What do you think?
Rate this book
Amid the Vastness of All Else #4
To Carry a Body to Its Resting Place
When Ashley Sutliff receives word from his brother Willow that their father is deathly ill, he leaves behind his life as a gambler in St. Louis and returns home — burdened with regret and the weight of old wounds. Two years away couldn’t erase the damage he left behind, and now Ashley must face the fractured ties that once held his family together. With their father fading, Ashley learns of a promise his father made years earlier — a debt owed to the mysterious Peregrine Estate. Dedicated to preventing a bloody war between rival werewolf packs in the Little Kansas Barony, the Peregrine Estate calls on Ashley, Willow, and their brother Ellery to help fulfill that long-standing promise.
A sharp, deeply moving story told in rich, evocative prose, To Carry a Body to Its Resting Place is a stirring novel. The first novel in the Peregrine Estate Trilogy, a tale exploring duty, forgiveness, and the danger of waiting too long to say what matters most.
A sharp, deeply moving story told in rich, evocative prose, To Carry a Body to Its Resting Place is a stirring novel. The first novel in the Peregrine Estate Trilogy, a tale exploring duty, forgiveness, and the danger of waiting too long to say what matters most.
184 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 15, 2025
10 people are currently reading
1457 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
July 14, 2025
Basic Info:Title/Author: To Carry A Body to It's Resting Place by C. S. HumbleThe fourth book in the Amid the Vastness of All Else Saga
Pub date: July 15th, 2025
Publisher: Shortwave Media
Page Count: 260
Affiliate Link: https://bookshop.org/a/7576/978195956... Read: eBook (arc) & physical edition for my library
Recommended for readers who enjoy:
-High-stakes, emotionally charged, character-driven horror
-Epic, sweeping narrative, intricately plotted, cinematic details
-Family saga, love & loss, brotherhood, sons, grief, emotional trauma
-Western setting & aesthetics, supernatural/paranormal elements,
-Connected universe, recurring characters, overarching themes threaded through the Amid the Vastness of All Else Saga that readers will come to expect and treasure
-Unforgettable characters you will fall head-over-heels in love with (Ashley Sutliff lives in my Reader's Heart)
-Creature-Feature: some of the scariest and most unique representations of werewolves I've found in horror
__
Minor complaints:
-Zero/No notes ( I usually enjoy sharing hyper-specific disappointments or minor failings but this book is about as perfect as they come.
Final recommendation: Within just a few pages of this book, it will become clear to the reader that Humble knows how to grab his audience and keep them in his grip. The Brothers Sutliff come alive on the page with their distinct mannerisms and witty dialogue. Each brother different than the next.
"You have always been self-absorbed.Thinking little of others. And in this way you have become the worse kind of selfish wretch, seeing everyone else as cards you've been dealt, rather than other players at the table."
"Oh how you have longed to say that to me," said Ashley, "Knowing you as only I can, you've been tailoring that response for months at least. Maybe since the night I left."
Venture further into the lives of this small family and readers will underestimate their ability to put a bookmark in place when life calls. My recommendation is to devote some quality, uninterrupted time into allowing oneself to sink into full emotional investment. Older brother, Ashley left home to pursue his natural ability to charm and dazzle people out of their earnings as a gambler in St. Louis. His brother, Willow makes a surprise visit to let him know he is being summoned by their mother.
The patriarch is dying.
As the family comes together to lay their differences aside so that they can be fully present for their loved one who is fading fast, they learn of a promise made to an organization called, The Peregrine Estate-the Sutliff Brothers, Ashley, Willow and the youngest, Ellery must honor their father's promise to negotiate peace between rival werewolf packs.
I love how each chapter has a descriptive heading, a glimpse into what's in store for our heroes as they take on this mysterious quest. Reader, in your heart of hearts, you know that the more these characters develop in front of your eyes, the more you hope for the success of their mission and long for these men to return home to their mother so they can heal and grow--the more you are convinced C. S. Humble isn't going to let you off so easy. Since this is book 4 in a saga--some of you have read the That Light Sublime Trilogy, so you already know what you're showing up for here.
"Only for a piece, only for a time."
This book has a very special place in my reader's heart. I know it will find its way into yours as well.
