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Lovecraft Country #2
The Destroyer of Worlds
“Another virtuoso blend of horror, action, and humor. . . . Fans will find this a worthy sequel.”— Publishers Weekly In this thrilling adventure, a blend of enthralling historical fiction and fantastical horror, Matt Ruff returns to the world of Lovecraft Country and explores the meaning of death, the hold of the past on the present, and the power of hope in the face of uncertainty. Summer, 1957. Atticus Turner and his father, Montrose, travel to North Carolina to mark the centennial of their ancestor’s escape from slavery, but an encounter with an old nemesis leads to a life-and-death pursuit. Back in Chicago, George Berry is diagnosed with cancer and strikes a devil’s bargain with the ghost of Hiram Winthrop, who promises a miracle cure—but only if George brings Winthrop back from the dead. Fifteen-year-old Horace Berry, reeling from the killing of a close friend, joins his mother, Hippolyta, and her friend Letitia Dandridge on a trip to Nevada for The Safe Negro Travel Guide. But Hippolyta has a secret—and far more dangerous—agenda that will take her and Horace to the far end of the universe and bring a new threat home to Letitia’s doorstep. Hippolyta isn’t the only one keeping secrets. Letitia’s sister, Ruby, has been leading a double life as her white alter ego, Hillary Hyde. Now, the supply of magic potion she needs to transform herself is nearly gone, and a surprise visitor throws her already tenuous situation into complete chaos. Yet these troubles are soon eclipsed by the return of Caleb Braithwhite. Stripped of his magic and banished from Chicago at the end of Lovecraft Country , he’s found a way back into power and is ready to pick up where he left off. But first he has a score to settle . . .
305 pages, Hardcover
First published February 21, 2023
About the author
Matt Ruff
14 books2,413 followersI was born in New York City in 1965. I decided I wanted to be a fiction writer when I was five years old and spent my childhood and adolescence learning how to tell stories. At Cornell University I wrote what would become my first published novel, Fool on the Hill, as my senior thesis in Honors English. My professor Alison Lurie helped me find an agent, and within six months of my college graduation Fool on the Hill had been sold to Atlantic Monthly Press. Through a combination of timely foreign rights sales, the generous support of family and friends, occasional grant money, and a slowly accumulating back list, I’ve managed to make novel-writing my primary occupation ever since.
My third novel, Set This House in Order, marked a critical turning point in my career after it won the James Tiptree, Jr. Award, a Washington State Book Award, and a Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association Award, and helped me secure a fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts. My fourth novel, Bad Monkeys, also won multiple awards and is being developed as a film, with Margot Robbie attached to star. My sixth novel, Lovecraft Country, has been produced as an HBO series by Misha Green, Jordan Peele, and J.J. Abrams. It will debut on Sunday, August 16.
In 1998 I married my best friend, the researcher and rare-book expert Lisa Gold. We live in Seattle, Washington.
My third novel, Set This House in Order, marked a critical turning point in my career after it won the James Tiptree, Jr. Award, a Washington State Book Award, and a Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association Award, and helped me secure a fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts. My fourth novel, Bad Monkeys, also won multiple awards and is being developed as a film, with Margot Robbie attached to star. My sixth novel, Lovecraft Country, has been produced as an HBO series by Misha Green, Jordan Peele, and J.J. Abrams. It will debut on Sunday, August 16.
In 1998 I married my best friend, the researcher and rare-book expert Lisa Gold. We live in Seattle, Washington.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 303 reviews
March 27, 2023
Not quite as thrilling or chilling as the first book, but I still found it a very compelling juxtaposition of 1950's African American culture with malevolent sorcery and some pretty nifty sci-fi. The story, developed in several separate plot lines, feels much broader than deep and doesn't afford much in the way of character development nor ever gets much of an opportunity to truly ratchet up the suspense.
February 26, 2023
The Destroyer of Wold is an excellent novel and I love returning back to this alternative world and all the characters from the first book. It's good that we at least have the book since we did only get one season on tv. My hope is now that we will get at least one more book because, well it feels like there are more in store for the characters. Fingers crossed!
I listened to the audio version narrated by Kevin Kenerly who narrated the first book. He does an excellent job with the first book and I'm pleased he voiced this book as well. I'm also glad I listened to the first book right before I started this one so that I had the story from that one fresh in my memory.
I listened to the audio version narrated by Kevin Kenerly who narrated the first book. He does an excellent job with the first book and I'm pleased he voiced this book as well. I'm also glad I listened to the first book right before I started this one so that I had the story from that one fresh in my memory.
January 26, 2023
Highly recommended for fans of weird fiction, historical fiction, and adventure-horror.
Three years have passed since the events of Lovecraft Country, and Atticus, Letitia, and their families have struck a balance between going back to the real world while still bearing the weighty knowledge of everything they have seen and done.
Again, there are multiple plots happening at once, culminating in a final showdown.
Atticus and his dad, Montrose, are on another family journey, this time exploring the path to freedom that their ancestor took through the swamps of North Carolina when he escaped enslavement, awakening powerful forces that have been waiting for their visit.
Ruby has been hiding in Chicago, using a daily potion to take the form of a white woman named Hillary, but her potion supply is running short, and she is not keen on giving up the independence and professional success she has found as Hillary.
Hippolyta has been secretly working for the ghost of Hiram Winthrop in the hopes that he will grant her another opportunity to travel across the planets and stars. Meanwhile, her husband George, has been pursuing a Faustian bargain of his own with his buddies from the Masons, trying to reverse a secret terminal diagnosis. Their teenage son knows that each of them is hiding something and is determined to figure it out.
