WRITTEN BY - S. A. SIDOR
PUBLISHED BY - ACONYTE BOOKS
PUBLICATION DATES -
PAPERBACK USA - 7TH DECEMBER, 2021
EBOOK UK/USA - 7TH DECEMBER, 2021
PAPERBACK UK - 20TH JANUARY, 2022
Ah, spiders. Love ‘em or hate ‘em, there’s lot of ‘em in “Cult of the Spider Queen”, the latest skincrawling story in the Arkham Horror series, so arachnophobes beware. I should know, I am one.
A mysterious package takes plucky Arkham Advertiser reporter Andy van Nortwick to the jungles of the Amazon on the trail of missing actress and movie director, Maude Brion, who vanished a year ago but is rumoured to be alive. What Andy and his team of explorers find there will drive them to the edge of sanity and take the reader along for the ride.
This is the first novel from the Arkham Horror range that I’ve read and if it’s indicative of the quality of the other books then I’ll be reading them ASAP. Author S.A.Sidor captures the era beautifully and writes so well that this book will definitely not be the one to make me love spiders. In one scene there are thousands of them which will test the resolve of even the most ardent arachnid lover. And, yes, there really is a Spider Queen, and she’s big, but Sidor keeps her mostly in the shadows which is very effective. There is also a strong Lovecraftian vibe which is a constant, oppressive presence in the background of the story. The characters are well-rounded and believable and the story is perfectly paced. Chapters are short and snappy making the book a real page-turner.
From the gloriously schlocky (in a good way) title to the exacting 1920s period details, “Cult of the Spider Queen” is a note-perfect, pulpy rollercoaster that reminds me of those weekly cinema serials back in the day such as “Flash Gordon” and King of the Rocketmen”, and it would be awesome if it was developed now for TV or a movie. This book is a must for horror fans and masochistic spider-haters alike.
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