Title: The City of Corpses (Lost Carcosa Book Two)

Author: Joseph Sale

Release date: January 16th, 2024

Huge, huge thanks to Joseph and Blood Bound Books for sending me an early eARC of this one. After how much I loved book one, I was eagerly awaiting the news for book two, so I shouted like Joaquin Phoenix’s character in Signs when he first saw the footage of the alien at the birthday party, when the email came through.

Now, as I said before my review of book one, I wasn’t too familiar with Robert W. Chambers The King in Yellow mythology. Saying that, I knew bits and pieces, but I wouldn’t have been able to describe to you in any meaningful way what Carcosa looked like or really was or any of the key figures. In book one, Sale does a wonderful job of doing that, while also introducing us to Alan, a man seeking a better place for him, having grown to loathe earth and when he finds the way in, he gets in completely.

With book two, I was looking forward to seeing where Sale went with it.

Saying ALL of that – from here on, it may be spoiler-ish for book one, so tread carefully if you’ve not read the first one yet. But you should. It was on my list of the best books of the year for a reason.

What I liked: I WARNED YOU – SPOILERS AHEAD!!

So, book one ended with a few things. Alan possessed the claw of craving, firmly formed onto his arm. He had developed a connection with Cassilda, and her sister Cali, had betrayed them all and was fleeing back to Carcosa to help fall the city and end her father’s life.

We pick up there, with the four – Alan, Cass, LeBarron and Petruccio heading to the mythical city of Alar, looking for answers and a way to stop Cali.

Look, I can’t state this enough and I think I’ve been saying this in every review of Sale’s books I’ve done since the first book I read of his – but nobody out there has his gift of imagination and description. Many writers have the imagination. Many have the mastery of prose. But none of them can put the two together like Sale can and I’d honestly fight anyone to the death over the fact that he is both criminally underrated and under read. Once again here, much like book one, we get a solid story that cinematically rivals the greatest fantasy writers of all time. Pick any writer – most recently would be Martin or Rothfuss I’d guess – and what Sale’s done here is bigger in scope and depth. He just doesn’t fill pages and pages of story with descriptions of food – looking at you Martin. Couple that with the Chambers mythology fully formed and realized and you can taste the air, smell the stench and feel the ground underfoot as we go from Alar, back to Carcosa for the last stand of the mighty tower.

The last quarter of this rivals any of the big battles we encounter in Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings world, massive creatures, thousands of undead and blood and shredding in every sentence. The difference here, between Sale’s books and those masters – the horror element. Sale’s mind is firmly entrenched in the horror world and as such we get darker turns, betrayal and lascivious moments that would make even the most depraved master blush.

It all comes to a head at the end, first we see what happens with Cali and then the aftermath, which sets things up for a third book. I’m elated that we’ll be getting more, as at first I thought this was purely a two series set, and I was worried Sale would have to rush through this one to get to a solid conclusion.

What I didn’t like: Having just read book one not long ago, the main characters were completely fresh in my mind. Saying that, the secondary characters not so much. A refresher at the beginning I think would’ve been great and I think something almost necessary when dealing with fiction that has the scope that this one does.

Why you should buy this: I’ve had this conversation with Joseph in the past, but I feel like he’s a writer currently writing in the wrong decade or even century. I think if he was releasing this stuff in the 60s and 70s, awards would be named after him and entire magazines would be devoted to his mythology and imagination. I suspect in another thirty or forty years we’ll be seeing this happening, but I hope beyond hope that these books take up the mantle NOW and more and more reviewers latch on to what he’s crafting and give him the praise he so rightly deserves.

As for this novel, once again, Sale has sold his soul to a god elsewhere who watches through the thin crack in the veil, allowing him to deliver a knock out. This story, these characters and this world was made for Sale to play in and he’s having a blast doing just that.

An absolute beast that is a must-read for all horror fans.

5/5