I was initiatially a bit flustered trying to remember who is who and what their previous story was -- it has been like 6 years or so, right? -- but it didn't take long to fall back into the story, and I consumed in a just a couple of sittings.
I would be happy to revisit these characters a third time.
arc received from the publisher
Three years have passed since the events of Lovecraft Country, and Atticus, Letitia, and their families have struck a balance between going back to the real world while still bearing the weighty knowledge of everything they have seen and done.
Again, there are multiple plots happening at once, culminating in a final showdown.
Atticus and his dad, Montrose, are on another family journey, this time exploring the path to freedom that their ancestor took through the swamps of North Carolina when he escaped enslavement, awakening powerful forces that have been waiting for their visit.
Ruby has been hiding in Chicago, using a daily potion to take the form of a white woman named Hillary, but her potion supply is running short, and she is not keen on giving up the independence and professional success she has found as Hillary.
Hippolyta has been secretly working for the ghost of Hiram Winthrop in the hopes that he will grant her another opportunity to travel across the planets and stars. Meanwhile, her husband George, has been pursuing a Faustian bargain of his own with his buddies from the Masons, trying to reverse a secret terminal diagnosis. Their teenage son knows that each of them is hiding something and is determined to figure it out.
I was initiatially a bit flustered trying to remember who is who and what their previous story was -- it has been like 6 years or so, right? -- but it didn't take long to fall back into the story, and I consumed in a just a couple of sittings.
I would be happy to revisit these characters a third time.
arc received from the publisher
March 5, 2023
"The Destroyer of Worlds" feels like a “middle installment” in every sense of the phrase. On the one hand, it offers a very welcome return to the world of Matt Ruff’s "Lovecraft Country". On display once again is this startlingly haunting marriage of Lovecraftian horror and Jim Crow-era racism. While not quite as scary as the first book, it still offers a fast-paced, thrilling ride through some classic, pulpy sci-fi tropes. And getting to spend more time with these characters is a delight, too, especially those who didn’t get quite as much focus in the first book (like Hippolyta and Ruby).
But on the other hand, "The Destroyer of Worlds" just doesn’t work quite as well as "Lovecraft Country" did. For starters, gone is the first book’s structure - a series of interconnected short stories, each riffing on a subgenre found in the pulp novels of yesteryear. In their place is a far more standard story, cutting back and forth between a half dozen or so plotlines. And while I know the first novel’s structure proved a bit polarizing to some, I think it’s what made the book stand out amongst the crowd. Without that structure, it just doesn’t feel quite as special.
But the much bigger issue is that, both narratively and character-wise, nothing really happens in this book. I mean, there certainly is a plot. And Ruff once again does an expert job at interweaving all of these seemingly disparate storylines into a remarkably cohesive whole. But at the same time, it feels like "The Destroyer of Worlds" spends less time telling its own story and more time moving chess pieces around the board, paving the way for a much more exciting story in the next installment. This book feels like a smaller piece of a larger story rather than an entire story in its own right. And coming off the heels of the original "Lovecraft Country", which was such a good standalone story for over six years, that’s definitely disappointing.
That being said, "The Destroyer of Worlds" is rarely anything less than enthralling. The pacing is nice and quick, even if the frantic jumps back and forth between storylines hinder that pacing some. The characters are as well-rounded as ever, and Ruff spends a lot of time beefing up characters who didn’t get as much focus in the first book. If you’re looking for the further adventures of Montrose and Atticus, you probably won’t adore this book. But if you were itching to spend time with Hippolyta, Horace, Ruby, George, and/or Letitia, then buckle up for a true joyride.
Ultimately, I didn’t like "The Destroyer of Worlds" as much as the first "Lovecraft Country" book. But as it is, it’s still a worthy sequel, packed with most of the elements that made that first book so enjoyable. And, perhaps more importantly, it lays a lot of the groundwork for what should hopefully be a remarkable third installment. Hopefully, we won’t be waiting another seven years for the next book.
But on the other hand, "The Destroyer of Worlds" just doesn’t work quite as well as "Lovecraft Country" did. For starters, gone is the first book’s structure - a series of interconnected short stories, each riffing on a subgenre found in the pulp novels of yesteryear. In their place is a far more standard story, cutting back and forth between a half dozen or so plotlines. And while I know the first novel’s structure proved a bit polarizing to some, I think it’s what made the book stand out amongst the crowd. Without that structure, it just doesn’t feel quite as special.
But the much bigger issue is that, both narratively and character-wise, nothing really happens in this book. I mean, there certainly is a plot. And Ruff once again does an expert job at interweaving all of these seemingly disparate storylines into a remarkably cohesive whole. But at the same time, it feels like "The Destroyer of Worlds" spends less time telling its own story and more time moving chess pieces around the board, paving the way for a much more exciting story in the next installment. This book feels like a smaller piece of a larger story rather than an entire story in its own right. And coming off the heels of the original "Lovecraft Country", which was such a good standalone story for over six years, that’s definitely disappointing.
That being said, "The Destroyer of Worlds" is rarely anything less than enthralling. The pacing is nice and quick, even if the frantic jumps back and forth between storylines hinder that pacing some. The characters are as well-rounded as ever, and Ruff spends a lot of time beefing up characters who didn’t get as much focus in the first book. If you’re looking for the further adventures of Montrose and Atticus, you probably won’t adore this book. But if you were itching to spend time with Hippolyta, Horace, Ruby, George, and/or Letitia, then buckle up for a true joyride.
