Title: The Ballad of Black Tom

Author: Victor LaValle

Release date: February 16, 2016

“For H.P. Lovecraft, with all my conflicted feelings.”

I got this ebook a while back, when Tor had it as a free ebook of the month. I added it to my long list of books on my TBR and it slowly made its way up the list as I made my way through them.

I think I’ve done a decent job of reading diversely. I know for a fact I read A LOT of Women Horror authors, that has always been something I strive to do. But POC authors? Probably not good enough.

I will readily and unashamedly admit, I bumped this from 15th on my TBR list (yes, I have my books ordered and numbered!) to start reading this after the horrific and world changing events of George Floyd. As the Horror community rallied around our fellow POC authors and people shared photos and stacks of books to read by them (myself included) I knew I needed to do more than just share a photo.

‘The Ballad of Black Tom’ accomplishes a rare feat. We in the Horror world know just how horrible of a person HP Lovecraft was. There is a big disconnect between the mythos he created and the human he was. I remember reading some Lovecraft growing up and rereading some recently, and while I enjoy his worlds, I hate his writing. I struggle to get into it and I drop interest quickly.

Thankfully, there are a number of authors who write within that mythos incredibly well and whose writing I enjoy! So, I can get my weird gods fix and enjoy those books.

Victor LaValle, from what I’ve read online, grew up reading Lovecraft, but as a person of color, when he discovered Lovecraft’s views, he was conflicted. Like many people, he looked past the views and focused on the writing.

But then at some point, LaValle decided to take back some of Lovecraft’s mythos and make it his own, and much like the epigraph that starts this book (which I shared at the top) LaValle dove in.

What I liked: ‘The Ballad of Black Tom’ starts off by following Tommy Tester, a black man in New York at the start of the 19th Century. He is chosen by a rich man to come perform at his mansion and from there the reader gets introduced to some of the great Old Ones.

I’ve seen a few reviews state this and I’ll echo it – LaValle does Lovecraft better than Lovecraft ever did. There are some scenes in here that are completely unnerving and will creep you right out. The character of Ma Att is one such entity that will grab you and make you want to shower after you read a few of her moments.

The second part of the book follows Malone, a detective. This worked really well to see the subtle nods between the first and second half of the book, but also to understand the glamour or shimmer that the Secret Alphabet has placed on those outside of the inner circle.

What I didn’t like: While LaValle does Lovecraft amazingly, I personally wished there was just a bit more creatures featured. We get some great descriptions, but I wanted to see so much more!

Why you should buy it: LaValle writes with such efficient prose that this book hummed along. The characters and events are engaging and the use of the Old Ones was perfect. This would have been an easy one-sitting read if I didn’t have 6 other books on the go! Saying all of that, now is a time for us to support and read more diverse authors and LaValle is one of the masters of the genre. I have ‘The Changeling” from his as well, which I will be pushing up my TBR asap.

This was a stunning piece and I loved every second of it.

5/5

 

Title: The Midwives

Author: Duncan Ralston

Release date: February 24th, 2020

 

Duncan Ralston is a name many horror readers are familiar wife, and most have read a few of his releases by now. In 2019, Ralston up the game with promotional pushes for his stellar release ‘Ghostland.’ A follow up to that book, which landed on many “Best Of” lists and has already been announced that a sequel is in the works would be daunting on the best of days. But Ralston dove into it head first and eagerly shared the cover from esteemed artist Francois Vaillancourt.

Once that image hit the horror community the excitement level began to increase.

What I liked: The story follows one Marty Savage, true-crime writer extraordinaire. He had a string of hits, but his best know work was ‘Witch Hunter,’ which was an embellished version of serial killer Barclay. When Barclay escapes and begins killing his way towards Savage, wanting revenge, Savage and his friend Sheila, who was a psychiatrist on the case flee to the remote town of Barrows Bay – where Savage grew up.

Duncan did a fantastic job of diving into the deep end immediately. We get to see that Savage is a bit of a scumbag, preying on easy female targets at book signings and living a bachelor life of debauchery. We get to see his character go through a transformation story arc throughout and it was satisfying to watch that happen. Sheila is a strong female character, many times the reality grounder to Marty’s sarcastic laissez-faire attitude.

The midwives of Barrows Bay made for a great group to create the necessary “good versus evil” set up that a folk thriller like this needed and I loved the back story that Ralston sprinkled throughout.

The ending was done really well and there were several things left a bit open for the possibility of a sequel. I would love to read more, especially seeing how we never really get any conclusion with a discovery on the beach or with the main detective.

Lastly, Barrows Bay itself worked as a very engaging character. While technically the setting, a place such as this has its own pulse, its own rhythm and Duncan made sure to amplify that when needed and make it undulate to shift the story as warranted.

What I didn’t like: A story like this, with a larger ensemble cast of secondary characters can sometimes create issues with remembering who is who. Ralston didn’t have that issue, instead making sure each moving piece had a purpose for being there. Saying that, the main reason for Savage and Sheila for going to Barrows Bay, Barclay, at one point almost became an afterthought and I found it was a long stretch before he re-entered the fray. I would’ve love just a touch more of his own journey to track down the duo, but I do understand the necessary space filled with Barrows Bay happenings.

Why you should buy it: Ralston is not only one of the best writers in the horror genre, creating lush landscapes layered with depth and gore, but he’s also one of the nicest guys in the field and one of the most supportive. ‘The Midwives’ is a horrific book and if you are wanting a dark read where things get revealed over time while you still are dealing with what just happened, then look no further.

As I mentioned at the beginning – a follow up to a book like ‘Ghostland’ can be tough, but Duncan stepped up to the plate and knocked it out of the park.

5/5