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whatyoutolkienabout's review
5.0
The Deadly Grimoire is a follow up to the wonderful Mask of Silver by Rosemary Jones. The tale itself is a stand-alone and while there are references to the previous novel you most definitely do not need to have read that work to understand The Deadly Grimoire. In my humble opinion you most definitely should because it is an amazing read.
We follow a barnstorming pilot (who honestly I love maybe a little too much!) and a daring actress who team up to save the world from supernatural disaster. Betsy Baxter is a plucky stunt-actor and star of the 1920s serial adventure, The Flapper Detective. While researching for a wing-walking scene, she meets the fearless Winifred Habbamock and discovers a shared background of eerier encounters and eldritch phenomena. Betsy has been investigating and trying to find leads on the disappearance of an old friend while they were filming the horror-struck The Mask of Silver. When she finds he has reappeared in Arkham, she and Winifred hit the road, or rather sky to investigate. Arkham is far from safe and full to the brim with danger and unsolved mysteries. Betsy needs to utilise her skills and allies, old and new, to prevent an otherworldly cataclysm from consuming her and all of Arkham.
Once again the authors and Aconyte team have perfected the use of tie-in fiction. Sometimes it’s difficult to transfer from one medium to another. Turning the lore of a game into a novel can face some problems – either you could follow the storyline of the games too closely that it becomes almost unnecessary or you stray too far and end up with some people less than happy. Although usually I would hope fans are just happy to have more ways to access something they love but digression aside this is not the case with Rosemary Jones’ stories. Or the whole Aconyte library to date.
Jones manages to capture the horror and mystery of the game and pairs this perfectly with a pulpy and rip-roaring 1920s setting. The horror and lead up of the tale have elements of Lovecraftian storytelling without the problematic racism and sexism. You are sure to find none of that in this book. I honestly adore the fact we have three strong female protagonists and even one morally grey strong female. It was wonderful to see, in some cases,the female taking care of and protecting the male protagonists and saving themselves and the day.
The story is told via Betsy Baxter’s point of view but this in no way undermines other characters. Sometimes first-person perspective can mean that side characters have less time to shine but this is not the case at all. Via our narrator we still get a wonderful insight into our other characters and while parts might be skewed slightly by Betsy’s view it is generally executed perfectly. The characters themselves are all fabulous and completely believable within the Arkham universe. Wini was an instant favourite, and I would happily read a book based solely on her adventures with or without the eldritch horrors and old gods. But, I also really want a Farnsworth spin off - then again, I dare anyone to say they don’t like sassy butlers!
All of the character are memorable and even the antagonists are well thought out and written. Honestly I don’t know how Jones’ fit so much action into this book but it has everything I ever wanted – daring stunts, flying, shoot outs, car cases, speakeasies, smuggling and eldritch horrors and not once did I find myself thinking this is too much. It was all perfect! The only downside is Wini isn't real!
A wonderful addition to the growing Arkham Horror line up, The Deadly Grimoire captures everything that is wonderful about the Arkham Horror games and sprinkles in high octane action, strong heroines and daring events. A must read for fans of the games, horror, pulp fiction and Lovecraftian eldritch horror.
The book is due to be released in ebook on March 1st 2022 with the paperbacks following on 15th March for the US and 9th June for the UK.
ROSEMARY JONES is an ardent collector of children’s books and a fan of talkies and silent movies. She is the author of three bestselling novels in Dungeons & Dragons Forgotten Realms setting, numerous novellas, short stories, and collaborations.
We follow a barnstorming pilot (who honestly I love maybe a little too much!) and a daring actress who team up to save the world from supernatural disaster. Betsy Baxter is a plucky stunt-actor and star of the 1920s serial adventure, The Flapper Detective. While researching for a wing-walking scene, she meets the fearless Winifred Habbamock and discovers a shared background of eerier encounters and eldritch phenomena. Betsy has been investigating and trying to find leads on the disappearance of an old friend while they were filming the horror-struck The Mask of Silver. When she finds he has reappeared in Arkham, she and Winifred hit the road, or rather sky to investigate. Arkham is far from safe and full to the brim with danger and unsolved mysteries. Betsy needs to utilise her skills and allies, old and new, to prevent an otherworldly cataclysm from consuming her and all of Arkham.
Once again the authors and Aconyte team have perfected the use of tie-in fiction. Sometimes it’s difficult to transfer from one medium to another. Turning the lore of a game into a novel can face some problems – either you could follow the storyline of the games too closely that it becomes almost unnecessary or you stray too far and end up with some people less than happy. Although usually I would hope fans are just happy to have more ways to access something they love but digression aside this is not the case with Rosemary Jones’ stories. Or the whole Aconyte library to date.
Jones manages to capture the horror and mystery of the game and pairs this perfectly with a pulpy and rip-roaring 1920s setting. The horror and lead up of the tale have elements of Lovecraftian storytelling without the problematic racism and sexism. You are sure to find none of that in this book. I honestly adore the fact we have three strong female protagonists and even one morally grey strong female. It was wonderful to see, in some cases,the female taking care of and protecting the male protagonists and saving themselves and the day.
