Rating: 3.5 of 5
Supernatural horror built on the Cthulhu Mythos, then remodeled and added to by Talley. Supported the idea of “good” and “evil.” Heavy on the Christian perspective. Numerous and unmistakable references to other well-known “horror” writers; e.g., M.R. James and Bram Stoker.
Even for someone such as myself, who has not read extensively the works of H.P. Lovecraft (only a few short stories), or the pastiches of August Derleth and the like, That Which Should Not Be was still fun and hard to put down. I loved the stories within the main story, but I’m a sucker for old guys sitting around a table in a pub, telling their scary yet sad stories to a young man with a life-changing choice in front of him. Not groundbreaking or unique, but when you consider this was a first novel, it’s all the more impressive.
Recommended to fans of Lovecraftian horror, though perhaps not purists. But also recommended to readers who, although unfamiliar with Lovecraft, enjoy supernatural tales of good versus evil, ancient beings waiting to claim Earth as their own, and/or the curious young scholar’s search for an infamous treasure assumed lost in history.
Read more about this book on the publisher’s official website.
(Review cross-posted on LibraryThing and Goodreads.)
The humor, which made me enjoy some more Lovecraftian fiction was:
http://www.19nocturneboulevard.net/all_show_pages/Dunwich/Dunwich1.htm
It is legally cost-free, and Julie Hoverson is continuing her own work. 😉