Borne Of The Deep: Michael Patrick Hicks
Reviewed By Steve Stred
“So I wake the gods from the tomb of the ancients, hail the sun”
“Cult of Dagon” by Book of Black Earth
Anyone else shocked there isn’t a Historical Horror Fiction category for the Bram Stoker Awards?
I am. And while some may argue that Alma Katsu would be a sure-fire win, I’d ask that you pump the brakes and dive into the world of Salem Hawley and just what Michael Patrick Hicks has done with book one and book two. The set up he’s created for book three – wowsa.
KR: You can read the Kendall Review for Book One, The Resurrectionists HERE
The book picks up immediately after book one has ended – Hawley in hot pursuit with the bigoted Doctor in search of the forbidden tome.
It had been some time since I’d read book one, The Resurrectionists, but there was no issue jumping back into this world or following these characters.
While book one took a little bit to introduce the gore and grotesque that we know and love from Hicks, book two wastes little time and if the first few chapters are a six on the G & G scale, the book solidly ends at twenty.
This is a hard one to review without giving things away, but it’s safe to say that Hicks goes full Lovecraft with some of the abominations he throws at us, all the while keeping the characters grounded in real life. Case in point – as a city falls under attack from ‘things’ Hawley yells for everyone to take up arms and fight back. While this should be a rallying cry and a key moment for the tide to turn, instead Hawley is met with indifference and disgust – who is a black man to tell white men what to do?
The constant back and forth between Hawley striving to save mankind and prevent the Earth from splitting open and being consumed by the creatures from the deep and the push back he faces because of the color of his skin is a very unique plot line and it works incredibly well to further the narratives of both sides.
I thoroughly enjoyed this and much like book one, I was enthused to see Michael had included some research links in the back.
The Resurrectionists made my 2019 best reads list and it’s safe to say Borne of the Deep will make my 2020 list. Much like last time, now I lament the fact that I’ll need to patiently wait for the third and final book.
Borne Of The Deep
Emancipated during the American Revolution, Salem Hawley is a free man—until he finds himself indebted to a doctor for treatment for injuries incurred during the New York Doctors’ Riot. Recruited to recover the stolen grimoire, Al Azif, Salem embarks on a journey north, to Arkham, Massachusetts.
Plagued by rain and the incursion of strange, otherworldly creatures, the seaside town of Arkham has become a dark and dangerous place. Unable to trust the locals, Hawley is forced to rely on only his wits to track down the thief. He must also contend with Louise LeMarché, an outcast and suspected witch who is searching for the missing tome, as well.
Time is against Hawley. Something ancient and evil is rising from the depths of the Atlantic, and if Al Azif is not recovered quickly, it could spell doom to Arkham… and all of humanity.
Borne of the Deep, the second book in the Salem Hawley series, is a novella of Lovecraftian cosmic horror and continues the story that began in The Resurrectionists.
You can buy Borne Of The Deep from Amazon UK & Amazon US
Steve Stred
Steve Stred writes dark, bleak horror fiction.
Steve is the author of three novels, a number of novellas and four collections.
He is proud to work with the Ladies of Horror Fiction to facilitate the Annual LOHF Writers Grant.
Steve is also a voracious reader, reviewing everything he reads and submitting the majority of his reviews to be featured on Kendall Reviews.
Steve Stred is based in Edmonton, AB, Canada and lives with his wife, his son and their dog OJ.
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Awesome review!!