'An occult thief takes on a sinister society threatening to tear the fabric of this world apart, in this daring noir-thriller from the bestselling world of Arkham Horror. Countess Alessandra Zorzi, reformed thief and acquirer of occult artifacts, faces her greatest challenge yet as she searches for an elusive artist in possession of the powerful Zanthu Tablet; the only thing that can stop the strange psychic malaise afflicting Alessandra’s assistant, Pepper. The countess’s quest takes her to the crooked heart of Venice, where an eerie organization is planning a grand performance that will engulf the city in chaos. As Pepper slips into an inescapable alien world, Alessandra must defeat powerful forces to save her friend. One wrong move could bring the curtain down on them all.'
Having previously read Josh Reynolds Akrham Horror novel The Wrath of N'Kai I was already somewhat familiar with the character of Countess Alessandra Zorzi, a femme fatale thief who has a history of stealing magical and mystical artefacts for the small community of rich and powerful people who have an obsession with the occult. It was in that book that Alessandra learned that her old life wasn't the safest, for her or others, and that led her to changing her ways somewhat, going after occult artefacts to keep them away from her old clients instead of supplying them to them. It was also that book that saw her teaming up with her protégé, Pepper.
However, that's not the only book that paves the way for Song of Carcosa, as the anthology novel Secrets in Scarlet is also somewhat required reading too. This book contains several stories that introduces readers to the Red Coterie, a group of powerful, and impossibly old, individuals who go after artefacts and power in order to make themselves stronger. Whilst they're a group, they're not completely unified, and most act on their own towards their own ends; and as such they prove to be an unpredictable lot, whose actions you can never really count on knowing. Whilst you don't need to read either of these books to be able to enjoy Song of Carcosa if you have you'll be going into the novel with a solid foundation for the things to come.
The book focuses on Alessandra and Pepper as they arrive in the city of Venice, a location that's tied to the Red Coterie . Pepper has been plagued by strange dreams, dreams of an impossible city that doesn't exist. Fearing for the young woman's sanity, and life, Alessandra is hoping to find a way of helping her in Venice. Unfortunately, them arriving in the city also brings them into the attention of powerful individuals who aren't afraid to exploit the two women for their own ends.
Much like with The Wrath of N'Kai, this entry in the Arkham Horror series is putting strong women front and centre, and Alessandra is the determined, strong willed, and capable woman readers will remember. Set in a time where women were not given the chances and opportunities they are now, and in a place that touches on the rising fascism in Italy at the time, Alessandra is often having to put herself in danger in order to prove she's worthy of the respect of the men around her. Thankfully, Reynolds is always able to have her rise to the occasion, and even when things are getting to their worst Alessandra is a wonderfully powerful protagonist.
Venice has been used in some previous stories in the Arkham Horror line, and it's been hinted at that there's more to this city on the water than first appears. Water, and the things that hide beneath the surface, have been a big part of the mythology that Lovecraft developed, and thus Venice feels like the perfect location to bring into this world. The idea that there's something dark and terrible beneath the city, that it's a magnet for the horrors of the world, takes an already interesting place and dials that up to eleven. I really wanted the book to spend more time exploring this new corner of the Arkham Horror world, and whilst it does do this I would have loved to have even more of it, and would be more than happy to see Reynolds return readers here again in the future. Just the fact that we've ventured so far outside of the traditional New England setting marks this as an interesting read, as some of the best entries in the franchise so far have done so.
If you were a fan of Alessandra in her previous stories and want more from her this book is definitely going to appeal to you. And if you're looking for interesting new expansions on the universe, and the exploration of a place that's very different to the titular Arkham and its surroundings then Song of Carcosa is not a book that you're going to want to sleep on.
No comments:
Post a Comment