The story is told via Betsy Baxter’s point of view but this in no way undermines other characters. Sometimes first-person perspective can mean that side characters have less time to shine but this is not the case at all. Via our narrator we still get a wonderful insight into our other characters and while parts might be skewed slightly by Betsy’s view it is generally executed perfectly. The characters themselves are all fabulous and completely believable within the Arkham universe. Wini was an instant favourite, and I would happily read a book based solely on her adventures with or without the eldritch horrors and old gods. But, I also really want a Farnsworth spin off - then again, I dare anyone to say they don’t like sassy butlers!
All of the character are memorable and even the antagonists are well thought out and written. Honestly I don’t know how Jones’ fit so much action into this book but it has everything I ever wanted – daring stunts, flying, shoot outs, car cases, speakeasies, smuggling and eldritch horrors and not once did I find myself thinking this is too much. It was all perfect! The only downside is Wini isn't real!
A wonderful addition to the growing Arkham Horror line up, The Deadly Grimoire captures everything that is wonderful about the Arkham Horror games and sprinkles in high octane action, strong heroines and daring events. A must read for fans of the games, horror, pulp fiction and Lovecraftian eldritch horror.
The book is due to be released in ebook on March 1st 2022 with the paperbacks following on 15th March for the US and 9th June for the UK.
ROSEMARY JONES is an ardent collector of children’s books and a fan of talkies and silent movies. She is the author of three bestselling novels in Dungeons & Dragons Forgotten Realms setting, numerous novellas, short stories, and collaborations.
tnt925's review against another edition
4.0
Just enough Arkham, not nearly enough horror.
Rosemary Jones takes us through the adventure of a flapper detective (at least that’s what she’s called in the movies) Betsy Baxter a few years after the events of the Mask of Silver.
While this is technically a sequel to the aforementioned book, it follows a different main character on her adventure to find out what happened to Max after the events of the first book.
Betsy is joined by Tom Sweets, a bookstore worker and Winifred Habbamock the woman without fear, (also a playable character from the card game) in her investigation to find max, the deadly grimoire, and what’s been happening to missing people planes and boats.
Rosemary Jones proves herself again as one of the most talented writers of the Arkham horror universe but again shys away from the horror (even more than the mask of silver). Any elements of weird or creepy Lovecraftian horror are no where to be found her. What you do get is a fun investigation in the prohibition 1920s city of Arkham, featuring everything of the era from bootleggers to the struggle for equality for women and minorities.
Jennifer Jill Araya returns to narrate this book and does an excellent job as usual. Characters are distinct the would sounds more interesting when read by her. The only criticism I can think of at this point, for such a great narrator, is that Jennifer often doesn’t speak loudly or shout when reading characters who are doing just that. She will often instead use a whispered yell that is distracting. As long as the audio is balanced she should be putting more emotion in hectic scenes.
I am looking forward most to Rosemary’s next dive into this creepy world and I hope she pours her talent into the creepy/ grotesque side of this world.
Rosemary Jones takes us through the adventure of a flapper detective (at least that’s what she’s called in the movies) Betsy Baxter a few years after the events of the Mask of Silver.
While this is technically a sequel to the aforementioned book, it follows a different main character on her adventure to find out what happened to Max after the events of the first book.
Betsy is joined by Tom Sweets, a bookstore worker and Winifred Habbamock the woman without fear, (also a playable character from the card game) in her investigation to find max, the deadly grimoire, and what’s been happening to missing people planes and boats.
Rosemary Jones proves herself again as one of the most talented writers of the Arkham horror universe but again shys away from the horror (even more than the mask of silver). Any elements of weird or creepy Lovecraftian horror are no where to be found her. What you do get is a fun investigation in the prohibition 1920s city of Arkham, featuring everything of the era from bootleggers to the struggle for equality for women and minorities.
Jennifer Jill Araya returns to narrate this book and does an excellent job as usual. Characters are distinct the would sounds more interesting when read by her. The only criticism I can think of at this point, for such a great narrator, is that Jennifer often doesn’t speak loudly or shout when reading characters who are doing just that. She will often instead use a whispered yell that is distracting. As long as the audio is balanced she should be putting more emotion in hectic scenes.
I am looking forward most to Rosemary’s next dive into this creepy world and I hope she pours her talent into the creepy/ grotesque side of this world.
cwebb's review
4.0
This was a surprisingly fun read. The characters work well, the horror is just beneath the surface, almost not there then almost in reach... it is more of a mystery story, but that is in line with many if not all of Lovecraft's stories, where we just hear of the actual (or imagined) horror.
Definitely one of the better ones in the new Arkham Horror series.
Definitely one of the better ones in the new Arkham Horror series.
serial_london's review
4.0
I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley.
I really enjoyed this book. The writing was immersive and descriptive without being overwhelming or hard to follow. The character development was also excellent. Betsy was a refreshing heroine who was strong, able, sure of herself, while being compassionate and soft at the same time towards those she cared about. The story itself was a very solid noir-esque detective type plot that felt familiar and cozy while a little spooky at times.
If I had any criticism of this book it would be that it lacked a little of that Lovecraftian horror-vibe. It was a fun detective story set in the Arkham universe but I did feel there were some missed opportunities to delve into the lore and atmosphere a bit more. However, since this is the second book Rosemary Jones has written for the series, I think that it may be set up to dig deeper in another book. It was still a nod to the Arkham world and a fun read nonetheless.
I really enjoyed this book. The writing was immersive and descriptive without being overwhelming or hard to follow. The character development was also excellent. Betsy was a refreshing heroine who was strong, able, sure of herself, while being compassionate and soft at the same time towards those she cared about. The story itself was a very solid noir-esque detective type plot that felt familiar and cozy while a little spooky at times.
If I had any criticism of this book it would be that it lacked a little of that Lovecraftian horror-vibe. It was a fun detective story set in the Arkham universe but I did feel there were some missed opportunities to delve into the lore and atmosphere a bit more. However, since this is the second book Rosemary Jones has written for the series, I think that it may be set up to dig deeper in another book. It was still a nod to the Arkham world and a fun read nonetheless.
magnetgrrl's review
2.0
I love pretty much anything Lovecraftian - I am admittedly obsessed. I ran across somewhere online that there were a bunch more of these Fantasy Flight novels based on the game based on the collection of works from the "Cthulhu mythos" pantheon written by Lovecraft and others, and I bought all of them. I read this one first, and immediately realized it's a sequel to another one but also sort of stand-alone so, it shouldn't matter much that I was reading them out of order.
However, this was super disappointing. The previous cheap pulp novels Fantasy Flight put out - Ghouls of the Miskatonic, Bones of the Yopasi, Dweller in the Deep were one trilogy and then there was a second trilogy and a third stand-alone novel - were just much better in every way.
First off, I don't know these characters. One of the joys of reading tie-in merchandise is already knowing and loving the characters, recognizing the scenes and locations; not just in an easter-egg way but something deeper, calling to the things that made you a fan of whatever it is in the first place. Somehow, for being an Arkham Horror novel, other than having some supernatural otherworldly stuff going on and being set sort of in/around Arkham? It doesn't have any of that!
Also, the plot is all over the place, and the characters don't seem to make a lot of sense. It does have the effect of reading someone's playthrough of a Call of Cthulhu RPG (at some points, the ragtag bunch of characters thrown haphazardly together literally are just running all over town looking for "clues" and you have no idea if it's day or night or how much time has passed because it doesn't matter and the author doesn't care to make it realistic) but if so, it reads like a BAD run of a Call of Cthulhu RPG. Like, bad roleplaying, metagaming, etc.
It wasn't terrible per se, and I'm still going to read the book that came before this one, but I hope that the others I bought from this series that are by other authors are better.
It makes me want to re-read Ghouls of the Miskatonic because that was SO good! See how it should be done. :)
However, this was super disappointing. The previous cheap pulp novels Fantasy Flight put out - Ghouls of the Miskatonic, Bones of the Yopasi, Dweller in the Deep were one trilogy and then there was a second trilogy and a third stand-alone novel - were just much better in every way.
First off, I don't know these characters. One of the joys of reading tie-in merchandise is already knowing and loving the characters, recognizing the scenes and locations; not just in an easter-egg way but something deeper, calling to the things that made you a fan of whatever it is in the first place. Somehow, for being an Arkham Horror novel, other than having some supernatural otherworldly stuff going on and being set sort of in/around Arkham? It doesn't have any of that!
Also, the plot is all over the place, and the characters don't seem to make a lot of sense. It does have the effect of reading someone's playthrough of a Call of Cthulhu RPG (at some points, the ragtag bunch of characters thrown haphazardly together literally are just running all over town looking for "clues" and you have no idea if it's day or night or how much time has passed because it doesn't matter and the author doesn't care to make it realistic) but if so, it reads like a BAD run of a Call of Cthulhu RPG. Like, bad roleplaying, metagaming, etc.
It wasn't terrible per se, and I'm still going to read the book that came before this one, but I hope that the others I bought from this series that are by other authors are better.
It makes me want to re-read Ghouls of the Miskatonic because that was SO good! See how it should be done. :)
annarella's review
5.0
I requested this ARC as I was attracted to the cover and the plot. I didn't know what Arkham Horror is nor read the previous novel.
Even if I won't start playing the Arkham Horror I will surely read the previous novel as I had a lot of fun.
The author did an excellent job in mixing Lovecraft, historical mystery, and fantasy.
The storytelling and the world building were fascinating and I liked the characters.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
Even if I won't start playing the Arkham Horror I will surely read the previous novel as I had a lot of fun.
The author did an excellent job in mixing Lovecraft, historical mystery, and fantasy.
The storytelling and the world building were fascinating and I liked the characters.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
styx2749's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0