The Last Ritual
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- Create Date：2021-10-30 06:53:38
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：S.A. Sidor
- ISBN：1839080132
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Summary
A mad surrealist’s art threatens to rip open the fabric of reality， in this twisted tale of eldritch horror and conspiracy， from the wildly popular world of Arkham Horror。
Aspiring painter Alden Oakes is invited to join a mysterious art commune in Arkham: the New Colony。 When celebrated Spanish surrealist Juan Hugo Balthazarr visits the colony， Alden and the other artists quickly fall under his charismatic spell。 Balthazarr throws a string of decadent parties for Arkham’s social elite， conjuring arcane illusions which blur the boundaries between nightmare and reality。 Only slowly does Alden come to suspect that Balthazarr’s mock rituals are intended to break through those walls and free what lies beyond。 Alden must act， but it might already be too late to save himself， let alone Arkham。
Aspiring painter Alden Oakes is invited to join a mysterious art commune in Arkham: the New Colony。 When celebrated Spanish surrealist Juan Hugo Balthazarr visits the colony， Alden and the other artists quickly fall under his charismatic spell。 Balthazarr throws a string of decadent parties for Arkham’s social elite， conjuring arcane illusions which blur the boundaries between nightmare and reality。 Only slowly does Alden come to suspect that Balthazarr’s mock rituals are intended to break through those walls and free what lies beyond。 Alden must act， but it might already be too late to save himself， let alone Arkham。
Reviews
Histolicious Histolicious
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Kann man lesen， aber mag verpasst nix wenn man es lässt
RUCKERT Marion
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S。A。Sidor Arkham HorrorDas letzte RitualWorum es geht， Klappentext:Die Kunst eines wahnsinnigen Surrealisten droht das Gefüge der Realität zu zerreißen。Eine Schauergeschichte über unheimliche Schrecken und Verschwörungen， angesiedelt in der beliebten Welt von Arkham Horror， dem preisgekrönten Brettspiel von Fantasy Flight Games。Der aufstrebende Maler Alden Oakes wird eingeladen， sich einer geheimnisvollen Kunstkommune in Arkham anzuschließen: der Neuen Kolonie。 Als der gefeierte spanische Surrea S。A。Sidor Arkham HorrorDas letzte RitualWorum es geht， Klappentext:Die Kunst eines wahnsinnigen Surrealisten droht das Gefüge der Realität zu zerreißen。Eine Schauergeschichte über unheimliche Schrecken und Verschwörungen， angesiedelt in der beliebten Welt von Arkham Horror， dem preisgekrönten Brettspiel von Fantasy Flight Games。Der aufstrebende Maler Alden Oakes wird eingeladen， sich einer geheimnisvollen Kunstkommune in Arkham anzuschließen: der Neuen Kolonie。 Als der gefeierte spanische Surrealist Juan Hugo Balthazarr die Kolonie besucht， geraten Alden und die anderen Künstler schnell in den Bann des charismatischen Mannes。 Auf dekadenten Partys beschwört er Illusionen herauf， die die Grenzen zwischen Albtraum und Realität verwischen。 Alden kommt der Verdacht， dass Balthazarrs Rituale mehr als nur Schein sein könnten und tatsächlich darauf abzielen， diese Grenzen zu durchbrechen， um das， was dahinter lauert， freizusetzen。 Alden muss handeln， doch es könnte bereits zu spät sein， um sich selbst zu retten - ganz zu schweigen von Arkham。Meine Meinung:Eine herrlich schaurige und gruselige Geschichte，die in Anlehnung an H。P。Locecrafts fiktiver Stadt Arkham geschrieben ist。Auch das Brettspiel Arkham Horror ist wohl darauf aufgebaut。Ich kenne das Spiel zwar nicht， aber nach der Lektüre des Romans bin ich mehr als neugierig darauf！Mir hat das Buch unheimlich gut gefallen，musste es in einer Nacht durchlesen und ich habe die durchlesene Nacht nicht bereut！！！Grusel und Gänsehautfeeling vom Feinsten！Es liest sich sehr flüssig und einmal damit begonnen，kann man es nicht mehr aus der Hand legen。Die Figuren sind vielschichtig und nicht so leicht zu durchschauen，die Story gut angelegt und sehr lesenswert。Lovecraft-Leser werden ganz sicher ihre Freude daran haben。Aber auch alle， die Schauergeschichten im Stilvon Poe und King mögen。Ich empfehle das Buch sehr gerne weiter und vergebe dafür:gruselige 5 Sterne！！！ 。。。more
Marice
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Ich kenne das Arkham-Universum bzw。 das Brettspiel nicht， aber der Roman klang genau nach meinem Geschmack， weswegen er schon länger auf meiner Wunschliste war。 Meiner Meinung nach braucht man auch keinerlei Vorkenntnisse um 'Das letzte Ritual' lesen zu können。Erstmal zu den positiven Dingen: Ich finde der Roman hat eine angenehme Länge für ein Mystery und auch der Schreibstil ist ansprechend。 Allerdings lesen sich die Dialoge sehr gestelzt und unglaubwürdig。 Wobei das scheinbar teilweise an der Ich kenne das Arkham-Universum bzw。 das Brettspiel nicht， aber der Roman klang genau nach meinem Geschmack， weswegen er schon länger auf meiner Wunschliste war。 Meiner Meinung nach braucht man auch keinerlei Vorkenntnisse um 'Das letzte Ritual' lesen zu können。Erstmal zu den positiven Dingen: Ich finde der Roman hat eine angenehme Länge für ein Mystery und auch der Schreibstil ist ansprechend。 Allerdings lesen sich die Dialoge sehr gestelzt und unglaubwürdig。 Wobei das scheinbar teilweise an der kruden Übersetzung liegt， manche Sätze haben einfach wenig Sinn gemacht。 Auf das Setting war ich sehr gespannt， aber das war leider eine große Enttäuschung。 Von den Zwanziger Jahren gibt es nichts zu sehen und es kommt auch keine gute Atmosphäre auf。 Die Geschichte wird mit einigem Anlauf erzählt， die ersten Kapitel enthalten viel inneren Monolog， der die Hauptfigur und die Leser*innen auf den Hauptteil des Romans vorbereiten。 Die ersten Kapitel sind aber eher seltsam und die Erlebnisse werden nicht flüssig in die Story eingebaut。 Was generell alles passiert， ist überhaupt nicht clever erarbeitet und wie günstig alles abläuft ist fast schon albern。Für Fans des Universums gibt das Buch sicher mehr her， aber bei mir zünden das Setting， der Lesefluss und leider auch die Horrorelemente nicht。 Ich würde 'Das letzte Ritual' eher als Mystery bezeichnen。 。。。more
T。S。 S。 Fulk
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3。5 starsIt has its moments， but not enough。
Matt Midlock
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Fun occult adventure in the delicious Arkham Horror vein。
William M。
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I thoroughly enjoyed this book even more than Wrath of N'Kai， the first book in the new Arkham Horror novel series。 The consistent building atmosphere and better defined characters pulled me in and never really let me go。 While some scene transitions were a touch awkward at times， I was still fully immersed in the locations and story。 The antagonist in this narrative， Balthazarr， was a perfect adversary in this Arkham Horror universe。 The pacing and twists were perfectly balanced throughout the I thoroughly enjoyed this book even more than Wrath of N'Kai， the first book in the new Arkham Horror novel series。 The consistent building atmosphere and better defined characters pulled me in and never really let me go。 While some scene transitions were a touch awkward at times， I was still fully immersed in the locations and story。 The antagonist in this narrative， Balthazarr， was a perfect adversary in this Arkham Horror universe。 The pacing and twists were perfectly balanced throughout the book。 I was disappointed the initial mass market paperback Arkham Horror books ended a few years ago， but so glad they started back up。 I hope the editors incorporate even more authors in this playground and allow the good authors， like S。A。 Sidor， to write even more stories。 Fans of Lovecraft， pulp stories， and overall dangerous adventures with a cosmic bent should be more than satisfied。 Keep 'em coming！ 。。。more
Gregory Mele
