Black Star, Black Sun – Book Review

by | May 18, 2015 | Book Reviews, Reviews | 0 comments

black-star-black-sunBlack Star, Black Sun
Rich Hawkins
April Moon Books
February 15th, 2015
Reviewed by Stuart Conover

In Black Star, Black Sun, Rich Hawkins gives us a wonderful tale of Lovecraftian delight! In the novella we follow Ben Ottway who, after the loss of his wife, is returning to his hometown in Marchwood. With the loss of his wife, Ottway is struggling to keep his mind straight and the full weight of despair that he is suffering bleeds off the page. The novel is a dark tribute to cosmic horror that even those without a strong background in Lovecraft can enjoy.

Hawkins is not writing for those who prefer a world of sunshine and happy days in this one. The heaviness of the loss that Ottway wears around himself is easily seen not only in his thoughts but the view of the world that we are given around him.

While trying to deal with the loss he has been given and reconnect with his father, this should be a time of healing. Only, nightmares keep him up through the night and visions plague his waking hours. What he sees is clearly from another world and can’t be real. Or can it?

The world is crashing down around Ottway as reality itself is tearing apart at the seams. While madness could almost seem likely, Ben stumbles across another who is experiencing the same visions.

Cosmic horror done right. I feel if anything that this would have benefited from being turned into a full length novel instead of a novella to better flesh out the secondary characters and make them feel more important to the overall narrative.

Even with that minor complaint this was, and I hate to write such an overused expression, a “page turner.” Hawkins draws you in with his writing and doesn’t let go into the very bitter end and leave you wanting more. A well written novella that any fan of Lovecraft styled writing should fly through.

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *