What do you think?
Rate this book
The Lovecraft Squad #1
The Lovecraft Squad: All Hallows Horror
The first novel in a new series following the exploits of a secret organization dedicated to battling the eldritch monstrosities given form in H. P. Lovecraft's fevered imagination. There has always been something wrong about All Hallows Church. Not just the building, but the very land upon it stands. Reports dating back to Roman times reveal that it has always been a bad place―blighted by strange sightings, unusual phenomena, and unexplained disappearances. So in the 1990s, a team of para-psychiatrists is sent in to investigate the various mysteries surrounding the Church and its unsavoury legends. From the start, they begin to discover a paranormal world that defies belief. But as they dig deeper, not only do they uncover some of the secrets behind the ancient edifice designed by “Zombie King” Thomas Moreby but, hidden away beneath everything else, something so ancient and so terrifying that it is using the architect himself as a conduit to unimaginable evil.
After four days and nights, not everybody survives―and those that do will come to wish they hadn’t. Imagine The Haunting of Hill House , The Amityville Horror , The Entity and The Stone Tape rolled together into the very fabric of a single building. And then imagine if all that horror is accidentally released . . .
After four days and nights, not everybody survives―and those that do will come to wish they hadn’t. Imagine The Haunting of Hill House , The Amityville Horror , The Entity and The Stone Tape rolled together into the very fabric of a single building. And then imagine if all that horror is accidentally released . . .
336 pages, Paperback
First published March 7, 2017
14 people are currently reading
1068 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
March 12, 2020
The Lovecraft Squad is a book that was very promising at the beginning of the book, but unfortunately didn't manage to be interesting all the way until the end.
I loved the beginning of the book. Two boys are investigating a building site and they find a skull, a bone and a pot in the place where H.G. Wells house once upon a time had stood. I found this part chilling and the story just kept on being interesting, the discovery of scrolls that tells about the end of time. It was fascinating and intriguing and the idea of 7 people entering the haunted All Hallows Church and spending four days there sounded so incredibly awesome.
However, it's here the story started to drag a bit. At first, I loved the events (apparitions, etc.) at the church, but it came to a point when the story just didn't intrigue as much as it had before. The "surviving" members of the team is going beneath the church and into another world, it was pretty easy to see which world this was, but it took some time before this was addressed by one of them (hint a classic book about hell). And, they traveled from one level to another and I grew more and more bored and I had a suspicion that a certain twist would occur here and I was right.
But, despite this did the book end in an interesting way, and yes I would read the next book in the series. Partly because of the cliffhanger ending, but I did find the book, for the most part interesting.
I want to thank the publisher for providing me with a free copy through NetGalley for an honest review!
I loved the beginning of the book. Two boys are investigating a building site and they find a skull, a bone and a pot in the place where H.G. Wells house once upon a time had stood. I found this part chilling and the story just kept on being interesting, the discovery of scrolls that tells about the end of time. It was fascinating and intriguing and the idea of 7 people entering the haunted All Hallows Church and spending four days there sounded so incredibly awesome.
However, it's here the story started to drag a bit. At first, I loved the events (apparitions, etc.) at the church, but it came to a point when the story just didn't intrigue as much as it had before. The "surviving" members of the team is going beneath the church and into another world, it was pretty easy to see which world this was, but it took some time before this was addressed by one of them (hint a classic book about hell). And, they traveled from one level to another and I grew more and more bored and I had a suspicion that a certain twist would occur here and I was right.
But, despite this did the book end in an interesting way, and yes I would read the next book in the series. Partly because of the cliffhanger ending, but I did find the book, for the most part interesting.
I want to thank the publisher for providing me with a free copy through NetGalley for an honest review!
February 19, 2017
4.5
Have you ever read a book that seemed longer than its stated number of pages? Usually those are not very entertaining. One of the weird thing about The Lovecraft Squad: All Hallows Horror is that it is entertaining as Hell (pun intended for those who read it).
I'm lying. It is even better than that. It is packed.
The pace is perfect. You are slowly introduced to the main characters one chapter at a time, then the events slowly start moving forward. All thanks to the curiosity of two teenage boys.
It doesn't happen all at once, though. It takes a while to get to what the book summary promises: a group of people entering a supposedly haunted church. It takes a while to even mention the place. I admit I didn't read the blurb before reading the book. The title was enough for me. The book has a great and creepy beginning, one of the best I've come across and, unlike some stories I've read, the story only becomes better as it picks up speed and, boy, does it ever!
The characters are interesting enough, although this book relies more on the story rather than its characters. If you've ever watched or read a story where a group of people ends up in a haunted place, you know how it goes. This isn't criticism, just a fact. Trust me, the story is so rich and perfectly paced, it is enough. How the author develops this particular story and connects it to various others - from classics to Lovecraft to films. Also, I wouldn't be surprised to find out that he played a game or two.
Needless to say, I loved it. And I can't possibly explain how grateful I am that the author didn't use it to preach about whatever it is the main issue of today. This one will be good any time you read it, especially if you are a fan.
If you are in the mood for a great story that perfectly pays homage to Lovecraft and some other works (it would be a spoiler if I reveal the backbone of almost half the book), then get this book and have fun.
One of the things I found out of the ordinary is American spelling.
ARC received from Pegasus Books via NetGalley
Have you ever read a book that seemed longer than its stated number of pages? Usually those are not very entertaining. One of the weird thing about The Lovecraft Squad: All Hallows Horror is that it is entertaining as Hell (pun intended for those who read it).
I'm lying. It is even better than that. It is packed.
The pace is perfect. You are slowly introduced to the main characters one chapter at a time, then the events slowly start moving forward. All thanks to the curiosity of two teenage boys.
It doesn't happen all at once, though. It takes a while to get to what the book summary promises: a group of people entering a supposedly haunted church. It takes a while to even mention the place. I admit I didn't read the blurb before reading the book. The title was enough for me. The book has a great and creepy beginning, one of the best I've come across and, unlike some stories I've read, the story only becomes better as it picks up speed and, boy, does it ever!
The characters are interesting enough, although this book relies more on the story rather than its characters. If you've ever watched or read a story where a group of people ends up in a haunted place, you know how it goes. This isn't criticism, just a fact. Trust me, the story is so rich and perfectly paced, it is enough. How the author develops this particular story and connects it to various others - from classics to Lovecraft to films. Also, I wouldn't be surprised to find out that he played a game or two.
Needless to say, I loved it. And I can't possibly explain how grateful I am that the author didn't use it to preach about whatever it is the main issue of today. This one will be good any time you read it, especially if you are a fan.
If you are in the mood for a great story that perfectly pays homage to Lovecraft and some other works (it would be a spoiler if I reveal the backbone of almost half the book), then get this book and have fun.
One of the things I found out of the ordinary is American spelling.
ARC received from Pegasus Books via NetGalley
February 22, 2017
THE LOVECRAFT SQUAD, by John Llewellyn Probert, started off with a bang! The premise of what two boys "stumbled" into, combined with an "expert" from America's special knowledge of, really kept this novel going at a fast pace.
At least, for the fist 30-40% of the novel. After that, I found that things got a little more "cliched" in general, and even the dialog between the main characters seemed a bit of a stretch.
A solid first "half", followed by a lesser "second". I may try the next book in this series, just on the beginning strength, and see how it holds up from there.
*I received an ARC of this novel through NetGalley. All opinions are uniquely my own.*
At least, for the fist 30-40% of the novel. After that, I found that things got a little more "cliched" in general, and even the dialog between the main characters seemed a bit of a stretch.
A solid first "half", followed by a lesser "second". I may try the next book in this series, just on the beginning strength, and see how it holds up from there.