Comps: Tolkien, Lewis, Lansdale, King, Martin (a master blend of Fantasy/Horror/Western/ at its best) I've compared the saga to my all-time favorite saga, The Dark Tower Series
Pub date: July 15th, 2025
Publisher: Shortwave Media
Page Count: 260
Affiliate Link: https://bookshop.org/a/7576/978195956... Read: eBook (arc) & physical edition for my library
Recommended for readers who enjoy:
-High-stakes, emotionally charged, character-driven horror
-Epic, sweeping narrative, intricately plotted, cinematic details
-Family saga, love & loss, brotherhood, sons, grief, emotional trauma
-Western setting & aesthetics, supernatural/paranormal elements,
-Connected universe, recurring characters, overarching themes threaded through the Amid the Vastness of All Else Saga that readers will come to expect and treasure
-Unforgettable characters you will fall head-over-heels in love with (Ashley Sutliff lives in my Reader's Heart)
-Creature-Feature: some of the scariest and most unique representations of werewolves I've found in horror
__
Minor complaints:
-Zero/No notes ( I usually enjoy sharing hyper-specific disappointments or minor failings but this book is about as perfect as they come.
Final recommendation: Within just a few pages of this book, it will become clear to the reader that Humble knows how to grab his audience and keep them in his grip. The Brothers Sutliff come alive on the page with their distinct mannerisms and witty dialogue. Each brother different than the next.
"You have always been self-absorbed.Thinking little of others. And in this way you have become the worse kind of selfish wretch, seeing everyone else as cards you've been dealt, rather than other players at the table."
"Oh how you have longed to say that to me," said Ashley, "Knowing you as only I can, you've been tailoring that response for months at least. Maybe since the night I left."
Venture further into the lives of this small family and readers will underestimate their ability to put a bookmark in place when life calls. My recommendation is to devote some quality, uninterrupted time into allowing oneself to sink into full emotional investment. Older brother, Ashley left home to pursue his natural ability to charm and dazzle people out of their earnings as a gambler in St. Louis. His brother, Willow makes a surprise visit to let him know he is being summoned by their mother.
The patriarch is dying.
As the family comes together to lay their differences aside so that they can be fully present for their loved one who is fading fast, they learn of a promise made to an organization called, The Peregrine Estate-the Sutliff Brothers, Ashley, Willow and the youngest, Ellery must honor their father's promise to negotiate peace between rival werewolf packs.
I love how each chapter has a descriptive heading, a glimpse into what's in store for our heroes as they take on this mysterious quest. Reader, in your heart of hearts, you know that the more these characters develop in front of your eyes, the more you hope for the success of their mission and long for these men to return home to their mother so they can heal and grow--the more you are convinced C. S. Humble isn't going to let you off so easy. Since this is book 4 in a saga--some of you have read the That Light Sublime Trilogy, so you already know what you're showing up for here.
"Only for a piece, only for a time."
This book has a very special place in my reader's heart. I know it will find its way into yours as well.
Comps: Tolkien, Lewis, Lansdale, King, Martin (a master blend of Fantasy/Horror/Western/ at its best) I've compared the saga to my all-time favorite saga, The Dark Tower Series
July 14, 2025
I’m literally never going to emotionally recover from these books. Review to come …
I have returned. Yep, I’m back again to yell about this series. To Carry a Body to Its Resting Place is book 4 in the larger Amid The Vastness of All Else saga and kicks off The Peregrine Estate Trilogy. If you’ve read the first trilogy, That Light Sublime (🥹), this is a step back in time, following Ashley Sutliff.
Well Seth, you did it. You made me cry again. I thought I’d escape this story unscathed and ended up blubbering like a baby at the end. My voice was literally quivering when I gave my book report to my partner. I don’t know if any other book or series has shredded my heart this way and I don’t know if another one ever will. It’s beyond gorgeously written. The prose is flawless and I have never cared more about a cast of characters. This is a testament to Seth’s skill yall and I implore you not to sleep on this series …
Ashely is called home for reasons highlighted in the title. But, upon his return, he soon discovers there is more in store for himself and his brothers. I will not spoil any of this story but just know, there’s a whole ass new threat: lycanthropes. Go pick this entire series up like immediately from Shortwave Books. The entire ebook series is ONLY $9.99!
I have returned. Yep, I’m back again to yell about this series. To Carry a Body to Its Resting Place is book 4 in the larger Amid The Vastness of All Else saga and kicks off The Peregrine Estate Trilogy. If you’ve read the first trilogy, That Light Sublime (🥹), this is a step back in time, following Ashley Sutliff.
