When Willow Rosenberg from “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” went Wicca to fight the forces of darkness, I was terribly disappointed. Where was the Jewish heroine who used her own culture to save the world? Michele Lang must have read my thoughts when she wrote “Lady Lazarus,” a thrilling World War II story of a Jewish witch who uses the powers of the Almighty to fight Hitler’s werewolf army. While many urban fantasies have been accused of being harlequin romance novels with some vampires thrown in, “Lady Lazarus” is a thrilling story of good versus evil.
A descendant of the Witch of Ein Dor, who advised King Saul before his death, Magda Lazarus is a magical young woman working for a vampire as a magical helper of sorts. She is enjoying a cosmopolitan life in Budapest when her sister foresees the horror that is marching toward European Jewry—the Holocaust. In order to prevent the slaughter, Magda ventures across Europe to find the ancient Book of Raziel, which can empower her to fight the forces of darkness. While on her journey, she encounters imps, demons and a curse–wielding priest of Ba’al, all bent on preventing her from saving the Jewish people. Magdamust cross into Nazi Germany, protected by werewolves and succubae who wish to drink her blood. With little magical training from her mother, Magda’s only hope lies in the Angel Raziel–who cannot interfere with the mortal world but who can help her save Europe.
There is no doubt that the author has done her research: the small details of Jewish mysticism are spot-on, with frequent allusions to Jewish culture and prayers. Lang’s lush prose–a “byzantine turn of phrase which unwinds line by line,” as she writes in the book–resembles poetry in its description of pre-war Budapest. Although her language is melodic and unusual, it flows quickly, washing over the reader. Even when the characters’ motivations become unclear, the beautiful otherworldly language moves the story along like a fine soundtrack. Urban fantasy—magic happening in the real world—has always been at its best whenapplied to reallife situations, and the way in which Magda uses her magic is an excellent allegory for the experience of observant Jews in the larger world: she is uncomfortable with her special role and wishes to assimilate. Magda acknowledges her Judaism only when it is forced upon her, wishing to be thought of as Hungarian. Magda’s dilemma is a familiar one: is it worth it to be chosen, be you a witch or a Jew?
Lang’s characters range from the sublime to the confusing. Magda is a wonderful heroine—spunky, self sacrificing and intelligent—outwitting vampires, werewolves and overprotective siblings without blinking an eyelash. Although a more detailed physical description of her and some information from her childhood would have been helpful, the reader takes to Madga as a flawed but loving young woman who has been handed the fate of the world. Unlike most Urban fantasy heroines, Madga is impoverished and has little time for fashion. The character of Raziel the Angel is harder to enjoy. He seems too limited to be an emmissary of God who has seen thousands of lifetimes. His actions make no sense and the reader has no idea what attracts him to Magda.
The villain of the story is one of the most chilling, sadistic and creative antagonists in modern fantasy. The Staff is hideously alluring like Captain Hook, a creature of pure evil that is genteel, elegant and otherworldly; he enthralls the reader every time he is on the scene. The passages where he menaces the Jewish community recall those of Bram Stoker, author of “Dracula.”
The Holocaust is a sensitive topic, but Lang’s approach is fresh and respectful. She does not romanticize the Jewish people but shows them to be well-rounded and unique. The book ends on a cliffhanger; as the war gets harsher, I am curious to see if–in the next installment–Magda will be able to defeat the Holocaust prophesy. It will also be interesting to see how Raziel and Madga’s relationship grows. World War II has many rich stories, and adding a magical touch has only made it more interesting.