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So I knew about the game Arkham Horror， but did not realize this was a tie-in when I bought it。 How it works as a tie-in I can't say， and I don't tend to read tie-in fiction， with the exception of the odd Warhammer novel here and there。 For me this was just a Lovecraftian story that I confess drew me in because of the incredibly pleasing Jazz Age， pseudo-Deco cover and the intriguing blurb about a creepy artist colony on the outskirts of Arkham。On to the review:Sidor clearly knows the era， and h So I knew about the game Arkham Horror， but did not realize this was a tie-in when I bought it。 How it works as a tie-in I can't say， and I don't tend to read tie-in fiction， with the exception of the odd Warhammer novel here and there。 For me this was just a Lovecraftian story that I confess drew me in because of the incredibly pleasing Jazz Age， pseudo-Deco cover and the intriguing blurb about a creepy artist colony on the outskirts of Arkham。On to the review:Sidor clearly knows the era， and his crisp， quick writing （so very different from its own） resonates with 20s lingo and little details， creating a style that is very much "Mythos-ala-Gatsby"。 The opening sequence in Spain hits all the right notes and has a bit of Ligotti， "Last Feast of Harlequin" feel that sucked me in as thoroughly as it did the narrator。The entire novel zips along， and that is both its success and its failing。 This book needed to be about 20 pages long or 50 pages shorter。 It takes a little too long to really introduce the artist colony and its creepy goings on， and the colony and its inhabitants never really achieve their potential。 Instead， we meet a number of characters， creatures that I am told are from the game （ex: Calvin Wright， a certain gargoyle， the Black Cave）， and although all add some great scenes in the book， none REALLY serve the story。 Calvin plays a minor Deux ex Machina role in the story， but he himself doesn't really make sense。 Firstly， while empowered non-White characters are an important way to address Lovecraft's own raging racism， even in 1920s New England a Black stevedore just wouldn't feel free to call a White blue-blood he's just met by his first name， threaten him in public， etc。 The risk in doing so was too high， but the novel never addresses this， and our status-conscious narrator is oddly （and unbelievably） oblivious to it。 Further， we are led to believe that Calvin "knows things"， including what is going on with the colony and its Dali-like， guru， but when we see him again he's oddly oblivious and seems shocked once more to here there are sorcerous doings afoot。 The gargoyle （yes， a winged， humanoid monster） lists a series of warnings that draw the investigators to Calvin， then suggests that our narrator's paramour is more than she seems -- but again， nothing comes of it， and the gargoyle is then gone from the tale。 Black Cave provides two of the best scenes in the book， but no real resolution -- whatever is there lurking plays no role in the story and the strange threats our hero and heroine receive are never clearly revealed as to their source， nor their purpose。 All of this feels like things the author may have been compelled to work in for tie-in purposes， but for someone who doesn't know a thing about the game， it feels like padding of a story that would have stronger without it。Interestingly， for a story about Lovecraft's imaginary city， the otherworldly entity is not a figure from the Cthulhu Mythos， or if it is， it is one of its avatars。 But alas， we learn nothing about this figure， its goal， etc。; even the ramblings that our mysterious， Spanish art guru supplies really tell us nothing。 The end result is almost the exact opposite of the usual Lovecraft pastiche， where authors name drop entities and books ad nauseum。 Here， we learn so little that it's almost irrelevant， but it also makes the final encounter seem TOO clipped and vague。 OTOH， the epilogue is perfect and hits just the right note。The end result is an enjoyable， atmospheric and fast read that kept me turning pages but left me a little disappointed in missed opportunities。 I would like to read some of Sidor's independent work， when he isn't constrained by the requirements of the publisher-client。 。。。more
Arvilla
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It took a while to get into its groove but as a whole was better than the Arkham novellas。 I loved the connection it drew between surrealism and Lovecraftian horrors。 Not sure if I would recommend to anyone not invested or a fan of the Arkham Horror games but I would otherwise; quite a few cameos were made。
barry brady
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Historically sound，1920's era occult horror mystery。 Intriguing， disturbing， at times too gory。 Based on Arkham Horror series， game。 Absorbing content。 Historically sound，1920's era occult horror mystery。 Intriguing， disturbing， at times too gory。 Based on Arkham Horror series， game。 Absorbing content。 。。。more
Matt Turner
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This is a super read。The second of five in this particular Arkham Horror series， it doesn’t let up at all from its predecessor。 It’s not a direct continuation of it， though， but its own distinct story。 I mean it’s well-structured， got perfect pacing， and is a whopping good read。 I finished it in two days because I was just that engaged。 An excellent read。 5/5
Clara
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 I really enjoyed reading this book， it reminded me a lot of Agatha Christie like mysteries but with lovecraftian type horror。 I loved the writing style， and want to read more from this author。 I didn't like how the motive of the main bad guy is he's bored with order so wants a little chaos by， I don't know， ending the world？ I am going to look into the other books in this series。 I really enjoyed reading this book， it reminded me a lot of Agatha Christie like mysteries but with lovecraftian type horror。 I loved the writing style， and want to read more from this author。 I didn't like how the motive of the main bad guy is he's bored with order so wants a little chaos by， I don't know， ending the world？ I am going to look into the other books in this series。 。。。more
Tana Voyage
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This isn't a horror。 But a gothic mystery。 There was one slightly frightening scene， but otherwise it was pretty tame。I wasn't aware when i was reading this book that it was inspired by/linked to a board game called Arkham Horror， which in turn was connected to The Call of Cthulhu and Other Weird StoriesHowever， i had read Lovecraft， H。 P。 and the The Call of Cthulhu and Other Weird Stories and this book was weirdly a poor imitation of the aforementioned。I enjoyed the art deco history and the de This isn't a horror。 But a gothic mystery。 There was one slightly frightening scene， but otherwise it was pretty tame。I wasn't aware when i was reading this book that it was inspired by/linked to a board game called Arkham Horror， which in turn was connected to The Call of Cthulhu and Other Weird StoriesHowever， i had read Lovecraft， H。 P。 and the The Call of Cthulhu and Other Weird Stories and this book was weirdly a poor imitation of the aforementioned。I enjoyed the art deco history and the descriptions of Arkham， however， the characters were annoying， the writing struggled to keep my attention and the plot dragged。 。。。more
Adam Selby-Martin
