A review by branch_c
Castle of Horror by Barbara Hambly

3.0

After recently re-reading [b:Bride of the Rat God|438134|Bride of the Rat God|Barbara Hambly|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1266554675l/438134._SY75_.jpg|426994], I came across this follow up short story that I hadn’t known about. It’s nicely written, characteristic of pretty much everything Hambly has produced, and the setting and atmosphere are particularly evocative. The story, however, feels somewhat inconsequential to me, and it’s too short to give the characters, old and new, much room to develop. The ending felt a bit rushed, and I couldn’t help being left with a sense that the antagonist “would have gotten away with it, if it hadn’t been for those meddling kids”. Not bad, but below the usual creative standard I expect from Hambly.