Ultimately, I didn’t like "The Destroyer of Worlds" as much as the first "Lovecraft Country" book. But as it is, it’s still a worthy sequel, packed with most of the elements that made that first book so enjoyable. And, perhaps more importantly, it lays a lot of the groundwork for what should hopefully be a remarkable third installment. Hopefully, we won’t be waiting another seven years for the next book.
October 25, 2023
I read The Destroyer of Worlds as the final entry in my Spooky Season reading. Turns out it was a mild way to end a month of horror reading. This book isn’t scary in any conventional sense. It has supernatural elements — ghost trains, warring sorcerers (both dead and alive), body transformations — but non of that really adds up to anything really scary. It’s more like window dressing — plot elements that move the story along, that give it flavor, but aren’t its main point.
Yet I truly enjoyed this book. It’s mixture of thriller, sci-fi, and supernatural tropes flavored the story nicely, but the real hook here is its cast of characters. I enjoyed spending time with them, getting a window into their lives and struggles. The dialogue between them worked well. Even a returning sorcerer villain from the first book was more complex than evil, more interesting as a character than as a traditional cardboard baddy. As in the first book (Lovecraft Country) struggles with the wickedly oppressive color line is a major theme, and watching how our heroes navigate and circumvent it, even while sorely oppressed by it, is an important element of the book.
Ultimately, while this book is marketed as a supernatural thriller, that’s not what made it work for me. It’s neither suspenseful enough nor scary enough to rings those bells. (When your first thriller encounter, early in the book, is a last minute escape from an atom bomb blast, it kind of signals that you don’t need to take thriller threats too seriously.) No, instead The Destroyer of Worlds was a comfort read for me. I liked these characters (all of whom I met in the first book). I liked their relationships with each other. I enjoyed their company. What was happening to them felt like an excuse to be watching in on them. The book sent clear signals that there will be another coming in this series. That makes me happy. I will be glad to spend more time with these characters. 3.5 stars rounded up.
Yet I truly enjoyed this book. It’s mixture of thriller, sci-fi, and supernatural tropes flavored the story nicely, but the real hook here is its cast of characters. I enjoyed spending time with them, getting a window into their lives and struggles. The dialogue between them worked well. Even a returning sorcerer villain from the first book was more complex than evil, more interesting as a character than as a traditional cardboard baddy. As in the first book (Lovecraft Country) struggles with the wickedly oppressive color line is a major theme, and watching how our heroes navigate and circumvent it, even while sorely oppressed by it, is an important element of the book.
Ultimately, while this book is marketed as a supernatural thriller, that’s not what made it work for me. It’s neither suspenseful enough nor scary enough to rings those bells. (When your first thriller encounter, early in the book, is a last minute escape from an atom bomb blast, it kind of signals that you don’t need to take thriller threats too seriously.) No, instead The Destroyer of Worlds was a comfort read for me. I liked these characters (all of whom I met in the first book). I liked their relationships with each other. I enjoyed their company. What was happening to them felt like an excuse to be watching in on them. The book sent clear signals that there will be another coming in this series. That makes me happy. I will be glad to spend more time with these characters. 3.5 stars rounded up.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 11, 2023
I love these characters and I love their adventures.
March 12, 2024
Three means I liked it so settle down.
The Turner/Berry extended family is back in this volume. The structure is different than in Lovecraft Country. Here, we have shifting viewpoints rather than more or less self-contained stories. Threads are picked up from the last volume so we get more of everything. Moremagic natural philosophy. More exotic locales. More run-ins with the racism and prejudices of the day. More scheming magicians natural philosophers.
So, yeah, it was good, I liked it for the same reasons I liked the first book. It just didn't quite have the punch the first book did. It's a sequel so I guess part of that comes with the territory but I never once thought any of the characters were in any real danger and the characters haven't changed much since the last book. Also, someone didn't seem to mind his fate from the previous book in the least.
The stories, while featuring the same characters, didn't feel as tightly linked as the ones in the last book.
It probably feels like I've been shitting on the book but I did enjoy it. I love the world Ruff has created and the way the magic system works. It feels open ended enough for future volumes and that's fine with me.
The Turner/Berry extended family is back in this volume. The structure is different than in Lovecraft Country. Here, we have shifting viewpoints rather than more or less self-contained stories. Threads are picked up from the last volume so we get more of everything. More
So, yeah, it was good, I liked it for the same reasons I liked the first book. It just didn't quite have the punch the first book did. It's a sequel so I guess part of that comes with the territory but I never once thought any of the characters were in any real danger and the characters haven't changed much since the last book. Also, someone didn't seem to mind his fate from the previous book in the least.
The stories, while featuring the same characters, didn't feel as tightly linked as the ones in the last book.
It probably feels like I've been shitting on the book but I did enjoy it. I love the world Ruff has created and the way the magic system works. It feels open ended enough for future volumes and that's fine with me.
September 11, 2022
(Note: I received an advanced reader copy of this book courtesy of NetGalley)
I was quite excited to see a return of the cast of “Lovecraft Country,” and my anticipation was not at all in vain. The story wastes little time and starts right off with Atticus, Hippolyta, Montrose, and all the other familiar characters scattered across the country already in the thick of various trips and plans. Things only proceed to almost immediately pick up for everyone from there, and the separate but eventually interconnecting storylines stay in high gear and don’t let up until the end.
