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The Secret Language of Spiders
HIS TOWN IS DYING...Welcome to Kobbe's End, a town built on spiders and lies and a history of murder...HIS FAITH IS DYING...Daniel Cook, a man who has given his life to God, but can only watch helplessly as his wife is ravaged by disease and death and finally something much, much worse...AND NOW HIS CONGREGATION IS DYING...and no one living in Kobbe's End will speak of the horrible dreams and the insistent call of the lake...or the creature that resides in the basement of the church..."K.L. Young’s debut novel masterfully spins a terrifying tale of love, death, and the lies we weave together to keep from accepting the inevitable truth... and the horrific consequences." - Pete Rawlik, Author of Reanimators and The Weird Company
275 pages, Paperback
Published January 21, 2024
About the author
K.L. Young
25 books8 followersK.L. Young is an award-winning filmmaker, publisher, and writer. His feature and short films have been shown in film festivals worldwide. He served as Editor in Chief of Planet Lovecraft Magazine from 2008 to 2010, and Executive Editor for Strange Aeons Magazine from 2010 to 2019, and now hosts the weekly Strange Aeons Radio podcast.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
June 19, 2024
There are many horrors in this world. Watching your loved one fade away. Being so deeply rooted in loss that you find yourself trying to negotiate with how much you are willing to accept. Kelly Young’s first book “The secret language of spiders” is a triumph in turning that despair into a something so visceral and terrifying. Chitin scratching at the back of your brain and black skittering at the corners of your eyes.
Ancient and hungry.
This book has you looking over your shoulder.
Ancient and hungry.
This book has you looking over your shoulder.
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July 18, 2024Horror that hits liike a brick!
Make room for visceral horror, suspense, and dread as they will be your constant companions in a dying town where love and sanity slides off the dark glass that holds back cosmic horror. Horror calls to horror as corruption feeds its fellow in a pitch black spiral of despair. Even yeast rolls aren't safe.
Make room for visceral horror, suspense, and dread as they will be your constant companions in a dying town where love and sanity slides off the dark glass that holds back cosmic horror. Horror calls to horror as corruption feeds its fellow in a pitch black spiral of despair. Even yeast rolls aren't safe.
June 12, 2024
The author released it as a serial book in 5 parts before it was released as an ebook and paperback, so that is how I was able to read it before it was released.
Hard to believe this is a first novel, but it is and it was wonderful. I want to be careful about giving any details, because this is a horror novel and even the nature of the horror should be a surprise. I thought this was brilliant. It was hard for me to read at first, not because it was bad but because the book starts off with the main character having a sick wife, and that was so well done it actually hit a little too close to home and I had to take regular breaks. I say this as a compliment, because it was easy to see the characters as real and feel what they were feeling and believe in them.
If you like horror, especially cosmic horror, this is a book to check out.
Hard to believe this is a first novel, but it is and it was wonderful. I want to be careful about giving any details, because this is a horror novel and even the nature of the horror should be a surprise. I thought this was brilliant. It was hard for me to read at first, not because it was bad but because the book starts off with the main character having a sick wife, and that was so well done it actually hit a little too close to home and I had to take regular breaks. I say this as a compliment, because it was easy to see the characters as real and feel what they were feeling and believe in them.
If you like horror, especially cosmic horror, this is a book to check out.
August 21, 2024
At what point does one’s faith in God and the loyalty to a spouse transform a man of the cloth into an accomplice to murder?
K.L. Young explodes from the starting block in this fast-paced sprint into the horrific with his debut novel, The Secret Language of Spiders.
Kobbe’s End is a small dying town in the American northwest. Like many contemporary small towns, this one is experiencing economic hardships and is slowly decaying into obscurity. The local pastor, Daniel Cook, like the town, is experiencing difficult times. His wife is slowly wasting away from an unknown medical condition. Her decline is mirrored in Daniel’s loss of faith.
Unlike other towns, Kobbe’s End has a dark secret history which begins to replay itself when the town’s-folk and members of the congregation start to disappear. Cursed with the knowledge that his wife’s condition may be linked to these disappearances, Daniel is faced with the choice of caring for his infirm wife or saving the lives of his congregation.