*I received an ARC of this novel through NetGalley. All opinions are uniquely my own.*
December 5, 2016
Review: THE LOVECRAFT SQUAD ALL HALLOWS CHURCH by John Llewellyn Probert
This novel is the first in "The Lovecraft Squad" series, created by Stephen Jones and written by John Llewellyn Probert. If you love Lovecraft Mythos, black magick, medieval history, or Dante, this book has it all (plus eternal zombies and shapeshifting and horror-horror-horror. Excellently written, articulate, this is a rereader.
Set in a historic decommissioned parish church in Blackheath, South London, a motley group of parapsychology "investigators" set up for four days and nights at Christmas time, organized by a tabloid newspaper. They should have stayed well clear.
This novel is the first in "The Lovecraft Squad" series, created by Stephen Jones and written by John Llewellyn Probert. If you love Lovecraft Mythos, black magick, medieval history, or Dante, this book has it all (plus eternal zombies and shapeshifting and horror-horror-horror. Excellently written, articulate, this is a rereader.
Set in a historic decommissioned parish church in Blackheath, South London, a motley group of parapsychology "investigators" set up for four days and nights at Christmas time, organized by a tabloid newspaper. They should have stayed well clear.
March 27, 2017
Oohh creepy, creepiness in this one! Also some 'huh?' moments and a couple of 'wtf!?' moments too!
The first part starts off when two young lads are messing about on a building site and find some bones and a large clay urn, as you do. We're then introduced to Bob Chambers, a forensic Pathologist who works for a secret agency that investigates weirdness all over the world. After the suspicious death of the British Museums forensic pathologist (and by suspicious read 'stabbed his own eyes out and tried to cut his own throat') Bob is asked to check out the bones. More weirdness ensues and we meet Karen, a journalist writing about said bones even more weirdness ensues and the story ramps up.
Part two is set in an old church and it soon gets really weird, there's action, violence, creepiness and crazy people. This part fell a little flat for me and began the 'huh' and 'wtf' moments I was talking about, was still highly enjoyable just 'huh'.
What I really loved though was the inclusion of the word 'twonk' a word I haven't used in years and is always a pleasure to find it in any book, that word kept me involved until the very end of this book. Very well done!! Plus this is the first in a trilogy so I know I will be reading the other two, especially if twonk is included again!
*Huge thanks to John Llewellyn Probert, Pegasus Books and NetGalley for this copy which I chose to read and all opinions are my own*
The first part starts off when two young lads are messing about on a building site and find some bones and a large clay urn, as you do. We're then introduced to Bob Chambers, a forensic Pathologist who works for a secret agency that investigates weirdness all over the world. After the suspicious death of the British Museums forensic pathologist (and by suspicious read 'stabbed his own eyes out and tried to cut his own throat') Bob is asked to check out the bones. More weirdness ensues and we meet Karen, a journalist writing about said bones even more weirdness ensues and the story ramps up.
Part two is set in an old church and it soon gets really weird, there's action, violence, creepiness and crazy people. This part fell a little flat for me and began the 'huh' and 'wtf' moments I was talking about, was still highly enjoyable just 'huh'.
What I really loved though was the inclusion of the word 'twonk' a word I haven't used in years and is always a pleasure to find it in any book, that word kept me involved until the very end of this book. Very well done!! Plus this is the first in a trilogy so I know I will be reading the other two, especially if twonk is included again!
*Huge thanks to John Llewellyn Probert, Pegasus Books and NetGalley for this copy which I chose to read and all opinions are my own*
February 16, 2017
[Disclaimer: I received a free e-copy ARC of this book from NetGalley. Thank you to the publishers!]
As if to underscore my frustration with this book, for some reason my first attempt at a review didn't publish correctly.
I somewhat enjoyed the plot up until about 40% of the way in. It held my interest and I could see myself continuing with the series. However, the last 60% of the book was a confused, uninteresting morass that somehow combined the worst of a dry travelogue with a 9th grader's last-minute book report on Dante's Inferno. The plot became ancillary and the descriptions weren't near enough to make up for the sheer monotony.
I'm quite disappointed. This book had little to do with Lovecraftian horror except perhaps by adopting some of Howard's less likable writing foibles. At least there were female characters though. I suppose that's something to commend. The two stars are for the fact that the characters weren't awful and the beginning held promise.
I will not be continuing with this series.
As if to underscore my frustration with this book, for some reason my first attempt at a review didn't publish correctly.
I somewhat enjoyed the plot up until about 40% of the way in. It held my interest and I could see myself continuing with the series. However, the last 60% of the book was a confused, uninteresting morass that somehow combined the worst of a dry travelogue with a 9th grader's last-minute book report on Dante's Inferno. The plot became ancillary and the descriptions weren't near enough to make up for the sheer monotony.
I'm quite disappointed. This book had little to do with Lovecraftian horror except perhaps by adopting some of Howard's less likable writing foibles. At least there were female characters though. I suppose that's something to commend. The two stars are for the fact that the characters weren't awful and the beginning held promise.
I will not be continuing with this series.
March 8, 2019
I made it about halfway through this book and decided I just didn't care whether the remaining characters lived or died.
August 16, 2017
I saw this book at the library and was drawn to the "Lovecraft" in the title. I thought the cover art looked juvenile and like this would be a book with some humor in it. Boy was I wrong. This is definitely written for an adult audience, and it is not an attempt to be funny. This is a serious horror book.
The book feels like a mash up between the Lovecraftian Universe and Dante's Nine Circles of Hell. I enjoyed the beginning of the book, but once it became a "locked in a haunted house" story, it lost a lot of originality and interest for me. The people were taken over so easily. The monsters are so strong and so omnipotent that it feels like resistance is futile.
The descriptions of the various levels of hell seemed both unique and and the same time repetitive. Go to the next level of hell, get chased by the inhabitants, narrowly escape. Bleh. I started losing interest and just finished the book out of habit, not because I cared what happened.
This is supposed to be the first book in a series. I think it suffered because I did not care about the characters at all. Bob Chambers, who supposedly works for an organization investigating odd events, did not seem very competent. Karen, the journalist he teams up with, was annoying. Together, they made a pretty weak team. The more I write about the book, the less I like it, so I am going to stop now.
The book feels like a mash up between the Lovecraftian Universe and Dante's Nine Circles of Hell. I enjoyed the beginning of the book, but once it became a "locked in a haunted house" story, it lost a lot of originality and interest for me. The people were taken over so easily. The monsters are so strong and so omnipotent that it feels like resistance is futile.
The descriptions of the various levels of hell seemed both unique and and the same time repetitive. Go to the next level of hell, get chased by the inhabitants, narrowly escape. Bleh. I started losing interest and just finished the book out of habit, not because I cared what happened.
This is supposed to be the first book in a series. I think it suffered because I did not care about the characters at all. Bob Chambers, who supposedly works for an organization investigating odd events, did not seem very competent. Karen, the journalist he teams up with, was annoying. Together, they made a pretty weak team. The more I write about the book, the less I like it, so I am going to stop now.
September 19, 2017
What was in the beginning a solid three-star book slowly devolved into a two-star one, much like multiple characters went from being human-shaped people to piles of fleshy goo.
This series opener was a fun pulpy read for the first 100 or so pages, until the interesting Lovecraftian premise about an investigator from the Human Protection League (HPL) investigating some disturbing scrolls and a cursed church turned into a bloated retread of Dante's Inferno. Though I have to say, the descriptions of the nine circles of hell were inventive; it was the plot that was lacking.
The HPL-idea might work better as a serialized story or set of shared-world novellas, with different investigators taking the lead on different Lovecraftian mysteries. I think the next book in the series is like that, and I might give it a chance.
