Perhaps it is a sign of the times that I as a reader found myself bored with reading about our central characters pillaging innocent villages and scalping people, but the fact remains the same. Violence in a story is only useful in what it accomplishes for the narrative, and in this case, it felt like it accomplished very little beyond the shock value.
The story moves at a quick pace, throwing you into a world that is both alien yet easily accessible. The Asian inspired, “arcane punk” setting is fun and feels different than most other fantasy. Between the setting, the magic system and the characters, I found myself reminded of some of the classic anime shows movies I remember watching as a teenager, but with a more mature edge.
The plot of King Sorrow is something of a Frankenstein’s monster of horror, thriller, fantasy and a decade’s spanning morality tale. The story begins with a group of hapless college students who get more than they bargained for in a classic Faustian bargain, playing heavily to the book’s horror thriller billing.
I went into this book with no info but what was on the blurb and I can confidently say it was one of the most unexpected reading experiences I’ve had in a long while.
He has a real knack for establishing a world that feels just a few years removed from our own, like we’re reading an account of something that might actually happen in about ten years. Pair this with his ability to create engaging yet flawed characters and maintain a steady, well structured story, Weir has a winning formula.
Gus Moreno’s modern horror novel delves into that question in a book that is undeniably unsettling and uniquely captivating.
As an average person thrust into an extraordinary situation, Jake does his best but can’t help but form relationships and build a life for himself, entwining himself deeper and deeper into the bygone era of the 1950’s and 60’s, becoming a man entrenched in a time where he does not belong.
