunning her husband's control over her, leaves the Garden of Eden and runs away. Condemned to live in a cave, Lilith only comes out during the full moon. She gives birth to demons who escape and roam the earth, causing havoc. But there are three, who set out to counter the evil born of their mother. From the fall of Babel, these supernatural creatures travel the unknown landscapes of the world, through time and space, to stop Lilith from bringing to life more demons and monsters. Follow them as they discover new civilizations, and meet historical personages like Nimrod, Confucius, Buddha, and even Jesus. Can they stop Lilith from infesting the world with demons and can their longing to be like humans ever be fulfilled?

It is delightfully haunting, at times mind-bending, and it features an adventure that will definitely ensnare any fan of supernatural adventure and mind-bending thrillers. The premise of the book is compelling: the author introduces a controversial historical character in Lilith and the fact that she is the first wife of Adam immediately arouses any reader's curiosity.  The Lilium introduces an exciting alternative narrative of the proverbial conflict of good vs evil, with characters that are sophisticated and a conflict that is phenomenal. The narrative is brimming with both historical and biblical hints and the author succeeds to create pulsating moments of adventure, surprising readers at every turn with details and unexpected twists. The prose is gorgeous and the wisecracking narrative voice makes this tale a hypnotic one, with the stunningly imagined settings, larger-than-life characters, and a conflict that is deftly handled. It is an irresistible brew of adventure sprinkled with thought-provoking moments, expertly developed themes of good vs evil, mortality vs eternity, and the beauty of humanity.