This series opener was a fun pulpy read for the first 100 or so pages, until the interesting Lovecraftian premise about an investigator from the Human Protection League (HPL) investigating some disturbing scrolls and a cursed church turned into a bloated retread of Dante's Inferno. Though I have to say, the descriptions of the nine circles of hell were inventive; it was the plot that was lacking.
The HPL-idea might work better as a serialized story or set of shared-world novellas, with different investigators taking the lead on different Lovecraftian mysteries. I think the next book in the series is like that, and I might give it a chance.
September 3, 2021
Mám ráda Lovecrafta. Ale tohle s ním kromě názvu nemá nic společného.
Jazyk: strohý, chudý. Možná šlo o špatný překlad, ale to už se nedozvím (opravdu nejsem motivovaná shánět a číst originál). Neohrabaná souvětí, podivná přirovnání, vyzdvihování nesmyslných faktů. Proslovy a rozhovory postav strojené a nelogické.
Postavy: ploché. Motivace, chování a vlastně všechno kolem nich nedávalo smysl. Nezvládly ve mně vzbudit ani antipatii, protože se nebylo čeho chytit.
Příběh & zápletka: děs běs nuda, okořeněná nelogičností a to jak na straně "Dobra", tak na straně "Zla".
Jazyk: strohý, chudý. Možná šlo o špatný překlad, ale to už se nedozvím (opravdu nejsem motivovaná shánět a číst originál). Neohrabaná souvětí, podivná přirovnání, vyzdvihování nesmyslných faktů. Proslovy a rozhovory postav strojené a nelogické.
Postavy: ploché. Motivace, chování a vlastně všechno kolem nich nedávalo smysl. Nezvládly ve mně vzbudit ani antipatii, protože se nebylo čeho chytit.
Příběh & zápletka: děs běs nuda, okořeněná nelogičností a to jak na straně "Dobra", tak na straně "Zla".
April 10, 2024
Ridiculous! I can't wait to read the next one
February 2, 2017
First off I want to say that I love the cover artwork. It really puts me in mind of the older pulp horror magazines where Lovecraft and so many others got their start.
It seemed to me a mixture of Lovecraft's Haunter of the Dark, a bit of reference to Hell House and BBC's Ghost Watch program (which is very awesome, btw, I highly recommend it if you get the chance to watch it). It's a mix that goes well together.
The author has a knack for describing scenes very well. I could visualize the scenes and the people. Even when I'd rather not because...maggots. and other creepy crawlies.
The first half of the book moves very quickly and kept me reading long after I should have been asleep. The middle half drags a bit with a lot of filler and not too much going on. However, the dialogue is interesting and the few things that do happen are creepy and keeps it from lagging too much. The third half revs up a bit and is highly entertaining with some very vivid descriptions.
There were some things, like the above mentioned, that mixed very well. There were some other things, however, that didn't work for me. Maybe it would for other people but
The characterizations were done very well. Even the people I didn't particularly like, such as Dr. Chesney, I still felt sympathy for. However, I could not warm up to the reporter, Kate, much at all. Other people might, but dammit, she shouldn't have snipped that string!! Yes, I can really hold a grudge, even against a fictional character.
The only other character I fluctuated on was the main character, Chambers. This isn't spoiling much because it's said right in the first few chapters. Chambers works for the HPL (I love the initials, btw), the Human Protection League with the C.I.D. (Cthulhu Investigation Division). But there are so many times that I think more background on this character and what he has and has not done would have gone a long way to clearing this up.
Regarding the end, there was a flip that I did not see coming and really surprised me. Although the ending in general was a tiny bit of a let down. Not bad enough to ruin it but just a shade too easy. There was also one thing that I really did not get and it doesn't get explained.
I would recommend it in general but if you are well-versed in Lovecraft there are going to be some things that stand out a bit from the usual lore . If this continues as a series I'd be interested to see where it's going.
Received from Netgalley for an honest review.
It seemed to me a mixture of Lovecraft's Haunter of the Dark, a bit of reference to Hell House and BBC's Ghost Watch program (which is very awesome, btw, I highly recommend it if you get the chance to watch it). It's a mix that goes well together.
The author has a knack for describing scenes very well. I could visualize the scenes and the people. Even when I'd rather not because...maggots. and other creepy crawlies.
The first half of the book moves very quickly and kept me reading long after I should have been asleep. The middle half drags a bit with a lot of filler and not too much going on. However, the dialogue is interesting and the few things that do happen are creepy and keeps it from lagging too much. The third half revs up a bit and is highly entertaining with some very vivid descriptions.
There were some things, like the above mentioned, that mixed very well. There were some other things, however, that didn't work for me. Maybe it would for other people but
The characterizations were done very well. Even the people I didn't particularly like, such as Dr. Chesney, I still felt sympathy for. However, I could not warm up to the reporter, Kate, much at all. Other people might, but dammit, she shouldn't have snipped that string!! Yes, I can really hold a grudge, even against a fictional character.
The only other character I fluctuated on was the main character, Chambers. This isn't spoiling much because it's said right in the first few chapters. Chambers works for the HPL (I love the initials, btw), the Human Protection League with the C.I.D. (Cthulhu Investigation Division). But there are so many times that I think more background on this character and what he has and has not done would have gone a long way to clearing this up.
Regarding the end, there was a flip that I did not see coming and really surprised me. Although the ending in general was a tiny bit of a let down. Not bad enough to ruin it but just a shade too easy. There was also one thing that I really did not get and it doesn't get explained.
I would recommend it in general but if you are well-versed in Lovecraft there are going to be some things that stand out a bit from the usual lore . If this continues as a series I'd be interested to see where it's going.
Received from Netgalley for an honest review.
September 27, 2017
The first book in a great new horror series!
My thanks to my contacts at Pegasus Books, Iris Blasi, Katie McGuire, and Maia Larson, for my advance reading copy of this book! Rock on!
The Lovecraft Squad, also known as The Human Protection League, exists to battle the horrors of the Elder Gods such as Cthulhu and their myriad descendants and human servants. So when a Cthulian Horror rises in England, an ancient church is ground zero for horror unimagined. The League sends Doctor Bob Chambers to investigate.
Two schoolboys have found a skull, a long bone, perhaps a femur, and an ancient manuscript. Anyone who touches the artifacts finds him or herself in terrifying nightmares. The manuscript is called the “Soothsayer’s Tale” and appears to have been written by Geoffrey Chaucer…
Bob is drawn into a four-day isolation investigation in All Hallows Church. The church has been abandoned and was even desanctified by the Catholic Church. But the investigation is being pushed by an intrepid reporter and her newspaper.
There are seven people in the group. The reporter, Karen Shepworth; Doctor Bob Chambers; historian Dr. Rosalie Cruttenden; so-called Parapsychologist “Dr.” Peter Chesney; Father Michael Traynor, representative of the Catholic Church; and contest winners Paul Hale and “Ronnie” Quesnel.
These seven enter the church, Father Traynor having arrived first to open the place. The doors are shut and locked. They will open in four days, or if the panic button installed just inside doors on the wall.
Things begin to go wrong from the start. No amount of preparation could have prepared these seven people for what they will endure.
Perhaps the ghost of an ancient nun who speaks to Dr. Cruttenden says it best. Gasping from maggot-infested lips she intones: “Nine circles….the Gates of Hell….do not dig down below!”
This is perhaps one of the best horror tales I have read in recent history! The first chapter is a bit rough, loaded with f-bombs from the two boys who discover the artifacts. But after that the pure horror begins and rushes the reader like a charging bull which will chase him or her all the way to the last line! What lies down below?
I give the book five stars!