Well Seth, you did it. You made me cry again. I thought I’d escape this story unscathed and ended up blubbering like a baby at the end. My voice was literally quivering when I gave my book report to my partner. I don’t know if any other book or series has shredded my heart this way and I don’t know if another one ever will. It’s beyond gorgeously written. The prose is flawless and I have never cared more about a cast of characters. This is a testament to Seth’s skill yall and I implore you not to sleep on this series …
Ashely is called home for reasons highlighted in the title. But, upon his return, he soon discovers there is more in store for himself and his brothers. I will not spoil any of this story but just know, there’s a whole ass new threat: lycanthropes. Go pick this entire series up like immediately from Shortwave Books. The entire ebook series is ONLY $9.99!
June 30, 2025
Humble is a master of character. You can feel what they feel, see what they see. It's magnificent to experience.
This is a story of brothers and grief and promises kept and broken. It was near impossible to put down.
Read these books. They are incredible.
This is a story of brothers and grief and promises kept and broken. It was near impossible to put down.
Read these books. They are incredible.
April 26, 2025
I am so excited that C.S. Humble has written these prequels. I’ve been longing for more of this Wild West of a world that he’s created since finishing the first trilogy.
Getting to know Ashley Sutliff better and diving into his backstory was so much fun. Jam packed full of adventure and heartbreak, this story is, from start to finish, an incredible prequel. Ashley’s bond with his brothers is so strong and I loved getting to see them interact and bicker as brothers do, but also seeing them fight the way only family will for each other was so special.
I’m already looking forward to the next book and am so happy these stories exist!
Getting to know Ashley Sutliff better and diving into his backstory was so much fun. Jam packed full of adventure and heartbreak, this story is, from start to finish, an incredible prequel. Ashley’s bond with his brothers is so strong and I loved getting to see them interact and bicker as brothers do, but also seeing them fight the way only family will for each other was so special.
I’m already looking forward to the next book and am so happy these stories exist!
March 6, 2025
To Carry a Body to Its Resting Place is grief horror at its absolute best. In a western setting, we follow brothers mourning the recent death of their father while they set out to deliver on a promise he made before he died-- to help a secret organization fight a supernatural threat.
I've said it before and I'll say it a million more times, C.S. Humble is the best living writer working today. Between his ability to deliver the sights, sounds, smells, and FEEL of a place, and his acumen for drawing characters that make you both believe in humanity and grieve for its shortfalls, I challenge any reader to find a contemporary equal.
I've said it before and I'll say it a million more times, C.S. Humble is the best living writer working today. Between his ability to deliver the sights, sounds, smells, and FEEL of a place, and his acumen for drawing characters that make you both believe in humanity and grieve for its shortfalls, I challenge any reader to find a contemporary equal.
July 14, 2025
You all have seen how much praise I have given the first three books in this series (if you haven’t read the That Light Sublime trilogy please get on that). Humble is now releasing a new trilogy of books - The Peregrine Estate trilogy - that serve as standalone prequels to the aforementioned trilogy. Together they form the Amid the Vastness of All Else Saga.
To Carry a Body to its Resting Place is the first of those prequels. The novel follows a young Ashley Sutliff (one of my favorite books from the Sublime trilogy) and his two brothers, who following the death of their father, are taken on a mission at the behest of Judge Hezekiah Ellison (another great character from the first three books).
This book has so much heart. If you couldn’t gather from the title, this one deals with grief. It also grapples with themes like duty, family, promises, and regret, especially the regret of life choices and things we wish we could have said when we had the chance.
In the first three books, Ashley is a complicated character. This backstory perfectly illustrates how Ashley became the man he became.
This novel is ripe with great character moments, great dialogue, and major emotional depth. This one might make you cry, especially in the climax of the novel, where the gradually building tension snaps into a horrific and action packed scene. My jaw was on the floor.
To Carry a Body to its Resting Place has everything I want in a prequel. It enriches the backstory of a favorite character and delivers upon a story only hinted at in the original three books. Lycanthropes. That’s all I’ll say.
Seriously, if you haven’t picked these books up yet, what are you waiting for? The story of the Peregrine Estate is waiting for you…
To Carry a Body to its Resting Place is the first of those prequels. The novel follows a young Ashley Sutliff (one of my favorite books from the Sublime trilogy) and his two brothers, who following the death of their father, are taken on a mission at the behest of Judge Hezekiah Ellison (another great character from the first three books).
