CATHEDRAL OF THE DROWNED by Nathan Ballingrud (to be released 10/21/25 by Tor Nightfire / 144 pages)
This second novella in Ballingrud’s Lunar Gothic Trilogy picks up right after the bizarre events of CRYPT OF THE MOON SPIDER, as Dr. Cull joins forces with a brutal woman gangster named Maggie. She brings some intense violence to this surreal take on monsters, the mob, and the strangest substance in the universe.
Taking place between one of Jupiter’s moons, Earth’s moon, and Brooklyn in the early 1920s, we follow characters from the first novella albeit in altered forms, which adds to the series’ overall weirdness. Charlie/Grub’s dual personality is highlighted, which comes to a head in the thrilling, brilliantly written (and lengthy) sixth chapter. The Irish vs. Sicilian mob story briefly pulls readers back into reality, but things here are never fully what they seem.
There are a lot of things happening here, so new comers are urged to read the first installment before venturing into this trippy, grotesque, multi-genre series. The finale here is as horrifying as it gets, yet oddly beautiful, and the descriptions of alien-like creatures will fuel nightmares.
The final chapter can’t get here fast enough.
No comments:
Post a Comment