Red Right Hand is the first book in the Mythos War series by Levi Black. Charlie Tristan Moore isn't a hero. She's a survivor. On a night when her demons from the past are triggered, she arrives home to something even more harrowing-an attack by three monstrous skinhounds, creatures straight out of nightmares. She fights but is outmatched. Just as hope seems lost, in sweeps The Man In Black, a rescuer even more monstrous and unlikely, dressed in a long, dark coat that seems to have a life of its own and with a black-bladed sword held in his terrible, red right hand. Her rescue comes at a cost. She must become his new Acolyte and embrace a dark magick she never knew she had inside her. To ensure she gives it her all, he takes her friend and possible love, Daniel, in thrall as a hostage to her obedience. The Man in Black, a Lovecraftian chaos god, claims to be battling his brethren gods, other horrors who are staging an incipient apocalypse. But is he truly the lesser of all evils or merely killing off the competition? Either way, will Charlie be strong enough to save herself, Daniel, and possibly the entire world?
Red Right Hand is a gory horror/ urban fantasy that is darker than my normal fare. I think it started off slow, and it took more than half the book for me to feel like I was fully part of the story rather than just along for the ride. As I am not a fan or the more gory aspects of this genre, it was particularly hard getting lost in the story. Part of that was because part of the Lovecraftian style to to mark people as unimportant- and I never really came to care about any of the characters because of this. REaders know that something bad happened to Charlie- but it is hinted it so often that it became annoying rather than compelling making it hard to care about her. There are plenty of people that will love this series, and will be eager to explore this series- but it just is not me. The cover and description had me thinking this was more urban fantasy than horror- but it is much more horror and gore than fantasy.
Red Right Hand is an unnerving and gory urban fantasy. It was a little too much for my personal tastes, but I think that Lovecraft fans and those that like the idea of being a Lovecraft fan will enjoy the book, and likely the series. New adult readers that were fan of Darren Shan's horror series as tweens and teens (or adults) will find this right up their alley. I had trouble getting into the book, because while I know and enjoy some Lovecraftian lore- I am not a huge fan of the gore that generally comes with it.
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