Litany of Dreams: Arkham Horror Series

Arkham Horror #13

by Ari Marmell

Dark incantations expose the minds of Miskatonic University students to supernatural horrors, in this chilling mystery novel of Arkham Horror.

The mysterious disappearance of a gifted student at Miskatonic University spurs his troubled roommate, Elliot Raslo, into an investigation of his own. But Elliot already struggles against the maddening allure of a ceaseless chant that only he can hear.... When Elliot's search converges with that of a Greenland Inuk's hunt for a stolen relic, they are left with yet more questions. Could there be a connection between Elliot's litany and the broken stone stele covered in antediluvian writings that had obsessed his friend? Learning the answers will draw them into the heart of a devilish plot to rebirth an ancient horror.

Genres: Horror, Fantasy, Lovecraftian, Cthulhu Mythos, Audiobook, Fiction, Mystery

Audible Audio

First published April 13, 2021

About the author

When Ari Marmell has free time left over between feeding cats and posting on social media, he writes a little bit. His work includes novels, short stories, role-playing games, and video games, all of which he enjoyed in lieu of school work when growing up. He’s the author of the Mick Oberon gangland/urban fantasy series, the Widdershins YA fantasy series, and many others, with publishers such as Del Rey, Titan Books, Pyr Books, Wizards of the Coast, and now Omnium Gatherum.

Ari currently resides in Austin, Texas. He lives in a clutter that has a moderate amount of apartment in it, along with George—his wife—and the aforementioned cats, who probably want something.

Reviews

[Lauren Stoolfire · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Litany of Dreams (Arkham Horror #19) by Ari Marmell was quite the pleasant surprise. I've never played the Arkham Horror board game these novels and novellas are based on and I've never read any of those other stories either, but I absolutely loved this. I think it might make the cut to be on my best of 2021 list actually. It hooked my attention right off the bat and I enjoyed everything about it from the cast of characters, the dark historical fantasy 1920s setting, the core mystery, and the chilling horror. I have no idea how this compares to the games and other books set in this world, but I certainly want to find out.

[Audrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a solid plot with multiples well-developed perspectives. I enjoyed getting mesmerized in this time period and the multiples dialects used to represent the different characters. I did have a hard time getting scared of this book which is because the aspect that was supposed to create the early tension was the litany, and I couldn't figure out how to imagine it being said. Because of my lack of understanding of the chants, all I was getting from them were incomprehensible sentences. Other than the chants, I found that the description of the many locations and the emotions of the characters helps set the perfect mood to anticipate the ending. This book does have gruesome elements so if you are not comfortable with that this might not be the story for you.

Ps. you do not need prior knowledge of the game to understand the story,

[Marcel Haußmann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kurz nach Band 1 folgt schon Band 2 der Arkham Horror Reihe und dieser hört sich richtig schon schaurig an:

Als ein Student auf mysteriöse Weise verschwindet, beginnt sein Mitbewohner Elliot auf eigene Faust zu ermitteln. Doch Elliot kämpft gegen die verstörende Anziehungskraft eines ewigen Gesangs, den nur er zu hören vermag. Könnte es eine Verbindung zwischen dem Lockruf in Elliots Träumen und der zerbrochenen Steinstele geben, die mit frühzeitlichen Schriften bedeckt ist? Auf der Suche nach Antworten, geraten sie in einen teuflischen Plan, mit dem Ziel, die Wiedergeburt eines uralten Schreckens einzuleiten …

Arkham Horror ist durch das gleichnamige Brettspiel bekannt, Vorwissen wird aber nicht benötigt. Auch zweite Roman der Arkham Horror Reihe, ist in der Welt von H.P Lovecraft angesiedelt, und spielt in der fiktiven Stadt Arkham. Die Geschichte lässt Realität und Wahnsinn wunderbar miteinander verschwimmen, sodass man nie ganz sicher ist, was jetzt wirklich passiert. Die Grundidee mit dem Text der einen nicht mehr loslässt, war richtig gut umgesetzt und liefert ein paar großartige und gruslige Szenen. Man merkt hier ganz klar den Einfluss von Lovecraft, der mir bei Band 1 etwas gefehlt hat. Die Charaktere sind interessant gestaltet und wecken Interesse an ihrem Schicksal.

Der Schreibstil ist einfach gehalten, die Geschichte punktet vor allem mit ihrer Atmosphäre, sehr düster und teilweise ausweglos. Diesmal gibt es auch ein paar Horrorelemente, vieles spielt sich subtil ab, gerade durch den Wahnsinn, der in der Story eine wichtige Rolle ein nimmt.

Der zweite Band er Arkham Horror Reihe konnte mich sehr gut unterhalten, das Ende wurde ein bisschen zu lange hinausgezögert, ansonsten war ich aber echt zufrieden. Ich hoffe auf weitere Teile der Reihe und dass diese den düsteren Ton und die Lovecraft Vibes beibehalten.

4 von 5 Sternen

[Sibil]

DNF at page 110

Thanks to NetGalley and to the Editor. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

I was quite torn with this one. On one hand, I was really sad to just drop it, because I was happy to be reading again something by this author, and because it is a well-developed book, as far as I have read. It has some amazing Lovecraftian vibes, and there is an interesting mystery on top of that. And Arham is an interesting city to explore. But on the other hand, I wasn't enjoying myself. The problem is that I am not a horror fan, but, as strange as this can seem, I really enjoy Lovecraft's stories, so I hoped that this combined with an author that I really enjoy would have helped me along. But I was wrong. There is something in all the horror full-length novels I have read that prevents me from really enjoying the story, that prevents me from really connecting with the characters, and since I am usually a character-driven kind of reader this stops me from fully enjoying the reading. And, sadly, this book was no exception. While I think this would be a great book if you have not the same problems with this genre that I have, with such atmospheres and an intriguing plot, this is sadly not the right book for me. I have read 100 pages, or a bit more, and I really hoped to start enjoying it for real at some point, but... nope. But I really think that this could be an amazing spooky book, and I hope it would get all the love it deserves!