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The Last RitualS。A。 SidorAconyte BooksWith every title that they release， Aconyte Books – the publishing arm of Asmodee Entertainment – becomes more and more impressive and more and more accomplished as a publisher。 They’ve released some fantastic books in their relatively short history， all based on the board games and RPG systems that their parent company are licensed to produce。 From the light-hearted craziness of the sci-fi/fantasy mashup that is the KeyForge CCG （the Tales of the Crucible a The Last RitualS。A。 SidorAconyte BooksWith every title that they release， Aconyte Books – the publishing arm of Asmodee Entertainment – becomes more and more impressive and more and more accomplished as a publisher。 They’ve released some fantastic books in their relatively short history， all based on the board games and RPG systems that their parent company are licensed to produce。 From the light-hearted craziness of the sci-fi/fantasy mashup that is the KeyForge CCG （the Tales of the Crucible anthology） to the spirit-haunted lands of the Legend of the Five Rings setting （Curse of Honor） and the dark fantasy RPG Descent: Journeys in the Dark （The Doom of Fallowhearth）， Aconyte have blended together exciting settings with some of the best scifi and fantasy authors in the genre to create memorable， engaging and hugely entertaining novels and anthologies。 But out of all of the properties that they are leveraging， by far my favourite is the occult detective， Lovecraftian setting that is Arkham Horror。 I have fond memories of playing games of Arkham Horror in the ever-increasing distance of my teenage years， and the Occult Detective/Lovecraftian genre is perhaps one of my most favourites to read and review。 The first book in the revamped Arkham Horror series， Wrath of N’Kai， perfectly set the tone for the series， in my opinion; written by veteran occult detective and sci-fi author Josh Reynolds， it delivered atmosphere and sinister characters in spades， and deserved to take pride of place in anyone’s occult horror collection。Given how well the series had started， I was beyond eager to see how it would continue， and was deeply intrigued by S。A。 Sidor’s upcoming The Last Ritual。 The cover art is a lavish and detailed affair， illustrator John Coulthart perfectly bringing to life the Jazz Age decor of the Arkham Horror setting; and the back-cover blurb sounded hugely promising， mentioning surrealism， paintings that invoke occult rituals， and blurring the boundaries between nightmare and reality。 Although I hadn’t heard of the author before now， his previous titles for Angry Robot had excellent reviews （and indeed The Institute for Singular Antiquities duology spoke so strongly to me that they’re now on my short-list to review later this year） which again pointed to Aconyte Books picking the cream of the crop when it came to this particular genre。 All in all it seemed really exciting， and I couldn’t wait to dive in and get reading。Our story’s protagonist is Alden Oakes， scion of one of the richest families in all of Arkham， and a man who has floated through life courtesy of the monies and luxuries provided by his parents and his family name。 He is a talented artists， specialising in paintings， but has found himself struggling in the decadent， post-Great War years， unable to truly paint anything that seems memorable or truly talented。 That all begins to change on the beaches of Cannes， when Alden suddenly finds himself confronted by Preston Fairmont， an old university friend and dilitante who unexpectedly invites Oakes back to Arkham， as a guest for Preston’s marriage to Oakes’ ex-fiancee。 Oakes is surprised by the invitation， and even moreso by Preston’s bizarre and erratic behaviour， but agrees to travel back through Europe and then over the Atlantic， back to Arkham and his family and friends。 His return journey takes him through isolated， rural towns and villages in Spain， and an attempt to tour through the crowded streets of Barcelona instead devolves into his attendance at a deeply unsettling and esoteric ceremony; he becomes enmeshed in a bizarre ritual involving strange， puppet-like figures， eerie chanting， and the presence of an intimidating figure with a forked beard that seems strangely familiar to Alden。Making his escape after the end of the ritual and crossing the Atlantic， Alden returns to Arkham and his ancestral home， eventually joining up with Preston and his fiancée Minnie。 But his friend’s behaviour becomes increasingly eccentric， worrying the painter， and to further compliance matters Alden becomes involved with Nina， a mysterious writer who wishes to investigate a series of accidents， suicides and murders involving artists that has suddenly occurred across the whole of Arkham。 Slowly but surely drawn into a side of Arkham he had little awareness of， Alden is confronted by horrifying ritual murders， disappearing decapitated bodies， and inexplicable， inhuman monsters that pursue him across the murky backwaters of Arkham。 Being invited to join the mysterious and secretive art commune known as the New Colony seems to be a huge break for Alden as an artist， inspiring him to great feats of painting， but his painting and the murders soon become inextricably twisted together in the New Colony。 The arrival of the strange and highly charismatic surrealist artist Juan Hugo Balthazarr to the New Colony seems to promise new heights of pageantry and inspiration; but instead， Alden and Nina find themselves drawn into incomprehensible occult rituals， which begin to have terrifying implications for the residents of the New Colony， as well as all of Arkham。Set in media res， Sidor opens the novel with Oakes a famous artist， returning to Arkham and the infamous Silver Gate Hotel to be interviewed by a young journalist。 The newspaperman hopes to get a big story out of the painter， a man who seems to have aged far faster than his physical years， and who begins to describe the path that led him to fame and fortune。 It’s a really effective framing device that neatly sets out the broad contours of the plot – surreal art， a strange fire， a reclusive and mysterious artist with a horrifying tale to tell – and irresistibly draws you into the rest of the story。 Sidor has a way of writing prose that perfectly embodies the nightmarish and surreal themes of the Arkham Horror setting; throughout the novel， as the narrative deftly unwinds and hooks you in further， Sidor maintains an unsettling and even anxious atmosphere that greatly enhances a story brimming with unreal imagery and which forces the reader to question just which elements – if any – are real and actually occurring。 His prose is superbly constructed， drawing you in without even realising it; I read the majority of The Last Ritual in the course of a single day， losing track of the hours as I turned the pages。 That brilliant prose supports a deeply compelling narrative， one which develops quickly and effectively， always having a twist or turn to make you turn the page and begin the next chapter; you feel like you’ve been inducted into the ethereal world of the New Colony yourself， experiencing the frantic highs and terrifying lows of Alden’s investigation into the occult through his eyes。The writing is superb， and the plot enthralling， but the characters are perhaps the finest part of The Last Ritual， and which for me elevated the book as one of the best Aconyte have published so far。 It would have been so very easy for Sidor to fall into the clichés and tropes which litter the occult and Lovecraftian genres， and give us two-dimensional artistes who foolishly dabble with things they do not understand in the pursuit of their art。 But instead， Sidor gives us some engaging and three-dimensional characters who always seem to act on their own initiative， and not just because the plot and page-count demand it。 Alden is a detached and adrift protagonist， looking for meaning in his life， but importantly he is already a talented painter in his own right， even if looking for something to perfect his art; Sidor does not fall into the trap of giving us the generic ‘common-place artist desperate to be great’ protagonist so often seen in these sorts of tales。 And Balthazarr makes for a memorable and delightfully bombastic antagonist， a wraithlike character who seems happy to taunt Alden and sting him with verbal barbs while turning the population of the New Colony into his willing puppets for his rituals and artworks。 Indeed， all of the characters are fully fleshed-out and engaging – never a guarantee in the Lovecraftian genre， unfortunately – and Sidor also imbues them with this feeling of impermanence ， a sort of semi-solidity that ties into the dream-like atmosphere of the novel as a whole。 