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Arkham Horror #9.3-9.6
Dark Origins: Arkham Horror: The Collected Novellas, Vol. 1
* Duration: 13 hours and 51 minutes *
The Ancient Ones are coming to consume our world, and only the bold investigators of Arkham Horror stand in their way, in this chilling collection of eldritch novellas.
'Hour of the Huntress' by Dave Gross:
The mysterious disappearance of dilettante Jenny Barnes’ beloved sister triggers a frantic search through Arkham’s darkest shadows.
'The Dirge of Reason' by Graeme Davis:
For federal agent Roland Banks, investigating a bizarre incident exposes him to the supernatural horrors of Arkham.
'Ire of the Void' by Richard Lee Byers:
The astronomer and professor Norman Withers finds himself the subject of a strange creature’s gaze when he agrees to assist in a fellow scientist’s weird experiment.
'The Deep Gate' by Chris A. Jackson:
Sailor Silas Marsh must return to Innsmouth and confront his harrowing nightmares when he stumbles on a tome foretelling the end of the world.
©2021 Fantasy Flight Games (P)2022 Tantor
The Ancient Ones are coming to consume our world, and only the bold investigators of Arkham Horror stand in their way, in this chilling collection of eldritch novellas.
'Hour of the Huntress' by Dave Gross:
The mysterious disappearance of dilettante Jenny Barnes’ beloved sister triggers a frantic search through Arkham’s darkest shadows.
'The Dirge of Reason' by Graeme Davis:
For federal agent Roland Banks, investigating a bizarre incident exposes him to the supernatural horrors of Arkham.
'Ire of the Void' by Richard Lee Byers:
The astronomer and professor Norman Withers finds himself the subject of a strange creature’s gaze when he agrees to assist in a fellow scientist’s weird experiment.
'The Deep Gate' by Chris A. Jackson:
Sailor Silas Marsh must return to Innsmouth and confront his harrowing nightmares when he stumbles on a tome foretelling the end of the world.
©2021 Fantasy Flight Games (P)2022 Tantor
14 pages, Audible Audio
First published October 19, 2021
45 people are currently reading
278 people want to read
About the author
Dave Gross
199 books138 followersDave Gross is the author of ten novels, notably the adventures of Radovan and the Count, including Prince of Wolves, Master of Devils, Queen of Thorns, and King of Chaos. Formerly the editor of such magazines as Dragon, Star Wars Insider, and Amazing Stories, Dave has also written novels for the Forgotten Realms and Iron Kingdoms settings. For more tales of Radovan and the Count, including free short stories, check out http://paizo.com/pathfinder/tales.
For more on Dave's current and upcoming projects and events, go to .
For more on Dave's current and upcoming projects and events, go to .
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
April 20, 2023
First off let me say that I am an H.P. Lovecraft fanatic. No other author, save maybe Dean Koontz, has had more of an impact on my love of horror and directed my tendencies in the written word. And so, when I discovered the Arkham Horror collection of books, short stories, board games, and other forms of entertainment I have been on the look out for all things Arkham. This is my first experience with an Arkham Horror short story collection, and I must say, I was very happy with the majority of this collection. I have broken down the four stories below, but if you are looking for an overall review, I highly recommend this collection for any fan of cosmic and occult horror, especially for the Lovecraft fan. The one protentional downside for those uninitiated in H.P. Lovecraft and his mythos is the lack of explanation on some things. Especially the various gods, entities, creatures, and basic previous events. You are expected to have read and be able to recall a lot of information from various Lovecraft stories. For someone like me it was actually very refreshing and appreciated. But for those who haven’t read a lot of Lovecraft I suggest you start with the most popular stories (The Shadow Over Innsmouth, The Call of Cthulhu, The Dunwich Horror, and others) so you can go into these stories with more knowledge, and you will be able to appreciate at a deeper level.
Hour Of The Huntress: Being the first story in this collection I was looking forward to a strong start deep in Lovecraft mythos, cosmic horror, 1920s atmosphere, and creeping terror. But unfortunately, that is not the case. This story focuses on a young woman who has come to Arkham looking to reunite with her sister whom she abandoned to an unhealthy family life when they were younger. Even though physically she is described in the traditional “flapper” style her behavior and mannerisms are more akin to a modern feminist and it can become grating and overbearing at times. I found myself rooting against her from time to time and that is not something that I want in my protagonist. Her attitude and way of speaking to the more criminal types would have probably ended much worse for her if this was more of an accurate depiction of the time. When it comes to the supporting characters that is where this story shines. I found them to be much more interesting than the main character and I actually cared about their endings. As for the horror elements this was another area that lacked in my opinion. The threat was very short lived and while it was physically threatening and mildly hinted at greater things it was just too easy in all aspects. From summoning, control, and destruction it was something that didn’t seem like it would have required much research into forbidden and arcane knowledge (a Lovecraft staple) and could have been achieved by a trip to any local high school library. Overall, not a terrible story but I feel that it did fall short when you try and shoehorn it into the Lovecraft mythos.
The Dirge Of Reason: Coming off of the previous story I was not sure what to expect with the second selection. Thankfully I was presented with a much stronger entry that I feel connects itself to the mythos expertly. A somewhat disgruntled federal agent with a past (I love my classic 20’s style grumpy gumshoe) is charged with trying to discover why a large orchestra was completely destroyed along with a portion of a mansion just outside of Arkham. Between a standoffish police force, warring bootlegger groups, a wealthy powerful and arrogant woman, a nosy reporter, and the hidden cosmic horror this all comes together to create a very interesting story and investigation for our protagonist. Just like something straight from Lovecraft himself this story includes a completely unholy and unearthly horror that, while a terrible force on its own, is really just an insignificant taste of the true horror that lay beyond our stars and dimensions. The ending also leaves things open for a continuation and I for one would be thrilled to see a series with this protagonist and the various lurking terrors hidden within the boundaries of Arkham.
Ire Of The Void: I found this story to be a slight dip in quality. Starting out it did have me interested and I was really curious to see where we were headed. The main character (a depressed, isolated, and obsessed professor of astronomy) is well fleshed out and I did find him to be interesting. When he starts to accompany a fellow, and world renowned, scientist on a mission to try and find abnormalities in physical space, things picked up even more for me. I was really interested in the explanations of the disturbances, the backstories of the locations, and how this was all building to a dark and terrible explanation. Add to that the violent and bloody first encounter with the entities and I was all in. Unfortunately, after that the story takes a pretty steady downward slide into questionable and uninteresting events and descriptions. Even when there is dimensional travel, hostile plains of existence, and deadly pursuit it all felt dull. I felt that these events and settings could have been revised into something that really gave a sense of terror and foreboding that would bring up a sense of dread in the reader. But what I feel we got instead was just some strange environments that didn’t inspire fear, but more a feeling of awkwardness and uninterest. A sliver lining is the two distinct entities in this story. Running into either of these creatures would be sure to drive any human mad, but at least it would be short lived as they certainly would not live long enough realize their growing insanity.
The Deep Gate: The final story in this collection is exactly what I was looking for. I can not speak highly enough about how well it builds tension, unease, and fits so perfectly into the Lovecraft mythos. A story in direct connection to Lovecraft’s The Shadow Over Innsmouth, it improves on the original but it also does nothing to alter or lessen the events and world created previously. From the very start I found the protagonist to be someone I could connect with and understand. He is a haunted old sailor who’s family history is one of lets say questionable aspect. If you are familiar with the Innsmouth story you will certainly understand what he is going though when you find out his full name. I will let you discover that for yourself. He becomes tangled up with a young woman who has discovered a tome in her library that appears to be counting down to Armageddon. When he discovers the location the prediction is directing them towards is one that ties into his past, and the overwhelming dread he has been feeling, he knows that he has to be the one to try and stop the end times. With scenes of underwater horror, terrifying creatures, and even a portal to a cyclopean city of cosmic horror and death, I found that I was always looking forward to the next stage in the story. The ending also is fantastic, in my opinion. It screams Lovecraft in how it leaves the reader knowing that even though the day maybe won, you are still powerless to the real immense evil that in the blink of an eye can end everything and everyone in existence.