Quoth the Raven…
My thanks to my contacts at Pegasus Books, Iris Blasi, Katie McGuire, and Maia Larson, for my advance reading copy of this book! Rock on!
The Lovecraft Squad, also known as The Human Protection League, exists to battle the horrors of the Elder Gods such as Cthulhu and their myriad descendants and human servants. So when a Cthulian Horror rises in England, an ancient church is ground zero for horror unimagined. The League sends Doctor Bob Chambers to investigate.
Two schoolboys have found a skull, a long bone, perhaps a femur, and an ancient manuscript. Anyone who touches the artifacts finds him or herself in terrifying nightmares. The manuscript is called the “Soothsayer’s Tale” and appears to have been written by Geoffrey Chaucer…
Bob is drawn into a four-day isolation investigation in All Hallows Church. The church has been abandoned and was even desanctified by the Catholic Church. But the investigation is being pushed by an intrepid reporter and her newspaper.
There are seven people in the group. The reporter, Karen Shepworth; Doctor Bob Chambers; historian Dr. Rosalie Cruttenden; so-called Parapsychologist “Dr.” Peter Chesney; Father Michael Traynor, representative of the Catholic Church; and contest winners Paul Hale and “Ronnie” Quesnel.
These seven enter the church, Father Traynor having arrived first to open the place. The doors are shut and locked. They will open in four days, or if the panic button installed just inside doors on the wall.
Things begin to go wrong from the start. No amount of preparation could have prepared these seven people for what they will endure.
Perhaps the ghost of an ancient nun who speaks to Dr. Cruttenden says it best. Gasping from maggot-infested lips she intones: “Nine circles….the Gates of Hell….do not dig down below!”
This is perhaps one of the best horror tales I have read in recent history! The first chapter is a bit rough, loaded with f-bombs from the two boys who discover the artifacts. But after that the pure horror begins and rushes the reader like a charging bull which will chase him or her all the way to the last line! What lies down below?
I give the book five stars!
Quoth the Raven…
March 26, 2020
Review of THE LOVECRAFT SQUAD: ALL HALLOWS HORROR by John Llewellyn Probert. Created by Stephen Jones.
Review by Trevor Kennedy for PHANTASMAGORIA SPECIAL EDITION SERIES #2: THE LOVECRAFT SQUAD.
“Very little of what you’ve been told, all your life, is true.”
(Stephen Baxter, The Lovecraft Squad: Waiting)
IMAGINE A WORLD where the writings of famous pulp horror author H. P. Lovecraft are not actually fiction, but real. Prophecies even. In this world, those nefarious cosmic gods known as the Great Old Ones are attempting to break back into our reality after many millennia of ancient slumber, waiting patiently for the correct time, when the stars are right. When they inevitably return, death, destruction and insanity await the entirety of the human race and not a single soul will be spared from their terrifying, unfathomable madness. There is some hope out there, however…
Please meet The Lovecraft Squad, or as they’re more officially known, the Human Protection League (HPL). They’re the good guys (well, for the most part anyhow), set up by J. Edgar Hoover and Agent Nathan Brady in the 1930s, their secret legacy leaving a vital footprint on the history of the twentieth century and beyond, an alternate history, one that you won’t hear talked about much in media circles or ordinary day-to-day life. But some of us, those of us in the know, have heard of their adventures and can only gasp in awe at their bravery as the final Eldritch War approaches…
Created by maverick editor/anthologist Stephen Jones, The Lovecraft Squad series is an epic, era-hopping collection of connected Mythos tales that I firmly believe Howard Phillips Lovecraft himself would be very proud of.
1994. In what serves as a prequel to Stephen Jones’ Zombie Apocalypse! series, two young teenage lads find an old skull and body parts at the sight of where a Sainsbury’s store is being built. An urn is discovered along with the remains, one that contains a medieval text. When a Washington D. C.-based member of a sub-division of the HPL, Bob Chambers, is brought in to investigate, he and a reporter, Karen Shepworth, find themselves embroiled in a mystery that may very well be connected to soothsayers of olde, legions of the undead, Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales, Thomas Moreby, horrific nightmares both of them have been experiencing, and the reputedly haunted All Hallows Church in London.
When Shepworth leaks the details of the case to the press, the News of Britain (based on UK tabloids such as The Sun) decides, in a huge publicity stunt, to launch a ghost hunt in All Hallows over the Christmas period, the “lucky” team including a priest and two members of the public who have won a competition run by the newspaper to be a part of it. But nobody quite knows what they have let themselves in for and a Hellish apocalypse is on its way…
There is something so very English (even though I believe he may have Welsh roots, going by his name) and “old school” about the writing of John Llewellyn Probert that I can’t help but love. His writing style is elaborate, highly descriptive, extremely well researched, knowledgeable, authentic, and thoroughly enjoyable. A modern day M. R. James? Maybe.
All Hallows Horror is a superbly crafted, nightmarish at times, fantastically paced horror story, with a classic feel to it, the overall mystery genuinely gripping. Great characterisation. Ramsey Campbell even makes a cameo, along with references to Dante Alighieri’s circles of Hell, Fulci, Lovecraft (of course) and others. The commentaries on the likes of the press, religion and fake psychics are spot on too.
I look forward immensely to reading more work from Llewellyn Probert.
Overall, The Lovecraft Squad is a superb literary epic that creator Stephen Jones and every single author involved should be very proud of.
It works on several levels, the rich variety of connected tales contained crossing most, if not all, of the sub-sections within the whole of the Dark Fantasy genre and beyond (horror, fantasy, science fiction, haunted houses, ghosts, witchcraft, zombies, voodoo, conspiracy theories, aliens, cyborgs, pulp fiction, gun-toting gangsters and their glamorous molls, Nazis, classic adventure serials, body horror, tentacled monsters, mutants, serial killers, cannibals, urban legends, evil cults, angry gods, mysticism, crazy wizards, ancient curses, mad scientists, small town secrets, social commentary, et cetera, et cetera - you name it and you’ll find it in there somewhere!) while at the same time keeping its feet firmly planted in the Mythos created by Lovecraft. An updated version of the work of the author perhaps, while at the same time honouring it, and appealing to fans of HPL and non-fans together. Twentieth century history like you’ve never seen (or read) it before (and the history of the last century is always something that has fascinated me since I was a young boy).
There’s an emotional core to it as well, a love and respect for the stories of Lovecraft, and the writers are clearly having a great time too.
In my opinion, I feel it would also make an exceptional - and unique - television/streaming service series if done correctly and creative control remained with Jones and co.
Also worthy of mention are the extraordinarily lifelike pulp-style front cover paintings by Douglas Klauba.
But how, I hear you ask, would the man himself feel about the series if he were alive today? I honestly believe Howard Phillips Lovecraft would be profoundly flattered and bowled over by it all. Go check it out for yourselves and see what you think. The dreaded Cthulhu demands it.
The Lovecraft Squad series is published by Pegasus Books and is available to purchase from Amazon and many other outlets throughout the world.
Review by Trevor Kennedy for PHANTASMAGORIA SPECIAL EDITION SERIES #2: THE LOVECRAFT SQUAD.
“Very little of what you’ve been told, all your life, is true.”
