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Carl Sanford is the de facto king of Arkham. As the Magus of the Silver Twilight Lodge, he has his fingers in almost everything. But that’s before a new player comes to town. Tillinghast pretends to be a humble shopkeeper, hardly worth Sanford’s attention. But he has quietly begun to undermine Sanford, subtly pulling the town out from under him. What exactly does this new adversary want, and is Sanford strong enough to send him packing? Or is Sanford the one to go? Big things are set in motion in Tim Pratt Herald of Doom, and one thing is certain: Arkham will never be the same again.
(Note: Although I am reviewing this novel independently and honestly, it should be noted that it was provided to me by Aconyte for the purpose of this review. Warning: My review of Herald of Ruin contains some spoiler!)
Herald of Ruin brings a new player to Arkham
Carl Sanford is used to being the biggest guy on the block. He has created an empire for himself in Arkham and rules it with the same care that has brought every previous empire to ruin. That is, he has forgotten the “little people” who make his empire possible. He has created loyalty primarily through fear and views people as tools. Then comes Randall Tillinghast.
Pretending to be just a simple shopkeeper, Tillinghast secretly comes to Arkham and opens a shop without Sanford’s knowledge. He begins handing out gifts to people Sanford has largely overlooked or mistreated, and his generosity is greatly appreciated. At first, it’s not clear whether Tillinghast is a bad guy, a good guy, or perhaps just a morally questionable salesman, as he claims. But as he undermines the loyalty of those around Sanford, it becomes clear that along with all the carrots, he also carries a big stick and will use it to get what he wants.
Sanford has been portrayed in previous Arkham books as both an enemy and an ally of the “enemy of my enemy.” Pratt make him a hero in Herald of Ruinor is he just fighting to keep his status as a Class A villain? Even those who have sworn their loyalty to him aren’t sure that’s for the best. Everyone from Ruby, the hired thief, to Altman, his bodyguard, to the warden who protects the lodge, is wondering who to support in the coming battle. Sanford must face the fact that he may no longer be the most powerful person in the city. But that doesn’t mean he’s giving up, he’ll fight until he’s dead, maybe even beyond.
Herald of Ruin reminiscent of another famous horror novel
As I read Herald of Doom, I was reminded of another book I read as a child (no, I shouldn’t have read it when I was a child, that’s beside the point). The whole store, filled with people’s deepest desires that they get for ever more nasty favors to the store owner, smelled of Stephen King’s Necessary things. Tillinghast is Gaunt, the shopkeeper in Necessary things and he seems to know exactly what every person he wants a favor from needs. Well, I don’t mean to say that Pratt copied kingof course not! I’m just saying that he was definitely inspired by the gentleman shopkeeper who seems benevolent but ultimately has very sinister intentions.
We never know exactly what Tillinghast’s intentions are Herald of Ruinmoreover, he completes a “great work”. But overall, I don’t think they’re good. He refuses to ever let anyone know what exactly his plans are, and in general, if you don’t want people to know what you’re doing, then don’t do it. No one ever tries to hide good plans, only evil ones. So suffice it to say, Tillinghast isn’t there to make the world a better place, and the people he brings on his side, especially Ruby, Altman, and the Guardian, really should have thought better before just abandoning Sanford.
Pratt turns a villain into a good guy in this Arkham horror story
I’ve read the entire Arkham series and Carl Sanford has appeared in it several times. He’s a terrible guy. One of those power-hungry idiots who think they’re better than everyone else and only look at what others can do for them, not real people. Even when he was a more neutral ally, it was a completely self-serving role (think “If I don’t stop the bad guy, I die,” not “I have to save the world”).
Needless to say, I don’t like him. What made it really annoying that Pratt made me cheer him on Herald of Ruin. I was initially quite happy when Tillinghast came along and took Sanford down a few notches. He was always three steps ahead of him, and it was funny to see the unflappable Sanford, well, thrown off balance?
But when it became clear that Tillinghast was even worse than Sanford, I switched sides. When everyone in the book switched from Team Sanford to Team Tillinghast, I did the exact opposite. As fun as it was to reduce the selfish jerk to normal, he was a more gray character in his morals. He may have been selfish and treated people like tools, but he wasn’t actively malicious and would do anything to protect his city. Tillinghast, however, is definitely evil. I don’t know his overall plan yet, but I have a feeling most won’t survive it, and those who do will wish they hadn’t. I’ll take Sanford’s awfulness over Tillinghast’s evilness any day.
This has put me in the terrible position of hoping that a character I hate wins, knowing how much worse it would be if they lost. I worry a lot about what will happen to Ruby (who I like), Altman (who I’ve grown to love), and the Warden (who I sympathize with) if Sanford does win. But I worry even more about them and the rest of the world if Tillinghast can complete his “great work.”
Herald of Ruin is just the beginning
Most of the Arkham Horror series are standalone stories. The characters continue to appear in other books, but each story usually ends (for better or worse) within the three hundred or so pages of their individual books. Not so with Herald of Ruin. As the name suggests, it is merely a warning of something far worse on the horizon. Tillinghast neither completes his Great Work nor is he stopped. Sanford is not finished, but he is not triumphant. We do not even learn what the ultimate danger really is. We only see the foundations of future chaos.
I am not sure if this is meant to lead to a major battle involving all the secret societies and actors that have been involved in the Arkham Horror series in anticipation of a series ending. Or if it’s more of a miniseries within the series. But it looks like a longer, multi-volume adventure with a main antagonist and hero facing a single problem, which is different from anything else Aconyte has done with the series so far. We’ve had the same villain in different books and the same hero in different books, but always with new problems and plans, not a long, multi-part storyline. So I’m excited to see where this goes and eagerly await the next installment.
This of course means that I highly recommend it Herald of RuinIf you like the other Arkham Horror Books, then you’ll love it. If you like horror in general, this is for you. If you have a weak stomach or just want sunshine and roses, it’s probably not your thing. Also, there’s no romance here. But there are some smart, sassy women, plenty of action, and a healthy dose of angst to get your heart racing. A fun summer read with more action to come soon, so check it out. Herald of Ruin out of Aconyte.
Rating: 9/10
Heralds of Ruin from Tim Pratt is now available at Amazon and other bookstores. Check out the other Arkham Horror series Books I’ve reviewed using the tag “Arkham Horror” or check out one of my reviews below!
Book review: The Ravening Deep: An Arkham Horror Novel by Tim Pratt
Book review: The Darkness over Arkham by Jonathan Green
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