Hour Of The Huntress: Being the first story in this collection I was looking forward to a strong start deep in Lovecraft mythos, cosmic horror, 1920s atmosphere, and creeping terror. But unfortunately, that is not the case. This story focuses on a young woman who has come to Arkham looking to reunite with her sister whom she abandoned to an unhealthy family life when they were younger. Even though physically she is described in the traditional “flapper” style her behavior and mannerisms are more akin to a modern feminist and it can become grating and overbearing at times. I found myself rooting against her from time to time and that is not something that I want in my protagonist. Her attitude and way of speaking to the more criminal types would have probably ended much worse for her if this was more of an accurate depiction of the time. When it comes to the supporting characters that is where this story shines. I found them to be much more interesting than the main character and I actually cared about their endings. As for the horror elements this was another area that lacked in my opinion. The threat was very short lived and while it was physically threatening and mildly hinted at greater things it was just too easy in all aspects. From summoning, control, and destruction it was something that didn’t seem like it would have required much research into forbidden and arcane knowledge (a Lovecraft staple) and could have been achieved by a trip to any local high school library. Overall, not a terrible story but I feel that it did fall short when you try and shoehorn it into the Lovecraft mythos.
The Dirge Of Reason: Coming off of the previous story I was not sure what to expect with the second selection. Thankfully I was presented with a much stronger entry that I feel connects itself to the mythos expertly. A somewhat disgruntled federal agent with a past (I love my classic 20’s style grumpy gumshoe) is charged with trying to discover why a large orchestra was completely destroyed along with a portion of a mansion just outside of Arkham. Between a standoffish police force, warring bootlegger groups, a wealthy powerful and arrogant woman, a nosy reporter, and the hidden cosmic horror this all comes together to create a very interesting story and investigation for our protagonist. Just like something straight from Lovecraft himself this story includes a completely unholy and unearthly horror that, while a terrible force on its own, is really just an insignificant taste of the true horror that lay beyond our stars and dimensions. The ending also leaves things open for a continuation and I for one would be thrilled to see a series with this protagonist and the various lurking terrors hidden within the boundaries of Arkham.
Ire Of The Void: I found this story to be a slight dip in quality. Starting out it did have me interested and I was really curious to see where we were headed. The main character (a depressed, isolated, and obsessed professor of astronomy) is well fleshed out and I did find him to be interesting. When he starts to accompany a fellow, and world renowned, scientist on a mission to try and find abnormalities in physical space, things picked up even more for me. I was really interested in the explanations of the disturbances, the backstories of the locations, and how this was all building to a dark and terrible explanation. Add to that the violent and bloody first encounter with the entities and I was all in. Unfortunately, after that the story takes a pretty steady downward slide into questionable and uninteresting events and descriptions. Even when there is dimensional travel, hostile plains of existence, and deadly pursuit it all felt dull. I felt that these events and settings could have been revised into something that really gave a sense of terror and foreboding that would bring up a sense of dread in the reader. But what I feel we got instead was just some strange environments that didn’t inspire fear, but more a feeling of awkwardness and uninterest. A sliver lining is the two distinct entities in this story. Running into either of these creatures would be sure to drive any human mad, but at least it would be short lived as they certainly would not live long enough realize their growing insanity.
The Deep Gate: The final story in this collection is exactly what I was looking for. I can not speak highly enough about how well it builds tension, unease, and fits so perfectly into the Lovecraft mythos. A story in direct connection to Lovecraft’s The Shadow Over Innsmouth, it improves on the original but it also does nothing to alter or lessen the events and world created previously. From the very start I found the protagonist to be someone I could connect with and understand. He is a haunted old sailor who’s family history is one of lets say questionable aspect. If you are familiar with the Innsmouth story you will certainly understand what he is going though when you find out his full name. I will let you discover that for yourself. He becomes tangled up with a young woman who has discovered a tome in her library that appears to be counting down to Armageddon. When he discovers the location the prediction is directing them towards is one that ties into his past, and the overwhelming dread he has been feeling, he knows that he has to be the one to try and stop the end times. With scenes of underwater horror, terrifying creatures, and even a portal to a cyclopean city of cosmic horror and death, I found that I was always looking forward to the next stage in the story. The ending also is fantastic, in my opinion. It screams Lovecraft in how it leaves the reader knowing that even though the day maybe won, you are still powerless to the real immense evil that in the blink of an eye can end everything and everyone in existence.