This book has so much heart. If you couldn’t gather from the title, this one deals with grief. It also grapples with themes like duty, family, promises, and regret, especially the regret of life choices and things we wish we could have said when we had the chance.
In the first three books, Ashley is a complicated character. This backstory perfectly illustrates how Ashley became the man he became.
This novel is ripe with great character moments, great dialogue, and major emotional depth. This one might make you cry, especially in the climax of the novel, where the gradually building tension snaps into a horrific and action packed scene. My jaw was on the floor.
To Carry a Body to its Resting Place has everything I want in a prequel. It enriches the backstory of a favorite character and delivers upon a story only hinted at in the original three books. Lycanthropes. That’s all I’ll say.
Seriously, if you haven’t picked these books up yet, what are you waiting for? The story of the Peregrine Estate is waiting for you…
July 10, 2025
This book was absolutely amazing. This book gripped me from the first page and didn't let me go until. The characters, specifically the brothers, were truly compelling to follow. The connections to both their parents and each other was complicated, strained, and strangely relatable. I also really enjoyed how the supernatural elements of the story were woven in to the background of the Wild West during the 1800s.
The emotions that I felt throughout this 240 page book left me stunned. This was a roller coaster ride that filled me with sadness, compassion, grief, and heartache. That being said, I loved every second of it.
I can't wait to read the rest of this series and the other trilogy!
Thank you to the author, C.S. Humble, and Shortwave publishing for sending me this book in exchange for an honest review.
The emotions that I felt throughout this 240 page book left me stunned. This was a roller coaster ride that filled me with sadness, compassion, grief, and heartache. That being said, I loved every second of it.
I can't wait to read the rest of this series and the other trilogy!
Thank you to the author, C.S. Humble, and Shortwave publishing for sending me this book in exchange for an honest review.
May 16, 2025
Book Review: To Carry a Body to Its Resting Place by C.S. Humble
A Haunting Western Elegy of Grief and the Supernatural
C.S. Humble’s To Carry a Body to Its Resting Place—the first installment in The Peregrine Estate series—melds the raw emotional weight of familial loss with the eerie, atmospheric dread of grief horror. Set against a stark western backdrop, this novel follows two brothers tasked with transporting their father’s body to his final resting place, a journey that unravels into a chilling exploration of duty, love, and the shadows that cling to the living.
Key Strengths
-Emotional Resonance: Humble’s prose cuts deep, capturing the visceral ache of mourning with poetic precision. The brothers’ relationship is the heart of the story, fraught with unspoken tensions and shared sorrow.
-Genre-Blending Mastery: Part western, part supernatural horror, the novel balances dusty trail realism with moments of unsettling otherworldliness. Think Blood Meridian meets The Terror, but with an intimate, familial focus.
-Thematic Richness: Beyond its ghostly thrills, the story interrogates filial piety, the weight of legacy, and how grief can distort reality—or reveal hidden truths.
Potential Considerations
-Pacing: The deliberate, contemplative pace may test readers seeking relentless action, though it serves the story’s meditative tone.
-Niche Appeal: Those averse to melancholy or ambiguity might find the ending challenging, but it lingers like a ghost long after the last page.
Score Breakdown (Out of 5)
-Prose: ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨ (4.5/5) – Lyrical and knife-sharp.
-Atmosphere: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5) – The western gothic setting is palpable.
-Character Depth: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5) – The brothers’ dynamic is unforgettable.
-Originality: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5) – A fresh twist on both western and horror tropes.
Overall: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5) – A funeral dirge etched in dust and moonlight—beautiful and haunting.
Ideal Audience
-Fans of Lonesome Dove with a supernatural edge or The Road’s existential dread.
-Readers who crave horror that prioritizes emotional stakes over jump scares.
-Anyone drawn to stories where landscapes—external and internal—are characters themselves.
Gratitude
Thank you to NetGalley and C.S. Humble for the advance review copy. To Carry a Body to Its Resting Place is a testament to horror’s power to excavate the deepest human wounds—and the ghosts they birth.
Final Verdict
Humble’s novel is a masterclass in mood and meaning, a slow-burn nightmare that lingers in the bones. While its pace and ambiguity won’t suit everyone, those who surrender to its spell will find a story as profound as it is terrifying. A standout debut for The Peregrine Estate series—and a promise of darker wonders to come.
Note: This review reflects the ARC edition; minor changes may appear in the final publication.
