Review: The Thing That Should Not Be
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 03 2, 2014
You know when you saw “The Usual Suspects”… and then you had to watch it again, to spot on the clues? Welcome to the conclusion of “A Gathering of Twine” – you’re going to love it.Many compare this writer to Stephen King and other horror masters. The trouble is that I’m not really into the present clutch, preferring the tales of Algernon Blackwood and HP Lovecraft, so I approached this series with trepidation. It was only when a friend at my book group recommended it that I gave it a go.Having immensely enjoyed “A Gathering of Twine”, everything from the characters to his unique viewpoint on Humanities Origins and customs, this was an easy sell for me. Such a chronicle is something I haven't experienced much lately in the literary world, and just as the transformation of Celus from villainous lackey to anti-her bestows immense satisfaction and freedom on him, this novel does the same for me as the reader.I can only convey so many wonderful things about this novel in such a short space. I absolutely grasp the powerful concepts that are being delivered forth in the seething neo-Gothic atmosphere of London. Every single page sets the tone wonderfully be it through the immense visual descriptions of aberrant skyscrapes to the grisly details of an evil doer meeting her gory end. This in essence sets up each scene to further deliver the emotional punch and concepts these wonderful characters endure.I never once wanted to stop reading this novel. After the slight cliffhanger left by "A Gathering of Twine", I was immensely satisfied I picked it up when I did, because I wanted to jump right in to the continuing story of the Tate Family. Each character sets their own image perfectly and they are played like a wonderful symphony by the author, who I believe is really hitting a high note with this such a wide cast.Everyone from the troubled yet passionate Colin Denoon, free thinking and joy giving Sam Cotrahens, mysterious and guiding Celus, wide eyed and impetuous Milton, creepy and steadfast Greine and the strong willed Adammeh. These characters are perfect. I was so drawn into them and learning more about them in every way possible that I refused to stop until I knew it all. The wonderful thing is, that's not even all of them. Irene’s human values are also tested and weighed, along with those of her family. The segments involving the hidden chamber underneath Aberdeen Cathedral was an effectively strong point of this novel. The entire rendition is summed up perfectly to go along with the season it describes and delivers the message that the only thing that can care about you actually wants to destroy you.Elder Gods are not the only mythology that the author continues to build upon in this beautiful follow up. The Home Skin, along with strong narratives involving life beyond our universe and the nature of the soul, are also explored and built up in wonderful sections of suspense and mystery involving the tragedy of Nurse Lisa. This again tangles a wonderful story within a story of forgiveness and closure for the main protagonist.While the story in it of itself involve as a good deal of carnage and justice dealing as "The Gathering of Twine", "The Beggar of Beliefs" instead delivers a grander tale with with an expanded world view that continues to build upon the lives and trials of what is now perhaps my favorite literary family. George Tate’s many trials continue, with several segments closing perfectly, and yet he still continues to wrestle with the relationship with his children and the counterpoint that Celus presents about the true meanings to some of life's greatest mysteries. From the perfectly presented refugee crisis in Jordan, to the intense raising of the Selvistan; from the depths of the World Bombings, to a reborn and harrowing future. This is a journey that I am overjoyed to partake in.The author, in my opinion, blends together perfectly the best traits one might come to expect from rich storytelling. His treatment of combined mythologies is extremely engaging and has satisfied this lover of all things eldritch.I can't wait to see what more he releases involving this cast, for surely some of them have much further to go. Five stars out of this reader and it's a pure joy to experience wonderful supernatural fiction such as yours. If you are not only a “creeping shadows” fan, but a fan of wonderful works of fiction in general, pick up and experience: "The Beggar of Beliefs"