January 3, 2024
I enjoyed the 4 short stories contained in the anthology. Each story contained an investigator from the Arkham Horror games: Jenny Barnes, Roland Banks, Norman Withers & Silas March. Each story was good, but there was only one I really felt the suspense of the horror it was trying to relay. Two felt like police procedurals. I’ve found another anthology using more of the investigators & will continue to read them. Guess I can call it a guilty pleasure as I’m a big fan of Mansions of Madness. A wonderful tabletop board game.
December 6, 2021
Not the best i have read but stories introduced most famous Arkham horror characters. Stories goes to investigate different places connected with Arkham most iconic plaves such as Miskstonic University, Arkham Asylum or Hibb's Roadhouse.
Funny, very descriptive reading and foreseeable, but a recopilation that allows us to know some investigators of Arkham horror files.
For fans and anyone who likes light police novels, terror to tell the truth is in small doses.
Funny, very descriptive reading and foreseeable, but a recopilation that allows us to know some investigators of Arkham horror files.
For fans and anyone who likes light police novels, terror to tell the truth is in small doses.
January 19, 2023
Thank you to Netgalley for this review copy. ☺️
Overall, if you look for a collection of lovecraftian shorts with slightly more focus on the action and investigation, do consider this anthology, but don't expect to like every story.
~~~~~~~~~~~ in detail ~~~~~~~~~~~
So, what to say, what to say. First off, this is an anthology of 5 short stories. I'm giving this a solid 3.5 stars as a whole, stories individually are ranged between 3-4.5 stars. The overall lower ranking, however, I think is a general anthology problem, since probably not every story will be your specific cup of tea.
Each story has a different investigator from the Arkham Horror Game as its protagonist. While I think only 1/5 stories truly captured the Lovecraftian weirdness and horror atmosphere, all stories are well-paced and interesting, some even gripping.
However, it doesn't compare to reading true cosmic horror, and do expect more action than in Lovecraft's works.
Overall, if you look for a collection of lovecraftian shorts with slightly more focus on the action and investigation, do consider this anthology, but don't expect to like every story.
~~~~~~~~~~~ in detail ~~~~~~~~~~~
So, what to say, what to say. First off, this is an anthology of 5 short stories. I'm giving this a solid 3.5 stars as a whole, stories individually are ranged between 3-4.5 stars. The overall lower ranking, however, I think is a general anthology problem, since probably not every story will be your specific cup of tea.
Each story has a different investigator from the Arkham Horror Game as its protagonist. While I think only 1/5 stories truly captured the Lovecraftian weirdness and horror atmosphere, all stories are well-paced and interesting, some even gripping.
However, it doesn't compare to reading true cosmic horror, and do expect more action than in Lovecraft's works.
March 10, 2024
Listened to the Audiobook version of this title narrated by Todd Mensesses.
Very impressed by the narrators work here. The voice is strong and pleasing and draws the listener into the story with varying tones, emotion and expression helping to draw you into the story and remain invested.
The stories here are novellas which help to add depth and interest to characters from the Fantasy Flights Games Arkham Horror series of games (Arkham Horror, Eldritch Horror, Mansions of Madness etc.) investigators. Set in the 1920's and involving the esoteric mysteries of the Cthulhu Mythos created by H. P. Lovecraft and other authors the stories are based in the horror and occult genre and should appeal to players if the board games or the Call of Cthulhu tabletop RPG in particular.
This work contains four stories, each from a different author, describing the background experiences of Jenny Barnes, Roland Banks, Norman Withers and Silas Marsh.
All of these stories feel very accessible for stories of the Cthulhu Mythos and would be an excellent introduction to such works, many of which can be quite difficult to read due to the use of language and writing style (Lovecraft's work in particular).
Each story shows an investigation into the dark and alien world and a first realisation that there is more to the world we live in than is known by most of humanity ... particularly in and around the confines of the fictional town if Arkham, Massachusetts where each of these stories are set.