(Stephen Baxter, The Lovecraft Squad: Waiting)
IMAGINE A WORLD where the writings of famous pulp horror author H. P. Lovecraft are not actually fiction, but real. Prophecies even. In this world, those nefarious cosmic gods known as the Great Old Ones are attempting to break back into our reality after many millennia of ancient slumber, waiting patiently for the correct time, when the stars are right. When they inevitably return, death, destruction and insanity await the entirety of the human race and not a single soul will be spared from their terrifying, unfathomable madness. There is some hope out there, however…
Please meet The Lovecraft Squad, or as they’re more officially known, the Human Protection League (HPL). They’re the good guys (well, for the most part anyhow), set up by J. Edgar Hoover and Agent Nathan Brady in the 1930s, their secret legacy leaving a vital footprint on the history of the twentieth century and beyond, an alternate history, one that you won’t hear talked about much in media circles or ordinary day-to-day life. But some of us, those of us in the know, have heard of their adventures and can only gasp in awe at their bravery as the final Eldritch War approaches…
Created by maverick editor/anthologist Stephen Jones, The Lovecraft Squad series is an epic, era-hopping collection of connected Mythos tales that I firmly believe Howard Phillips Lovecraft himself would be very proud of.
1994. In what serves as a prequel to Stephen Jones’ Zombie Apocalypse! series, two young teenage lads find an old skull and body parts at the sight of where a Sainsbury’s store is being built. An urn is discovered along with the remains, one that contains a medieval text. When a Washington D. C.-based member of a sub-division of the HPL, Bob Chambers, is brought in to investigate, he and a reporter, Karen Shepworth, find themselves embroiled in a mystery that may very well be connected to soothsayers of olde, legions of the undead, Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales, Thomas Moreby, horrific nightmares both of them have been experiencing, and the reputedly haunted All Hallows Church in London.
When Shepworth leaks the details of the case to the press, the News of Britain (based on UK tabloids such as The Sun) decides, in a huge publicity stunt, to launch a ghost hunt in All Hallows over the Christmas period, the “lucky” team including a priest and two members of the public who have won a competition run by the newspaper to be a part of it. But nobody quite knows what they have let themselves in for and a Hellish apocalypse is on its way…
There is something so very English (even though I believe he may have Welsh roots, going by his name) and “old school” about the writing of John Llewellyn Probert that I can’t help but love. His writing style is elaborate, highly descriptive, extremely well researched, knowledgeable, authentic, and thoroughly enjoyable. A modern day M. R. James? Maybe.
All Hallows Horror is a superbly crafted, nightmarish at times, fantastically paced horror story, with a classic feel to it, the overall mystery genuinely gripping. Great characterisation. Ramsey Campbell even makes a cameo, along with references to Dante Alighieri’s circles of Hell, Fulci, Lovecraft (of course) and others. The commentaries on the likes of the press, religion and fake psychics are spot on too.
I look forward immensely to reading more work from Llewellyn Probert.
Overall, The Lovecraft Squad is a superb literary epic that creator Stephen Jones and every single author involved should be very proud of.
It works on several levels, the rich variety of connected tales contained crossing most, if not all, of the sub-sections within the whole of the Dark Fantasy genre and beyond (horror, fantasy, science fiction, haunted houses, ghosts, witchcraft, zombies, voodoo, conspiracy theories, aliens, cyborgs, pulp fiction, gun-toting gangsters and their glamorous molls, Nazis, classic adventure serials, body horror, tentacled monsters, mutants, serial killers, cannibals, urban legends, evil cults, angry gods, mysticism, crazy wizards, ancient curses, mad scientists, small town secrets, social commentary, et cetera, et cetera - you name it and you’ll find it in there somewhere!) while at the same time keeping its feet firmly planted in the Mythos created by Lovecraft. An updated version of the work of the author perhaps, while at the same time honouring it, and appealing to fans of HPL and non-fans together. Twentieth century history like you’ve never seen (or read) it before (and the history of the last century is always something that has fascinated me since I was a young boy).
There’s an emotional core to it as well, a love and respect for the stories of Lovecraft, and the writers are clearly having a great time too.
In my opinion, I feel it would also make an exceptional - and unique - television/streaming service series if done correctly and creative control remained with Jones and co.
Also worthy of mention are the extraordinarily lifelike pulp-style front cover paintings by Douglas Klauba.
But how, I hear you ask, would the man himself feel about the series if he were alive today? I honestly believe Howard Phillips Lovecraft would be profoundly flattered and bowled over by it all. Go check it out for yourselves and see what you think. The dreaded Cthulhu demands it.
The Lovecraft Squad series is published by Pegasus Books and is available to purchase from Amazon and many other outlets throughout the world.
September 6, 2017
I made it about halfway through this pedestrian haunted house story that was lightly decorated with Lovecraftian touches. Neither the story or the characters were holding my attention and I gave up.
November 27, 2017
Yikes. It's legible, but not readable. The characters are annoying cardboard, the plot is obvious AND inexplicable, and I've rolled my eyes so hard they hurt. Save yourself.
December 20, 2017
Opened up promising then went downhill from there.
March 29, 2020
Originally posted on the book blog Creature From the Book Lagoon.
I knew nothing about this book or the author and creator. The cover really drew me in. Very atmospheric and intriguing. When I looked up about this book later, it was a little confusing….? I guess it is a spin off or tie in to someone else’s series about a zombie apocalypse or something? I don’t really know. There is a book 2 for the Lovecraft Squad, but apparently it takes place in a different era and with all whole different set of characters? Again, I don’t really know.
I do know that I didn’t have trouble following along with what was going on in this story. Whatever tie ins or series or WHATEVER is going on, it didn’t seem to hurt me being able to follow along. All Hallows Horror makes a great stand alone book if you just want to start and stop with this one.
I absolutely love the setting. Some creepy, ancient, abandoned church out in some remote part of England. Lots of bad history. Lots of bad juju vibes. Dark. Ominous. A very palpable tension from the first page to the last. The author ties in a lot of historical events and people to this church and it was very fascinating to watch where the author was going with everything.
The premise was also a lot of wicked good fun. Agh! I want to say more but it is very hard to say too much without giving it away! Sorry! I will say this… the setting, the premise… all of it was an epic homage to the late, great, Italian film writer / director Lucio Fulci, especially the movies City of the Dead and The Beyond. Both movies are part of Fulci’s Gates of Hell trilogy…. so…. yeah. If you know those movies and, more importantly, like those movies a lot… you need to read this book. I think you would enjoy this one just as much as I did!
I did have a few small hiccups with the book that really kept me from giving this a top rating. First of all, from about 60% til almost the very end, we start meandering through all these different areas. Again, I can’t say too much without spoiling it for you, but… while these different locations were interesting, there were way too many. Back to back. To back. With no breaks. It felt like it was a never ending loop. Point A, to point B. Now point C and then D. Cool locations, cool things going on… but.. I don’t know… it started to feel a little too slow because all these things are thrown at you but it is just too much and it feels like it leads nowhere. I know it wasn’t filler, but it almost had that sort of feel to it. It made some pretty cool stuff feel more tedious than cool.
My other problem is that the main character is an American. From the US. Not just an American living in the UK, but like legit he just flew over from New York American, ok? The problem is that he used a pretty decent amount of UK (or at least British) slang. I could understand picking up slang of a different country if you’ve been there for a while, definitely if you are living there…. but it was just hard to believe this guy is just picking up slang AND using it right off the bat like that. Ok, see, I know some basic British slang… Torch = flashlight. Trainer = sneakers. Fag = cigarette. Ect. I know these words. If I was taking a trip over to Britain, would I automatically think to call those things that? No… I wouldn’t! I would just automatically shout out my every day USA term for those items. So, this guy just automatically switching into British slang, with not even a peep about “Well that is a weird way of saying …..” or “where I come from _____ is this…” or whatever. His cadence was different as well. He had a much more reserved British gentlemanly way of phrasing his sentences. It was just off. He felt like just another British character in this group of British characters. You would have never known he was American if he hadn’t kept telling us.
