Reviews

A Song for Quiet by Cassandra Khaw

paigecooperstein's review against another edition

dark mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

sarah_jess1029's review

dark emotional tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

barometz's review

5.0

Gorgeous prose! It's been a while since I read the first John Persons story, so I was worried that I wouldn't follow this one very well. No problems at all, though. I do wish it had been longer, but I enjoyed it very much just as it is.

anomieus's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

shelfdeprecation's review

dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Death of parent, Gore, Body horror, Racism, and Violence

loyddl's review

dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Death, and Violence

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Racial slurs, and Racism

puck1008's review

4.0

Highly Recommended

davidlutz's review

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

dantastic's review

4.0

Shortly after the death of his father, bluesman Deacon James rolls into Arkham with an otherworldly song in his head and a sinister detective, John Persons, on his trail...

I follow Cassandra Khaw on twitter and she mentioned needing reviews for this. Since I liked her first John Persons novella, [b:Hammers on Bone|30199328|Hammers on Bone (Persons Non Grata, #1)|Cassandra Khaw|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1464918942s/30199328.jpg|50650411], I was all over it like a ghoul on an unsuspecting citizen of Arkham.

Noir mixed with cosmic horror is the best combo since chocolate and peanut butter and A Song for Quiet is a prime example. Much like in [b:Lovecraft Country|25109947|Lovecraft Country|Matt Ruff|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1426040983s/25109947.jpg|44803674], the horrors of the cosmos mesh with the mundane horrors of racism and ignorance. Deacon James is much more worried about white folks putting the screws to him, partially in the form of the strange detective on his trail, than horrors from beyond the stars.

Melding music with Lovecraftiana isn't a totally new concept but Khaw does a great job with it here. The truth behind the song was in keeping with Lovecraftian tradition while still being fresh. Actually, the only gripe I have about the tale is I wish I'd read this one before Hammers on Bone so I wouldn't have an inkling what John Persons was up to.

Khaw's prose reminds me of Laird Barron's, a great blend of pulp and poetry. Where's my full length John Persons novel, Khaw? Where?

Silliness aside, this was one hell of a read. Four out of five squamous, suckered stars.

arachnichemist's review

2.0

A potentially good story that gets heavily bogged down by descriptions. It turns a dark and interesting world into a slog when every minor action is accompanied by a paragraph of details. I loved the first book of the series, but this one was a major disappointment.