The stories each do a good job of fleshing out the characters from the Arkham Horror games without being exceptional stories in and of themselves.
Definitely recommend reading for anyone who plays and likes the Arkham Horror game series, particularly the Living Card Game, or those who enjoy tales if the Cthulhu Mythos. For others who enjoy general horror or investigation novels this might prove and interesting read, but may be a little confusing at times if the reader has no previous mythos knowledge.
Very impressed by the narrators work here. The voice is strong and pleasing and draws the listener into the story with varying tones, emotion and expression helping to draw you into the story and remain invested.
The stories here are novellas which help to add depth and interest to characters from the Fantasy Flights Games Arkham Horror series of games (Arkham Horror, Eldritch Horror, Mansions of Madness etc.) investigators. Set in the 1920's and involving the esoteric mysteries of the Cthulhu Mythos created by H. P. Lovecraft and other authors the stories are based in the horror and occult genre and should appeal to players if the board games or the Call of Cthulhu tabletop RPG in particular.
This work contains four stories, each from a different author, describing the background experiences of Jenny Barnes, Roland Banks, Norman Withers and Silas Marsh.
All of these stories feel very accessible for stories of the Cthulhu Mythos and would be an excellent introduction to such works, many of which can be quite difficult to read due to the use of language and writing style (Lovecraft's work in particular).
Each story shows an investigation into the dark and alien world and a first realisation that there is more to the world we live in than is known by most of humanity ... particularly in and around the confines of the fictional town if Arkham, Massachusetts where each of these stories are set.
The stories each do a good job of fleshing out the characters from the Arkham Horror games without being exceptional stories in and of themselves.
Definitely recommend reading for anyone who plays and likes the Arkham Horror game series, particularly the Living Card Game, or those who enjoy tales if the Cthulhu Mythos. For others who enjoy general horror or investigation novels this might prove and interesting read, but may be a little confusing at times if the reader has no previous mythos knowledge.
November 23, 2023
Esta recopilación de novelas cortas del "lore" de algunos de los investigadores de los juegos de Arkham Horror de FFG contiene:
1.- En "La Hora de la Cazadora" Jennny Barnes se dirige a Arkham Massachusetts en busca de su hermana Izzy. Conoceremos el origen de sus armas gemelas y porqué su prioridad es encontrar pistas sobre su hermana, de la misma manera que comprendemos el poder del medallón del Hombre Verde y el porqué la persigue una engendro (de Shub Niggurat).
2.- En "La Elegía de la Razón", acompañaremos a Roland Banks a investigar la misteriosa desaparición de una banda musical en Arkham (y de todo el lugar donde se encontraban), y como conocer las verdaderas razones del misterio viene acompañado de sueños (o recuerdos) de música lejana.
3.- En "La Ira del Vacío", Norman Withers se une a un protegee del mismísimo Albert Einstein en busca de curiosas deformaciones del tiempo-espacio, aprenderá a hacer grietas en los ángulos y llegar a confrontarse con las criaturas que viven en Tindalos.
4.- En "La Puerta de las Profundidades", Silas Marsh deberá regresar a casa, en Innsmouth para evitar lo que podría ser el fin del mundo que parece estar relacionado con los sueños de las profundidades y los llamados que escucha... mientras el solo cuenta con sus habilidades y herramientas de marinero.
Historias imprescindibles para hacer de los juegos de los Arkham Files mucho mas disfrutables.
1.- En "La Hora de la Cazadora" Jennny Barnes se dirige a Arkham Massachusetts en busca de su hermana Izzy. Conoceremos el origen de sus armas gemelas y porqué su prioridad es encontrar pistas sobre su hermana, de la misma manera que comprendemos el poder del medallón del Hombre Verde y el porqué la persigue una engendro (de Shub Niggurat).
2.- En "La Elegía de la Razón", acompañaremos a Roland Banks a investigar la misteriosa desaparición de una banda musical en Arkham (y de todo el lugar donde se encontraban), y como conocer las verdaderas razones del misterio viene acompañado de sueños (o recuerdos) de música lejana.
3.- En "La Ira del Vacío", Norman Withers se une a un protegee del mismísimo Albert Einstein en busca de curiosas deformaciones del tiempo-espacio, aprenderá a hacer grietas en los ángulos y llegar a confrontarse con las criaturas que viven en Tindalos.