I’m a sucker for monster movies (especially those of the 70’s Creature Double-Feature variety). The Secret Language of Spiders gushes with this vibe. Young’s prose is cinematic and moves at a satisfying clip. He succeeds in building tension and ultimately delivers horrific gross-outs, making this a page turner.
The Secret Language of Spiders is a highly entertaining read. It leaves me excited for K.L. Young’s next story. I particularly would like to read more about Kobbe’s End and the people that live(d) there.
K.L. Young explodes from the starting block in this fast-paced sprint into the horrific with his debut novel, The Secret Language of Spiders.
Kobbe’s End is a small dying town in the American northwest. Like many contemporary small towns, this one is experiencing economic hardships and is slowly decaying into obscurity. The local pastor, Daniel Cook, like the town, is experiencing difficult times. His wife is slowly wasting away from an unknown medical condition. Her decline is mirrored in Daniel’s loss of faith.
Unlike other towns, Kobbe’s End has a dark secret history which begins to replay itself when the town’s-folk and members of the congregation start to disappear. Cursed with the knowledge that his wife’s condition may be linked to these disappearances, Daniel is faced with the choice of caring for his infirm wife or saving the lives of his congregation.
I’m a sucker for monster movies (especially those of the 70’s Creature Double-Feature variety). The Secret Language of Spiders gushes with this vibe. Young’s prose is cinematic and moves at a satisfying clip. He succeeds in building tension and ultimately delivers horrific gross-outs, making this a page turner.
The Secret Language of Spiders is a highly entertaining read. It leaves me excited for K.L. Young’s next story. I particularly would like to read more about Kobbe’s End and the people that live(d) there.
March 15, 2026
A Slow Burn that Becomes Something I Couldn't Put Down.
I'll be honest - it took me a while to get into the book. The author takes his time setting the table before getting to the main course.
I won't spoil anything, but needless to say, the story took an unexpected turn that I should have expected from a (former) regular of the Lovecraft e-zine. I'm not usually surprised by a novel, and it was great feeling that, "Wow - what the heck...?"
And from that point on, I couldn't put the book down until I got to the end.
Well done, Mr. Young. Well done.
I'll be honest - it took me a while to get into the book. The author takes his time setting the table before getting to the main course.
I won't spoil anything, but needless to say, the story took an unexpected turn that I should have expected from a (former) regular of the Lovecraft e-zine. I'm not usually surprised by a novel, and it was great feeling that, "Wow - what the heck...?"
And from that point on, I couldn't put the book down until I got to the end.
Well done, Mr. Young. Well done.
July 10, 2024
This is a fantastic book. It is beautifully written and disturbing in all the best ways. I highly recommend it to any horror fan, especially if you are an arachnophobe.
July 23, 2024
Wow. It took me two days to read because once it started, I had to finish it. I needed to know what was happening. I could really see this as a movie or show. I think there's alot more stories from Knobbs End that would be just as wild as this one. Highly recommend!!
June 20, 2025
Another book that was a fun, quick read. But it didn't completely scratch my itch. For me, some of the name insertion got distracting rather than drawing me in, since I've met a handful of the folks whose names are borrowed. The story overall was a good, pulpy ride. And it was a real page turner.
For those who can't or don't choose to deal with animal violence, maybe sit it out.
For those who can't or don't choose to deal with animal violence, maybe sit it out.
August 24, 2025
A fast, fun creepy crawling read. A few quirks and plot holes here and there, but it did not take away from the flow or character dynamic. Darkly humorous is a few parts, but it brings in a Lovecraftian god rarely touched upon. I enjoyed this.
May 31, 2026
The story is ok but very predictable. Nothing groundbreaking but it’s fun campy cosmic horror. My main complain is with the average characters.: I didn’t care for them and the writing didn’t pull me into the story.
Minor spoiler: A very good scene in the church between a child and the « Villain ».
Minor spoiler: A very good scene in the church between a child and the « Villain ».
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews