4.5
The Ravening Deep
ByPublisher Description
A nightmarish power unleashed from the depths infiltrates Arkham in this nautical-horror pulp adventure from the acclaimed Arkham Horror game world
When dissolute fisherman Abel Davenport discovers an ancient temple in the deep ocean, he under the influence of a long dead god. In his attempts to restore the god's cult, Abel unleashes a plague of twisted doppelgangers on Arkham. Horrified by the consequences, Davenport realizes that he alone cannot stop the monsters from resurrecting the Ancient One. Sometimes the only way to end one cult is to start another… Teaming up with redeemed cultist Diana Stanley and notorious thief Ruby Standish is the first step. The second is convincing Carl Sanford, the powerful leader of Arkham's Silver Twilight Lodge, to join their cause. Together they might be the only hope of averting a cataclysmic eldritch invasion.
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Meet readers like you in the Fable For You feed, designed to build bookish communitiesThe Ravening Deep Reviews
4.5
“Abel Davenport is increasingly strapped for cash. The fisherman used to have a nice sized crew and made good profits fishing. Now, however, his luck has turned around: he's lost his house and slowly had to lay off his crew leaving just himself to do the job of several men. When a massive storm is heading in, and all the other fishermen are packing it in, Abel goes out and straps himself down: he needs a good catch. As the storm hits he finds himself in an ancient temple out to sea where he discovers the an amulet belonging to a long-dead sea god known by many names: That Which When Divided, Multiples, The Seven-Pointed Star, The Great Divider, The Ravening Deep....Asterias.
As the new priest of this long forgotten cult, Abel unwittingly unleashes a plague of doppelgangers upon Arkham. Learning of the consequences of his actions, Abel realizes that he alone cannot stop the monsters from resurrecting the apocalyptic deity who will take over the world. Eventually teaming up with Diana Stanley (a playable character in the Arkham Files board games) a redeemed cultist from the Silver Twilight Lodge as well as the notorious cat burglar Ruby Standish, the trio face off against the coming wave of Asterias' cultists to try to save the world.
This is absolutely, hands down, my favorite Arkham Horror novel that I've read in a long time. I always enjoy these AH novels but this one completely slaps. The characters are all likeable and the horror, while mostly body horror, is real and uncomfortable. The lore that Pratt puts into the story in creating this new Ancient Old One was truly a stroke of genious. It feels like such a believable horrible Lovecraftian monster. I would LOVE to have this AOO added into the board game series as some special promos or something. As an avid Eldritch Horror player I think that would be super cool (Aconyte, use your influence on Fantasy Flight, please!). Seeing Diana working against the Silver Twilight Lodge is really cool and getting to witness the Magus of the Lodge Carl Sanford being shockingly badass with all of his magic etc. was a lot of fun. I wish more of these AH novels would lean into the fun magical parts of the Arkham Files lore. I would love Pratt to write more AH novels and will absolutely be checking out his other books.
I highly recommend this book and am really looking forward to publication day so I can buy a physical copy of this one for my shelves.
Thank you to NetGalley and Aconyte Books for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.”
“Another title in the Lovecraftian Arkham series from Aconyte - and once again, it follows paths that Lovecraft himself would never have approved of! In this case, it's sympathetic cultists and strong women.
We follow a variety of narratives here, from fisherman and plot instigator Abel Davenport, to businesswoman Diana Stanley and professional thief Ruby Standish. The three come together in pursuit of the most recent Arkham cult to attempt resurrection of their evil Old One god - but this time it's not quite that simple. This isn't the cult they should be looking for...
I loved the mix of traditional Lovecraftian secrecy and angst here being combined with out-and-out action. Who steals all those cursed antifacts, after all? Could it be a nimble lady cat-burglar working for an egotistical cult leader? And could that leader actually be surprisingly sympathetic when challenged by an even worse (or perhaps embarrassingly threatening) Great Old One?
We have fish/crab men, reproducing clones, double-crossing agents and daring rescues. The action pauses every so often for an Agatha Christie-like perusing of the facts, before zipping off again as our heroes race against the clock to save Arkham (whose residents seem mostly unaware of what's going on, as per usual).
The reader is carried along for the ride, never in the dark about what's happening as the plot threads intertwine. Sometimes it's a little frustrating to know exactly what's going on and where as the characters themselves gradually figure things out, but I did enjoy seeing the initially wicked Cult Master (who in my head is played by Charles Grey from 'The Devil Rides Out') prove himself as both a powerful and resourceful hero-adjacent.
A fun story, well-realised characters that I'd love to see again, and a worthy addition to this series of titles.”
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