4.- En "La Puerta de las Profundidades", Silas Marsh deberá regresar a casa, en Innsmouth para evitar lo que podría ser el fin del mundo que parece estar relacionado con los sueños de las profundidades y los llamados que escucha... mientras el solo cuenta con sus habilidades y herramientas de marinero.
Historias imprescindibles para hacer de los juegos de los Arkham Files mucho mas disfrutables.
September 7, 2024
Things that man was not meant to know... The home of all such lore is in the New England town of Arkham and in these four novellas, the reader gets to experience what it might be like to visit one of H.P. Lovecraft's most famous creations. Each story has a different feel and was a lot of fun. They involve crazy cults and things passing between the worlds to haunt this one. They also give the reader that touch of craziness that personifies so many of Lovecraft's stories. And, they show how those not "in the know" like the FBI deal with these situations when they come across them.
If you are a fan of H.P. Lovecraft's or enjoy the works of people playing in his Cthulhu mythos, you're going to enjoy these stories.
If you are a fan of H.P. Lovecraft's or enjoy the works of people playing in his Cthulhu mythos, you're going to enjoy these stories.
February 9, 2023
Another great tome in the Arkham Horror Series! This one has four novellas: Hour of the Huntress - about a woman who is searching for her sister who is calling up a dark beast that feeds on human sacrifices; The Dirge of Reason about what happens when you summon a mean god from an ancient civilization and a musical mean god drops in too; Ire of the Void by Richard Lee Byers - about an abstract application of space time and multidimensions (pre-foundation for string theory) - always love sci-fi horror piggybacking on the cutting edge of science; and The Deep Gate about those Innsmouth fools and Dagon.
October 28, 2024
It is a fun collection of short stories. I think the third one was my favourite among them, the second the least strong of the bunch. I like how each story focuses on a character with a different background, there's connections between the stories regarding people or places mentioned to give a sense of a bigger setting than they would have on their own. A good mix of mystery and fear building up suspense in some cases or tackling the unknown in various ways the people think they know best. Would recommend for folk who like Lovecraft's eldritch horror but don't want the outdated phrasing or his overt racism.
April 12, 2022
Hour of the Huntress by Dave Gross
What a fun romp through Arkham! It never lets up. Yes, it is not as full of descriptions as Lovecraft would have liked, but it does nicely portray the town and the weirdness and it's not just action scene after action scene.
The Dirge of Reason by Graeme Davis
it's a bit slower, but still good.
Ire of the Void by Richard Lee Byers
Pacing is inbetween the first and second story, it's quite gripping, and does speed up a lot towards the end
The Deep Gate by Chris A Jackson
nice read, well-paced, quite explosive
What a fun romp through Arkham! It never lets up. Yes, it is not as full of descriptions as Lovecraft would have liked, but it does nicely portray the town and the weirdness and it's not just action scene after action scene.
The Dirge of Reason by Graeme Davis
it's a bit slower, but still good.
Ire of the Void by Richard Lee Byers
Pacing is inbetween the first and second story, it's quite gripping, and does speed up a lot towards the end
The Deep Gate by Chris A Jackson
nice read, well-paced, quite explosive
July 5, 2022
I love anything Arkham Horror/Mythos related so I tried the free month of Audible & this was my choice. The narration wasn't bad, but the only story I really liked was the 1st one for investigator Jenny Barnes. The rest were alright but forgettable. Reading the second volume of these collected novellas now & even though there is 1 less story, they have all been great so far.
Check it out if you are a fan of any of the FF Arkham games. If not, probably skip it.
Check it out if you are a fan of any of the FF Arkham games. If not, probably skip it.
April 21, 2025
I read this over quite a long time. I'd finish one of the stories, put the book down and then forget about it for a few months. So it clearly didn't wasn't a must read for me but the stories were fun. I do find it interesting that the hereoes were more likely to win than in the original Lovecraft stories. Although, only agains the servants of the old gods, not against the old gods themselves.
I've bought the next collection, in case I need another fix of cosmic horror in the future.