Besides making for a grippingly fun read, it also continues to engage head-on with the racial baggage of Lovecraft’s legacy. I would be more than happy to see Ruff carry the series onwards, and continue to develop this world that is both distinctly Lovecraftian but also increasingly embracing in its distinct blend of the weird and supernatural.
I was quite excited to see a return of the cast of “Lovecraft Country,” and my anticipation was not at all in vain. The story wastes little time and starts right off with Atticus, Hippolyta, Montrose, and all the other familiar characters scattered across the country already in the thick of various trips and plans. Things only proceed to almost immediately pick up for everyone from there, and the separate but eventually interconnecting storylines stay in high gear and don’t let up until the end.
Besides making for a grippingly fun read, it also continues to engage head-on with the racial baggage of Lovecraft’s legacy. I would be more than happy to see Ruff carry the series onwards, and continue to develop this world that is both distinctly Lovecraftian but also increasingly embracing in its distinct blend of the weird and supernatural.
March 2, 2023
A great sequel to Lovecraft Country. The ending seemed to suggest another installment which I can’t wait for. Really loved Horace and Ruby in this one, and I wish we could see more of Hippolyta’s travels through the cosmos. I will say this one had a more… overt? Storyline through it (if that makes sense) whereas the first book felt more like a series of vignettes that fit together in the end (smiler to The Night Circus). I preferred the set up in the first book but it didn’t take away my enjoyment at all. Definitely would recommend this series
May 29, 2023
The Destroyer of Worlds is a follow-up to 2016's Lovecraft Country, which was also made into a series by HBO. Both books combine sci-fi/fantasy horror with the real-world horror of trying to safely navigate 1950s U.S. while being Black. The otherworldly horrors are superseded by the risks of daily life.
I loved this book, but it really is a title that works best if you've first read Lovecraft Country. The two books are built around the same cast of characters, but Lovecraft Country eases the reader into the dual types of horror at their heart. The Destroyer of Worlds offers no easing—readers are thrown into action sequences, jumping between narrative threads without transitions. Unless you've already met the characters and understand the world they live in, reading The Destroyer of Worlds will feel a great deal like straddling an active earthquake fault, with all the shaking and uncertainty that implies. This is not intended to discourage you from reading The Destroyer of Worlds, it's just to suggest that you read Lovecraft Country first.
I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via Edelweiss; the opinions are my own.
I loved this book, but it really is a title that works best if you've first read Lovecraft Country. The two books are built around the same cast of characters, but Lovecraft Country eases the reader into the dual types of horror at their heart. The Destroyer of Worlds offers no easing—readers are thrown into action sequences, jumping between narrative threads without transitions. Unless you've already met the characters and understand the world they live in, reading The Destroyer of Worlds will feel a great deal like straddling an active earthquake fault, with all the shaking and uncertainty that implies. This is not intended to discourage you from reading The Destroyer of Worlds, it's just to suggest that you read Lovecraft Country first.
I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via Edelweiss; the opinions are my own.
May 4, 2023
Rec. by: Previous work
Rec. for: Anyone who liked the first installment of this thrilling, chilling serial
The Destroyer of Worlds is the much-anticipated sequel to Matt Ruff's Lovecraft Country, a book I read and really liked back in 2020, well before the premiere of its high-profile screen adaptation (which I still, to my regret, have not seen).
Don't start with this one, though. I know, I end up saying that a lot, but The Destroyer of Worlds is Ruff's very first sequel—every other one of his published book-length works has been a standalone novel—and I don't think he's quite got the hang of writing a series just yet. A series writer, after all, must strike a balance between easing readers back into a story, one that they might have last read years before—getting us back up to speed—while still diving into the new stuff fast enough to satisfy those who've just finished the old.
The Destroyer of Worlds wastes no time recapitulating its past—so if your memories of Lovecraft Country are at all hazy, it might be a good idea to give yourself a refresher before picking up this one.
Ruff also wastes no time preparing the sensitive reader. Again: if you've read Lovecraft Country, then you should already be ready for horrors, of the entirely realistic kind as well as the eldritch and chthonic. But this is the very first line of The Destroyer of Worlds:
The cast from Lovecraft Country is back for this installment, alive and kicking. Mostly. Ruff's story switches among several major threads, including Atticus and Montrose Turner's encounter with an ancestor in the Great Dismal Swamp of North Carolina; George Berry's deal with the ghost of Hiram Winthrop; and Hippolyta Berry's assignment for The Safe Negro Travel Guide, piloting a really sweet new Airstream trailer into the Southwestern desert along with her surly teenage son Horace and friend Letitia Dandridge. And more... there's a lot going on here, although it's usually possible to keep things straight. If, that is, you've already read the first book, and remember it fairly well.
I don't want to give the impression that I disliked The Destroyer of Worlds, though—quite the opposite, in fact. This installment is vivid and fast-paced, with evocative chapter titles and even, sometimes, more than a little depth. (Ruff explains the origin of the J. Robert Oppenheimer quote that became this novel's title rather more thoroughly than I expected, for example, for all that the explanation comes fairly late in the book.)
The Destroyer of Worlds is dedicated to Nisi, "who wanted more." The Acknowledgements clarify that this homage is to Nisi Shawl, whose own work I have long admired as both writer and editor. So I think I need to thank Nisi as well as Matt Ruff, for helping us all get the chance to venture once again into Lovecraft country...
Rec. for: Anyone who liked the first installment of this thrilling, chilling serial
The Destroyer of Worlds is the much-anticipated sequel to Matt Ruff's Lovecraft Country, a book I read and really liked back in 2020, well before the premiere of its high-profile screen adaptation (which I still, to my regret, have not seen).
Don't start with this one, though. I know, I end up saying that a lot, but The Destroyer of Worlds is Ruff's very first sequel—every other one of his published book-length works has been a standalone novel—and I don't think he's quite got the hang of writing a series just yet. A series writer, after all, must strike a balance between easing readers back into a story, one that they might have last read years before—getting us back up to speed—while still diving into the new stuff fast enough to satisfy those who've just finished the old.
The Destroyer of Worlds wastes no time recapitulating its past—so if your memories of Lovecraft Country are at all hazy, it might be a good idea to give yourself a refresher before picking up this one.
Ruff also wastes no time preparing the sensitive reader. Again: if you've read Lovecraft Country, then you should already be ready for horrors, of the entirely realistic kind as well as the eldritch and chthonic. But this is the very first line of The Destroyer of Worlds:
He kills the dogs before he runs.And the first use of the N-word (in context, sure, but still) is on p.4.
—p.1
The cast from Lovecraft Country is back for this installment, alive and kicking. Mostly. Ruff's story switches among several major threads, including Atticus and Montrose Turner's encounter with an ancestor in the Great Dismal Swamp of North Carolina; George Berry's deal with the ghost of Hiram Winthrop; and Hippolyta Berry's assignment for The Safe Negro Travel Guide, piloting a really sweet new Airstream trailer into the Southwestern desert along with her surly teenage son Horace and friend Letitia Dandridge. And more... there's a lot going on here, although it's usually possible to keep things straight. If, that is, you've already read the first book, and remember it fairly well.
I don't want to give the impression that I disliked The Destroyer of Worlds, though—quite the opposite, in fact. This installment is vivid and fast-paced, with evocative chapter titles and even, sometimes, more than a little depth. (Ruff explains the origin of the J. Robert Oppenheimer quote that became this novel's title rather more thoroughly than I expected, for example, for all that the explanation comes fairly late in the book.)
The Destroyer of Worlds is dedicated to Nisi, "who wanted more." The Acknowledgements clarify that this homage is to Nisi Shawl, whose own work I have long admired as both writer and editor. So I think I need to thank Nisi as well as Matt Ruff, for helping us all get the chance to venture once again into Lovecraft country...
February 9, 2023
Review in the January 2023 issue of Library Journal: https://raforall.blogspot.com/2023/01...
Three Words That Describe This Book: Reclaiming Lovecraft, intricately plotted, though provoking
Draft Review:
It is the summer of 1957, 3 years after the events of Lovecraft Country, and Montrose, Atticus, George, Hippolyta, Horace, Letitia, and Ruby are still having Lovecraftian inspired adventures tied to their family history and escalating racial tensions in America, but this time, they also have to grapple with the knowledge and consequences from their previous confrontations with Winthrop and Braithwhite. Readers can expect the same genre blending, dark humor, and creepy atmosphere from the first book, but this time, the storytelling style is different. Rather than laying out the action as distinct but linked episodes, Ruff presents the different characters and their compelling journeys in alternating chapters. As they overlap and come together, readers will be held captive until the thrilling conclusion, one that ties up loose ends but leaves room for another installment. A worthy sequel, but where this series excels is in how it continues to draw parallels between its pulpy plot and the entire Civil Rights Movement. Their cosmic dilemmas make for a great read, but the unease is amplified by readers’ knowledge that these Black characters are about to be thrust into a very real fight for freedom.
Verdict: The popularity of the Lovecraft Country television show means more readers will be eager for this return. A great suggestion for fans of titles that grapple with racism in stalwart horror tropes such as Ring Shout by Clark and Mexican Gothic by Moreno-Garcia
Three Words That Describe This Book: Reclaiming Lovecraft, intricately plotted, though provoking
Draft Review:
It is the summer of 1957, 3 years after the events of Lovecraft Country, and Montrose, Atticus, George, Hippolyta, Horace, Letitia, and Ruby are still having Lovecraftian inspired adventures tied to their family history and escalating racial tensions in America, but this time, they also have to grapple with the knowledge and consequences from their previous confrontations with Winthrop and Braithwhite. Readers can expect the same genre blending, dark humor, and creepy atmosphere from the first book, but this time, the storytelling style is different. Rather than laying out the action as distinct but linked episodes, Ruff presents the different characters and their compelling journeys in alternating chapters. As they overlap and come together, readers will be held captive until the thrilling conclusion, one that ties up loose ends but leaves room for another installment. A worthy sequel, but where this series excels is in how it continues to draw parallels between its pulpy plot and the entire Civil Rights Movement. Their cosmic dilemmas make for a great read, but the unease is amplified by readers’ knowledge that these Black characters are about to be thrust into a very real fight for freedom.
Verdict: The popularity of the Lovecraft Country television show means more readers will be eager for this return. A great suggestion for fans of titles that grapple with racism in stalwart horror tropes such as Ring Shout by Clark and Mexican Gothic by Moreno-Garcia
October 24, 2023
While Lovecraft Country blew me away, this one took a while to go anywhere.
It was great once it did, and I get the point of including the issues with the slaves in the intro, but I was missing the original characters, the alternate world, and the science/magic of this world.
The characters felt more removed from this one, and the events seemed to take more focus. I love the people so much, though this was a loss for me.
The highlight was the plot of the destruction, the explosion, and the end reveals.
This felt like an excellent setup for whatever is coming next, which will be powerful.
3-3.5 Stars
It was great once it did, and I get the point of including the issues with the slaves in the intro, but I was missing the original characters, the alternate world, and the science/magic of this world.
The characters felt more removed from this one, and the events seemed to take more focus. I love the people so much, though this was a loss for me.
The highlight was the plot of the destruction, the explosion, and the end reveals.
This felt like an excellent setup for whatever is coming next, which will be powerful.
3-3.5 Stars
July 8, 2023
I love these characters. I really appreciate the mixing of fact and fiction. I’m here for the next one!
May 17, 2023
I never expected to return to this universe with a Lovecraft Country follow-up, but I’m so glad we got one. And this lived up to the expectations, even though it wasn’t quite as good as the first. I think my main issue was the slightly different structure. It was a more traditional novel, alternating between POVs until all of the stories came together. But I loved the way the first one was almost a book of short stories in the same universe, until they all came together in the last story. Not bad, just felt very different.
However, all of the main characters are back and they’re all fantastic. Atticus takes a bit of a backseat in this, but I didn’t mind with how interesting the other stories were. Yet again, Ruff did an amazing job of setting this in Jim Crow America, and while it wasn’t nearly as chilling in a traditional horror way, the commentary on race relations at that time (and now in a way) was fantastic.
However, all of the main characters are back and they’re all fantastic. Atticus takes a bit of a backseat in this, but I didn’t mind with how interesting the other stories were. Yet again, Ruff did an amazing job of setting this in Jim Crow America, and while it wasn’t nearly as chilling in a traditional horror way, the commentary on race relations at that time (and now in a way) was fantastic.
February 26, 2023
Matt Ruff returns to the world of "Lovecraft Country", continuing the adventures of Atticus, Letitia and the rest as they encounter evils both supernatural and societal in Jim Crow-era America.
I had read "Lovecraft Country" initially in preparation for the HBO TV series. While the author admittedly initially developed the concept as a pitch for a TV series, I still found myself enjoying it more than the show. With the cancellation of the series, I felt a little sadness at the possibility of not continuing with these characters. So it was a pleasant surprise to discover this follow-up from Ruff.
In some ways, I feel this book works better than its predecessor. Perhaps no longer having to feed a TV series freed Ruff up to get more creative in the structure of the book, but it's written in a slightly less linear fashion, moving back and forth between the different adventures being experienced by the characters. T
It felt to me like Ruff paired and interleaved thematically similar narratives, which I feel serves the overall book quite well.
In terms of the story, a couple of years have passed for the cast, but they are written with a confident hand and feel very familiar, with little need to reintroduce them. The adventures they encounter here all build off the first book without being simply a retread. And, as in the earlier book, Ruff neatly ties together the seemingly disparate stories early in the book in a finale which is reliant on elements from all the adventures leading up to it. I also appreciate Ruff's mix of science and the supernatural, creating an atmosphere In which neither the reader nor the characters can be completely certain of what the are dealing with or how events will turn out.
In the end, I found this a welcome and enjoyable return to Lovecraft Country. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to preview this in exchange for an honest review.
I had read "Lovecraft Country" initially in preparation for the HBO TV series. While the author admittedly initially developed the concept as a pitch for a TV series, I still found myself enjoying it more than the show. With the cancellation of the series, I felt a little sadness at the possibility of not continuing with these characters. So it was a pleasant surprise to discover this follow-up from Ruff.
In some ways, I feel this book works better than its predecessor. Perhaps no longer having to feed a TV series freed Ruff up to get more creative in the structure of the book, but it's written in a slightly less linear fashion, moving back and forth between the different adventures being experienced by the characters. T
It felt to me like Ruff paired and interleaved thematically similar narratives, which I feel serves the overall book quite well.
In terms of the story, a couple of years have passed for the cast, but they are written with a confident hand and feel very familiar, with little need to reintroduce them. The adventures they encounter here all build off the first book without being simply a retread. And, as in the earlier book, Ruff neatly ties together the seemingly disparate stories early in the book in a finale which is reliant on elements from all the adventures leading up to it. I also appreciate Ruff's mix of science and the supernatural, creating an atmosphere In which neither the reader nor the characters can be completely certain of what the are dealing with or how events will turn out.
In the end, I found this a welcome and enjoyable return to Lovecraft Country. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to preview this in exchange for an honest review.
March 7, 2023
It was fun to revisit some of the characters and settings of Lovecraft Country - but I didn't feel like this broke any new ground or did anything that exciting. I did enjoy some of the historical stuff but I felt like this book was just what season 2 of the show would have been. Definitely don't read this without reading the first book as it would make little sense.
May 22, 2023
Not quite as magical as Lovecraft Country, but it sure is nice to catch up with these characters again, as they deal with everything from the daily injustices of racism to trying to navigate outer space. This time out, the rather disjointed stories primarily deal with Hiram Winthrop and his quest to regain bodily form. Everyone is off on their own quest--Montrose and Atticus are down south, retracing the steps of one of their ancestors who escaped slavery; Hippolyta, Leticia, and Horace are on a trip to Las Vegas, testing out a new travel trailer and running an errand for Winthrop; Ruby is running out of her special serum and just maybe she saw Caleb Braithwaite in town (wasn't he banished?); and George is dealing with a diagnosis of cancer by hatching a plan to steal a dead body from the morgue--Winthrop's description is quite specific. The story kind of meanders for much of its running time, only coming together at the end, with some suitable pyrotechnics. It sounds like there may be more adventures coming for this group, which is good news.