We’re never quite certain whether anything Alden is telling the journalist in the hotel room is real at all， or simply his own fevered and twisted imaginations， and the story is all the better for it。 It creates a certain tension in the novel’s atmosphere， a certain expectation from the reader， which Sidor then deftly and unexpectedly shatters with an ending that I genuinely didn’t see coming。 His knack for blending artist expression and Lovecraftian horrors really is the best that I’ve ever seen reading through the genre over the years， and is genuinely impressive。Superbly written， deftly plotted， and imbued with Sidor’s absolutely phenomenal imagination and inherent understanding of the decaying， sumptuous décor of Jazz Age Arkham that hides a terrifying underside， The Last Ritual is one of the most enjoyable and memorable occult horror thrillers that I have read in a long time， and a fantastic addition to Aconyte’s Arkham Horror range。 Sidor has delivered us a novel that perfectly embodies both Arkham Horror as a setting， and Lovecraftian Artistry as a concept， and I can only hope that editor Charlotte Llewelyn-Wells commissions further Arkham Horror books from him in the future。 I would certainly pick them up and read them without hesitation， and I believe I would be far from the only one。 。。。more
Jay L Redfern
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Wonderful book。 Thoroughly enjoyed from start to finish and left me wanting a sequel。 The setting and flavour is very well depicted and characters given great depths。 The dialog and explanation of emotions， thoughts and actions was some of the best I've read。 This is the first work of this author I've read and am eager to check out some of his other books。 Wonderful book。 Thoroughly enjoyed from start to finish and left me wanting a sequel。 The setting and flavour is very well depicted and characters given great depths。 The dialog and explanation of emotions， thoughts and actions was some of the best I've read。 This is the first work of this author I've read and am eager to check out some of his other books。 。。。more
Amy Walker - Trans-Scribe Reviews
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The Arkham Horror series has very strong links to the works of H。P。 Lovecraft， with much of the games and their lore being adapted from the stories produced by the horror writer， and subsequent others who've come along after and added to the Cthulhu lore。 Because of this， you might be likely to come to a book like The Last Ritual with certain expectations， but I found that S。A。 Sidor was able to subvert these expectations， and gave me a much different story to the one I was expecting。I'm sure we The Arkham Horror series has very strong links to the works of H。P。 Lovecraft， with much of the games and their lore being adapted from the stories produced by the horror writer， and subsequent others who've come along after and added to the Cthulhu lore。 Because of this， you might be likely to come to a book like The Last Ritual with certain expectations， but I found that S。A。 Sidor was able to subvert these expectations， and gave me a much different story to the one I was expecting。I'm sure we've all seen stories based upon Lovecraft's work that use the horror elements， that push the otherworldly strangeness of creatures like Cthulhu and his fellow entities。 I think that readers come to expect that these creatures will eventually take centre stage in these stories， even if they only appear right at the end as our hero faces off against some tentacled monstrosity that pushes the limits of their sanity。 Whilst this book does feature Lovecraftian beasts， it's less of a psychological horror and more of a mystery; and that definitely makes it stand out。The Last Ritual follows the character of Alden Oakes， a young socialite from Arkham who's travelling across Europe and living the rich playboy lifestyle when he runs into his old friend， Preston， in France。 He discovers that Preston has just become engaged， to Alden's former girlfriend Minnie， and encourages Alden to return to Arkham to celebrate with them and attend their wedding。 Alden agrees， but decides to spend some more time in Europe for a while。 However， after finding himself in a small town in Spain weeks later， he gets caught up in a local festival that takes a turn for the sinister。 The event leaves him slightly shaken， and encourages him to return to his home。Back in Arkham， Alden learns that there have been several strange incidents across the city， including disappearances， killings， and strange accidents。 When he goes to the scene of the latest accident he meets Nina， and is soon drawn to her not just because of her beauty， but because of her notion that some strange things are happening in the city。 When he meets her again at Preston and Minnie's engagement party the two of them stumble across a grizzly murder。 Now they find themselves as the centre of a mystery that has the whole of Arkham on edge， has cult like connections， and may involve a mysterious surrealist painter from Spain。Straight away it's clear that there's something strange happening around Alden， even before we've managed to get to Arkham itself。 Whether it's him seeing bizarre symbols being drawn in the sand on a French beach， or the almost nightmarish events of the Spanish festival， it really feels like something is zeroing in on our hero。 This makes the narrative somewhat more interesting， as it gives you a sense that whatever he chooses to do he can't escape from what's to come。 Some mystery horror stories have protagonists that are drawn into the narrative， either by making a strange discovery themselves or being asked to investigate something， and it tends to be their own desire to find answers， or their unwillingness to back down that leads them to trouble。 But with Alden it seems that even if he were to try to run away from the horrors to come it wouldn't make much of a difference， and that there's no escaping this。This makes for a story that feels a lot more personal， even though it doesn't seem to involve the people he cares about。 He's not connected to this through friends or loved ones being put in danger， but rather because someone or something has chosen to make him a part of it。 This ties into the sense of powerlessness that a lot of Lovecraft's stories utilised; the idea that we are unable to alter our own fates， or that we cannot fight the forces that are controlling everything because they rival our powers and abilities in ways that we could never match。Fortunately， Alden isn't just content to be a pawn in someone's game， and actively goes about trying to get to the bottom of things alongside Nina。 The two of them make for an engaging pair， and it's enjoyable to see them getting through their initial misgivings about the other to form a team; and eventually go on to become lovers。 It's a pretty believable relationship， and it never once felt like it was being forced， and it was instead a natural progression of their journeys。 The two of them are so isolated in a city where no one else wants to acknowledge that awful and bizarre things are happening， so of course they'll find strong affection for each other when they're the only person the other can turn to。Despite the focus on Alden and Nina the book is filled with interesting characters， many of whom you'll end up wanting to learn more about and spend more time with。 Whether it's Calvin， the dock worker who gets drawn into the mystery when his friend is killed， party animal Preston， who you're never quite sure is involved in the bigger mystery or not， or even Roland， Alden's butler and oldest friend; you end up wanting to learn more about the inhabitants of Arkham， and could easily see these characters going off and having their own strange stories in this cursed city。 The characters are definitely one of the strengths of Sidor's writing， and they really make the city come alive in interesting ways。 It also helps a lot， as much of the book is focused on the mystery， rather than the horror elements of Arkham Horror。 With the frightening moments being few and far between， though incredibly effective， it means that the mystery and the characters have to carry much of the book。 With a lesser writer this could easily have fallen apart， but Sidor is able to make even the most mundane scenes interesting because you stop focusing on wanting answers to the mystery and just end up wanting to spend time with the characters instead。The Last Ritual might not be the scariest story I've read， but it's one of the more interesting mysteries， with enjoyable characters， and a setting that felt completely alive。 Whether this is your first introduction to the world of Arkham Horror or you're a long time fan I'm sure that it will keep you hooked right up to the end。 。。。more
