Title: DAHLIA
Author: Christian Laurian
Publisher: AOS / Ace of Swords Publishing
ISBN: 978-1-83432-031-1
Pages: 529
Genre: Romance / Fiction / Spiritual
Reviewer: Susan Brown

Read Book Review

DAHLIA is a love story, albeit one that is atypical for the genre, with an ending which redefines the notion of “happily ever after.” The narrative centers on two main characters, Jack and Dahlia, and the ebb and flow of their passionate, tortuous and all-consuming relationship.

From their first meeting at a college party, there is an attraction. A series of miscommunications and missed opportunities prevent them from connecting for a while but when they finally do get together, the attraction is immediate. Jack says it felt as if he was “being swallowed by the sea.” For Dahlia it was like “growing into a great, serene tree.” At long last she felt she could, “hold the world and its worries with infinite oak-like strength.”

The author’s writing is captivating. With his deft style, readers will feel the visceral passion Jack and Dahlia have for each; the desire, the want, “the hole that cannot be filled.” Love yes, but an obsessive, sexually charged and intense love which, regrettably, prevents them from confessing to each other that they are both suffering from significant personal trauma. Both are children of alcoholic parents. Both have unspoken and unshared secrets which they keep buried. The author devotes large portions of the book describing the details of their trauma and the resulting repercussions in their lives.

One fateful event changes the tenor of their relationship, catapulting them into a quagmire of distrust and suspicion. A violent incident exposes elements of Dahlia’s nature, jeopardizing their bond. Ultimately neither can overcome their “bad memories” and consequently their “present turned as ugly as the past.” Fear and loathing begin to creep into their relationship and tear them apart.

There’s a significant secondary storyline that Christian Laurian introduces to the reader as Jack and Dahlia’s relationship is falling apart. The author details Dahlia’s backstory, of how she came to be. The author alludes to her history, but its significance becomes critical to understanding the essence of this novel. We discover her origin story; she is part of the conscious collective, the beginning of all things in the universe, the purpose of which is “to be.” Her human form is Dahlia.

The author has truly undertaken a fascinating approach to writing romantic fiction. He blends elements of the traditional emotional journey two people take on their path to falling in love — infatuation, sexual attraction, the indispensable need for each other — and enhances it with metaphysical exposition which helps the readers understand the magnitude of Dahlia’s need for Jack, an eternal need to be loved and understood. A desire that is, perhaps, universal to all beings. I think readers will enjoy this duality. I did. It made the story more intriguing, kept my interest and had me in the grip to the very last word.

With DAHLIA, Christian Laurian provides a unique perspective on the transcendent nature of love and proves that true soulmates will always find a way to be together.