HIS BLACK TONGUE: A Medieval Horror: 1 (In the Name of the Worm)

The description makes it seem like it was mostly going to be a tale of francian plague and the supernatural, but this is only a very small portion of this collection of short stories. I must admit to purchasing it without seeing the small footnote, so was quite surprised when it jumped from the story I was expecting to a completely different one!

These short stories were a bit like the proverbial Curate's Egg, something for everyone. The first story, His Black Tongue, was my favourite. It was set in 13th century France, plague ridden and beset by witches and demons. A jolly good tale of the virtues of medieval Catholicism with a wicked twist at the end. Other tales of horror varied from reimagined Arthurian legends, Viking exploits on a remote island that should not exist, Danish folk-lore (echoes of Rosemary's Baby) and a couple of dark sci-fi tales. All in all this was an enjoyable and worthwhile read.

Excellent - highly recommend

This is a very odd book, admittedly I only read the first two stories and had to concede that it wasn’t worth the effort. The ideas are good but the writing style is poor, very simplistic with some predictable tropes. What really put me off was during “The Bone Fields” a scout goes missing but looks like he randomly shows up with no one remarking or the writer mixed up the names of their own characters? Shown in pages 141-142 Bjarki is missing but in page 147 Bjarki randomly takes over for a response during a conversation for Ove with Thoril. I really wanted to enjoy this book but at this point I have to admit it’s just effort to read.

the first two pages draw u in and then u realise its written like a bad fanfic - rlly disappointing

This is hands down the BEST audiobook I've ever listened to - and I've been listening to them for 15+ years!! I finished the first story (His black tongue?) in one sitting - I can't even say if the story itself was very good or if the dramatised audio itself made it excellent! The best soundtrack ever, proper movie in your head experience... If you like a good medieval witch/devil-hunt, this is it. Dark stormy nights come alive with pealing thunder, creepy devils and dodgy religious figures turn 3D with absolute brilliance. The second story (The bone fields) is about vikings getting drawn to a mysterious island - dramatised as well, absolutely brilliant! The third story (The knights of the non-euclidean) is a post-Arthur story as his knights try to fight Mordred. This one was sadly not dramatised, so it fell short of interest or love. It was an ok story but didn't stand out. If you're a book listener, do check this out, it would be mad not to!

Seriously.

This book was utterly amazing and it left me agasp! I found a new favourite author through this book! This novel also contains other stories that are each set in different geographical locations (including space) and different time periods as well. The theme is religion and folklore with people and communities believing in evil and good, where myths and beliefs are very very real and death is something to actually looking forward to. The stories are so well created and the atmosphere so well crafted that I was totally immersed and as a product of the writing I could also hear sounds and a sort of background music in my head as I was reading, enriching the immersive reading experience all the more! Not only the locations and the stories are compelling, but they often take unexpected directions until the very end leaving you staring blankly at the pages trying to make sense of it all! My absolute favourites were the main novel His Black Tongue, but also Necropolis and The Blessed Tomb which left me shaking for minutes! This is a must read for horror lovers and I'm sure it'll leave you breathless. Thanks to StoryOrigin for a copy and this is my honest review.

Esta antología contiene historias de horror muy interesantes con distintos tonos. Algunas son horror sobrenatural; otras se sienten más en el género de hechiceros y sandalias, como las historias de Robert E. Howard; otras más parecen horror folklórico. Todas son muy interesantes, y tienen una gran ambientación con un mundo vivido a pesar de ser historias cortas.

3.5☆ Overall After reading the synopsis for this book I thought it was a novel not a collection of six short stories. Each story has the potential to become a good novel. I wish some of them will be fleshed out further to full length novels. Below is my rating for each story. •His Black Tongue (4.5☆) ~ This is the story described in the synopsis. Who doesn't like an epic battle between a demon and a "little saint?" •The Bone Fields (3☆) ~ Vikings trying to return home after successful raiding become stranded on an unknown island. Yes, there are monsters! I did not like the ending. •The Knights of the Non-Euclidian Table (4☆) ~ Great twist to the King Arthur, Mordred, Lancelot saga. •Necropolis (3☆) ~ It was okay. I am not a fan of sci-fi, but it wasn't bad at all. •The Breeding Mound (3.5☆) ~ Two Danish brothers making their way home after the war stumble upon a village that still practices the old ways. I wanted more! •The Blessed Tomb (3☆) ~ This has loose ties to Necropolis, and again, was not my thing. I do like Mitchell Luthi's writing style and I will read his other works.

El libro recibido es una impresión bajo demanda (PoD), algo que no se indica en la ficha del producto. Una edición PoD no es equivalente a una edición editorial normal (calidad de papel, encuadernación e impresión).

I read another book by the same author, "Pilgrim", and that one was quite elaborate (sometimes TOO elaborate), but well researched and quite interesting. So I figured I'd try out this one, and, well... it's ok, nothing more, nothing less. While the setting (big plague in medieval France with some mysterious ongoings in a certain town and cloister) would lend itself to something fascinating, this story (this is a short story, combined with a novella and more short stories), it feels more like a first draft or something that should be developed into something bigger. The story moves very quickly, so if you just want a quick read, this may hit the spot, but to me, it didn't really do enough to "build the world" and develop the setting. Light spoilers ahead: The main character, which has certain "Mary Sue" vibes, almost immediately comes to a conclusion regarding the mystery placed before her, and we move to the big confrontation. On the way there, it is explained why this character is so special, and then we see this in action, with her having powers like come kind of a catholic superhero, surviving mortal injuries, pulling archangel swords from some other dimension and fighting this pretty powerful demon (which is so powerful it makes you wonder why it'd use subterfuge and deception at all instead of just marching around in its true form, simply shredding any opponent). And then there is a "twist" at the end. Altogether... it's... ok.

This is a must-read if you are a fan of horror and dark fantasy and you are looking for something completely new and fresh. What Sentinel Creatives has been doing with their novels is incredible: go and support them!