Paulo "paper books always" Carvalho
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This was a disappointing。I can't really phantom giving the novel 5 stars because this has little to no horror。 It's a story about a guy going around and not doing anything at all。 The main character is a bit flashout but most other characters are not。 I had to stop and read other novels inbetween because it was boring。So supposedly something happening prior in spain that was otherworldly and upsets him。 He returns to Arkham and the things that happen in spain are connected to the ones happening This was a disappointing。I can't really phantom giving the novel 5 stars because this has little to no horror。 It's a story about a guy going around and not doing anything at all。 The main character is a bit flashout but most other characters are not。 I had to stop and read other novels inbetween because it was boring。So supposedly something happening prior in spain that was otherworldly and upsets him。 He returns to Arkham and the things that happen in spain are connected to the ones happening in arkham but who is to blame or is behind。There are interesting characters like our main protagonist woman friend who is a investigador - not a real one from the game - although that is the point I will take from this。There are some characters from the boardgame - like Calvin whereas in the game he is black and not white like in the game。 If whitewashing was a very bad thing to do， what can I say about POC washing？ To each it's own。 I don't fvking care the colour of a skin unless it's relevant for the story。The ending， so， spoilers， they went through a gate to somewhere？Where N'Kai was more action， this is more investigation focus。 I don't usually love action over investigation and slow pace BUT in this case it didn't work for me。I've bought the third one Mask of Silver so let us see。 。。。more
Max Denny
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An enjoyable read。I found the villain to be interesting and enjoyed the setting。 I found the protagonist to kind of just be along for the ride and aimless， which can be exacerbating at times。 As the book is set in 1925， the author used vocabulary and phrases from that time period to make the story feel more authentic。 But for me this acted as a barrier and kept pulling me out of the story。
Christoph Weber
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I really liked the pacing。 The first book in the Arkham Horror setting was a bit of a drag， but Sidor really gets things going and it's a pleasure picking up this book。。。 I really liked the pacing。 The first book in the Arkham Horror setting was a bit of a drag， but Sidor really gets things going and it's a pleasure picking up this book。。。 。。。more
Jamie
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I bought this book because I wanted to read a horror novel that takes place in the 20s and back in July I was like， "Man， I would sure love to read a horror novel that takes place in the 1920s， surrounded by elaborate art deco， perhaps something that takes place in a hotel" and wouldn't you know it， I found this book which wouldn't be coming out until December or January。 Not to be deterred， I added it to my TBR and waited。 Now in all that time， my deep desire to read a horror novel with all the I bought this book because I wanted to read a horror novel that takes place in the 20s and back in July I was like， "Man， I would sure love to read a horror novel that takes place in the 1920s， surrounded by elaborate art deco， perhaps something that takes place in a hotel" and wouldn't you know it， I found this book which wouldn't be coming out until December or January。 Not to be deterred， I added it to my TBR and waited。 Now in all that time， my deep desire to read a horror novel with all the art deco glamor of the 1920s did not fade。 No sir， it had held strong and I bought it soon after the release。 Now did I get what I had held out for months for？ Nah。 The setting what not what I thought it would be and we didn't get a ton of hotel art deco action but I could live with that。 Go ahead， sprinkle in some other settings。 All good。 Not that much about the hotel， but I will live。 What about the 1920s setting though？ Did it deliver？ Nah， it appears like the author has very little to no knowledge about 20s fashion， culture， or society。 The language is wrong， the clothing is so wrong， he described a red dress that one of the women characters wear as tight like a second skin。 This is 1926 my dude， ain't no woman of high society， or even low society wearing a skin tight dress。 This is full on the era of the straight， boxy， dropped waist flapper look。 The societal hierarchy is there， but in a weird way， like it is only used to explain them getting a good table at restaurants， not reflected in their actual attitudes or behavior。 The author did delve into the art movement of the time which was great because that is what the book centers around。 The characters were flat， you didn't know that you were in the 1920s until the author reminded you， but the story line does play out like a rather interesting murder mystery cult。 So the horror was alright， so check that box。 Though， I never felt scared because the tension was kind of low and the characters didn't have too much emotion about it either。 The conclusion was。。。unexpected？ Weird？ Something？ It wasn't great but I didn't really mind too much。 For most of the book I was entertained enough to offset disappointments。 I still liked it， but it was a mild like， like how you may like 'cherry' flavored jolly ranchers but you only eat them when you have eaten all the other flavors first。 I feel like more research about the time period would have improved the situation。 There was bootlegging tossed in there so that helped put it in the right time period。 There was， however， nothing said about the culture， politics， or social movements。 This was a period of substantial change and it isn't even hinted at in the book。 Could have been better， very average read。 。。。more
Jeremiah Dylan Cook
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You can read my review at http://www。jeremiahdylancook。com/the-。。。。 You can read my review at http://www。jeremiahdylancook。com/the-。。。。 。。。more
Lauren
