Author: Coy Hall
Plot: (Book Description) AUSTRIA. 1686. Two plagues rage in the countryside. One plague is smallpox, a torturous disease that ravages the body, turning homes into tombs. The other ailment is more mysterious, a scourge of occult origin, a plague that ravages the mind and consumes the soul. Here the deepest horrors are made manifest. Here the dead walk the shadowed wood. Here a spirit and its brood of changelings emerge from the earth to feed. Into this malefic maelstrom enters Dorin Toth, famed occultist and investigator. Accompanied by his faithful greyhound, Vinegar Tom, Toth must find the source of the eldritch epidemic. Will Toth and Tom prevail against the blights that they uncover? Or will the dark storm of ghosts consume them?
My Review and Thoughts:
I thoroughly make the statement that few would disagree with that have read this book, that this goes up on the top list of books that are defined by truly extraordinary descriptive word play ever done. It's one of the greatest examples of storytelling through massive written word play. This left a lingering mark on me and most every chapter witnessed by these eyes remains with me. This was a book that captured a one of kind imaginative exploration of imagery and action thick with intensity and description.
Coy Hall takes you on a journey. A darkened journey back in time. Thick with time. Thick with darkness that in all honesty bleeds off the pages in the readers mind. He places you there. His writing is so well crafted that you feel that you are there back in time. You can sense. You can smell it. You can feel it. He does not let up on the thick monstrosity of a plot. He batters your senses. Your emotions are toyed with.
I think this is the book that wins it for me this year. I was dumb-founded by it's darkened beauty. By it's dirty raw intensity that feels like it's crawling up your spin. I truly felt the character of Toth and most of all his dog Tom. I think Toth is truly a one of a kind brilliant character that has to be brought in to existence in your mind. He lingers there. He places himself there. He makes himself at home there. Toth is one of the great characters ever thought up.
The subject matter is creepy, disturbing, beautifully executed through defining imagery. It's an imagery through a gifted, talented writing genius that I feel Coy Hall is. I love a book that grabs me and twists me into a whirl wind of creativity and that is what A Promise of Plague Wolves does.
Toth is given a job to seek out a new plague ravaging the country side, not just a normal plague, but a plague that has the world of darkness written on it. He finds himself in one ordeal after the other. Toth finds himself inside those weird situations. Soon those situations change when the odd and strange find there way into Toth and Tom's life. Ultimately the haunting weirdness is sought out by Toth wanting to find out the truth of the supernatural, other worldly realities taking place during a small pox out break. There is so much in this story that creeps upon you and intensifies the beauty of reading this book.
I think something that so many readers do is over look the atmosphere that a writer creates. Coy Hall brought to life this time period. His writing is amazing, in that, the fields, the buildings, the houses, all the walkways come to life in his vivid word play. Massive descriptive storytelling, it's as if he is building stage sets for movies. Everything was written and created flawlessly and brilliant through his writing. It's as if his pages are works of art.
This is a top-notch quality book, perfect to seek out and own. It's a must own, must read piece. I think it's something that any book worm or reading buff would absolutely love.
Would I Return to it Again: Toth demands your return. Toth needs to be read in your life. This is a book that I will return to often and also express to others about how such brilliantly weaved word play and flawless descriptive imagery flows deep in these pages.
Would I Recommend: That's a stupid question, does the Pope pray the Rosary. I highly recommend this book. It's to me a must read book. It goes on my top list of the year. So magical. So powerfully wrote. I found myself using countless post it notes to mark moments that I want to be able to go to at any time. Seek this book out and truly become lost in a world crafted with excellence in prose.
My Rating: 5 out of 5
Four Final Words: Creative Intensity. Gloriously Defined.