A Haunting Western Elegy of Grief and the Supernatural
C.S. Humble’s To Carry a Body to Its Resting Place—the first installment in The Peregrine Estate series—melds the raw emotional weight of familial loss with the eerie, atmospheric dread of grief horror. Set against a stark western backdrop, this novel follows two brothers tasked with transporting their father’s body to his final resting place, a journey that unravels into a chilling exploration of duty, love, and the shadows that cling to the living.
Key Strengths
-Emotional Resonance: Humble’s prose cuts deep, capturing the visceral ache of mourning with poetic precision. The brothers’ relationship is the heart of the story, fraught with unspoken tensions and shared sorrow.
-Genre-Blending Mastery: Part western, part supernatural horror, the novel balances dusty trail realism with moments of unsettling otherworldliness. Think Blood Meridian meets The Terror, but with an intimate, familial focus.
-Thematic Richness: Beyond its ghostly thrills, the story interrogates filial piety, the weight of legacy, and how grief can distort reality—or reveal hidden truths.
Potential Considerations
-Pacing: The deliberate, contemplative pace may test readers seeking relentless action, though it serves the story’s meditative tone.
-Niche Appeal: Those averse to melancholy or ambiguity might find the ending challenging, but it lingers like a ghost long after the last page.
Score Breakdown (Out of 5)
-Prose: ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨ (4.5/5) – Lyrical and knife-sharp.
-Atmosphere: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5) – The western gothic setting is palpable.
-Character Depth: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5) – The brothers’ dynamic is unforgettable.
-Originality: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5) – A fresh twist on both western and horror tropes.
Overall: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5) – A funeral dirge etched in dust and moonlight—beautiful and haunting.
Ideal Audience
-Fans of Lonesome Dove with a supernatural edge or The Road’s existential dread.
-Readers who crave horror that prioritizes emotional stakes over jump scares.
-Anyone drawn to stories where landscapes—external and internal—are characters themselves.
Gratitude
Thank you to NetGalley and C.S. Humble for the advance review copy. To Carry a Body to Its Resting Place is a testament to horror’s power to excavate the deepest human wounds—and the ghosts they birth.
Final Verdict
Humble’s novel is a masterclass in mood and meaning, a slow-burn nightmare that lingers in the bones. While its pace and ambiguity won’t suit everyone, those who surrender to its spell will find a story as profound as it is terrifying. A standout debut for The Peregrine Estate series—and a promise of darker wonders to come.
Note: This review reflects the ARC edition; minor changes may appear in the final publication.
July 8, 2025
I loved the original trilogy in this world and I am on course to love these prequels too.
Good the character-building and lore wrapped in the world is so well done.
It starts off as a story about family and in the end is a war with lycanthropes, but it all works!
Read these! I know horror and western sound weird but these are amazing!
Good the character-building and lore wrapped in the world is so well done.
It starts off as a story about family and in the end is a war with lycanthropes, but it all works!
Read these! I know horror and western sound weird but these are amazing!
September 14, 2025
Thanks to NetGalley and Shortwave Publishing for the ARC copy! This has not affected my review at all, which are my own thoughts.
As his father lays deadly ill in bed, Ashley Sutliff gambles his money out far away from home. Until his brother, Willow, comes fetch him to say his goodbyes to their dad. Two years away haven't closed the wounds caused by the separation, and mere goodbyes won't rid Ashley of the guilt, until he learns of a promise his father made years ago: to aid a pair of siblings with a blood feud between werewolves that's about to escalate into war unless it is stop. And one of them has already come to collect in the name of their company: the Peregrine State. So, Ashley vows to fulfill said promise, except he won't be the only one, for his two brothers, Willow and little Ellery, will accompany him into this task.
I must admit that life got hectic and by the time I sat down to read this one I had forgotten about what it was about😂 Like, I had a vague sense of it having some supernatural element, and also them (the brothers) burying their father. And I couldn't remember how those two tied up, and all of that took its sweet time appearing on the page, that I started to think I had imagine it😂 All this to say, that C.S Humble's writing and storytelling is so good, so emotional and raw, that I didn't care at all if there were actually no supernatural elements and this book had just been about family.
