Scan barcode
A review by tbr_the_unconquered
The Throne of Bones by Brian McNaughton
3.0
Every so often there is a book that I chance upon which does not hesitate even a bit in grabbing hold of me and shoving me headlong down pathways that I never dared venture.Sure I call myself a fan of horror as a genre but am I deeply read in the genre ? Well since you put it that way...umm..no. Look at the standard props in horror that borders fantasy and there is an outpouring of certain cliches : vampires, werewolves, witches et al which are now no more scary. There was however one such denizen of the night who I had not read much about until this book : the ghoul. And now thanks to Brian McNoughton, I have had enough to last me a bloody long time. Exquisitely and garishly crafted, this set of tales is monstrous to behold !
The author of this book is a twisted literary genius. Allow me to explain : his genius for writing can be easily felt in the way he creates his fictional world and populates it with characters whose jibes at society and its dubious morals is a delight to behold. The throne of bones is one of those central stories of the book around which all the other tales revolve. The stories blend in seamlessly with one leading the way to another, well written and intricately plotted. Now we come to the twisted part and here is where McNoughton outdoes even Lovecraft for his ghouls are hideous monsters. Their lives are filled with cannibalism, necrophilia,incest and murder and the author does not spare any gory details. Every single pore of the stories spit out ghouls and they infest the stories like viruses. Some instances are greatly disturbing and the sex and gore are rather graphic but consider that these are stories about creatures which are closer to beasts than they will ever be to a human being.
The plotting and the writing skills deserve to be applauded but this is an incredibly graphic book. It will perhaps give GoT a run for its money if it ever gets made into a T.V. series (the chances for which are too remote to even contemplate !).
The author of this book is a twisted literary genius. Allow me to explain : his genius for writing can be easily felt in the way he creates his fictional world and populates it with characters whose jibes at society and its dubious morals is a delight to behold. The throne of bones is one of those central stories of the book around which all the other tales revolve. The stories blend in seamlessly with one leading the way to another, well written and intricately plotted. Now we come to the twisted part and here is where McNoughton outdoes even Lovecraft for his ghouls are hideous monsters. Their lives are filled with cannibalism, necrophilia,incest and murder and the author does not spare any gory details. Every single pore of the stories spit out ghouls and they infest the stories like viruses. Some instances are greatly disturbing and the sex and gore are rather graphic but consider that these are stories about creatures which are closer to beasts than they will ever be to a human being.
The plotting and the writing skills deserve to be applauded but this is an incredibly graphic book. It will perhaps give GoT a run for its money if it ever gets made into a T.V. series (the chances for which are too remote to even contemplate !).