I've bought the next collection, in case I need another fix of cosmic horror in the future.
January 17, 2023
Dark Orgins: Arkham Horror is a fun, easy to read book. Due to its watered down writing style and prose this book is appropriate for all ages. Lovecraftian stories are usually filled with madness, violence, and mature themes, this is not true for Dark Orgins and the book is a refreshing take on the wonderful universe created by H.P. Lovecraft
July 6, 2023
Not sure if it’s 3 or a 3.5
A solid collection of stories. I haven’t interacted with any of the Arkham Horror series prior to this.
Characterisation varied between stories but was decent overall. Plot was perfectly serviceable. Felt the pacing could have been better for some stories. But it delivers on what it says in the tin.
A solid collection of stories. I haven’t interacted with any of the Arkham Horror series prior to this.
Characterisation varied between stories but was decent overall. Plot was perfectly serviceable. Felt the pacing could have been better for some stories. But it delivers on what it says in the tin.
May 9, 2024
I enjoyed all four adventures, they were well rounded after my taste. In collections of Mythos, you usually get a some you don't care for that much and others that just grabs you by the throat and shocks you system (in a good way). This one was just what I wanted to read right now. The one that stood out a bit was Ire of the Void, I have a soft spot for the Hounds.
April 7, 2025
Serviceable Cosmic Horror, but I didn't catch any sparks of real inspiration from any of these novellas. The requisite tropes are all present and accounted for, and they do a fine job of evoking the world of the Cthulhu Mythos, but after a century of storytelling in this vein, these didn't feel like they brought anything particularly new to the table.
May 18, 2022
Honestly kinda bad, but I probably should have known better. In fairness to the authors, writing in an established world in contract with a corporation is probably challenging and 15 year old me might have enjoyed this.
February 27, 2023
Enjoyed it! Four solid novellas. Not the type I'd read again (4+ reserved for that), but after so long playing Arkham Horror, it was nice to read some tales of it. Maybe I'll give Silas Marsh a try as an investigator. Now, if only someone would write a novella about Patrice.
July 6, 2024
An interesting collection of novellas set based on Arkham Horror / Lovecraft. Featuring some of the characters from the Arkham Horror games. If you’re a fan of H.P.Lovecraft or the Arkham Horror games, then I’d recommend checking this out.
September 4, 2024
The final story The Deep Gate by Chris Jackson was pretty good. The Dirge of Reason by Graeme Davis was OK, actually a little scary.
All four are pretty conventional, set in the 20s, with familiar Chtulhu Mythos entities. Maybe a little too upbeat.
All four are pretty conventional, set in the 20s, with familiar Chtulhu Mythos entities. Maybe a little too upbeat.
July 31, 2025
These were fun to read, easy going and I like how they give a bit of background to some of the characters in Arkham Horror LCG. Worth reading if you are a fan of the game and enjoy a bit of cosmic horror.
July 18, 2022
This an anthology collection of 4 short stories. Set in the Arkham Files 1920’s Prohibition era, it’s as pulpy as you can get. It’s not Literature and doesn’t pretend to be, but it is entertaining.
September 15, 2022
I love the atmosphere and pulpy feel of these books. A guilty pleasure and lots of fun.
December 10, 2022
Decent enough to read though it lacked immersive, into the lore, content. Varied writing styles non of which I would call Lovecraftian in structure.
April 18, 2024
Did this one in audio book. Just couldn't really believe any of it..
May 21, 2024
DNF. It's OK, but also those stories are mostly basic so not paying much attention to them. Could be good for Arkham fans, but if you don't care too much it won't get you hooked.
February 11, 2025
Fantastic assortment of short stories, especially the second two
April 16, 2025
3.75⭐️
April 22, 2025
Fun novellas overall. The audiobook narrator is mostly fine, except his rural New England accent is absolutely awful and inconsistent. Luckily, that only impacted one novella.
Read
April 24, 2025Good Time Fun in Arkham
Fantastic for anyone that's a fan of the Arkham Horror series of board games! Fleshes out the characters you've already grown to love.
Fantastic for anyone that's a fan of the Arkham Horror series of board games! Fleshes out the characters you've already grown to love.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews