Epeolatry Book Review: The Black Lord by Colin Hinckley
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Title: The Black Lord
Author: Colin Hinckley
Publisher: Tenebrous Press
Genre: Horror
Release date: 12th September, 2023
Synopsis: New Weird Folk Horror intertwines with a troubled family history in the debut novella from Colin Hinckley!
Eddie’s parents may be arguing about the disappearance of his infant brother Danny, but Eddie’s facing a terror all of his own. There’s a strange figure outside that claims it has Danny safe and sound—all Eddie needs to do to get his brother back is open that window.
Eddie’s father is filled with guilt over his relationship with his own lost brother. His mother has been abandoned to navigate her grief and terror alone. And his grandmother carries a disturbing, all-too-relevant truth about their shared family history.
As minutes tick by and hope for Danny grows ever smaller, the very fabric of their world disintegrates, welcoming eldritch terrors of unspeakable provenance to their doorstep. The family is losing a decade-long struggle against an entity that is not of this world, and its hunger threatens to swallow them whole.
Nothing is more terrifying than the thought of losing one’s child. Even worse when no one knows what happened to the child. That is how The Black Lord by Colin Hinckley opens.
Recently, Eddie’s brother was kidnapped, and the family is reeling, trying to come to grips with the reality of the situation. That’s when a horrifying figure appears at Eddie’s window asking to be let in. In exchange, the figure promises to take Eddie to his brother. The story spirals through surprising twists and revelations.
Hinckley does an amazing job capturing the absolute devastation wreaked upon the family by the loss of Danny, the little brother. It’s like grief amplified by confusion and guilt. The story is told from Eddie’s POV most of the time, and Hinkley’s work is superb. There is nothing more terrifying than a monster at the window from a child’s point of view.
The Black Lord is a wonderfully disturbing tale of family-based horror with a huge helping of The Weird. Readers looking for something with John Langan-esque twists, be sure to give this a read.
/5
- 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!