This is such a big pet peeve of mine. It really is. I know it’s a minor thing in the grand scheme of things, but it just snaps me right out of the flow of the story. 😡 I can forgive a lot of “bad” writing. Hell, if I’m entertained and the book is fun, I normally could care less about what kind of grammar or vocab or depth or plot or whatever you have or DON’T have in your book… But misplaced slang. UGH! 😡 NO! Stop.
Other then those two things, I really did like this book a lot. I would not mind looking into book two and whatever the other series is that this book ties into or spins off from or whatever. I was pretty entertained and it had a gloriously gothic vibe that was so nice and creepy. I would definitely recommend giving this book a try.
I knew nothing about this book or the author and creator. The cover really drew me in. Very atmospheric and intriguing. When I looked up about this book later, it was a little confusing….? I guess it is a spin off or tie in to someone else’s series about a zombie apocalypse or something? I don’t really know. There is a book 2 for the Lovecraft Squad, but apparently it takes place in a different era and with all whole different set of characters? Again, I don’t really know.
I do know that I didn’t have trouble following along with what was going on in this story. Whatever tie ins or series or WHATEVER is going on, it didn’t seem to hurt me being able to follow along. All Hallows Horror makes a great stand alone book if you just want to start and stop with this one.
I absolutely love the setting. Some creepy, ancient, abandoned church out in some remote part of England. Lots of bad history. Lots of bad juju vibes. Dark. Ominous. A very palpable tension from the first page to the last. The author ties in a lot of historical events and people to this church and it was very fascinating to watch where the author was going with everything.
The premise was also a lot of wicked good fun. Agh! I want to say more but it is very hard to say too much without giving it away! Sorry! I will say this… the setting, the premise… all of it was an epic homage to the late, great, Italian film writer / director Lucio Fulci, especially the movies City of the Dead and The Beyond. Both movies are part of Fulci’s Gates of Hell trilogy…. so…. yeah. If you know those movies and, more importantly, like those movies a lot… you need to read this book. I think you would enjoy this one just as much as I did!
I did have a few small hiccups with the book that really kept me from giving this a top rating. First of all, from about 60% til almost the very end, we start meandering through all these different areas. Again, I can’t say too much without spoiling it for you, but… while these different locations were interesting, there were way too many. Back to back. To back. With no breaks. It felt like it was a never ending loop. Point A, to point B. Now point C and then D. Cool locations, cool things going on… but.. I don’t know… it started to feel a little too slow because all these things are thrown at you but it is just too much and it feels like it leads nowhere. I know it wasn’t filler, but it almost had that sort of feel to it. It made some pretty cool stuff feel more tedious than cool.
My other problem is that the main character is an American. From the US. Not just an American living in the UK, but like legit he just flew over from New York American, ok? The problem is that he used a pretty decent amount of UK (or at least British) slang. I could understand picking up slang of a different country if you’ve been there for a while, definitely if you are living there…. but it was just hard to believe this guy is just picking up slang AND using it right off the bat like that. Ok, see, I know some basic British slang… Torch = flashlight. Trainer = sneakers. Fag = cigarette. Ect. I know these words. If I was taking a trip over to Britain, would I automatically think to call those things that? No… I wouldn’t! I would just automatically shout out my every day USA term for those items. So, this guy just automatically switching into British slang, with not even a peep about “Well that is a weird way of saying …..” or “where I come from _____ is this…” or whatever. His cadence was different as well. He had a much more reserved British gentlemanly way of phrasing his sentences. It was just off. He felt like just another British character in this group of British characters. You would have never known he was American if he hadn’t kept telling us.
This is such a big pet peeve of mine. It really is. I know it’s a minor thing in the grand scheme of things, but it just snaps me right out of the flow of the story. 😡 I can forgive a lot of “bad” writing. Hell, if I’m entertained and the book is fun, I normally could care less about what kind of grammar or vocab or depth or plot or whatever you have or DON’T have in your book… But misplaced slang. UGH! 😡 NO! Stop.
Other then those two things, I really did like this book a lot. I would not mind looking into book two and whatever the other series is that this book ties into or spins off from or whatever. I was pretty entertained and it had a gloriously gothic vibe that was so nice and creepy. I would definitely recommend giving this book a try.
February 15, 2021
A great premise here that kind of gets bogged down by its own eccentricness. I've wanted to read this book (to dive into this series as a whole really) for a long, long time and I'm beyond stoked my lovely girlfriend surprised me with a hardcover version of it for Christmas. But it certainly wasn't exactly what I was expecting when cracking it open.
It's essentially a Ghost Hunters show in a haunted church with a rag-tag group of "specialists" and skeptics. And it really doesn't take long for shit to get crazy and the whole shebang to get derailed. Unfortunately, it takes just as little time for the book to begin meandering and losing focus.
There's a lot of talking here. A LOT of talking. And a lot of it is happening in the middle of life-threatening situations that require almost no conversations beyond survival. But these guys are just yappin' away and I found that to be a little tiresome and a little disengaging for me.
There's plenty of action, with varying levels of graphic content, and that was what kept me invested in the story. I was genuinely interested in seeing how Probert and Jones were going to describe the next level of Hell and the deformed and hungry inhabitants therein. I thought it was a creatively intense and interesting read, though the subject matter might have been a bit more religious/Dante/retreading of familiar ground and not enough Lovecraftian/Cthulhian menace for what I was looking for. It is called the Lovecraft Squad after all, so I was kinda expecting more astral monstrosities and giant creatures and aquatic menaces etc etc etc then I was zombies and demons and the circles of Hell. I wouldn't say I'm disappointed in the content of the story here, just surprised and unexpecting of it to be quite so far from what I was looking for.
There's some solid gore, sporadic as it may be, and the tension does stay pretty much maxed out for the greater portion of the novel. There is a sense of life and death and of impending doom and I really dug how well that was conveyed. It's a fairly intense novel here, even if it does undercut itself with needless banter at every possible turn. But what is unforgiveable to me is that fucking ending.
I understand that this is the first in a series of novels. I get that. I also learned upon finishing this novel that this is also a tie-in work of some other books written by the authors, a cross-over event of sorts. All that be damned though. This book has one of the most anticlimactic endings that I have come across in years. Literally years. This amounts to "Yeah, you lose.....but not yet. Maybe later. I'll be back. Eventually. Maybe." End. I was dumbstruck. Almost 400 pages for that!? Gimme a break. That was such a devastatingly underwhelming ending that even as I was reading it I was checking how many pages were left, because I was convinced it couldn't be the end. I thought maybe some pages had been ripped out of my copy or something else preposterous. But no. That's just the end. Or a sad excuse of an end in this case.
I'm still hopeful for the rest of the series and I still have every intention of checking them out whenever I get a chance. But I can say that I'll only give it another book, two tops, to give me what I was all along thinking this series contained. Cthulhu monsters and horror creatures vs. secret agents galore. With plenty of gore. And solid endings. Another book, two tops, and if they're as off the mark plot wise as this one or as insanely underwhelming in their climactic confrontations as this one, I may have to just pull the plug and leave this franchise in the depths along with R'lyeh.
It's essentially a Ghost Hunters show in a haunted church with a rag-tag group of "specialists" and skeptics. And it really doesn't take long for shit to get crazy and the whole shebang to get derailed. Unfortunately, it takes just as little time for the book to begin meandering and losing focus.
There's a lot of talking here. A LOT of talking. And a lot of it is happening in the middle of life-threatening situations that require almost no conversations beyond survival. But these guys are just yappin' away and I found that to be a little tiresome and a little disengaging for me.
