Review: The Macabre
, pub. , pp
Author – Kosoko Jackson
Delightfully dark while shining light on empathy, family, and selflessness, “The Macabre” isn’t specifically horror, or a gorefest of any kind, but some of the scenes depicted made my skin crawl. It’s a blend of Fantasy and Horror with several unforgettable moments. Unfortunately, while the story and characters were fun, it was mostly surface level. The author gets so close to giving us fleshed out magic mechanics, but in the end, doesn’t really deliver.
Can I be 100% up front with you? This would make a great Netflix animated mini series. The characters are so expressly unique that I could pick them out of a line-up. Unfortunately, the characters’ arcs weren’t nearly as effective. One character in particular makes such a pivot that they may have well been two completely different people. But that’s easily forgiven when compared to the author’s descriptive pose, obvious appreciation for art, and intermittent use of sarcastic wit.
Would I recommend this book? Yes. With a bit of a disclaimer: It’s not a horror book. It also feels like a young adult novel that was categorized as adult fiction due specifically to a few horrifying descriptions. Despite its flaws, it’s a very entertaining read and I look forward to seeing how the author progresses, both technically and within this particular world.
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