June 23, 2023
I wasn’t sure what to expect with this one, because I really didn’t expect a sequel to Lovecraft Country, but this wasn’t bad at all. It pretty much follows the same premise as its predecessor with the format being different. This is written as one story instead of vignettes, which pulls together all of the subplots and moves it forward as a unified, wholistic story.
It’s well written and engaging, but the ending left me wanting more. I’m assuming there will be a book three in the series and I’ll definitely be picking that one up.
It’s well written and engaging, but the ending left me wanting more. I’m assuming there will be a book three in the series and I’ll definitely be picking that one up.
July 30, 2023
Matt consistently delivers the best weird fiction modern literature has to offer.
August 17, 2023
Not as frightening as Lovecraft County, but still a good read.
December 29, 2023
I have mixed feelings on this, compared to the first book of the series. On one hand, this felt like a much more unified novel than LOVECRAFT COUNTRY; instead of group of connected short stories, this one is a single story, split into several points of view, occurring more-or-less contemporarily. As a result, it felt smoother, while still being enjoyably complex. I was not a fan of the spiritual intervention (avoiding spoilers) which seemed to fix things for the characters, maybe a bit too neatly. I preferred the feel in the first book that power and corruption tend to go hand in hand, and that ultimately, the protagonists have only themselves to rely on - and any deal with outside powers involves a more-or-less literal "deal with the devil." On that subject, I still have mixed feelings about sorcerer Caleb Braithwhite, who, while definitely NOT a good guy (he's a charming, manipulative bastard who is willing to do pretty terrible things to achieve his ends), may have some positive qualities (assuming, of course, that his semi-magical intuition isn't just telling him to play it that way). If he finally gets all of the power he wants, will he turn into a complete monster and stop pretending? Or does he really mean it? On the other hand, even if he does have good intentions, he'll probably end up being corrupted, because that's how magic works in these stories. Lots of weird science and clockwork monsters in this one. Overall, really liked the story and am looking forward to a sequel. High 3 stars, rounding up to 4.
I was surprised to find out that the deathtrap used in this story could have been employed in the Las Vegas area up to 1992!
I was surprised to find out that the deathtrap used in this story could have been employed in the Las Vegas area up to 1992!
April 4, 2024
And the saga continues.
It's two years after the events of “Lovecraft Country”, so it's still the late 1950s. Ruby is still using her magic potion that allows her to just be normal in public, while the ghost of Hiram Winthrop has big plans and recruits Hippolyta to carry them out. Atticus and his father Montrose end up on the run in the Great Dismal Swamp, and we learn a lot about the history of former slaves hiding out in the GDS in the 19th century. And is Caleb Braithwhite really as banished as they think he is?
As usual, it's encounters with law enforcement and white authority that are the really scary parts of this book. It's not really a spoiler to say that you won't find elements of Cthulu in here (except maybe in a token cameo), but the white sorcerers are plenty threatening.
It's page turner, short chapters with the action bouncing between viewpoint characters and situations. I read it in one day. Damn you, Matt Ruff, you kept me up until 1:00 am.
I know, authors love to hear that.
It's two years after the events of “Lovecraft Country”, so it's still the late 1950s. Ruby is still using her magic potion that allows her to just be normal in public, while the ghost of Hiram Winthrop has big plans and recruits Hippolyta to carry them out. Atticus and his father Montrose end up on the run in the Great Dismal Swamp, and we learn a lot about the history of former slaves hiding out in the GDS in the 19th century. And is Caleb Braithwhite really as banished as they think he is?
As usual, it's encounters with law enforcement and white authority that are the really scary parts of this book. It's not really a spoiler to say that you won't find elements of Cthulu in here (except maybe in a token cameo), but the white sorcerers are plenty threatening.
It's page turner, short chapters with the action bouncing between viewpoint characters and situations. I read it in one day. Damn you, Matt Ruff, you kept me up until 1:00 am.
I know, authors love to hear that.
April 9, 2023
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this novel through Goodreads Giveaways.
I loved Lovecraft Country. I tripped and fell headfirst, deep into that story, that time, the characters....it was a book I didn't want to put down. So, I was excited when I heard Matt Ruff was writing a sequel, and then positively over the moon later when I was notified I had won a copy. Let me begin by saying I did enjoy this book. But not as much as LC. I have been trying to determine why, and these are my thoughts. First, sequels are just hard. I think it's rare they ever live up to the first book. Second, this novel felt shallow in comparison. While I felt I was exploring deep underwater caverns with LC, Destroyer of Worlds felt like I never got past the 5ft section in the pool. In LC, the characters had to figure things out and take action, but it seemed like a longer progress. In DoW, the characters had to figure out things again, but it seemed like they were completed quickly in a page or two. Then another character was off on another issue which wrapped up just as quickly.
I hope this review does not sound overly negative, cause I recommend anyone that enjoyed Lovecraft Country to give it a read. I truly did enjoy it. I am not sure how many books Matt Ruff is planing on making in this series, but it is pretty much guaranteed I will read every one of them. I love this world. I adore these characters. My critiques are similar of a parent to a child, nitpicking because they have already seen what the child is capable of.
