Scan barcode
amandinesophie's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Southern gothic horror.
Haunting and quite terrifying at times.
Interesting social commentary and characters, although a bit too short to develop them more.
Haunting and quite terrifying at times.
Interesting social commentary and characters, although a bit too short to develop them more.
reginamea's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
graemeh's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
bunnieslikediamonds's review against another edition
5.0
There's nothing like Michael McDowell's southern gothic horror in the sweltering summer heat. I've been saving up Cold Moon Over Babylon for vacation reading, and it was as satisfying as I could've hoped for. I loved the town of Babylon. McDowell's use of the supernatural always feels so organic and grounded in the swamps, rivers and lakes of these small southern towns. In these kinds of settings, the horror feels inevitable. Of course the ghosts of murder victims will haunt you, you silly deranged killer you. And of course the townsfolk will take it in stride, appreciative of the opportunity for quality gossip.
Gleefully violent and deliciously chilling. Not quite as intriguing as the wonderful [b:The Elementals|301053|The Elementals|Michael McDowell|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1350003640s/301053.jpg|292120] or [b:Blackwater: The Complete Caskey Family Saga|23476097|Blackwater The Complete Caskey Family Saga (Blackwater, #1-6)|Michael McDowell|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1431177310s/23476097.jpg|43067426], but pretty darn close. Hooray for Valancourt Books for the reissues!
Gleefully violent and deliciously chilling. Not quite as intriguing as the wonderful [b:The Elementals|301053|The Elementals|Michael McDowell|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1350003640s/301053.jpg|292120] or [b:Blackwater: The Complete Caskey Family Saga|23476097|Blackwater The Complete Caskey Family Saga (Blackwater, #1-6)|Michael McDowell|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1431177310s/23476097.jpg|43067426], but pretty darn close. Hooray for Valancourt Books for the reissues!
xoxojillzian's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
movie adaptation when??
versmonesprit's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.0
This was my first McDowell, and it certainly won’t be the last — even though Cold Moon Over Babylon did not reach the heights I so needed it to, because McDowell writes in a way that can best be described as “addictive,” it compels you to read and read and read it and do nothing else.
Part of that, I wager, is due to the compassion with which McDowell writes about the Larkin family. He cares, and that translates as an affection within the reader too.
It is this very compassion and deeply felt care that makes Cold Moon Over Babylon very difficult to get through without that nauseating knot settling in your stomach, the one that lodges itself also in the throat and somehow summons sobs. McDowell creates these heartbreaking scenes with utmost attention to the most horrifying details, and they’re just so completely sad, you feel it on a personal level.
This, of course, renders the reader incredibly invested in the characters and the promised revenge. But it is exactly because the book’s presentation insists on the revenge that I found myself as disappointed by the resolution.
It is more a murder mystery on the banality of evil than anything to do with supernatural forces and revenge. Don’t get me wrong, it works very well as this former genre, but even as someone who’s scared senseless of paranormal accounts, I needed there to be far, far more supernatural occurrences and intervention. And again, don’t get me wrong, everything that happens (that is, until the full moon) so well written that you feel there, and some are even so utterly cinematic, so amazingly beautiful, that you can’t help but crave more, more, more. But things don’t escalate, not really, they don’t culminate either. By all means, the ending is very anticlimactic when viewed in the light of the depravity that merited so, so much worse.
Part of that, I wager, is due to the compassion with which McDowell writes about the Larkin family. He cares, and that translates as an affection within the reader too.
It is this very compassion and deeply felt care that makes Cold Moon Over Babylon very difficult to get through without that nauseating knot settling in your stomach, the one that lodges itself also in the throat and somehow summons sobs. McDowell creates these heartbreaking scenes with utmost attention to the most horrifying details, and they’re just so completely sad, you feel it on a personal level.
This, of course, renders the reader incredibly invested in the characters and the promised revenge. But it is exactly because the book’s presentation insists on the revenge that I found myself as disappointed by the resolution.
It is more a murder mystery on the banality of evil than anything to do with supernatural forces and revenge. Don’t get me wrong, it works very well as this former genre, but even as someone who’s scared senseless of paranormal accounts, I needed there to be far, far more supernatural occurrences and intervention. And again, don’t get me wrong, everything that happens (that is, until the full moon) so well written that you feel there, and some are even so utterly cinematic, so amazingly beautiful, that you can’t help but crave more, more, more. But things don’t escalate, not really, they don’t culminate either. By all means, the ending is very anticlimactic when viewed in the light of the depravity that merited so, so much worse.
je_fancyb's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Child death, and Pedophilia
Minor: Abortion
mrgalahad's review against another edition
4.0
Michael Mc Dowell is such an underrated/unknown author. I only discovered him through "Paperbacks from Hell" and loved everything I read from him so far. Like in his magnum opus "Blackwater" "Cold Moon over Babylon" takes place in Florida near the Perdido river, but this time we follow a much more gruesome story, which is set near a side canal of the Peridio called the Styx in the city of Babylon.
I haven't read another author which is able to create such hateable but realistic characters like McDowell. The villain in this story is just despicable, and I loved every page of him falling deeper into his insanity. The side characters all are well fleshed out and the turns are unpredictable. The reader mostly follows the Larkin family who’s the youngest member got kidnapped and killed. I really enjoyed the tense small-town atmosphere. Babylon feels like an existing city and the authors' knowledge of the surroundings of the Blackwater region really pays off. I still didn't get all the metaphors, for example, I didn't figure out what the moon represented, but this overall was a great experience. It only got 4/5 stars as the ending had some minor problems for me and the end while well-thought-out (liked that it kinda ended in a cycle) was a bit rushed.
If you somehow stumble upon a book from McDowell and the premise sounds interesting give it a shot. He is slowly but surely working his way up to be my favorite Horror author, by giving me extremely well-written characters and horror which doesn't rely on cheap jump scares or gore but well build up tension.
I haven't read another author which is able to create such hateable but realistic characters like McDowell. The villain in this story is just despicable, and I loved every page of him falling deeper into his insanity. The side characters all are well fleshed out and the turns are unpredictable. The reader mostly follows the Larkin family who’s the youngest member got kidnapped and killed. I really enjoyed the tense small-town atmosphere. Babylon feels like an existing city and the authors' knowledge of the surroundings of the Blackwater region really pays off. I still didn't get all the metaphors, for example, I didn't figure out what the moon represented, but this overall was a great experience. It only got 4/5 stars as the ending had some minor problems for me and the end while well-thought-out (liked that it kinda ended in a cycle) was a bit rushed.
If you somehow stumble upon a book from McDowell and the premise sounds interesting give it a shot. He is slowly but surely working his way up to be my favorite Horror author, by giving me extremely well-written characters and horror which doesn't rely on cheap jump scares or gore but well build up tension.
seeandieread's review against another edition
5.0
Cold Moon Over Babylon seamlessly blends gothic horror and murder mystery. This is the second Michael McDowell book I've read after becoming completely enamored of his writing in The Elementals. Like The Elementals, Cold Moon Over Babylon takes place in the rural southeast, a setting that fits American gothic literature like our favorite sweater. McDowell wastes no time with lengthy setups, from a gruesome (totally metal) opening sequence, to a killing reminiscent of The Zodiac in the first 40 minutes of the audibook. He also spares us the winding journey of explanation. You won't find the residents of Babylon sifting through library books or uncovering some dusty chest in the attic that holds all the answers. Nor will a grizzled old woman be called in to burn sage and speak for the spirits. Sometimes violent and evil deeds just beget violent and vengeful entities, and as a horror enthusiast, I find that refreshing.