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Alden Oakes， a painter from Arkham’s upper crust， left the town and the country in search of the thing his paintings lack。 The thing that leaves them incomplete。 That separates them from even approaching the same greatness as the works of Juan Hugo Balthazarr， the deeply charismatic darling of the surrealist set。 The same surrealist he will meet again and again as strange symbols and run-ins with horrifying creatures leave him searching for answers。 Alden’s search will reveal a great many of Ark Alden Oakes， a painter from Arkham’s upper crust， left the town and the country in search of the thing his paintings lack。 The thing that leaves them incomplete。 That separates them from even approaching the same greatness as the works of Juan Hugo Balthazarr， the deeply charismatic darling of the surrealist set。 The same surrealist he will meet again and again as strange symbols and run-ins with horrifying creatures leave him searching for answers。 Alden’s search will reveal a great many of Arkham’s horrors but will it be enough to prevent the destruction of the city and perhaps the world。I have fewer words about S。 A。 Sidor’s The Last Ritual: An Arkham Horror Novel than I would have expected。 And I have something of a hard time figuring out why that is。 The novel is good all told。 The use of setting is interesting and shows the reader a sort of seedy underside of Arkham that feels like it has a lot of potential。 I just find myself uncertain that it lives up to that potential once everything has been said。It feels as though my question of if The Last Ritual lives up to its potential could easily come from the framing of the narrative。 The entirety of the story is the protagonist， Alden Oakes， recounting what happened to a reporter a year after the fact。 It takes a lot of the punch out of the horror of the story， knowing for certain that nothing too bad can happen to Alden。 It makes the danger feel much more distant which staunches the build of any kind of tension。 The lack of danger can also have the side effect of making the various threats feel a little silly， the terrifying monster can frighten Alden and leave cryptic messages but there is little else it can do。 Of course， part of this might also tie into Alden himself。 He can feel more like a character that things happen to rather than the protagonist of the story。 I kept finding myself wishing we were following Nina， the firebrand love interest， or Calvin， the dock worker who clearly knows more than he lets anyone know， because they both felt like they were being more active in the mystery of what was going on than Alden。 A passive protagonist is not necessarily a bad thing， the hero of a story can be someone else， but with the framing device it feels a little flat here。 The combination also leaves the ending feeling more than a little unearned。This may make it sound like I did not enjoy The Last Ritual， I did。 That potential I mentioned before is all over the book。 Sidor does a fantastic job of painting Alden as helpless in the face of both the actual monsters he faces as well as the sheer weight of Juan Hugo Balthazarr’s charisma。 The helplessness does tie into how passive Alden can feel but it can also work towards showing just how desperately impressive the antagonist is meant to be。 The secondary characters， when they show up， are well crafted and feel quite interesting。 The New Colonists are fascinating in concept and I would have loved to see more of them and the upper crust set represented by Alden’s old friends。 I feel like the sense of being thrown off kilter， of things suddenly being just that side of wrong， was well done and could have been used more。More is， ultimately， what I find myself thinking The Last Ritual could use in several places。 It has a ton of potential and does a lot of things well， but it tends to feel like Sidor pulls back on things where he could have pushed them just a little further and had something fantastic。 More places where Alden is pulled along on Nina’s investigations so the reader could see more of what was happening with Balthazarr’s plans， something to build onto his personal mystery and to give the reader more space to dig into the question of how he was accomplishing everything。The Last Ritual is a good book and one that certainly leaves me planning to read more of S。 A。 Sidor’s work。 Despite its framing device there is a lot to enjoy here， and there are several scenes that do a fantastic job of balancing tension with an almost dreamlike quality of unreality。 I give it a four out of five。I received a copy of The Last Ritual for honest review through netGalley， this has not effected my review。 。。。more
Stephie | Stephiereads
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I received an earc of this book by netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review。 I'm a huge fan of H。P。 Lovecraft， which is the main reason why this book and it's synopsis intrigued me so much。 I love cosmic horror and the idea of a cult-like society of artists set in 1920s America， led by an enigmatic surrealist named Balthazarr sounded like a fantastic idea。The book starts out like many stories of cosmic horror。 With ordinary people living their lives and the horror slowly sta I received an earc of this book by netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review。 I'm a huge fan of H。P。 Lovecraft， which is the main reason why this book and it's synopsis intrigued me so much。 I love cosmic horror and the idea of a cult-like society of artists set in 1920s America， led by an enigmatic surrealist named Balthazarr sounded like a fantastic idea。The book starts out like many stories of cosmic horror。 With ordinary people living their lives and the horror slowly starting to creep in to the point were the protagonist and the reader alike are experiencing constant feelings of dread and unease。I'm not gonna say too much about the book because， in my opinion， with stories like that it is always better to not know too much。 I found Alden to be a likable protagonist， caught in his desire to create art but also being trapped in the state of his own mediocrity。 But things changed for him with his return to his home in Arkham and I have to admit that I couldn't wait for the outerwordly creatures to emerge， for a Cthulhu-like entity to make it's entrance。 And I have to say， without spoiling anything， that I really liked the elements of cosmic horror in this book。 They were a lot like something out of a Lovecraftian tale， something that Junji Ito could perfectly draw and Guillermo del Toro illustrate。 I really enjoyed where this book was taking me。 I just wish the pacing in the middle of the storry wouldn't have felt so slow for me。Maybe it was just me but in the beginning there were so many new people and locations， so many things that were keeping me interested and the middle part juft fell a little flat for me at times。 There were great scenes strewn in， with great horror elements， but in between I felt a little unmotivated to keep reading。 Which is also why I'm not giving it 5 stars。 But then again， towards the last third the pacing kept getting better again and culminated in a grand （and great） finale。In the end I would give this book 3。5 to 4 stars。 。。。more
Michael Botterill
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I have been provided with an advance copy of the new Arkham Horror book The Last Ritual by S。 A Sidor， published by Aconyte Books， so here is the honest review I promised in exchange for the book。So here is an important disclaimer which is always important to put out there first。 I have a casual work contact with Asmodee to demonstrate board games for them in stores and at conventions。 Asmodee being the parent company of Aconyte the publisher。I am going to try my best to not let that cloud my ju I have been provided with an advance copy of the new Arkham Horror book The Last Ritual by S。 A Sidor， published by Aconyte Books， so here is the honest review I promised in exchange for the book。So here is an important disclaimer which is always important to put out there first。 I have a casual work contact with Asmodee to demonstrate board games for them in stores and at conventions。 Asmodee being the parent company of Aconyte the publisher。I am going to try my best to not let that cloud my judgement in this review， but I accept that subconsciously it might。What is Arkham HorrorAnyway that put to one side， let’s look at this book， by first looking at the game Arkham Horror which is a cooperative game， originally designed by Richard Launius， and is now in its third edition which was released in 2019。It’s published by Fantasy Flight Games， a subsidiary of Asmodee， and is set in 1926 in the town of Arkham， Massachusetts。 Each player takes on the role of an investigator， who are working to stop the Ancient Ones， eldritch horrors which lurk in the void beyond space and time。