The bizarre existence between life and death has been corrupted. Click for my full review.
The very first pages of this book hit me in a tender spot. We are introduced to Allistair and Eden, a couple waiting on their dealer to deliver a fix. This scene was gripping and quite vivid, especially for those of us who have been there. When Allistair awakens from his nod, he finds Eden is missing and he is no longer in the world he once knew. The realm in which he now exists is something altogether alien and dark, and he is not alone.
Peering from the nun's black veils are the pale, grotesque visages of nightmares. One has Saint Christopher medals lodged in the ravaged cavities that once housed her eyes. In her right hand, she clutches the wooden handle of a rusty-headed hammer.
There is a presence that stalks the inhabitants of the realm known as the In-Between. A sinister force that has crossed over from the land of the living and craves nothing more than to devourer all in its path. Allistair, and the others he encounters must race to restore light and set things straight. But the omnipotent evil of the Carrion Kid has every advantage in the In-Between.
Coming at me from the shadows are scorpions the size of small dogs. Black carapaces glint in the dim lighting. Between giant pincers, their faces have been replaced with plastic baby doll heads. And their curled tails end in stingers that terminate in hypodermic needles.
The descriptive narrative is bold and vivid, and told with the true flowing style that Carlson is known for. Midnight in the City of the Carrion Kid is a 2022 Splatterpunk nominated novella that I highly recommend for everyone to read. Click the image to visit James G. Carlson at Amazon and check out the other titles available from this rising star.