He Who Walks in Shadow by Brett J. Talley
I thought That Which Should Not Be was a Lovecraftian novel that was written better than any story I ever read by H.P. Lovecraft. He Who Walks in Shadow was a worthy successor to that novel. Although this was a sequel to That Which Should Not Be, it was very different in presentation. The first novel was a series of tales told by four individuals that tied into an overall story, while this was two different stories mostly told through journal entries and newspaper accounts in a non-linear fashion going back from the current story to the backstory that led up to it.
Taking place roughly forty years after the first novel, Professor Carter Weston has disappeared and is presumed dead, except by his friend, Henry Armitage. He convinces Carter’s daughter, Rachel, that they must look for him. This leads them in a journey to Germany and then to France. It does not take them long to find that Carter is indeed alive and is being used in a plot to bring back Nyarlothotep so that he could raise his father and the great old ones back to life where they will take back the world and usher in a new era of darkness and dispose of humanity. These three, along with some allies they pick up along the way, are the only ones to stand against the darkness.
I’m not sure that I liked this better than the first novel. In fact, I would probably have to give That Which Should Not Be a slight edge, which in no way diminishes this novel, since they were both excellent, well-written, well-crafted novels. Talley is a serious talent in today’s world of horror fiction. If we were in a climate that was more hospitable to horror authors—say the early eighties—Talley would be a superstar. One thing is certain, his talent is undeniable and he consistently produces some of the highest quality fiction today. This novel is no exception. I found it riveting from beginning to end, and I couldn’t wait to find out how it was going to end. The characters are memorable and the concept is really cool. If only H.P. Lovecraft wrote as well as Brett Talley, I would probably be a fan of his instead of wondering what all the fuss was about.
Taking place roughly forty years after the first novel, Professor Carter Weston has disappeared and is presumed dead, except by his friend, Henry Armitage. He convinces Carter’s daughter, Rachel, that they must look for him. This leads them in a journey to Germany and then to France. It does not take them long to find that Carter is indeed alive and is being used in a plot to bring back Nyarlothotep so that he could raise his father and the great old ones back to life where they will take back the world and usher in a new era of darkness and dispose of humanity. These three, along with some allies they pick up along the way, are the only ones to stand against the darkness.
I’m not sure that I liked this better than the first novel. In fact, I would probably have to give That Which Should Not Be a slight edge, which in no way diminishes this novel, since they were both excellent, well-written, well-crafted novels. Talley is a serious talent in today’s world of horror fiction. If we were in a climate that was more hospitable to horror authors—say the early eighties—Talley would be a superstar. One thing is certain, his talent is undeniable and he consistently produces some of the highest quality fiction today. This novel is no exception. I found it riveting from beginning to end, and I couldn’t wait to find out how it was going to end. The characters are memorable and the concept is really cool. If only H.P. Lovecraft wrote as well as Brett Talley, I would probably be a fan of his instead of wondering what all the fuss was about.
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