It’s a 1-6 player game and you work together to gather clues and defeat the evil of the Ancient Ones and save the world。As I said I haven’t actually played Arkham Horror but I do own its spin off Elder Sign the cooperative dice game。The StoryIt’s a 1920s novel as an aspiring artist in the town of Arkham as he tried to piece together the puzzle of several very odd occurrences along with his love interest a talented young writer。Like the previous novel Wrath of N'kai， which I reviewed earlier this year， it has a very rich setting， and there are subtle crossovers as characters common to the setting get a mention。But we run across bootleggers， odd job men， butlers， privileged rich kids and impoverished artists， as well as the main antagonist， a renowned Spanish surrealists who wishes to open the gate。 On Goodreads I saw an excellent comment by Taylor Hanson， this book is "Lovecraft meets The Great Gatsby"， and that is as good a term I can think of。The story is told retrospectively as Alden， our protagonist recites the tale to a young reporter， so there is a lot of foreshadowing to a disaster that left him disfigured and scarred。 The book is much slower and quietier than Wrath oif N'kai， but its suitably unsettling， there is an almost blurring of the lines between the possible， and the impossible， between dreams and waking。 The creeping dread of the story is very tangible and when finished with it after a session， I felt a discomfort in my mind。ConclusionPersonally I really enjoyed the book， it was a creepy， yet enjoyable story which whilst grounded in the Cthulhu mythos， like the Wrath of N'kai did not delve into it too deeply， nor did it require me to have more than passing knowledge。Normally， I don't go for horror， and this one nicely doesn't dwell too much on gore， but its absolutely there but mostly happens off screen。The conclusion felt like it came too quickly， and I did find his efforts to find a missing person in the last couple of chapters， a little lacklustre considering what they meant to Alden。I would recommend this book， its certainly an entertaining read and does get the heart pumping。 。。。more
Cat Treadwell
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Disclaimer: I was so excited to receive this book for review！ I’d seen the new Arkham Horror series as Coming Soon for most of the year， and given the popularity of Lovecraft-inspired fiction happening right now （almost as if the world’s gone mad）， I was hopeful that such a dedicated selection of books from proven writers would be both true to the Mythos and also original for the 21st Century。I’m glad to report that this book hits it out of the park on both fronts。The story is narrated by famed Disclaimer: I was so excited to receive this book for review！ I’d seen the new Arkham Horror series as Coming Soon for most of the year， and given the popularity of Lovecraft-inspired fiction happening right now （almost as if the world’s gone mad）， I was hopeful that such a dedicated selection of books from proven writers would be both true to the Mythos and also original for the 21st Century。I’m glad to report that this book hits it out of the park on both fronts。The story is narrated by famed artist Alden Oakes， and while we are told he is revealing horrific events from his youth， he seems at first to be more of a rich old man simply reminiscing。 But soon you’re （appropriately） sucked into the tale and the momentum begins to rise…We travel from the Old Ways of Europe to the newer – and stranger – happenings in Arkham itself。 The town is as much a character as any of the humans， and it’s fascinating to see that while it’s comparatively forward-thinking （particularly with regard to women and people of colour）， it’s built on a truly ancient foundation。It’s difficult to speak about the plot without giving anything away， but suffice to say that the tale is the best sort of rollercoaster matinee adventure。 By spending time with the protagonists， we become invested and genuinely caring for their wellbeing in a way that Lovecraft never really had time for。 I was also relieved that the author has far more liberal views than HP himself – no racism， sexism or xenophobia here。Initially， I felt that the book could be shorter， but I quickly realized that it’s precisely as long as it needs to be。 While Alden can seem a little Wooster-like with his rank and privilege， he realizes it and tries to use it to help those other than himself。 He’s a silly young man， who is forced to grow up and face the very real dangers of his home town （hopefully without pranging Father’s Rolls）。The 1920s setting is both well-researched and appropriate。 Prohibition is something that everyone kind of works around; the recent war was its own kind of madness。 Arkham is almost an island， tangentially affected by the wider movements of America at large but also looking far beyond， to the stars and the deepest seas， where the mysteries are strangely hypnotic， even attractive。The characters are so well-drawn that I was casting them in my head （and missing Christopher Lee for one crucial baddie！）。 This would make a wonderful TV serial， akin to the recent ‘Lovecraft Country’。I enjoyed my time in this strange land immensely， and am looking forward very much to the next titles in the series。 Absolutely recommended。 。。。more
Steven
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Sadly I really struggled with this。 I wanted to love it， but didn't and could not finish it。 I found it sluggish and did not find myself particularly liking or loathing any of the characters。 Sadly I really struggled with this。 I wanted to love it， but didn't and could not finish it。 I found it sluggish and did not find myself particularly liking or loathing any of the characters。 。。。more
Dean Osborne
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I will be keeping a close eye on Arkham Horror from now on。The Last Ritual: An Arkham Horror Novel is the latest work from SA Sidor the mastermind author of The Institute for Singular Antiquities series。 As a big fan of the series I knew straight away that I needed to get my hands on a copy of The Last Ritual and I was extremely fortunate to be approved for a eARC。 I will note that this in no way swayed my review and I will not allow my love for Fury of from the Tomb to cloud my judgement。 That I will be keeping a close eye on Arkham Horror from now on。The Last Ritual: An Arkham Horror Novel is the latest work from SA Sidor the mastermind author of The Institute for Singular Antiquities series。 As a big fan of the series I knew straight away that I needed to get my hands on a copy of The Last Ritual and I was extremely fortunate to be approved for a eARC。 I will note that this in no way swayed my review and I will not allow my love for Fury of from the Tomb to cloud my judgement。 That being said The Last Ritual is a brilliantly eerie and well executed read。This book was instantly recognisable as being written by SA Sidor。 Sidor's style shines with this book and the prose are familiar yet original so don't fret that you will not get a unique story。 You certainly will be。 I would like to point out that I had never heard of Arkham Horror prior to this read and I can certainly say I will be keeping an eye out for more in the future。 Think 1920's detective looking into the strange goings on in a classic American setting。 Arkham Horror is specifically set in Lovecraft's fictional Massachusetts town of Arkham in the 1920's。 “Depends what you mean by strange。 Arkham’s no stranger to strangeness， is it？”This read was incredibly enjoyable albeit slightly mind boggling at times。 I often found myself in as much as a spin as our protagonist， Alden Oakes， as he makes his way around the city trying to puzzle together the odd occurrences that he happens across。 This is all good however and it all adds to the mystery， placing us right in the middle of the action。“Yet， even abject terror in the face of monsters reaches a lull over time。 You manage somehow to get past it。 The panic fades to background terror， a jumpiness。 But it’s no less a threat once it gets behind you than it was when you faced it head-on。 