[maskedbookblogger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Im Mystery-Krimi Roman „Arkham Horror – Litanei der Träume“ geht viel Skurriles vor sich. Wie aus dem Nichts verschwindet ein Student der Miscatonic Universität. Sein Mitbewohner Elliot Raslo ist erschüttert und entscheidet sich dazu, selbst die Ermittlungen aufzunehmen. Doch Elliot hat es nicht leicht, da er unter einem Problem leidet. In seinem Kopf hört er Gesänge, jedoch weiß er nicht woher die kommen. Bei seinen Nachforschungen trifft Elliot auf einen Mann, der auf der Suche nach einem Artefakt ist, von welchen Elliotts verschwundener Freund auch besessen war. Gibt es da in irgendeiner Weise einen Zusammenhang? Und was hat es mit der Wiedergeburt eines alten Mythos zu tun?

Obwohl ich den ersten Band er „Arkham Horror“-Reihe nicht kenne, hatte ich keinerlei Probleme in das Buch einzufinden. Das Buch spielt in der Arkham Horror-Welt, bei welcher es sich um eine surreale Welt handelt, welche besonders durch das namensgleiche Brettspiel berühmt geworden ist.
Durch sehr sympathische Charaktere stürzen wir uns in ein Abenteuer voller Mystik sowie Fragen.

Mir hat das Abenteuer in der Arkham Welt von Anfang an sehr viel Spaß gemacht, da es mal von der Idee her was Anderes war. Der Horror-Faktor offenbart sich in diesem Buch nach und nach und ist meiner Meinung nach von seinem Maß her, ideal. Die Figuren wie Elliott aber auch Daisy oder Nebenfiguren wie Chester sind sehr passend, wenn auch nicht sehr tiefgründig, zum Plot entworfen worden. Besonders Eliott Art fand ich sehr entsprechend gestaltet worden. So wies das Buch auch die nötige Spannung auf, damit ich am Ball dranbleibe. Zum Ende hin erwartet den Leser ein Ende mit vielen Horror-Faktoren, welches ich auch als ein Highlight dieses Buches ansehe. Folglich kann ich auf dieses Buch sehr positiv zurückblicken und freue mich auf weitere Geschichten aus dem Arkham Horror-Universum!

Fazit: Dieser Band aus dem Arkham Horror Universum ist ein Roman, gemischt aus guten Kriminalelementen, unvorhersehbaren Mystik-Aspekten sowie langsam entstehenden Horror-Elementen. Dadurch ist dieses Buch sehr einzigartig und hebt sich von vielen anderen Büchern ab. Ich bewerte das Buch mit sehr starken vier Sternen.

[Breznay · Rating 4 out of 5]

erster Satz:
"Die Aromen des Lebens, die sich schwer und süßlich in seiner Kehle sammelten, tanzten Arm in Arm mit dem Gestank von Fäulnis und Tod."

[Glenn · Rating 3 out of 5]

With thanks to the Publisher and NetGallery for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I have no prior knowledge of the board game this is based upon not have I read any previous book in the series, however I found an entertaining read despite that, with a few issues (that may or may not be answered in previous books)

To give a quick overview, we follow the story of Elliot who is trying to find his school friend who has mysteriously disappeared. Meeting a cast of diverse characters along the way, Elliot discovers more than he could possibly imagine, leaving him teetering on the brink of madness, but can he overcome it to stop a darkness overcoming the world?

I tried to not give too much away there! The book is heavily influenced by Cuthulu and Lovecraftian by nature, something it embraces with no shame and nor should it.

I thought the book was a decent story with one point even feeling like I was reading a novelisation of Resident Evil 4, I thought the motivations of the characters were all valid and never deviated. This does make the characters a little one note, none of them I would say grow massively or have massive arcs, but then I think the author is more interested in setting moods and atmosphere as that is the bread and butter of the book.

I had some issues with the writing, the amount of trailing off in the first third of the book had me giggling, imaging the characters looking off into the distance in deep thought as the sentences end with “and yet....” and “and if that was the case......” etc. It was used so much it became distracting to me.

I also found the main character, Elliot, a little overbearing and desperately co-dependant on his missing class mate; but this does soften as the story goes on. On that note, the feelings Elliot was sharing about his friend never felt too real as we didn’t ever experience this connection - but I am not sure if they are characters in previous books that I would have missed, so I won’t mark it down on that.


Overall if you’re looking to read something on a dark night that isn’t scary but gives some spooky imagery and unsettling moments, this would be a good pick up for a few pounds on offer, and it has made me interested to go back and read a little more of the series, depending if it is going to have some conclusion rather than a never ending series.

3 Stars.

[Paulo "paper books only" · Rating 2 out of 5]

Let's go. Another book that bites the dust and it was slow and boring - parts of it at least.

Basically something was stolen from a inuit tribe and one of them is trying to bring it back.
So he arrives at Arkham and after some time he teams up with Elliot and our known Daisy Walker. Probably due to being part of the game the author didn't really devolp her. This happened with previous novels where the game characters really have low parts ( non-existent) or are just briefly mentioned. He tries to tell about Ma Boarding House or Silver Lodge etc but they are just names like Austeen Street or Twelve Avenue.

