Macky Reads Red Right Hand + Black Goat Blues

I saw Levi Black for the first time in 2017 at BookNetFest on a writing panel. He was particularly inspiring in that he referenced that moment where most would-be writers are in the middle of reading a book and go, “I could write better than this.” I’m so glad he did. Otherwise, I would not have been inspired to pick up his first two books Red Right Hand and Black Goat Blues.

2016-2017 was my banner year to get into the HP Lovecraft mythos through playing games like Elder Signs and Pandemic: Cthulhu. I haven’t read the original texts and was more drawn to the lore than the actual narratives. So, to have a very contemporary setting for these elder gods to play out their eternal games, is a treat. And to have the narrative center on a pretty strong female character is just so enjoyable.

Trigger warning though, as our main character Charlie Moore has a pretty traumatic past. And though I know every survivor story is different, the books do allude to some details of her past which, if anyone has ever gone through something like that could be a trigger point. Still, that a girl who has decided to pursue power, healing and survival gets a chance to wield real, actual power is quite the narrative. 

To me, both books play out like a really good action horror mini-series, with rich characters, grotesque and macabre creatures/visuals, and a fast paced “tell-me-what-happens-next-already!” vibe that just keeps pounding. 

If you want to shut your brain off and enjoy the ride, you can. If you want to geek out at all the Lovecraft elements, knock yourself out. But from the moment the Man in Black tears into Charlie’s life with his red right hand, Charlie’s world just goes downhill into a chasm of Magick, mayhem and high stakes of apocalyptic proportions. 

And interestingly enough, both books, though clearly ending on a note that can be counted as cliffhanger-y left me pretty satisfied. Calm but absolutely eager to see what happens next. Great cast of characters, absolute fun, and some pretty well placed eldritch horror, really, what’s not to love?

Red Right Hand & Black Goat Blues by Levi Black | Series: The Mythos War #1-2

Publisher: Tor Books | Publication Date: July 26, 2016 + November 7, 2017

Source: Finished copies received from the publisher (Thank you!)