The lingering sense of the monstrous becomes worse than its actual presence。 It surrounds you， and fills you with an inescapable pressure that builds and wrecks you inside and out。 It’s personal， an invisible invader who might manifest at any moment。 Expectation of evil is your new sickness。 The worrying eats at you like acid。 You and the monster become one thing， and that feels like the dirtiest trick of them all。”Sidor's use of 1920's slang and terminology really helps build the world up around us and not for a second did I feel I like I was anywhere else but 1920's Arkham。 The world building is just where it needs to be。 Sidor hit the fine balance between over saturating the read with descriptions and leaving us needing more。The Last Ritual has opened up a whole new genre for me and I can't wait to explore further。 I fear that a lot of TBR piles will be growing to the point of tipping if readers pick up a copy。 However you will not regret it if you do so。If you are a fan of The Institute of Singular Antiquities as I am then you will love Sidor's latest novel。 You would be forgiven for thinking that this was another adventure with Rom Hardy and the gang as it feels so familiar as previously stated。 If you are already well established within Arkham Horror then I am sure you will enjoy this read。 The Last Ritual is Book Vagabond Recommended， you will enjoy this book。 。。。more
Sylri
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The second book in the new Arkham Horror series and another fun read！Whereas Wrath of N’kai is a non-stop action romp， The Last Ritual has many more quiet moments- there aren't as many Mythos references or monsters。 It delves into the realm of artists， as we know from other Lovecraft stories that artists seem to have a special sensitivity to Mythos influences。 I always enjoy returning to this familiar setting with its memorable characters。 Each book in this new series by Aconyte Books is a stand The second book in the new Arkham Horror series and another fun read！Whereas Wrath of N’kai is a non-stop action romp， The Last Ritual has many more quiet moments- there aren't as many Mythos references or monsters。 It delves into the realm of artists， as we know from other Lovecraft stories that artists seem to have a special sensitivity to Mythos influences。 I always enjoy returning to this familiar setting with its memorable characters。 Each book in this new series by Aconyte Books is a standalone， so you can pick and choose whichever one sounds most interesting to you。 If a moody， end-of-year-seasonal Mythos story is what you’re looking for， then you should check out The Last Ritual。 。。。more
Taylor - Muse Ignited Reads
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Combining the life and pluck of a Jazz Age still shadowed by the table-rapping spiritists of the Victorian Age， The Last Ritual reads like a story born of those times would， a sort of blend of Lovecraft meets the Great Gatsby。 Sidor brings us into a world like but unlike our own， where things may be a dream or not， where we may be slipping into madness。。。or being hunted by madness。 This book has all the elements that I associate with Lovecraftian fantasy/horror: including abrupt changes in pace Combining the life and pluck of a Jazz Age still shadowed by the table-rapping spiritists of the Victorian Age， The Last Ritual reads like a story born of those times would， a sort of blend of Lovecraft meets the Great Gatsby。 Sidor brings us into a world like but unlike our own， where things may be a dream or not， where we may be slipping into madness。。。or being hunted by madness。 This book has all the elements that I associate with Lovecraftian fantasy/horror: including abrupt changes in pace and setting， strange insights and even more strange occurrences， demon （or alien-ish） rituals， black outs， strange visions， mysterious disappearances， dead bodies， shadowy monsters， horned Gods， and more - all against a cosmic/bigger picture backdrop。 And while the plot is interesting in that strange meandering sort of dreamy/nightmarish way， the scary high stakes moment that should have been a major wow/scare moment instead sort of flattens under the weight of a more cosmic crescendo: a statement/quest to the truth of reality and art （yes it's a "look at all the strange little things， but don't miss the big picture kind of story"）。 Overall it's Sidor's writing and actual descriptions that really stood out to me: "Not that Minnie herself was obscene。 See， she was like a piece of broken mirror。 Small and shiny， and if you weren't careful she'd leave you bleeding。 She reflected back places in yourself that were better left unexamined。"and on the main character summing up his recent paintings: "While they were good， they lacked something almost palpable， as if the real subject had wandered away just before I started to paint。 Haunted by absences。 I put them away。"or describing one of our Arkham-esque horrors: "The net blob hitched itself along， hauling forth its girth with maximum effort。 It shambled onto the bridge。 How sluggish it was， but how impressively persistent。。。。A halo of flies buzzed around it， ignoring the cold to feast on morsels hidden in its collapsing chambers - it's honeycomb of well-aged slimes。。。Inside the rats tumbled round as if they were spinning on a wheel。 Somehow I knew the swirling energy of their lifeforces fed and propelled this monster。 The motion of their rat bodies animated its horror。 If the blob were to consume me， then I would power it like the rats did。"and probably my favorite line from the book:"I never want this woman angry at me， I thought。 She's the kind of lady who might stab you with a pair of scissors if she figured you deserved it。 Or she might die for you。 It all depended。"A definite read for fans of the genre， Lovecraft， Arkham Horror， or those who like an elegant writing style that is both creatively observant AND creatively expressive。 。。。more
Joel Mitchell
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I have never played any of the H。 P。 Lovecraft-inspired Arkham Horror cooperative games， so I have no idea how well this novel ties into the characters and mechanics。 However， I have read a lot of Lovecraftian fiction and 1920’s detective fiction and， to be perfectly honest， this comes across as a watered down version of both。There are some decent moments of surrealistic horror and creeping dread， but outside of those moments the writing and plotting did not impress。 The investigation is desulto I have never played any of the H。 P。 Lovecraft-inspired Arkham Horror cooperative games， so I have no idea how well this novel ties into the characters and mechanics。 However， I have read a lot of Lovecraftian fiction and 1920’s detective fiction and， to be perfectly honest， this comes across as a watered down version of both。There are some decent moments of surrealistic horror and creeping dread， but outside of those moments the writing and plotting did not impress。 The investigation is desultory， characters react to disturbing events with unbelievable sangfroid， and the only real indication that we’re in the 1920’s is the presence of prohibition and bootleggers。 Even “witch-haunted Arkham” seems watered down， deriving its sinister reputation primarily from prohibition-related crime and corruption rather than the sorts of things that Lovecraft et al。 wrote about。The horror set pieces saved this from being a complete waste of time， but its thirdhand nature （novel based on a game based on a writer’s works） weakened it to the point where it nearly slid into Scooby-Doo territory at times。 If you’re a fan of Arkham Horror games you might want to give this a try， but if you’re just looking for Lovecraftian cosmic horror you can do much better elsewhere。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Last Ritual
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Last Ritual&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Last Ritual&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0