Epeolatry Book Review: Grimoire of the Four Imposters by Coy Hall
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Title: Grimoire of the Four Imposters
Author: Coy Hall
Genre: Occult/Historical
Publisher: Nosetouch Press
Release Date: 7th September, 2021
Synopsis: JOURNEY INTO THE OCCULT, WHERE HISTORY IS HORROR.
Presented in six tales, Grimoire of the Four Impostors takes readers on a dark tour of the 17th century, where corners of the world stand in shadow. Here grimoires possess secrets, impostors beguile the unwary, temptation turns macabre, and the night is no friend.
Embrace the Martyr
Touch the Nightshade
Taste the Brine
Wield the Hatchet
DECIPHER THE GRIMOIRE
First of all, this beautiful book’s colors pop from the matte finish of the cover. I find the interior design, including the margins and type choice, perfect for this collection. Plus, I absolutely love when an entry in the back covers the history of the chosen type. These design choices all play into the concept: The Grimoire of the Four Imposters by Coy Hall, a medieval grimoire filled with dangerous information.
The collection contains a total of six stories, with the inner four meant to be part of the original grimoire, while the outer tales cover different encounters with said grimoire. I appreciate that this isn’t a book of spells and rituals, but of stories with occult secrets hidden within.
My favorite is ‘Sire of the Hatchet’ (which I’ve also read in The Fiends in the Furrows: An Anthology of Folk Horror). It’s about traveling executioners hired by a village to interrogate and torture a witch. But things are much stranger than imaginable. I enjoyed reading this tale even more due to its context in the book among the other stories.
I also loved the total cultural immersion. Even though I am not a medieval scholar by any means, I felt at ease exploring and learning about the characters and settings. I can only imagine Hall’s passion for Eastern Europe’s medieval history. It’s also wonderful to read horrors of the region other than that of Vlad Dracula (he does get a mention; not as the vampire, but as the count who battled armies invading from the east and had a habit of filling fields with bodies on pikes.)
I definitely recommend checking out Hall’s collection, especially if you’re looking for something a little different. Since I don’t see a ton of medieval horror available in the market, I consider this a sign that the sub-genre is ripe for exploration.
- About the Author
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Joe lives with his wife and son in the Pacific Northwest where the Cascade Mountains meet the Salish Sea. He enjoys writing in the weird, horror, and fantasy genres.
Growing up he enjoyed R. L. Stine’s Goosebumps books as well as classics like Dune, and Lord of the Rings. In college he discovered Stephen King, and later Mark Danielewski’s House of Leaves and authors like Clive Barker and Laird Barron.
Joe’s short story, ‘Gustav Floats’, was published in Dim Shores Presents Volume 2. In the spring of 2021 his story, ‘The Pigeon Lied’ comes out in Howls From Hell.
You can follow Joe on the following social media sites:
Twitter, Good Reads, Facebook, and Instagram!
