The Fetch by Laura Whitcomb

Calder is a Fetch- a spirit who escorts souls through the Death Door, down the Aisle, to the Great River where the Captain transports them on to Heaven. For the last three hundred years, Calder has gone about his duties as a Fetch while remaining indifferent to the outcomes of the Death Scenes until he arrives at the death scene of a young boy and is completely taken by the beautiful young woman attending him. Calder mistakenly assumes that the woman is a governess and believes that she has been ordained as his Star Fetch. To reach his Star Fetch, Calder does the unthinkable- he takes possession of a deceased soul’s body instead of guiding the soul to Heaven. It is only after Calder enters Rasputin’s body does he discovers that the woman whom he believes is a governess is actually Empress Alexandra, the boy Prince Alexei.

Whitcomb’s combines fantasy and historical fiction with a hint of romance and strong overtones of Christian themes to create a novel that has an intriguing concept coupled with a stunning cover and is sure to pique the interest of readers. Sadly, the story gets bogged down in the religious aspects and moves at such a slow pace that only select readers will stick with it to the conclusion. Billing the story as a supernatural romance does the novel a disservice as there is very little romance- certainly not enough to appeal to fans of that genre, while those who may appreciate the intricacies of the story might not pick up something labeled a supernatural romance. Whitcomb does a beautiful job setting the scenes and has clearly done her research on the Russian Revolution. The ending sets up a sequel, but only those truly invested in Calder’s journey will clamor for it.