Nayad Monroe (nayad) wrote,
Nayad Monroe
nayad

2008 Books #21: The Bone Key, by Sarah Monette

This collection of stories is the epitome of what I'm talking about when I try to describe satisfying dark fantasy/horror writing. The prose is beautiful but not the least bit overdone. The characters are psychologically complex. There's tension and suspense that pays off, but no egregious gore. And the atmosphere! Oh, how perfectly well it's conveyed! This book is way better than anything Lovecraft ever wrote, for many reasons, but especially because it includes interesting, competent, and likeable women among the characters, and doesn't ignore sexuality (but doesn't hit you over the head with it, either).

To get into more detail... The stories are all about Kyle Murchison Booth, who is a highly intelligent museum archivist who was born into a life that could only lead him to dealings with the supernatural. He's a painfully shy man who manages to find the courage to deal with nasties because he has to. There's nothing I could complain about in any of the stories.

Sarah Monette's website
The Bone Key at Amazon.
Tags: 2008 books
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