I loved Lovecraft Country. I tripped and fell headfirst, deep into that story, that time, the characters....it was a book I didn't want to put down. So, I was excited when I heard Matt Ruff was writing a sequel, and then positively over the moon later when I was notified I had won a copy. Let me begin by saying I did enjoy this book. But not as much as LC. I have been trying to determine why, and these are my thoughts. First, sequels are just hard. I think it's rare they ever live up to the first book. Second, this novel felt shallow in comparison. While I felt I was exploring deep underwater caverns with LC, Destroyer of Worlds felt like I never got past the 5ft section in the pool. In LC, the characters had to figure things out and take action, but it seemed like a longer progress. In DoW, the characters had to figure out things again, but it seemed like they were completed quickly in a page or two. Then another character was off on another issue which wrapped up just as quickly.
I hope this review does not sound overly negative, cause I recommend anyone that enjoyed Lovecraft Country to give it a read. I truly did enjoy it. I am not sure how many books Matt Ruff is planing on making in this series, but it is pretty much guaranteed I will read every one of them. I love this world. I adore these characters. My critiques are similar of a parent to a child, nitpicking because they have already seen what the child is capable of.
April 10, 2023
While I missed the serialized vignette style of the first book, the change did not affect my enjoyment of this book. This entry builds and fleshes out some of the weaker parts of the first book. I enjoyed the use of Ruby and having her story be more focused on the toll of passing and the loss of community that accompanies it. Her ending in Lovecraft Country left me a bit disappointed as her embrace of whiteness didn't seem to include the layered struggle that many people who made the choice to pass had to face. It also felt as though the story only believed she could fight for women's rights as a white woman. This showed the limitations of fighting from the inside and how ultimately that doesn't work. The inclusion of Atticus and Montrose's ancestry also brought with it some interesting world building. The first book seemed to imply that magic stemmed from white people. There were hints, (Atticus seeing the vision of his ancestor and her leading him through the house) that this wasn't fully the case, but ultimately those could be explained away as the story using Atticus' connection to the Braithwhite family as his reason for any type of power he might possess. This sequel changes the game with the introduction of ancestor power, the hints at rootwork and the dreaming.
I do also love that that white man's ghost is out of Letty's house.
All in all a good sequel and an intriguing set up for another installment.
I do also love that that white man's ghost is out of Letty's house.
All in all a good sequel and an intriguing set up for another installment.
April 1, 2023
I was a big fan of Ruff's "Lovecraft Country" and was not disappointed by the sequel, "The Destroyer of Worlds" either.
The writing is top notch - visceral when needed, yet deeply profound when exploring some of the humanistic themes of the time. Race relations, prejudice, religion and belief systems are all intertwined around a good old fashioned Lovecraft tale.
The pace of the plot was even better done than the first book and had me flipping pages madly. Ruff demonstrates an unusually strong talent for changing the pace and tension of the plot at JUST the right times to keep the reader hooked.
Many twists and turns await the reader as well.
A very well-done and enjoyable read. I would, however, STRONGLY suggest reading the first book before tackling "The Destroyer of Worlds" - makes the experience better, I imagine.
The writing is top notch - visceral when needed, yet deeply profound when exploring some of the humanistic themes of the time. Race relations, prejudice, religion and belief systems are all intertwined around a good old fashioned Lovecraft tale.
The pace of the plot was even better done than the first book and had me flipping pages madly. Ruff demonstrates an unusually strong talent for changing the pace and tension of the plot at JUST the right times to keep the reader hooked.
Many twists and turns await the reader as well.
A very well-done and enjoyable read. I would, however, STRONGLY suggest reading the first book before tackling "The Destroyer of Worlds" - makes the experience better, I imagine.
March 25, 2024
Another Matt Ruff book. Really I only have two more left that I haven't read, so hopefully more will be coming. This is a sequel. And I'm glad that Lovecraft Country got a sequel. This kind of felt lighter, lesser. Some of that might have been from the impact of the tv series. It confuses what I remember from the first book. But also it hints at directions this might have gone. This book was a caper, built on misdirection and miscommunication. And really only moved the bigger plot just a little. This was a fairly enjoyable quick read with some memorable characters. But was missing just a bit of oomph. 3.5 of 5.
May 22, 2023
I thought this was a super strong follow up to Lovecraft Country. A lot more philosophical than the first, which was super interesting - I made a lot of highlights. It was really fun to see characters returning to familiar places! This book just hits the spot for me with its spookiness. I think Justice said something about authors wanting their readers to figure things out a half step before the characters do - this book is that way for me and I LOVE it. And for the record I still can’t believe she did that with the peanut butter.
April 24, 2023
Although Lovecraft Country did not need a sequel, but I am happy to read any new stories in this world and with these characters. This one has a more cohesive storyline than the first - instead of a collection of interconnected short stories, this has an overarching narrative. This book ends in a way that makes it clear this will at least be a trilogy, and I'm intrigued to see where Ruff will take everyone.
November 6, 2023
The differences between the books and the show make for reading the sequel a little...interesting. It doesn't, at all, detract from the fun of the read. The book characters are different from the show, but they are still well defined.
I don't feel like it's a spoiler to say that multiple storylines are left open for a third book. It's like life, in that it goes on. I'd probably be okay if it ended here, though. It's a solid conclusion.
I don't feel like it's a spoiler to say that multiple storylines are left open for a third book. It's like life, in that it goes on. I'd probably be okay if it ended here, though. It's a solid conclusion.
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