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Incarnate
In a frozen tundra, a sin-eater fights for redemption and absolution as monstrous creatures ravage a community already struggling to survive.
Sebastian Pana is a sin-eater, a shaman-like figure who can absolve the dead of their transgressions before they move on to the afterlife. But when a tear in the fabric of reality allows hideous beasts to invade the small arctic town he calls home, Sebastian must wage battle with them the only way he knows by unleashing the power of sin itself.
Thus, the stage is set for an epic confrontation between the forces of good and evil, in which a mother monster strives to save the dying land around her—and a young Inuit boy, haunted by Sebastian’s fate, risks everything to forge a new way forward for the desperate vestiges of humanity.
As an obliterating darkness descends from the frozen mountains, this profoundly redemptive tale will build toward a climactic showdown in which nature and the supernatural collide with the eternal quest for healing and forgiveness.
From an author who has been compared to Lovecraft, Bradbury, and Gaiman, Incarnate is a masterpiece of contemporary arctic horror—a dark, unsettling story told in a maximalist voice inflected with powerful notes of hope and grace.
Sebastian Pana is a sin-eater, a shaman-like figure who can absolve the dead of their transgressions before they move on to the afterlife. But when a tear in the fabric of reality allows hideous beasts to invade the small arctic town he calls home, Sebastian must wage battle with them the only way he knows by unleashing the power of sin itself.
Thus, the stage is set for an epic confrontation between the forces of good and evil, in which a mother monster strives to save the dying land around her—and a young Inuit boy, haunted by Sebastian’s fate, risks everything to forge a new way forward for the desperate vestiges of humanity.
As an obliterating darkness descends from the frozen mountains, this profoundly redemptive tale will build toward a climactic showdown in which nature and the supernatural collide with the eternal quest for healing and forgiveness.
From an author who has been compared to Lovecraft, Bradbury, and Gaiman, Incarnate is a masterpiece of contemporary arctic horror—a dark, unsettling story told in a maximalist voice inflected with powerful notes of hope and grace.
264 pages, Paperback
First published September 10, 2024
56 people are currently reading
5193 people want to read
About the author
Richard Thomas
102 books706 followersRichard Thomas is the award-winning author of nine books: four novels—Incarnate (Podium), Disintegration and Breaker (Penguin Random House Alibi), and Transubstantiate (Otherworld Publications); four short story collections—Spontaneous Human Combustion (Turner Publishing—Bram Stoker finalist), Tribulations (Cemetery Dance), Staring Into the Abyss (Kraken Press), and Herniated Roots (Snubnose Press); as well as one novella of The Soul Standard (Dzanc Books). His over 175 stories in print include The Best Horror of the Year (Volume Eleven), Cemetery Dance (twice), Behold!: Oddities, Curiosities and Undefinable Wonders (Bram Stoker Award winner), The Hideous Book of Hidden Horrors (Shirley Jackson Award winner), Lightspeed, PANK, storySouth, Gargoyle, Weird Fiction Review, Midwestern Gothic, Shallow Creek, The Seven Deadliest, Gutted: Beautiful Horror Stories, Qualia Nous, Chiral Mad (numbers 2-4), PRISMS, Pantheon, and Shivers VI. He has won contests at ChiZine and One Buck Horror, has received five Pushcart Prize nominations, and has been long-listed for Best Horror of the Year seven times. He was also the editor of four anthologies: The New Black and Exigencies (Dark House Press), The Lineup: 20 Provocative Women Writers (Black Lawrence Press) and Burnt Tongues (Medallion Press) with Chuck Palahniuk. He has been nominated for the Bram Stoker (twice), Shirley Jackson, Thriller, and Audie awards. In his spare time he is a columnist at Lit Reactor. He was the Editor-in-Chief at Dark House Press and Gamut Magazine. His agent is Paula Munier at Talcott Notch. For more information visit www.whatdoesnotkillme.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews
January 31, 2024
I've never read anything quite like this book. It has three distinct voices, seamlessly meshes modern reality with otherworldly elements, and has sympathetic characters. This book is True Detective Season 4 meets Stephen Graham Jones but manages to be fully Richard Thomas. My new favorite book of his.
July 2, 2024
This was quite the novel by Richard Thomas. Full of darkness, anger, grief, and violence. There were small moments and big moments between characters that were all given equal attention and importance. You’ll also find love, hope, sacrifice, peace, and understanding within these pages.
A sin eater, a monstrous being, and a young boy all narrate part of this bizarre and somewhat surreal story.
It begins with a man aged beyond his years who has travelled to an isolated, frozen, northern community to combat a malignant tear in reality.
Honestly, this story was a slow burn at times. I kept wondering when something more might happen, as it’s not necessarily that long, things started to ramp up about 1/4 of the way through.
I think the female creature’s POV was my favourite, although I didn’t completely understand its existence. There were definitely a number of moments where I puzzled on where the plot was heading and how it would all connect, but the majority of my questions were eventually answered in the telling of the tale. I did enjoy the author’s prose, there were some beautiful descriptions of the land, humanity, souls and so much more.
I want to also shout out the cover designer Christina as she had created something so awesome and nightmarish!
A sin eater, a monstrous being, and a young boy all narrate part of this bizarre and somewhat surreal story.
It begins with a man aged beyond his years who has travelled to an isolated, frozen, northern community to combat a malignant tear in reality.
Honestly, this story was a slow burn at times. I kept wondering when something more might happen, as it’s not necessarily that long, things started to ramp up about 1/4 of the way through.
I think the female creature’s POV was my favourite, although I didn’t completely understand its existence. There were definitely a number of moments where I puzzled on where the plot was heading and how it would all connect, but the majority of my questions were eventually answered in the telling of the tale. I did enjoy the author’s prose, there were some beautiful descriptions of the land, humanity, souls and so much more.
I want to also shout out the cover designer Christina as she had created something so awesome and nightmarish!
December 8, 2024
okay, damn, that ending made it worth it
July 17, 2024
From 30 Days of Night to True Detective to Insomnia, the frozen tundra is tailor made for dark fiction. Thomas weaves three interconnected voices into a larger portrait of isolation and darkness, monsters and other things beyond the natural world. Weird and, at times, bleak, a distant ember of hope shines in the unrelenting night at the heart of this story. Sometimes it feels as though that dim firelight may never arrive, may never grow, but it's always there among the anger, grief, and violence that skim the surface of Incarnate.
September 22, 2024
Hell yea! This book exceeded my expectations in every way. It read like the best of Vandermeer or Mieville with a dash of McCarthy and Barron for good measure. Had me hooked from start to finish. Check this sucker out.
February 12, 2025
Great story. I usually like short books but this one left me wishing there were 100 more pages.
September 4, 2024
Richard Thomas' "Incarnate" is the kind of novel demanding to be slowly read and deeply experienced, rather than merely written and talked about; in fact, it's the sort of book that, given a chance, it will easily make a reviewer's schedule hell! Well, it certainly did mine.
How to convey the beauty of its prose, the feverish imagery, or its dreamy atmosphere of quiet, detailed horror, of the monsters without and within? How to share the brilliance of its triptych tale, a tale that takes on the gravity of sin and literally spits those sins out as the most vile grotesqueries and ugly pervesions? The mood of the book is bleak, charged with despair and urgency; yet it feels as if everything has already been decided and the frozen North has already had its say. The uncanny supernatural elements populate the story in droves, yet the real developments are taking place inside the protagonists' soul and mind. Like weak flames dancing over cold ash, all three main characters (the sin-eater, the monster, the apprentice - the wise old man, the resilient female, the forced to grow up kid), try desperately to leave their mark amidst the chaos; facing the threat of extinguishment, they resist, they retaliate - but the feeling of failure permeats their lives even in victory.
In sum, this book is a somewhat morbid and unsettlingly extended meditation on sin and recognition, made of three subtly interconnected tales highlighting the most sinister of human impulses, the need for absolution, and the nurturing of monsters. This is a real treat for fans of weird, arctic, and folk horror! Highly recommend.
How to convey the beauty of its prose, the feverish imagery, or its dreamy atmosphere of quiet, detailed horror, of the monsters without and within? How to share the brilliance of its triptych tale, a tale that takes on the gravity of sin and literally spits those sins out as the most vile grotesqueries and ugly pervesions? The mood of the book is bleak, charged with despair and urgency; yet it feels as if everything has already been decided and the frozen North has already had its say. The uncanny supernatural elements populate the story in droves, yet the real developments are taking place inside the protagonists' soul and mind. Like weak flames dancing over cold ash, all three main characters (the sin-eater, the monster, the apprentice - the wise old man, the resilient female, the forced to grow up kid), try desperately to leave their mark amidst the chaos; facing the threat of extinguishment, they resist, they retaliate - but the feeling of failure permeats their lives even in victory.
In sum, this book is a somewhat morbid and unsettlingly extended meditation on sin and recognition, made of three subtly interconnected tales highlighting the most sinister of human impulses, the need for absolution, and the nurturing of monsters. This is a real treat for fans of weird, arctic, and folk horror! Highly recommend.