The action goes one place then another and returning to the same in the beginning. We get to know more about a new elder god and zombies kind o people ensnared by some litany.

I mean the plot is not that awful, there's a lot of mystery some action so all around it was good. Less Lovecraftian and more action/mystery as I said.

There are some click bait woke elements but they are that bad - I am not going to say who but there is a a gay character which ye all know was pretty normal back in 1925. Basically these authors try to virtual signal and don't even understand what they are doing wrong.

- Racism in the 20's where not seen as "bad" thing
- Gay and Lesbians - were not that open - at all unless being shunned.

So why?
You can have some social commentary without being idiotic.

[William M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had such a great time reading this story, Litany of Dreams. I had never read this author before, but knowing he used to write for Roleplaying Games seemed to be a perfect fit. Ari Marmell really knows how to write locations and the character's actions within them. I could easily imagine everything he described, clearly and perfectly. His prose, for me, was so fitting for this world. The darkness and dread he writes about was some of the bleakest things I've come across in Arkham/Lovecraft tales. I mean, this is DARK. Prepare yourself for a hellish ride. I devoured this book in a few glorious days and absolutely cannot wait to read more of his work in Arkham. While some unneeded wokeness poked through here and there, the vast majority of this story is well worth your time and money. One of my favorite creepy reads of the year.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book based on a board game legitimately has no right to be this good, Ari Marmell completely captured the feeling of the Arkham Horror games and it was fun to see familiar characters and places popping up. A fun example of pulp fiction with likable, memorable, and diverse characters (Elliot Raslo I love you) this was an easy, breezy read that is sure to give me nightmares for days to come. And that ending? It’s just begging for a sequel. I can’t wait to read more of the Arkham Horror books now that I see the bar they hold themselves to!

[Michael Dodd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Miskatonic University student Elliot Raslo is falling apart, desperate to find some clue to the whereabouts of his missing best friend Chester. When Inuit hunter Billy Shiwak arrives in Arkham looking for an ancient artefact stolen from his tribe, the two men reluctantly work together and uncover the truth of an arcane litany that can infect those who hear it.

This really hit the nail on the head for me, in terms of blending ‘20s Americana, creepy cosmic horror and a pinch of vintage pulp, with just the right amount of troubled dream sequences and a plot that’s enjoyably twisty in all the right places. Marmell does a great job of exploring the prejudices of the time, particularly in Billy’s case, and also digging into the emotional cost of going through this sort of trauma, in a way that not all horror stories manage.

Read the full review at https://www.trackofwords.com/2023/07/...

[Marco Sectario · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mi reseña en detalle
http://www.sectarios.org/foro/viewtop...

[Charlie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok, so, I LOVED this Book. It wasn’t really that Horror-esque, but it had that slight creepy feeling all through, which made it so effective!

I went in with zero knowledge of the game, and didn’t miss anything. I’m sure some of the characters are recognizable, but you don’t have to know the game to enjoy the story.

Only thing I was kinda disappointed about was, that it wasn’t set IN the university and centred around some students, but hey. It couldn’t be the perfect dark academia book.

Oh, and don’t get me started on the drama. So, since it’s about a kind of virus that takes over peoples minds, there will be some heartbreaking.

Why? Why couldn’t the gay dark academia lads just be happy?

So yeah. Definitely recommend. Just have your tissues ready.

And with that done…

Isslaach thkulkris, isslaach cheoshash…

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Miskatonic University student Elliot Raslo is troubled, both by the mysterious disappearance of his roommate, Chester, and by the ceaseless chant that loops endlessly through his thoughts. His search for his roommate and for relief from the unending chant will lead to a broken stone stele covered in ancient writings and an ally on his own quest. Billy Shiwak left his home and his tribe to complete his father’s quest and return a stolen artifact to their safe keeping, tracking it all the way to Arkham, Massachusetts and Miskatonic University. Both seek answers leading away from the broken stele and the writings on it and the more they search, the more questions crop up. The more it looks like the litany and Chester’s research into it risk awakening something horrific.

I admit that I was not entirely sure what I expected when I picked up Ari Marmell’s Litany of Dreams. The idea of a college student searching for his roommate who might already be lost to the infectious horror our protagonist is dealing with is fascinating. But it felt oddly quiet after the prologue, like the reader had been shown that things were serious and now Marmell wanted to build up to the threats that had already been implied and give them more context.

There is a slowness to Litany of Dreams, not a matter of it dragging but a slow creeping build as Elliot struggles with the litany’s infection while the situation grows ever worse around him. Each moment that introduces a point of hope or a way to fight back only serves to show more of the threat or to treat the symptoms of the litany, ever more temporary treatments at that. The slowness gives it a delightful sense of dread. There is no escaping the litany for Elliot. It plagues him at every turn, every time his mind wonders, and when he sleeps it follows him into his dreams as something somehow worse. The whole thing leads Elliot to feeling very helpless as a protagonist, despite his attempts at finding his roommate and finding a way to rid himself of the litany, because every break through is a stop gap in the face of something far, far beyond him or any of our other protagonists. This works for me so well though, Elliot feels helpless in so many ways, but it does not stop him from trying to find Chester and that gives everything a lovely tragic tint. This especially taken with a mid book reveal that could have easily been sussed out ahead of the reveal that just twists the knife that extra little bit.

I will say, as well as Elliot works as a protagonist, I do wish there had been more of the other characters. Billy is important through out, his quest to recover his people’s artifact has as much weight as Elliot’s search for Chester, but he does not always feel like nearly as much of a protagonist as Elliot. Billy gets less time as a view point character once things get rolling. He is much more physically capable than Elliot, and has a background with the artifact thanks to his people’s stories, but Billy can often feel more like a very important secondary character than a deuteragonist. This expands to other characters as well. The Miskatonic University head librarian Daisy, whose surname I have completely forgotten, is important in the first stretch of the book but then she disappears for what felt like a huge chunk of the middle section and never really regains her importance despite being greatly helpful later on.

Conversely, there are a couple of characters who feel hugely important to the greater Arkham Horror setting but who feel like they only really show up in Litany of Dreams to allow the plot to be wrapped up. I do not know that I was a fan of those characters. Clearly there is a much larger set of conspiracies going on in Arkham, and clearly we are meant to be aware of those. But it feels like, to readers who are me, there would have been a much better tie up if some of the bits from the book’s climax had been given to Daisy to discover, potentially pulling her further into things, rather than introducing an eleventh hour new character to take care of them. Mostly it feels like one of them comes out of nowhere and I do not know what to do with them.

At the end of the day I greatly enjoyed Litany of Dreams, Marmell does a fantastic job with his character work and setting up this oppressive air of something terribly wrong having happened. There were moments where I felt like I needed to put the book down for a moment to get away from it, and that is not a complaint at all. But I am a bit frustrated with the new characters at the end. This means that Litany of Dreams earns a four out of five from me and also leaves me excited to see what Marmell will do next. So, give it a shot if you get the chance.

This book was provided to me through netGalley for honest review. Review was previously posted at https://tympestbooks.wordpress.com/20...

[Michael Botterill · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been provided with an advance copy of the new Arkham Horror book Litany of Dreams by Ari Marmell, published by Aconyte Books, so here is the honest review I promised in exchange for the book.

So here is an important disclaimer which is always important to put out there first. I have a casual work contact with Asmodee to demonstrate board games for them in stores and at conventions. Asmodee being the parent company of Aconyte the publisher.

I am going to try my best to not let that cloud my judgement in this review, but I accept that subconsciously it might.

What is Arkham Horror
Anyway that put to one side, let’s look at this book, by first looking at the game Arkham Horror which is a cooperative game, originally designed by Richard Launius, and is now in its third edition which was released in 2019.

It’s published by Fantasy Flight Games, a subsidiary of Asmodee, and is set in 1926 in the town of Arkham, Massachusetts. Each player takes on the role of an investigator, who are working to stop the Ancient Ones, eldritch horrors which lurk in the void beyond space and time.

It’s a 1-6 player game and you work together to gather clues and defeat the evil of the Ancient Ones and save the world.

As I said I haven’t actually played Arkham Horror but I do own its spin off Elder Sign the cooperative dice game.

The Story
Like the rest of the Arkham Horror novels, its set in the 1920s and in this case revolves around the disappearance of a gifted young student at Miskatonic University as his roommate searches high and low in his friends research for clues to his disappearance, and at the same time struggles against a litany that’s ceaseless in his mind and threatening to drive him into insanity.

The search takes on a new twist when an Inuit search for a stolen relic of his people crosses paths with him, and they find themselves joining forces to get to the bottom of the mystery and unearth a terrifying and ancient horror.

We get to delve a bit deeper into the lore of the Cthulhu mythos in this book than any of the others so far, and we have a very well rounded plot with characters with various motivations joining forces to prevent an apocalyptic event overtaking the world.

Mostly focusing on Elliot and Billy, the story is almost a mismatched buddy novel, crossed with mild horror and a bit of pulp detective thrown in for good measure.

Conclusion
The book was a very enjoyable read and a real page turner, the two main protagonists were very well developed and had just enough of a backstory to keep you interested, but without delving into too much. The motivation of Elliot, felt a little obvious, but when revealed is still highly dramatic and heartbreaking.

Billy seemed a little, well not obvious as to his background, its talked about a lot, the racism he experiences is subtle and all the more awful for that, but his background didn’t come through enough for me, I would have liked to have had this explored a bit more, but he was a very cool character.

Now I do have a negative thing to say, and that is that the female characters felt a tad underserved, we have two, strong and dynamic women in this book, and I felt that none of them got the service they deserved.

The main female character ups and leaves the group in the last quarter of the book and isn’t heard from again, so we have no idea how the events impacted her, or how she dealt with what happened. She didn’t even get in the epilogue and for me that wasn’t good at all.

The other main female character meets a tragic end, and it makes sense for her, what happens to her in the story makes what happens to her in the end seem logical, but with the dropping of the other character from the plot, I dunno, it just didn’t feel the same after I put the book down.

But regardless of this annoyance for me, the book was highly enjoyable and one I read in what felt like record time. The horror is initially slow and building, until the middle of the book when it becomes very real, some of it being almost post-apocalyptic in nature, and some feeling all too close to how things are in the world right now.

Would I recommend this book, yes, absolutely, its a solid 4.5 out of 5 for me, and to be honest had the epilogue resolved that one characters story arc, it would have been a 5.

The eBook is released on the 13th April and the paperback hits the shelves on 24th June.

[Gregory Mele · Rating 4 out of 5]

I stumbled upon this series when I came across S.A. Sidor's The Last Ritual and was attracted by the deco-esque cover (same artist as this volume), and the obvious Lovecraft tie-in. I didn't know it was volume *17* of a series of standalone novels that are really tie-ins to the "Arkham Horror" boardgame.

I still don't play the boardgame, and thus have no idea how the stories here overlap, but I have read three of the novels, and they make great palette-cleansers between "heavier" reads. Like the two others I have read, this is a fast-paced mystery in which the town of Arkham itself is a character: There are plenty of reoccurring locations and people (I assume these are relevant elements to the game?), and although each has had a different author, there is a certain commonality to style that unites the books. Simply put, yes these are in Lovecraft's "Mythos", but it is the Mythos through a specific lens.

Which turns out to be a fun lens, indeed. "Litany of Dreams" is interesting in what it does a little differently:

1. The evil entity at the center of the mystery is NOT a boilerplate name (Cthulhu, Hastur, etc), but something new.
2. Rather than following a single character, or pair of characters, we have three very different viewpoint characters (the librarian of Rare Books at Miskatonic, a tortured young student whose missing roommate is the center of the mystery, and an Innuit who has come to Arkham to try and reappropriate a sort of runestone that a research expedition stole), and several other secondary characters who get swept into the story with them (a young country girl, a well-known art & antiquities fence's lieutenant.). This gives the story a different pacing and allows some pretty terrible things to happen to some of the characters, without pausing the story.
3. Although there is the obligatory name-dropping of locales, forbidden books and characters from Lovecraft's own writing, the author really makes great use of real legends and locations in Massachusetts (Taunton Green, Hockomock Swamp) that gives a more "realistic" vibe. It was fun googling some of these locales afterwards.

The horror scenes are quite creepy, and the author manages to avoid the big mistake of a lot of Mythos writers -- he doesn't carefully detail and spell out what all of the strange things are, look like, etc. Much lurks in the shadows -- either literal or what the mind will allow us to perceive, and he shares Lovecraft's willingness to let "the good guys" meet with some unfortunate, and abrupt ends.

Where the story breaks down a little, unfortunately, is with some of the characterization of the viewpoint characters. Daisy Walker, our librarian, begins as a major character and then withdraws (rather believably) from the investigation to defend her own interests. Unfortunately, it means that we have spent a lot of time inside her head and never do learn some of the secrets she keeps talking to herself about, nor does she ultimately play any real role in the story's main set-pieces or resolution. The character fits the story fine, but should not have been a viewpoint character.

Elliot, the main vp character certainly is very Lovecraftian -- a bit emotionally frail, isolated, trapped inside things he doesn't understand -- but there is a side note of an implied, and decidedly unacceptable (in 1923) relationship that is always hinted at but never addressed. It's a great idea, but it really adds nothing to the story as executed -- no one finds out, it doesn't really change the ultimate character motivations, etc. It's a thread that almost feels like those scenes in a film where you know something got left behind in the editing room, but there isn't enough in the final cut to tell you where it was going.

As I said, I don't play the boardgame, but I AM an old Call of Cthulhu RPG-player, and more than almost any mythos novel I have read, this felt like a CoC game: a mismatched group of adventurers, some very bookish, some very physically capable, are drawn into an investigation that requires a combination of their skills to succeed, and comes at a high price. The game format often falls apart at attempted novelization, and the author succeeds here. Is this a grand entry to the horror field? No. But it is a PERFECT crawl up on the couch with a glass of wine and a cold winter night and have a few shudders kind of book. A great way to star the new year.

[Amy Walker - Trans-Scribe Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've not played the Arkham Horror game, my only experience in this world is my knowledge of of Lovecraft's stories, and the only book in the series I've read so far, Arkham Horror: The Last Ritual. As such, when I began reading the latest release in the novel series, Arkham Horror: Litany of Dreams, I was expecting certain things; I was expecting shadowy cults, strange rituals, and mysterious relics. Whilst this book has all of these things, it also has a lot more going on in it; things that make this a definite stand-out read.

The story follows a group of people who are drawn together in the town of Arkham. There's Elliot Raslo, a young psychology student whose friend, Chester has recently disappeared. Daisy Walker, one of the librarians of the Miskatonic University, who's in charge of keeping some of the stranger and more dangerous books in the collection under lock and key. And Billy Shiwak, an Inuit who's travelled across the world to Arkham in search of a relic that was stolen from his people. At first glance there's not much to connect these three, until their separate investigations draw them together.

Our three investigators soon discover that Chester may not only have come into contact with Billy's relic, the Ujaraanni, but has found a connection between it and an ancient, mysterious monolith held deep in the bowels of the University. The three of them come to believe that Chester's investigation into these artefacts may have led directly to his disappearance, and as such Daisy and Elliot agree to help Billy try and find his missing artefact, hoping that it will also lead to Chester. Along the course of their investigation the trio will discover a seedy underbelly of Arkham that deals in the mysterious and the occult, as well as a small swamp community that has fallen victim to this strange curse; some kind of odd incantation, one that Elliot has been hearing in his head ever since Chester vanished.

One of the things that I loved about Litany of Dreams was how you never knew what to expect next. The story began with one of the Miskatonic professors searching for Chester, finding a frightening secret deep in the swamps, before the action then shifts back to the city. Here the mystery focused on our three principal players as they try to find the clues that can help them find Chester, before it takes us back to the small swamp community where something even more horrific is going on. Then the book brings you back to Arkham and introduces even more frightening stakes; ones that could mean the end of everything.

The twists and turns in the story meant that you had to be constantly on your toes. There was never a moment to feel relaxed reading the book, as there was always something happening. Even the moments of the book where there wasn't a lot of action the characters were always discovering new things, finding out secret histories or unearthing hidden connections between people. Ari Marmell never let the reader get bored, and paced the narrative wonderfully throughout.

One of the things that really stood out about the book for me though were the scenes set deep within the swamps. From reading the previous Arkham Horror novel I was expecting a story that would be mainly set within the city itself, focused on the hidden societies and cults that make up the town. So when the characters found themselves in this remote, rural location it made for a big shift in tone. The fact that the horror became more overt then too really helped. Instead of the ever present sense of unease the horror shifted and moved front and centre as people that had fallen under the spell of this strange litany became active threats.

These moments brought to mind things like Night of the Living Dead and Resident Evil 7, one because there's the horror of an infection that can turn your loved ones against you and force you to have to kill them, as well as the potential for it to linger inside you before transforming you into one of them too; and the other because of the remote setting where people are slowly changing into something else, with this outside presence controlling their actions and turning them on those they love. It was the part of the book that really got under my skin the most, and I absolutely loved it.

One of the keys to good horror though is having characters that you care about. If people start being killed off but they're folks you don't really give a damn about it doesn't really mean much; so having characters that you can get attached to is really important. Marmell seems to understand this, and gives readers some compelling characters to follow. Daisy is a young woman who's worked hard to get in the position she has, and seems to have something of an impostor syndrome going on. There are times in the book where she expresses amazement that she has the position she has, and seems to always be worried about something causing her to lose her job and standing. It's something I think a lot of us can identify with, and it means that when she refuses to get involved with certain things, or to put herself at risk in certain ways, you completely understand it. You get why she's worried to put her job on the line and you don't hold it against her.

Billy is probably the biggest outsider in the book, being a character who's not Caucasian he's almost instantly met with distrust, if not open hostility throughout the book. Even when there are times people seem to be accepting and polite towards him it can turn and you see that there's bigotry just beneath the surface. There's one scene in particular where someone uses the phrase Eskimo, Billy tells him that he doesn't like it and prefers the term Inuit, making it quite clear that the other word isn't acceptable; but then that person immediately replies with 'Yes, I've heard that about Eskimo's' and carries on. It's not overt, but it's there. And it's there constantly. The level of restraint that Billy shows throughout the book is astonishing, and it quickly gets you on his side and you see that despite sometimes appearing to be angry or upset about things he's a man in a lot of control of his emotions, one who keeps his actions measured and carefully thought through.

Elliot is one of the the more interesting members of our little group. At first he appears to be a pretty average young man, one who's given himself over to his studies and is trying to better himself. But we soon discover that he's willing to give up a lot of the advancement he's achieved in order to help his missing friend. There are heavy hints at why there is in the early stages of the book, and it's no real surprise when it's revealed that he's in love with Chester. Making him a queer man in a time where such things were unacceptable, where he has to hide his romantic feelings behind 'just good friends' makes his mission to find Chester and save him so much more meaningful and heartbreaking. Even if he's able to find Chester and get him back safely he can never be with him, can never openly love the person who means the most to him in the world. It's perhaps one of the more tragic parts of the book.

The fact that the three leads are all outsiders, people who aren't in positions of power, who aren't able to be themselves definitely works in the books favour. Not only does it give the text something interesting to explore, as much of Lovecraft's own work was about straight white cis men, but it also flips the themes of the 'horrific outsider' that was a foundation for the original Lovecraft stories on its head. We all know that Lovecraft was a huge racist, that he hated and feared anyone who was 'different' or 'other', so to have those kinds of people be the ones to be rising it all to save everyone else, to be putting their lives on the line to stop the true darkness is an absolutely sublime choice.

As I said before, this is only my second Arkham Horror book, but it's quickly become my favourite in the series; as well as one of the better Lovecraft inspired stories I've read. It takes the expected conventions and turns them on their head. The book always keeps you guessing, always keeps you on edge. I adored every minute of reading this book, and I really hope that we get more of Ari in this world.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was first attracted to this book by the pretty purple cover and the intriguingly creepy short blurb. After I received it, I looked up Arkham Horror and discovered it is a card game based on Lovecraft’s horror. I had never heard of this game and I was honestly a little worried that this book would not be of a high quality and might be kind of silly. I was also concerned about the level of Lovecraftian influence. I can enjoy supernatural cosmic horror and otherworldly creatures of ooze and tentacles, but I do not appreciate the white supremacy, racism, and sexism common to Lovecraft himself and to many of the stories he inspired. With a fair amount of trepidation, I began reading.

Okay, so the main characters seem to be Elliot-a slightly hapless university student, Daisy-an intelligent female librarian, and a person of colour Billy-a fierce Inuk hunter no less. As I kept turning pages, I realized I was completely wrong to pre-judge because this book suffered from none of the problematic issues of Lovecraft and instead actively dispelled racism and sexism. There is even some LGBTQ representation! The racism faced by the Inuk character is not just present, but also discussed and examined as unfair and unjust. One of the best characters who appears later in the story is Alice, a strong, clever, and kick-ass black woman. I seriously would read a whole book just about her!

So, with the racism and sexism being not in evidence at all, quite the opposite, you may wonder about the quality of a book based on a game. Let me tell you this book knocked my sock off! It was engaging, exciting, funny, terrifying and most of all it was really fun! It had everything I want from a horror novel. Even while dealing with some tragic events there was still a lot of humour that kept it light and entertaining. I absolutely flew through the pages and when I finished, I looked for more Arkham Horror books. They seem to be by all different authors so I don’t know if they will be comparable to this one, but I was so impressed with “Litany of Dreams” that I’m willing to give them a try. This book surprised me, and I want to encourage other horror fans to give it a chance. It just might surprise you too!

Thank you to Aconyte Books for providing an Electronic Advance Reader Copy via NetGalley for review.

[Stacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Aconyte Books for this ARC!

Rating: 4.5/5

Litany of Dreams by Ari Marmell was the first Arkham horror novel that I have read but it will not be the last!

In this book we follow Elliot, a Psychology student at Miskatonic University, who is on a mission to find his missing roommate, Chester. Along with Billy and Daisy, together they are trying to unlock the mysteries around Chester’s disappearances while trying to survive the dangers that surround them. The pacing of this book was perfect and kept me on my toes the entire time, filling me with nerves and actually scaring me at certain points. This is truly a horror book but the intertwined mystery added a delicious change to your typical horror story. I want to say more about the plot of this book because there was so much that I enjoyed but one of the best things about this book is unveiling its mysteries while you read it.

Elliot, Billy, and Daisy each bring something different but essential to this story that I just loved learning more about them. Usually when I read a book, there is always a character or two that I just do not like but I really enjoyed these main characters. As you are reading this book, you will feel a lot of sympathy for Elliot as he is obviously affected by his missing friend as well as suffering from the never-ending chanting that he hears in his head. This chanting is torturing poor Elliot slowly. Then there is Billy and Daisy; who are there to help Elliot with his mission but maybe not for the best reasons. Each character adds such a different perspective to the story and their perspectives were never dull.

If you love horror, mystery, or both, check out this book. You do not need to have previous knowledge or experience with Arkham horror to enjoy this story.

#LitanyofDreams #NetGalley

[Patt ✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

… * Suspira*

Agarraos, que vienen curvas.

A ver, no es el libro más terrible que he leído en el año. Tampoco creo que sea terrible en sí. Simplemente, no era para mí. Pero voy a empezar por las cosas buenas, fuera negatividad.

Me encanta que se use la mitología lovecraftiana para seguir produciendo novelas, porque es un mundo que da para lo que le des y más. Encima, me pareció súper acertada la protesta que el autor hace sobre el expolio de obras de pueblos nativos (y lo que no es solo el expolio, porque ya sabemos cómo han sido tratados a lo largo de la historia), de gran importancia cultural y religiosa.

Ahora, ¿Qué problema tengo con esta obra? Los personajes son absurdamente planos en su mayoría, no ahondan todo lo que podrían ahondar en prácticamente ninguno. Las aventuras tienen momentos interesantes, pero no me impactaron ni me dejaron con ganas de saber más sobre lo que pasa. Creo que el problema fue que me imaginé otro tipo de historia y otro tipo de tono.

Eso sí, el lenguaje sencillo que emplea el autor y la facilidad con la que explica los detalles hace que sea una novela que se sigue muy bien, y eso me gusta. Lo que pasa es que me ha dado la sensación de que el autor se imaginaba los sucesos que tenían que pasar y los ha intentado cohesionar como ha podido.

✨ ¡En resumen! ✨
💚 Lo mejor es la mitología que emplea y la parte final, que verdaderamente me pareció interesante y que da para mucho más.
��� Lo no tan bueno es que se me hizo pesada por todo lo que he mencionado.

🧐Y el veredicto es…🥁

Que no sea una novela para mí no implica que sea mala. Por eso, puedo decir que me parece un buenísimo acercamiento para adolescentes y gente más jovencita al mundo de Lovecraft. Así que si estáis en esa franja de edad, tenéis peques en casa o familiares, quizás puede hacer que les pique el gusanillo del terror cósmico.

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

Litany of Dreams is a tie-in horror novel set in the Arkham Horror universe. Released 13th April 2021 by Aconyte, it's 352 pages and is available in paperback and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

The setting is Lovecraftian - Miskatonic University and environs. The mythos is pure Lovecraft - psychological horror, creeping dread, incomprehensible nightmarish chanting in the dead of night and awakening unspeakable elder gods. Of the intelligently rendered protagonists, one is in search of his roommate who has gone missing after delving in dark mysteries best left alone, one is an indigenous man on the trail of a powerful profaned stolen artifact of his people, and the third is a reference librarian.

This will be an obvious choice for fans of the Arkham Horror board & card games and the co-op universe, but for a broader audience who are not necessarily already fans of the canonical Lovecraft stories, this could be a good fit as well. It's very well written and while it -is- horror, there's very little actual gore (mostly some body horror).

Four stars. Not for kids and possibly NSFW because of content, not language, which is fairly mild.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

[Caleb Likes Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another solid Arkham Horror novel!

The main thing that I think was really strong about this book was the plot. This is primarily a mystery story, centered around the disappearance of a student from Miskatonic University. Investigating this event turns out to involve ancient artifacts, an occult chant which manipulates those who hear it, and an ancient evil waiting to be unleashed. The setup of this mystery really hooked me, and seeing the way all the pieces of the puzzle come together was a lot of fun and very well executed. I also appreciate how the story builds as it goes—it starts relatively small scale, just being the mystery of why one man disappeared, and eventually expands into something grander and, appropriately, more cosmic and eldritch. I think this book also does a very good job of building an atmosphere, as the prose and descriptions really get across the feel of the story, events, and places very well. I also enjoyed the Lovecraftian elements of this book, as far as tying into the wider Cthulhu Mythos. I wouldn’t go as far as to say it feels exactly like the sort of story Lovecraft himself may have written, but it definitely captures a similar kind of feel and narrative.

The biggest con of this book for me is the characters. There’s a decent sized cast here, and I generally enjoyed the characters and their dialogue, but I never found myself particularly invested in the characters themselves. That said, this is the sort of book that really feels more driven by its plot and mystery, so that at least still kept things interesting.

Overall, a solid and enjoyable book. I’d certainly recommend this one if you want a blending of Lovecraftian lore with a mystery plot.

Rating: 8/10

[pillowreader · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first ever horror read, and I like this book better than I thought I would.

An arc was gifted to me through net galley in exchange for an honest review.

I've been avoiding horror books since I am a scared cat but, I think this book is a very approachable book for a first-time horror reader. This book actually gives me more post-apocalyptic vibes rather than horror vibes. I think it is still acceptable for non-horror fans, and it definitely didn't prevent me from sleeping.

Now onto the book itself. I really loved the world and the story of this book. The world is complex and well developed, and the story is well planned. I particularly like how the world itself feels really concrete and solid. I also like how the author added inclusivity in this book and incorporated many social and political norms.

The writing and pacing, though, needs some time to get used to. I understand that for horror books, it is important that you can really feel what is happening hence, why the writing is descriptive, and the pacing is slow but, it was really a struggle for me to read. I think I was well through half of the book when I started getting used to the writing, but I don't think it would be a big issue for those of you who read more adult fiction and horror.

Anyways, I really enjoyed this book, and I will try to read horror books from now on. I think this book is worth reading for horror fans, so do check it out.

[Cat Treadwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

While the early Arkham books stayed firmly in that sinister town, Ari Marmell heads further afield, to explore how the insidious darkness of the Great Old Ones spreads far deeper into the lands around Massachusetts.

We follow Elliot Raslo with what might otherwise be a simple missing persons case: his roommate has vanished. After reading some mysterious writings. And becoming obsessed with a particular chant in an uncomfortably weird language.Yes, this is Arkham after all!

The story unfurls like a true yarn, leading from libraries and museums to the swamps of Hockomock outside the town, with a nod to the ancient lore of the Inuit peoples far to the North.

The tone shifts and changes – fortunately far more comfortably for the reader than for the characters! – so that we see Elliot’s confusion, his new friend Billy’s increasing worry, and the curiosity of librarian Daisy Walker, all combining beautifully as the quest unfolds.

I was reminded of many Lovecraftian movies (notably ‘Reanimator’, with the emphasis on Miskatonic University), but also ‘Evil Dead’ and even ‘The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.’ The escalating fear of the protagonists is tangible, and there were several points where it genuinely seemed like there was no way out for them. I don’t want to say any more for fear of spoilers, but this evil is its own kind of spreading disease, with no way of knowing if there’s any cure. Sound relevant?

[Kealy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Litany of Dreams is the most recent addition to the Arkham Horror Files fiction family. The book is part of the universe created for the popular cooperative game. I received an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. And honestly, I expected to hate it. Having not read anything else from the anthology, I expected to be confused, but the standalone plot took an unbiased approach to draw the reader into a mystery fit for Agatha Christie and H.P. Lovecraft. The book starts out at full octane which disappoints only that it brakes sharply to build up some background as characters are introduced. Still as the story unfolds, you become drawn to student Elliot Raslo, as he seeks answers to why his roommate and friend, Chester, has gone missing. He bites of more than he can chew, but as the story unfolds he finds help in the form of a motley crew of similarly vested individuals with an unknown common adversary.

[Ayre · Rating 4 out of 5]

So I honestly picked this book up only because of the cover. I had no idea what Arkham horror was (batman was my best guess - its not batman).

With that being said I actually enjoyed this. Its Lovecraftian horror, so not really scary but a lot of screwing with peoples brains and a little bit of body horror. The mystery aspect of the story makes it a really engaging yet quick read.

I was shocked to discover indigenous rep in this story. I don't know how good the rep was because I'm not indigenous but I didn't find it obviously problematic. Please read own voices reviews.

Recommend if this sounds like your thing.

I received a copy of this title for free from netgalley. I was not required to give this review.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed listening to this. The horror and Lovecraftian events come up earlier and more often, giving this book a horror/action genre feel. For a longer novel, I liked that approach.

I liked Billy and Elliot's relationship. Kind of that standard experienced, stoic, physically oriented guy and newer, less experienced but more intellectually oriented guy relationship and their growing trust and camaraderie was well executed. Made the end a bit bittersweet, in fact.

And there's a hint at the end about an overarching plot. I half hope that this series does culminate in something but that may not work for a Lovecraftian horror setting. It may work just as well for hinting that despite how things turned out now, the end of the world still looms.

[Marcin Roszkowski · Rating 1 out of 5]

I tried...
I have really, really tried. And I have failed...
I am great admirer of HPL's work and games based upon his literature. As Ia have rubbed my internet shoulders with Mr. Marmell, I felt somewhat obliged to read his novel. And I tried about three times, with the last one, reading from the beginning again. Believe me, it's something uncommon for me, as I have limited time and attention span. But I gave my effort but unfortunately it wasn't enough.

Theoretically all the key elements are in place: classic, yet interesting characters. Mystery. Very interesting artifact, intrigue... But I have struggled to pick up book again and read. I was totally uninterested in story.

I'm sorry, Mouseferatu.

I tried, I failed, now I rest... the book upon my shelf of shame.

[Charlotte · Rating 4 out of 5]

Litany of Dreams by Ari Marmell takes us into the world of Arkham Horror, a cooperative adventure board game first published in 1987.

Do not worry, though; you do not have to know one little bit about the original game or those published since to escape in this horror mystery. Litany of Dreams follows Elliot Raslo. He is a Psychology student at a Miskatonic university looking for his missing friend and roommate, Chester.

The spine-tingling prologue sets the tone of Litany of Dreams, and Ari Marmell's use of dialogue helps bring the finer plot details to light.

Many thanks to Ari Marmell, Aconyte Books, and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Cass (only the darkest reads) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Net Galley and Aconyte Books for the ARC of this book.

So this is definitely my fault, but I got so mesmerized by this gorgeous cover that I skimmed over the fact that it is an Arkham Horror game tie-in novel. While I am familiar with the game, I have never played it.

Saying that, this book was A LOT of fun. I've read a few different reimaginings in the Lovecraft universe this year, and they definitely are a little dry. This had a lot of action, some compelling characters and a really fun story.

3.5 rounded down.