Title: The Mud Ballad

Author: Jo Quenell

Release date: April 30, 2020

You ever read something that just makes you feel filthy? As though you need a shower and it’ll take steel wool to scrub away the dirt that squirmed its way into your skin?

‘The Mud Ballad’ by Jo Quenell did such a thing to me.

This is the second of three books that Sam at Weirdpunk Books sent for me to check out and the third book overall of their press that I’ve read (the other being the stunning upcoming release from Joanna Koch ‘Wingspan of Severed Hands) and I’m blown away. Stunned, truly with how amazing these releases are. I’m also stunned, and saddened to be honest, that I haven’t seen more people raving about ‘The Mud Ballad’ and the previous release I read ‘Seventeen Names for Skin.’

Considering this is Quenell’s debut release, this novella has the makings of an author I’ll be sure to follow.

**Now, I do want to add a quick caveat – I couldn’t find any social media links for Quenell, but judging from the author bio, I’ll use they/them pronouns. If this is incorrect, I’d greatly appreciate somebody reaching out and I can make the appropriate edits!**

What I liked: In a prologue fit for the darkest of black days, we open in a small town. The travelling circus has arrived and the conjoined twins are one of the many ‘freaks’ to be featured in the sideshow. But for one of the twins, it’s become too much and they take it into their own hands to kill their brother and slice him from their head.

From there, Quenell rolls out a narrative that is filled with rain, mud and a comedy of errors. We pick up some years later. Jonathan, our living twin, was exiled from the circus and remained in the town where they killed their brother. Dawes, the circus doctor has returned, looking for his former love after the circus itself has been retired.

Not content to turn this into a tale of a former freak and a disgraced physician trying to find a place in the world, Quenell deftly adds in a found grimoire and Jonathan’s hairbrained scheme to resurrect his twin and have Dawes surgically reunite them.

Throughout this story, Quenell delivers time and time again, some of the dirtiest and filthiest descriptions I’ve ever read. It always rains in this town. Animal fights and drinking are the local pastimes. Dawes and Jonathan both have jobs working two of the lowest positions in one of the lowest places on the planet. But, Quenell manages to do something really interesting here. They make you want to see these two succeed. Jonathan misses hearing that other voice in his head. Dawes just wants to help his buddy and see the boy smile again. It is an odd pairing but a pairing that works.

A lot of this story even gave me shades of some of the 80’s slapstick comedies. National Lampoon’s and John Candy stuff where a shovel is conveniently placed for a person to step on and get hit with it. Only, within this story, that isn’t a shovel. No, it’s a knife or a train.

Quenell has truly crafted a gem from start to finish here. A phenomenal piece of writing that had me riveted from page one.

What I didn’t like: The grimoire aspect was absolutely necessary for the plot and the ending reflected that. Saying that, I almost found some of the paranormal stuff that arrives later on a bit odd, considering the scope of the story before it. It does work, but it may be jarring for some readers.

As well, I typically can’t stand any sort of comedy in my horror/dark fiction reads, but wow did Quenell use it well when needed and for the majority of it, the ‘comedy’ was truly dark in nature.

Why you should buy this: Weirdpunk Books, over the course of only three books, has cemented itself as a MUST read press. I have one more book to check out, but from what I’ve read, I have no concerns I won’t enjoy it.

Quenell wrote a stunning debut novella, one that quickly and effortlessly has made them an author for me to watch. This book should be on so many ‘Best Of’ lists for 2020 (as well as Seventeen Names for Skin) so if you haven’t read it, there’s still time. The writing is crisp, bleak and filled with decay and Quenell never once let’s in a single slice of sunshine.

Fantastic stuff. Absolutely fantastic.

5/5

To buy direct from Weirdpress Books;

https://weirdpunkbooks.square.site/product/The-Mud-Ballad-Jo-Quenell/20

Amazon link;