October 29, 2024
I just finished this book and holy snickerdoodle. This one will be staying with me for a while. This book is beautifully and horrifically written. The details are as elegantly simple as they are horrifyingly explicit. And while Act 2 is LSD-trip worthy, even her monstrous POV is beautiful. However, despite all the gore and somewhat explosive deaths that happen, the part that really stuck with me is when one of the characters in the 3rd Act talks about grief. This really hit home for me as I just lost my dad the day before Father's day so the pain of his loss still hurts like hell. But that passage, that one passage, brought me comfort. That a horror book can bring comfort amidst heart-wrenching grief tells you a lot about the skills of an author. Either that or I'm just really messed up in the head. 🤣😂 So, when this book comes out in September, I definitely encourage you to get a copy of it
July 10, 2024
A tale of monsters and sin-eaters, the story follows three main characters, with each character telling their own story, but also being intertwined. Richard Thomas creates very vivid and wonderful descriptions, and his characters have a great depth to them. The story takes a while to unfold, and you're more than halfway through before you get an idea of what could happen, but that doesn't detract from the story at all. I'm interested to read more from this author.
December 1, 2024
Deliciously written and beautifully horrific, who knew horror could be so stunning.
January 20, 2025
This book was so visceral in the descriptions, I was wincing my way through it as I read. Each creature, each violent act, it felt like I was reading through my fingers, like I couldn't face them head on.
I also felt such connection to the three main characters. The second part and POV specifically really touched me, and reading that part, I had to close the book and just take a moment to feel. I will be thinking about this book for a while!
I also felt such connection to the three main characters. The second part and POV specifically really touched me, and reading that part, I had to close the book and just take a moment to feel. I will be thinking about this book for a while!
December 21, 2024
For those out there who want a weird, beautifully written, cosmic horror novel that is unlike anything else you've ever read, this is the novel for you. Mostly set against a backdrop of an isolated, arctic town, the tale explores themes of the afterlife, what it means to be a good person in this life, and the complexities of being human, among others. I've been a fan of Richard's work for sometime, and this novel did not disappoint. If you have not read his work yet, this is a perfect entry point. I implore you to pick up this dark, poignant story with heart and hope at its core.
December 28, 2024
Wow. Dark, forlorn and bitterly cold. Those are the first words which come to mind when I reflect on "Incarnate" by Richard Thomas.
The writing style is simply excellent as are the characterizations. The author combines old Southern (at least in my experience) folklore such as sin eaters and expands on the idea mightily. Tense, raw and brutal at times, the writing mechanics are above reproach. Just incredibly well done.
The conclusion of Act 1 was a rare and true "wait-a-minute-what'd-I-miss" moment the likes I've not read in a long time. And Act II was even more of a "hold my beer and watch this" experience - but it worked for this reader.
The novel is scary when it needs to be and ruminative when not. It accomplishes the goal of provoking through fear as well as growth through reflection.
Not for those looking for the "same old, same old" - but recommended nonetheless.
The writing style is simply excellent as are the characterizations. The author combines old Southern (at least in my experience) folklore such as sin eaters and expands on the idea mightily. Tense, raw and brutal at times, the writing mechanics are above reproach. Just incredibly well done.
The conclusion of Act 1 was a rare and true "wait-a-minute-what'd-I-miss" moment the likes I've not read in a long time. And Act II was even more of a "hold my beer and watch this" experience - but it worked for this reader.
The novel is scary when it needs to be and ruminative when not. It accomplishes the goal of provoking through fear as well as growth through reflection.
Not for those looking for the "same old, same old" - but recommended nonetheless.
January 31, 2025
This novel grabs you by the throat, forces atmosphere and dread down your throat, while allowing visceral elements to claw their way out. From the artic to the dessert, you feel the isolation. The food descriptions had me salivating one minute and gagging the next. This is a unique must read/listen for horror fans.
December 4, 2025
The writing here is a standout and it made for such a great reading experience. Some touching and beautiful descriptive passages. I do like the Inuit/American indigenous stuff and they were written well (I don't know if they're accurate or not but it does feel meticulously researched).
July 23, 2025
An unexpected journey
This story is weirdly hypnotic with all its imagery. Every chapter of this story leaves you with more and more questions until you’ve flipped enough pages to, at last, receive some answers in this surreal journey. It was fun unravelling the strands, but most of all, savoring its profound ending.
This story is weirdly hypnotic with all its imagery. Every chapter of this story leaves you with more and more questions until you’ve flipped enough pages to, at last, receive some answers in this surreal journey. It was fun unravelling the strands, but most of all, savoring its profound ending.
September 6, 2024
Breathtakingly Visual
Attempting to describe this book and the only words that seems fitting is monstrously unique. A man aged beyond his years has travelled to an isolated community to combat a tear in reality. The details of this story are presented simple, yet explicit, in the visual and representation.
If horror and gore are not your style, this may not be the story for you. However, if these ideals are an interesting mind visual, this is the perfect story.
A heads up, the story does take a bit to come to life and totally worth it. There are monsters or fearful beings that are unique and breathtaking. The author provides enough to allow the reader to fill in the colors of this landscape.
In attempting not to provide spoilers, this is story that thankfully has been offered for those of a unique mindset celebrating the mind visual that happens when a story is so well told.
Attempting to describe this book and the only words that seems fitting is monstrously unique. A man aged beyond his years has travelled to an isolated community to combat a tear in reality. The details of this story are presented simple, yet explicit, in the visual and representation.
If horror and gore are not your style, this may not be the story for you. However, if these ideals are an interesting mind visual, this is the perfect story.
A heads up, the story does take a bit to come to life and totally worth it. There are monsters or fearful beings that are unique and breathtaking. The author provides enough to allow the reader to fill in the colors of this landscape.
In attempting not to provide spoilers, this is story that thankfully has been offered for those of a unique mindset celebrating the mind visual that happens when a story is so well told.
April 30, 2025
A very interesting plot, a monster who eats sin.
September 28, 2025
I do not know how to feel about this book. This is a book that I chose purely on the art work cuz it looks spooky and interesting.
I like the concept of the book, a soul eater. When someone passes on in life you eat one of their favorite meals and depending on their sins in life, this means the meal you eat will be delicious, or putrid. The author honestly does a solid job with the descriptive writing of these meals. At times I'm over here wanting to eat this meal with the way he is describing it. Then the problem arises when this deliciously descriptive meal gets eaten and he then describes how it tastes of death and decay and all of your desire for this meal disappears.
Either way, the main character appears to absolve people of their transgressions, but at cost of something being birthed into the world that is either demonic or pure. There is also a rift that is opened in the world where a war is waging and he is trying to keep the evil at bay, but this isn't something that i cared much about honestly. The premise of this book is a very interesting concept and I enjoyed learning about it. However, the book kind of takes a weird turn and then suddenly I felt like I was in an acid trip for a while. I then come down from my acid trip but I'm still slightly feeling it, and I'm back into the interesting world where a new character is brought in.
The book is thought provoking, interesting, and makes you think about stuff we kind of choose to ignore. If someone is born into a cruel world and grows up to become a monster, does he/she deserve absolution when they die? What about if that person gets a dog, and they are mean to the dog which causes the dog to be aggressive, does the dog deserve absolution even if it bites you and is a meanie weenie? Where is the line drawn? If you're good 85% of the time, do you deserve absolution? It also explores the idea of if you are a bad/good person, what comes next? Is there a heaven for you? Or are you reborn to live another life and depending on whether you were good or bad in your previous life, this will determine what your new life will give. If you're bad, you'll be reborn into the same life again and again until you learn and become a better you.
You may ask me, hey Jesse, you read the book, do you have the answers to these questions? Nah, I dunno what I'm talking about. I'm just a dude writing a review on a book that I chose because "picture look cool and spooky" and thought it may be good. I then sat down and read it and was like "alright Jesse you got a knack for choosing a good book just by the cover alone". Then I got to the part where the author dropped acid and I was like "wow I'm really not good at choosing books". Finally I got to the third part of the book and I finally thought "I don't know what to feel about this book, but hey that's ok because you finished it and I'm proud of you big guy".
All I know is that if I get reborn, I hope I'll be a rock. Rocks are good, have you ever met a bad rock? I don't think so. Next time you go to the peak of that mountain and stand on that rock to take a picture with your friends to post on your dating app, just remember, you may be standing on a homie that was reborn a rock.
Overall, not exactly my cup of tea. Would I recommend this? Honestly I don't know.. I read this book and at times I was like "WTF am I reading?" If that's what you want from a book, go for it!
I like the concept of the book, a soul eater. When someone passes on in life you eat one of their favorite meals and depending on their sins in life, this means the meal you eat will be delicious, or putrid. The author honestly does a solid job with the descriptive writing of these meals. At times I'm over here wanting to eat this meal with the way he is describing it. Then the problem arises when this deliciously descriptive meal gets eaten and he then describes how it tastes of death and decay and all of your desire for this meal disappears.
Either way, the main character appears to absolve people of their transgressions, but at cost of something being birthed into the world that is either demonic or pure. There is also a rift that is opened in the world where a war is waging and he is trying to keep the evil at bay, but this isn't something that i cared much about honestly. The premise of this book is a very interesting concept and I enjoyed learning about it. However, the book kind of takes a weird turn and then suddenly I felt like I was in an acid trip for a while. I then come down from my acid trip but I'm still slightly feeling it, and I'm back into the interesting world where a new character is brought in.
The book is thought provoking, interesting, and makes you think about stuff we kind of choose to ignore. If someone is born into a cruel world and grows up to become a monster, does he/she deserve absolution when they die? What about if that person gets a dog, and they are mean to the dog which causes the dog to be aggressive, does the dog deserve absolution even if it bites you and is a meanie weenie? Where is the line drawn? If you're good 85% of the time, do you deserve absolution? It also explores the idea of if you are a bad/good person, what comes next? Is there a heaven for you? Or are you reborn to live another life and depending on whether you were good or bad in your previous life, this will determine what your new life will give. If you're bad, you'll be reborn into the same life again and again until you learn and become a better you.
You may ask me, hey Jesse, you read the book, do you have the answers to these questions? Nah, I dunno what I'm talking about. I'm just a dude writing a review on a book that I chose because "picture look cool and spooky" and thought it may be good. I then sat down and read it and was like "alright Jesse you got a knack for choosing a good book just by the cover alone". Then I got to the part where the author dropped acid and I was like "wow I'm really not good at choosing books". Finally I got to the third part of the book and I finally thought "I don't know what to feel about this book, but hey that's ok because you finished it and I'm proud of you big guy".
All I know is that if I get reborn, I hope I'll be a rock. Rocks are good, have you ever met a bad rock? I don't think so. Next time you go to the peak of that mountain and stand on that rock to take a picture with your friends to post on your dating app, just remember, you may be standing on a homie that was reborn a rock.
Overall, not exactly my cup of tea. Would I recommend this? Honestly I don't know.. I read this book and at times I was like "WTF am I reading?" If that's what you want from a book, go for it!
September 9, 2024
A mesmerising and original story set in a small village in the Arctic! An unforgettable horror tale of good versus evil and old versus new with a prose that is as warm as a nice cabin with the fire on in the freezing arctic cold and as nightmarish as a night walk in the frozen tundra.
I don’t know where to begin with this novel because it was so original and compelling! The themes explored are not only fascinating, but the story is laid out in such a beautiful way that it was difficult for me to think of anything else after starting this book. The concept of a tear opening a parallel world full of weird creatures where a sort of shaman pours the bestial beings created by the sins of the dead, sins that he eats trying to absolve them for the evil they have committed when alive, is fascinating to me.
In addition to this, the book is divided in three parts, each a different point of view, from Sebastian the older sin eater, the Monster Mother living in the parallel world, trying to create life in a dying place, and the apprentice that soon not only learns how to deal with this ritual, but he renews it, finding a new way to heal humanity.
This is such a poetic and philosophical tale and written in such a profound way that anything in these pages has a meaning. The images are vivid and yet hazy and I felt changed at the end of it!
It is so true that a tear in ourselves and by extension in our society is formed and enlarged every time our minds are turned towards evil. Even in death what comes out of a malignant being is a rancid and twisted creature that just goes on producing more evil! But on the positive side, this is also a story that highlights the notion that no matter where chance has dropped you, there is always a way to change the way of things!
Thanks to the author for a copy and this is my honest opinion.
I don’t know where to begin with this novel because it was so original and compelling! The themes explored are not only fascinating, but the story is laid out in such a beautiful way that it was difficult for me to think of anything else after starting this book. The concept of a tear opening a parallel world full of weird creatures where a sort of shaman pours the bestial beings created by the sins of the dead, sins that he eats trying to absolve them for the evil they have committed when alive, is fascinating to me.
In addition to this, the book is divided in three parts, each a different point of view, from Sebastian the older sin eater, the Monster Mother living in the parallel world, trying to create life in a dying place, and the apprentice that soon not only learns how to deal with this ritual, but he renews it, finding a new way to heal humanity.
This is such a poetic and philosophical tale and written in such a profound way that anything in these pages has a meaning. The images are vivid and yet hazy and I felt changed at the end of it!
It is so true that a tear in ourselves and by extension in our society is formed and enlarged every time our minds are turned towards evil. Even in death what comes out of a malignant being is a rancid and twisted creature that just goes on producing more evil! But on the positive side, this is also a story that highlights the notion that no matter where chance has dropped you, there is always a way to change the way of things!
Thanks to the author for a copy and this is my honest opinion.
October 14, 2025
'Incarnate,' by Richard Thomas
Split into three parts, this short novel follows the stories of sin eater, a monstrous beast seeking respite in a dying world, and the sin eater's protege, as they intersect in a small, presumably Alaskan town.
Full of death, darkness and gore, 'Incarnate' still has enough moments of love and light to make some of the more grim moments slightly more bearable.
While the writing is wonderfully descriptive, this does also mean that those moments that are more...visceral in nature...might be a bit overwhelming for some. I had to stop drinking water at one point, as my stomach threatened to rebel against what I was reading.
Where this falls apart for me is in its division into three parts. While each interesting in their own right, the connective tissue between the middle section and those that bookended it felt very tenuous, despite the middle section being the one that interested me the most. It almost felt like two ideas were pushed together to meet a required word count, which benefited neither.
In particular, I felt like more interaction was necessary between the original sin eater and his protege, so that the decisions made in the third part of the novel could have felt more organic. This also could have given the finale more time to cook, so that it had more of an impact.
All in all, this felt like a decent - if not entirely fulfilling - meal. IYKYK.
3.5/5
Goodreads rating: 3
Split into three parts, this short novel follows the stories of sin eater, a monstrous beast seeking respite in a dying world, and the sin eater's protege, as they intersect in a small, presumably Alaskan town.
Full of death, darkness and gore, 'Incarnate' still has enough moments of love and light to make some of the more grim moments slightly more bearable.
While the writing is wonderfully descriptive, this does also mean that those moments that are more...visceral in nature...might be a bit overwhelming for some. I had to stop drinking water at one point, as my stomach threatened to rebel against what I was reading.
Where this falls apart for me is in its division into three parts. While each interesting in their own right, the connective tissue between the middle section and those that bookended it felt very tenuous, despite the middle section being the one that interested me the most. It almost felt like two ideas were pushed together to meet a required word count, which benefited neither.
In particular, I felt like more interaction was necessary between the original sin eater and his protege, so that the decisions made in the third part of the novel could have felt more organic. This also could have given the finale more time to cook, so that it had more of an impact.
All in all, this felt like a decent - if not entirely fulfilling - meal. IYKYK.
3.5/5
Goodreads rating: 3
October 22, 2024
I won a paperback copy of Incarnate from a goodreads giveaway.
I can't remember the exact words the other used but, in the acknowledgements he mentions talks about people who helped to push him to make the book weirder. And I thought yep the book is weird.
I have don't recall reading any horror books so this is my first horror book. And also I would say that that I did not feel uplifted by reading this book. Kind of felt blah after reading it. which is I guess what are horror book is supposed to make you feel.
The book is told by Sebastian Pana, the next part is told by the monster on the other side of the tear, and the third part is told by Kalib. I hope I have Kalib's name right. I enjoyed reading sebastian's and Kalib's parts the most. The monsters part was sometimes confusing to me.
The idea of eating something after a person dies and then having maybe a monster come out of your body is not something I would have thought up.
So I think if you are looking for something usual to read you might want to read this book. Or you might not. I thought it was Ok. I could understand most of what was happening in the book. And the idea of a sin eater is weird.
I can't remember the exact words the other used but, in the acknowledgements he mentions talks about people who helped to push him to make the book weirder. And I thought yep the book is weird.
I have don't recall reading any horror books so this is my first horror book. And also I would say that that I did not feel uplifted by reading this book. Kind of felt blah after reading it. which is I guess what are horror book is supposed to make you feel.
The book is told by Sebastian Pana, the next part is told by the monster on the other side of the tear, and the third part is told by Kalib. I hope I have Kalib's name right. I enjoyed reading sebastian's and Kalib's parts the most. The monsters part was sometimes confusing to me.
The idea of eating something after a person dies and then having maybe a monster come out of your body is not something I would have thought up.
So I think if you are looking for something usual to read you might want to read this book. Or you might not. I thought it was Ok. I could understand most of what was happening in the book. And the idea of a sin eater is weird.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 25, 2024
Incarnate is the kind of novel that will stay with you long after you've closed the covers (or, in my case, powered off your Kindle). It's that good. The depictions of grief, loneliness, but also connection and hope and even love are first rate. And there's a collection of original monsters!
The prose is gorgeous (even when describing things like the taste of rancid meat and maggots) and full of details that help to bring the reader directly into the headspace occupied by its three narrators. Speaking of that, I really enjoyed the fact that this novel was broken into three acts, each one narrated from the first-person perspective of a different character. It's not immediately clear how these three characters are related (or at least it wasn't for me), but by the end, everything gets tied beautifully together. I really dug that--it's a sort of literary magic trick to get to the ending and see the entire novel in a new light, everything brought together, each narrator shedding new light on the others.
Read this one, you won't regret it.
The prose is gorgeous (even when describing things like the taste of rancid meat and maggots) and full of details that help to bring the reader directly into the headspace occupied by its three narrators. Speaking of that, I really enjoyed the fact that this novel was broken into three acts, each one narrated from the first-person perspective of a different character. It's not immediately clear how these three characters are related (or at least it wasn't for me), but by the end, everything gets tied beautifully together. I really dug that--it's a sort of literary magic trick to get to the ending and see the entire novel in a new light, everything brought together, each narrator shedding new light on the others.
Read this one, you won't regret it.
March 15, 2025
“Incarnate” by Richard Thomas
A beautifully written book that unfortunately is mired down by a very incomprehensible (to me, anyway) plot.
Told in 3 parts, incarnate is a saga of sin eaters, those that transubstantiate offerings from the grieving to help their recently passed loved ones move on.
Told in the frigid tundra of Alaska, the atmosphere is strong in this book, and the prose is beautiful, and quite honestly the only thing that kept me going.
The first and third acts were great, however, the second one, which is told through the eyes of (I think) one of the demons that comes through the “tear” is one of the most confusing and convoluted passages of plot I’ve ever read. I read the whole middle section twice, and perhaps Thomas’s plot is simply too complex for me to get. Lots of stunning imagery, and a few loose connections to the tear, which the sin eaters must face to combat the horrid creatures that come from it, but overall I’m stumped.
Beautifully written, confusingly plotted.
3.5/5 stars
A beautifully written book that unfortunately is mired down by a very incomprehensible (to me, anyway) plot.
Told in 3 parts, incarnate is a saga of sin eaters, those that transubstantiate offerings from the grieving to help their recently passed loved ones move on.
Told in the frigid tundra of Alaska, the atmosphere is strong in this book, and the prose is beautiful, and quite honestly the only thing that kept me going.
The first and third acts were great, however, the second one, which is told through the eyes of (I think) one of the demons that comes through the “tear” is one of the most confusing and convoluted passages of plot I’ve ever read. I read the whole middle section twice, and perhaps Thomas’s plot is simply too complex for me to get. Lots of stunning imagery, and a few loose connections to the tear, which the sin eaters must face to combat the horrid creatures that come from it, but overall I’m stumped.
Beautifully written, confusingly plotted.
3.5/5 stars
August 28, 2025
3.5/5
Strange. This book is so strange, and yet it absolutely spoke to my soul and I loved every second. Did I totally understand it? Absolutely not. But I'm not really sure that matters. A beautiful, heartbreaking, and often times hard to read story about humanity and trying to protect the good while accepting the bad. It is a book of fostering love and understanding, even when we don't agree or come from the same place. But also about retribution and receiving the proper recognition for your actions; whatever those may be.
There should be a SERIOUS list of trigger warnings at the beginning of this book including: SA, body gore, animal abuse, spousal abuse, and suicide (not sure if I've even covered all of them, but those are all recurring events throughout the book).
"I open my eyes and think of the possibilities-who we are, where we came from, and the ways the world comforts and crushes alike. I think of the opportunities we are given and the choices we make. Which beast do we choose to feed-love or hate? And what then do we become?"
Strange. This book is so strange, and yet it absolutely spoke to my soul and I loved every second. Did I totally understand it? Absolutely not. But I'm not really sure that matters. A beautiful, heartbreaking, and often times hard to read story about humanity and trying to protect the good while accepting the bad. It is a book of fostering love and understanding, even when we don't agree or come from the same place. But also about retribution and receiving the proper recognition for your actions; whatever those may be.
There should be a SERIOUS list of trigger warnings at the beginning of this book including: SA, body gore, animal abuse, spousal abuse, and suicide (not sure if I've even covered all of them, but those are all recurring events throughout the book).
"I open my eyes and think of the possibilities-who we are, where we came from, and the ways the world comforts and crushes alike. I think of the opportunities we are given and the choices we make. Which beast do we choose to feed-love or hate? And what then do we become?"
May 31, 2024
Weirdly beautiful and unabashedly hopeful, INCARNATE is nonetheless a work of unmitigated horror filled with monsters both entirely new and heartstoppingly familiar. Richard Thomas has a gift for reaching deep inside the guts of everything that breathes and giving it a voice. He wastes no time on endless exposition and explanation but allows the reader to make their own way through this fever-dream landscape of life and death, possibilities and despair, monsters and ghouls and sin-eaters. This work examines questions of absolution and judgment and redemption without pretending to dispense the answers. And in addition to all that, the very particular landscape of the Frozen North on the cusp of winter, with its dying roses and dancing lights and bitter, bitter cold, wraps the reader tight in an embrace that permits the memory of no other existence. A marvelous, terrible read. Highly recommend.
August 11, 2024
The author wove a bleak dark story set in high North where days and nights can last months and when the long night comes, it brings unrelenting darkness, icy storms and isolation. Under the northern lights, the struggle of life brings the best and the worst out in people.
A (native) community relies on their shaman, a sin eater, to absolve them of their sins after their deaths. For Sebastian, the sin eater, it's a sacred but dangerous duty. The consequences of it become known further in the book, where two more point of views follow to complete the understanding of what happens.
I absolutely loved the first pov, the author excells in setting a melancholic and threatening environment. The second pov was truly fascinating, though by the end of it the telling of it got a bit bloated. The third pov was a nice wrapping up, i loved the solution, but i do feel the story that started strong became lost and meandering.
This book will appeal to everyone who enjoys a somewhat bleak atmosphere, deep thoughts on humanity, hellscape creatures, and a good horror book with a spiritual aspect.
A (native) community relies on their shaman, a sin eater, to absolve them of their sins after their deaths. For Sebastian, the sin eater, it's a sacred but dangerous duty. The consequences of it become known further in the book, where two more point of views follow to complete the understanding of what happens.
I absolutely loved the first pov, the author excells in setting a melancholic and threatening environment. The second pov was truly fascinating, though by the end of it the telling of it got a bit bloated. The third pov was a nice wrapping up, i loved the solution, but i do feel the story that started strong became lost and meandering.
This book will appeal to everyone who enjoys a somewhat bleak atmosphere, deep thoughts on humanity, hellscape creatures, and a good horror book with a spiritual aspect.
September 5, 2024
I accepted a physical copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions discussed are my own and are subjective to myself as a reader.
If you prefer watching videos, I've posted a full, spoiler-free discussion about my experience with INCARNATE on my BookTube Channel!
Set in an eerie Arctic town, this horror novel blends supernatural elements with themes of redemption and survival. The story centers on Sebastian, a sin eater tasked with absolving the sins of the dead, who faces a terrifying invasion of monstrous creatures through a tear in reality.
The novel is divided into three parts, each from different perspectives—Sebastian, the sin-eater fighting to save his community, the Mother Monster fighting for her dying land, and a young boy named Kallik, who is searching for a new path for humanity. The structure and atmospheric writing immerse readers in a world of unease, where the quiet horror of the snow-covered landscape hides sinister beasts.
Richard Thomas masterfully combines elements of cosmic horror with rich character development. The vivid descriptions of the winter, the psychological tension of the long dark days, and the grotesque but fascinating role of the sin eater make INCARNATE stand out among the other books/stories I've read featuring sin-eaters.
A heartfelt thanks to my Patrons on Patreon for their support towards my enthusiasm for reading and reviewing!
Special thanks to my highest level Patrons: Ev, Amanda L., Sharon, Andrew, Star, Kate, Gail, Amanda F., Tara, John, Ann, Chad K., Ashley E. & Mel
If you prefer watching videos, I've posted a full, spoiler-free discussion about my experience with INCARNATE on my BookTube Channel!
Set in an eerie Arctic town, this horror novel blends supernatural elements with themes of redemption and survival. The story centers on Sebastian, a sin eater tasked with absolving the sins of the dead, who faces a terrifying invasion of monstrous creatures through a tear in reality.
The novel is divided into three parts, each from different perspectives—Sebastian, the sin-eater fighting to save his community, the Mother Monster fighting for her dying land, and a young boy named Kallik, who is searching for a new path for humanity. The structure and atmospheric writing immerse readers in a world of unease, where the quiet horror of the snow-covered landscape hides sinister beasts.
Richard Thomas masterfully combines elements of cosmic horror with rich character development. The vivid descriptions of the winter, the psychological tension of the long dark days, and the grotesque but fascinating role of the sin eater make INCARNATE stand out among the other books/stories I've read featuring sin-eaters.
A heartfelt thanks to my Patrons on Patreon for their support towards my enthusiasm for reading and reviewing!
Special thanks to my highest level Patrons: Ev, Amanda L., Sharon, Andrew, Star, Kate, Gail, Amanda F., Tara, John, Ann, Chad K., Ashley E. & Mel
January 9, 2025
Actually 2.5 stars for me
First of this took me wayyy long than i expected it to and its not because its a long book or anything ,it just dragggg on for way too long and there is no plot!!!! like all it it is flowery prose that felt very unnecessary majority of the time.
Secondly i unfortunately dont consider this book horror , yes there are scenes of body gore and the likes but there was nothing horrifying about this book, it leans more supernatural to me tbh and annoyingly religious and that made me dislike this book more because i didnt expect it to go the direction it did.
the first aprt was my best part tbh because at least then it felt like it was going in the direction that i thought it was but then we got to the second part and i was completely lost and was seriously considring DNF this book ngl but i forced myself to just push through since it wasnt really long.
i dont think Richard Thomas’ writng is for me so this is going to be my one and only book by him.
First of this took me wayyy long than i expected it to and its not because its a long book or anything ,it just dragggg on for way too long and there is no plot!!!! like all it it is flowery prose that felt very unnecessary majority of the time.
Secondly i unfortunately dont consider this book horror , yes there are scenes of body gore and the likes but there was nothing horrifying about this book, it leans more supernatural to me tbh and annoyingly religious and that made me dislike this book more because i didnt expect it to go the direction it did.
the first aprt was my best part tbh because at least then it felt like it was going in the direction that i thought it was but then we got to the second part and i was completely lost and was seriously considring DNF this book ngl but i forced myself to just push through since it wasnt really long.
i dont think Richard Thomas’ writng is for me so this is going to be my one and only book by him.
September 3, 2024
What a book. I read and ARC of Incarnate and was asked to give an honest review. Honestly, this book seamlessly blends so many genres that it defies description. A sin eater, living in a cabin in the northernmost reaches of civilization, battles a tear growing in the fabric of our world. Unspeakable things come through and wreak havoc on the surrounding town and wilderness. But the real nightmare lies on the other side. Richard Thomas has created an entire hellscape of desert, indescribable monsters that he manages to describe perfectly, and a narrative voice amid the chaos. A young apprentice attempts to aid Sebastian in his never ending battle with the gift, and curse, that he possesses. Every passage is a masterclass in descriptive prose, from a battle in the wasteland, to the taste of a spoonful of chili. No matter what your preference, Incarnate is a must read.
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