There's plenty of action, with varying levels of graphic content, and that was what kept me invested in the story. I was genuinely interested in seeing how Probert and Jones were going to describe the next level of Hell and the deformed and hungry inhabitants therein. I thought it was a creatively intense and interesting read, though the subject matter might have been a bit more religious/Dante/retreading of familiar ground and not enough Lovecraftian/Cthulhian menace for what I was looking for. It is called the Lovecraft Squad after all, so I was kinda expecting more astral monstrosities and giant creatures and aquatic menaces etc etc etc then I was zombies and demons and the circles of Hell. I wouldn't say I'm disappointed in the content of the story here, just surprised and unexpecting of it to be quite so far from what I was looking for.
There's some solid gore, sporadic as it may be, and the tension does stay pretty much maxed out for the greater portion of the novel. There is a sense of life and death and of impending doom and I really dug how well that was conveyed. It's a fairly intense novel here, even if it does undercut itself with needless banter at every possible turn. But what is unforgiveable to me is that fucking ending.
I understand that this is the first in a series of novels. I get that. I also learned upon finishing this novel that this is also a tie-in work of some other books written by the authors, a cross-over event of sorts. All that be damned though. This book has one of the most anticlimactic endings that I have come across in years. Literally years. This amounts to "Yeah, you lose.....but not yet. Maybe later. I'll be back. Eventually. Maybe." End. I was dumbstruck. Almost 400 pages for that!? Gimme a break. That was such a devastatingly underwhelming ending that even as I was reading it I was checking how many pages were left, because I was convinced it couldn't be the end. I thought maybe some pages had been ripped out of my copy or something else preposterous. But no. That's just the end. Or a sad excuse of an end in this case.
I'm still hopeful for the rest of the series and I still have every intention of checking them out whenever I get a chance. But I can say that I'll only give it another book, two tops, to give me what I was all along thinking this series contained. Cthulhu monsters and horror creatures vs. secret agents galore. With plenty of gore. And solid endings. Another book, two tops, and if they're as off the mark plot wise as this one or as insanely underwhelming in their climactic confrontations as this one, I may have to just pull the plug and leave this franchise in the depths along with R'lyeh.
August 11, 2020
*Thanks to Netgalley for letting me read the book in exchange for a honest review*
So folks, I really, really, really wanted to love this book, especially since I am a big fan of Lovecraft and his universe. At the risk of sounding like a total dweeb (although I may have already failed because who says dweeb nowadays?) I even played the Call of Cthulhu table top game because I love Lovecraft horror so much. The beginning of the book shows two teenage boys breaking into a construction site, H.G. Wells old home to find some treasure. My mind played it out like a movie and I loved that, Probert has such an amazing way with words and horror writing in general that when those creepy parts came up I actually cringed at it as if I was seeing it in real life. While this book did not give me nightmares (that would take a lot to do), anyone who was not used to horror genre may have trouble.
The beginning of the book had such great pacing, it seemed as if things would settle down, then it would come back, settle down again and take you for another ride. The story itself was great, the setup, the backstory, the creepiness of the church. I loved that he used characters I knew of to set the history. I even recommended that my husband read it and I don't ever do that. The newspaper articles, the scribbled notes, the transcripts from news shows added major depth to a already great written book.
While I loved the story, and Probert's writing, his characters just didn't do it for me. When the story would turn it's focus to a character I hated it. I didn't like anyone of them. Honestly if they all died I think it would have made the story for me. Karen and Chambers the two main characters annoyed the hell out of me, their emerging romance, their dialogue, Their actions just made me scoff as well as want to just skip pages. I couldn't connect to them in anyway that made me root for them. I really wanted to like Chambers considering he is a forensic pathologist a field I want to get into, but I just still couldn't like him.
Anything thing that bothered me was even though this book is the first in it's series I felt as if I was missing a book, as if this was not the first but the second in a ongoing series. The characters would mention a person or a event that had occurred and I wondered if I have accidentally skipped something, I even made a search just to double check that this was the first book. It didn't give me the setup or backstory I needed, maybe that's why I couldn't connect to the characters because I felt like I was missing something.
So folks, I really, really, really wanted to love this book, especially since I am a big fan of Lovecraft and his universe. At the risk of sounding like a total dweeb (although I may have already failed because who says dweeb nowadays?) I even played the Call of Cthulhu table top game because I love Lovecraft horror so much. The beginning of the book shows two teenage boys breaking into a construction site, H.G. Wells old home to find some treasure. My mind played it out like a movie and I loved that, Probert has such an amazing way with words and horror writing in general that when those creepy parts came up I actually cringed at it as if I was seeing it in real life. While this book did not give me nightmares (that would take a lot to do), anyone who was not used to horror genre may have trouble.
The beginning of the book had such great pacing, it seemed as if things would settle down, then it would come back, settle down again and take you for another ride. The story itself was great, the setup, the backstory, the creepiness of the church. I loved that he used characters I knew of to set the history. I even recommended that my husband read it and I don't ever do that. The newspaper articles, the scribbled notes, the transcripts from news shows added major depth to a already great written book.
While I loved the story, and Probert's writing, his characters just didn't do it for me. When the story would turn it's focus to a character I hated it. I didn't like anyone of them. Honestly if they all died I think it would have made the story for me. Karen and Chambers the two main characters annoyed the hell out of me, their emerging romance, their dialogue, Their actions just made me scoff as well as want to just skip pages. I couldn't connect to them in anyway that made me root for them. I really wanted to like Chambers considering he is a forensic pathologist a field I want to get into, but I just still couldn't like him.
Anything thing that bothered me was even though this book is the first in it's series I felt as if I was missing a book, as if this was not the first but the second in a ongoing series. The characters would mention a person or a event that had occurred and I wondered if I have accidentally skipped something, I even made a search just to double check that this was the first book. It didn't give me the setup or backstory I needed, maybe that's why I couldn't connect to the characters because I felt like I was missing something.
March 21, 2017
To preface this review: whenever I see Stephen Jones' name attached to a book, I expect excellence. I have read every one of his Year's Best Horror anthologies, which have introduced me to an incredible number of authors who have become stalwarts of the field, along with his excellent overview of each past year's highlights and lowlights.
This is a bit different - it's a novel, based on Lovecraftian style mythos, written by John Probert and edited by Stephen Jones. I had not read anything by Mr. Probert prior to this novel. Mr. Jones has made no secret of his affection for Lovecraftian fiction, and Mr. Probert obviously benefited from Mr. Jones' knowledge and influence. Together, they crafted an extremely intricate and interesting story. Part ghost story, part Lovecraft, with an open ending that signals at least another book to come, this is a well-told and disturbing story of people pushed past their limits, forced to face their own vanities and weaknesses, and finally facing things from beyond our time and space. The setting - a desanctified church in Great Britain - is perfectly presented. The characters are well-drawn, for the most part, although a couple of them weren't fleshed out quite to my satisfaction before the demands of the story put an end to them. I look forward to the next book in what will hopefully be a series.
This is a bit different - it's a novel, based on Lovecraftian style mythos, written by John Probert and edited by Stephen Jones. I had not read anything by Mr. Probert prior to this novel. Mr. Jones has made no secret of his affection for Lovecraftian fiction, and Mr. Probert obviously benefited from Mr. Jones' knowledge and influence. Together, they crafted an extremely intricate and interesting story. Part ghost story, part Lovecraft, with an open ending that signals at least another book to come, this is a well-told and disturbing story of people pushed past their limits, forced to face their own vanities and weaknesses, and finally facing things from beyond our time and space. The setting - a desanctified church in Great Britain - is perfectly presented. The characters are well-drawn, for the most part, although a couple of them weren't fleshed out quite to my satisfaction before the demands of the story put an end to them. I look forward to the next book in what will hopefully be a series.
June 12, 2017
2.5 Stars.
Couldn't decided between 2 or 3. Did I like it or was it only okay? The thing is, the first half was great (minus the first chapter). It was a good, spooky story with an interesting plot and premise. Then partway through it just changed with no real transition. The story changed, the writing changed. It was fast paced, but almost too fast and it did really go well with the first half.
Then finally at the end you're sort of brought back to the original plot and it tries to to the two halves together, and then...it ends. Not in a good cliffhanger way, but in an I'm tired and don't want to write and ending, sort of way.
Anyway, I guess it did it's job because even though the ending pissed me off and I didn't enjoy the second half as much, I'll read the next book to see what happens.
Couldn't decided between 2 or 3. Did I like it or was it only okay? The thing is, the first half was great (minus the first chapter). It was a good, spooky story with an interesting plot and premise. Then partway through it just changed with no real transition. The story changed, the writing changed. It was fast paced, but almost too fast and it did really go well with the first half.
Then finally at the end you're sort of brought back to the original plot and it tries to to the two halves together, and then...it ends. Not in a good cliffhanger way, but in an I'm tired and don't want to write and ending, sort of way.
Anyway, I guess it did it's job because even though the ending pissed me off and I didn't enjoy the second half as much, I'll read the next book to see what happens.
June 2, 2018
The Lovecraft Squad is a work that offered a story that seemed to be a well-worn pastiche but turned into something else entirely. While I enjoy a work that has an unpredictable ending, much of it seemed Diablo ex machina.
I liked parts of the book and felt that the story had a good (if not predictable) start and wound up taking an unexpected detour after unexpected detour.
I didn't love this book. It was a quick read and entertaining enough but most of the characters and the events seemed easily tossed away. The ending didn't have much of a resolution or ending and the main characters just merely disappeared as if they were no longer required.
My main takeaway is that much of the book reminded me of a mediocre two part or three part Dr. Who episode, minus the doctor and with flea creatures replacing the Cybermen.
A character is introduced at the end after being mentioned and much of the work after that just smacked of authors wanting to finish something that they had been working on for too long.
I would not re-read this.
I liked parts of the book and felt that the story had a good (if not predictable) start and wound up taking an unexpected detour after unexpected detour.
I didn't love this book. It was a quick read and entertaining enough but most of the characters and the events seemed easily tossed away. The ending didn't have much of a resolution or ending and the main characters just merely disappeared as if they were no longer required.
My main takeaway is that much of the book reminded me of a mediocre two part or three part Dr. Who episode, minus the doctor and with flea creatures replacing the Cybermen.
A character is introduced at the end after being mentioned and much of the work after that just smacked of authors wanting to finish something that they had been working on for too long.
I would not re-read this.
May 23, 2017
'All Hallows Horror' starts off in a relatively familiar setting - a famously haunted, abandoned church - that might lead the experienced reader to believe they know exactly what they'll be getting.
But beware - here be dragons! No sooner has the author got us uncomfortably settled within the sepulchral structure than we're plunged into Hell … literally.
John Llewellyn Probert deftly presents us with a kaleidoscope of chaos as we descend through horror after horror on a phantasmagoric journey to the worst place in the world (or any other world). A place from which there can surely no return?
But you'll have to answer that question yourself, of course.
This novel is the first in a new multi-author series featuring editor Stephen Jones' latest creation, The Lovecraft Squad. Whoever follows in JLP's footsteps had better be on their mettle as he has presented us with a very classy first act.
But beware - here be dragons! No sooner has the author got us uncomfortably settled within the sepulchral structure than we're plunged into Hell … literally.
John Llewellyn Probert deftly presents us with a kaleidoscope of chaos as we descend through horror after horror on a phantasmagoric journey to the worst place in the world (or any other world). A place from which there can surely no return?
But you'll have to answer that question yourself, of course.
This novel is the first in a new multi-author series featuring editor Stephen Jones' latest creation, The Lovecraft Squad. Whoever follows in JLP's footsteps had better be on their mettle as he has presented us with a very classy first act.
June 29, 2017
The first half of this book was exciting, and couldn't wait to see what happened next. I love a good haunted house story (or church, in this case). I read it really quickly...and then the second half came. I was at a loss as to why there were elements pulled from so many different sources, and I didn't feel they meshed together very well. The novel didn't feel very Lovecraftian at all. I'm a huge fan of the Master and I think the elements that the author used here were completely gratuitous. The characters seemed to figure out what was happening to them very easily (I understand why, without giving anything away, it just didn't work for me) and there wasn't the suspense that I was hoping for. The plot just spiraled in the wrong direction, in my opinion. The ending was unsatisfying, and unfortunately, I have no interest in continuing with the series. Three stars for the first half of the book, which was really enjoyable.
April 13, 2019
I typically like Lovecraft inspired fiction. Seeing how the name is literally in the title of the series, I was expecting to enjoy this book. Instead, I was very disappointed. Firstly, the main protagonist is supposed to be a part of some global human anti-eldritch horror force. You figure as part of such an organization, one would have access to all sorts of secret gadgets and tech designed to help fight against that which we can't comprehend. Instead he's just some guy, not armed with anything, who bumbles his way from strange incident to induced hallucinations of the unknown. I kept hoping for it to turn into something interesting, but as it turned to characters skipping through circles of hell (which isn't Lovecraftian at all. Just lazy cut and paste adaptations from Dante's Inferno) I kept thinking how I didn't care about the characters, and would actually prefer it if they all died. And that's when I stopped reading, because in my head canon, they did.
May 3, 2020
Vynikající horror, ve kterém se toho skrývá mnohem víc, než jen "další variace na Lovecraftovo dílo". Chválím kreativní zapojení skutečných historických postav a událostí, různorodost prvků děšení (dojde na hrůzu z tmy a neznáma, lovecraftovský kosmický děs při střetu s něčím nepozemským, záplavy slizu a hnusu, ale i bizarní "body horror" výjevy); taky to, že kniha nepřešlapuje na místě, děj se posouvá, neustále má čím překvapit, a hlavně úspěšné vyhnutí se ztrátě atmosféry z důvodu příliš brzkého odhalení tajemství zápletky. Konec je takový nejednoznačný, vlastně se nedá říct, jestli to dopadlo dobře nebo špatně...těžko sahat autorům do svědomí, jestli je to projev originality nebo alibismu. Tak či tak se to četlo skvěle; sice jen žánrové čtení, snaha o přesah minimální, ale kdo to v horroru potřebuje, že? :)
May 1, 2020
I really enjoyed this book, to the point I was going out of my way to find more time to read. Without adding any spoilers, it was not exactly what I was expecting, but being that this is the first in a series of at least 4, maybe what I was expecting is still to come. By the 3rd chapter I was sucked right into the story that was pretty fast paced and surprisingly not predictable as many similar novels are. If you like Lovecraftian style horror/adventure stories I recommend giving this a go! Looking forward to the next book in the series!
December 17, 2022
Did not finish this book—was excited and drawn to the lovecraft/Halloween vibes and especially liked the paranormal detective approach, but about 30 pages in, it slowed down so much. Found myself zoning out while reading for the next 70 pages. After a week and a half of trying to wade through a hundred pages, I decided to just stop reading
Take this review with a grain of salt—I do like faster paced novels, but if you can tolerate or even enjoy the slower paced stuff, then definitely give this one a try!
Take this review with a grain of salt—I do like faster paced novels, but if you can tolerate or even enjoy the slower paced stuff, then definitely give this one a try!
November 30, 2017
Not what i was expecting. The story starts off good in the first part of the book but later it goes down hill from there. Not a love craft story but a zombie, horror, supernatural is more like it. Plot needed a little more work and story needs to follow the name of the book. It has very little to do with Lovecraft Squad.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews