The Rundown
Star Winds at Dusk
An inescapable dreamscape. An alien garden. An ancient vampire. These are just a few of the terrors awaiting in Star Winds At Dusk, a formidable horror filled with more than its fair share of darkly fascinating moments. Seemingly an anthology of stand alone spine tinglers, the tales are woven into an overarching narrative that reveals a vast and dark conspiracy.
In this Lovecraftian love letter, fractured tales of impossible beasts, alien landscapes and dark madness collide in an overarching story that transcends time and space. Horrors both ethereal and visceral creep through every page, and deep mysteries abound. In short, lovers of good fantastical horror have plenty to fall in love with.
The Recommendation
Flinging a respectful salute to Lovecraftian lore, the novel carefully recreates the poetry of familiar cosmic horror and secret history, and scatters easter eggs about liberally. But Robert DeFrank is no copy cat, and he overlays his stories on Lovecraft’s cherished backgrounds in his own confident, elegant (and to be honest, much more accessible) way. Here is good horror, written well, and for genre afficiandos that alone should be enough to click the purchase button.
The tales of Star Winds at Dusk are anchored around a respect and dedication to building a solid supernatural mythos, providing the cozy depths to lose oneself in that is so necessary to a good horror tale. Though the book is filled with outlandish beasts and no small amount of the occult, Robert DeFrank pulls off that Lovecraftian trick of presenting the inexplicable with academic credulity, and really pervades the sense that a world of the inexplicable lies close by… for those that know how and where to look.
All this talk of H.P Lovecraft may be off-putting to some, but those of you who don’t know their Shoggoth’s from their elbows won’t feel put out. Star Winds at Dusk isn’t a fan fiction, and at the core of the cosmic musings is a solid thread of story filled with intriguing characters. It’s an original twist on time-tested concepts.
I thoroughly enjoyed Star Winds at Dusk. It was pleasingly intriguing, sometimes disturbing and shot through with a quiet dread and tension you’d expect from a seasoned horror writer.
The Rating
5 Stars (out of 5): Highly recommended. This book did exactly what it set out to do, with originality, style, and maybe even a twist. It stands out next to popular, traditionally published novels in its genre.
The Pros & Cons
Pros: Characterization, Dialogue, Plot, Prose, Strong World-BuildingThe Comparisons
For readers who liked these books and authors: H.P Lovecraft, Stephen KingThe Links
The Reviewer
Steve Wetherell
Visit Steve Wetherell‘s website.In this Lovecraftian love letter, fractured tales of impossible beasts, alien landscapes and dark madness collide in an overarching story that transcends time and space. Horrors both ethereal and visceral creep through every page, and deep mysteries abound. In short, lovers of good fantastical horror have plenty to fall in love with.
Read Star Winds at Dusk