The strongest points are definitely characters, descriptions and, mainly, the brothers' relationship. I don't even know who Humble is, but I'm inclined to believe they have siblings, 'cause their relationship were written so realistically. I have a sibling myself and I saw us reflected in these pages. The love, the pain, the hate-love, wanting to strangle them yet swearing to protect them on the next breath. And how Willow can't forgive Ashley for leaving, because the pain it brought to the family, yet wanting to, feeling unsure about it all, because that's still his brother, part of his very soul.
So, yeah, werewolves or not, I'd have read anything featuring the Sutliff siblings. The family drama was strong in this one, and I was deeply invested in it by the time the werewolves entered the game and disrupted it all. And they are not the only siblings depicted here, which I loved, showing how different dynamics between siblings develop and exist, yet the love is there and is all consuming and they'll do anything for each other. I just love all the siblings in this book so much! I always have a weak spot for siblings in books, no matter what.
Another strong point from this author is their descriptions. Words forming vivid images, emotions jumping from the page, and the characters feeling as complex as they are. Stubborn, brave, cowards that change to bravery in the face of danger if it means saving their love ones... All of that is what made me love this book and find a more than possible new favorite author. C.S Humble have a great way with words, giving enough information to know context, to get the info we need for the present and the future, and showing emotions and internal conflict and...all, really.
I wish I had something bad to say about this book, because an all-praising review always feels like it was perfect, and there's nothing totally perfect in this world, but I just can't. I loved it, I was invested in the family dynamics, in whatever was going on. So, just go read it, I guess😂
I must admit, that I realize this book was part of a series, the fourth book to be more concrete, *after* requesting it, so I was a bit wary of not understanding it. But it was exactly the opposite. Is the fourth book, yet the start of a trilogy; like two trilogies put together to make a full series, but they're independent... That's what I understood, at least. But, yeah, this book can definitely be read without previous knowledge of the saga. I never felt like I was missing anything, nor was I shoved into my face details that didn't make sense and had to be found at others book. A perfect start for a new saga from Humble, in my opinion.
And, as you can guess, this one is not only a recommendation but a must, even for reluctant fans of the supernatural genre, because, yes, those elements are there, but, at least in this book, they play more of a second role, and don't come into your face until the end. Looking for a familial tale, strong emotions and peak action with a prose that wraps you from the very start? Look no further. Like, this had me crying by the end of it, how am I not going to recommend it?😂 No, I really think TCABTIRP is worth the opportunity, I think lots of people will find something to love in here. Now I just gotta look around for the next two books, 'cause I need to know what comes after!!
Just, a tale of family, the complex and hard relationships that come with being part of one and how far we'd go for them
As his father lays deadly ill in bed, Ashley Sutliff gambles his money out far away from home. Until his brother, Willow, comes fetch him to say his goodbyes to their dad. Two years away haven't closed the wounds caused by the separation, and mere goodbyes won't rid Ashley of the guilt, until he learns of a promise his father made years ago: to aid a pair of siblings with a blood feud between werewolves that's about to escalate into war unless it is stop. And one of them has already come to collect in the name of their company: the Peregrine State. So, Ashley vows to fulfill said promise, except he won't be the only one, for his two brothers, Willow and little Ellery, will accompany him into this task.
I must admit that life got hectic and by the time I sat down to read this one I had forgotten about what it was about😂 Like, I had a vague sense of it having some supernatural element, and also them (the brothers) burying their father. And I couldn't remember how those two tied up, and all of that took its sweet time appearing on the page, that I started to think I had imagine it😂 All this to say, that C.S Humble's writing and storytelling is so good, so emotional and raw, that I didn't care at all if there were actually no supernatural elements and this book had just been about family.
The strongest points are definitely characters, descriptions and, mainly, the brothers' relationship. I don't even know who Humble is, but I'm inclined to believe they have siblings, 'cause their relationship were written so realistically. I have a sibling myself and I saw us reflected in these pages. The love, the pain, the hate-love, wanting to strangle them yet swearing to protect them on the next breath. And how Willow can't forgive Ashley for leaving, because the pain it brought to the family, yet wanting to, feeling unsure about it all, because that's still his brother, part of his very soul.
So, yeah, werewolves or not, I'd have read anything featuring the Sutliff siblings. The family drama was strong in this one, and I was deeply invested in it by the time the werewolves entered the game and disrupted it all. And they are not the only siblings depicted here, which I loved, showing how different dynamics between siblings develop and exist, yet the love is there and is all consuming and they'll do anything for each other. I just love all the siblings in this book so much! I always have a weak spot for siblings in books, no matter what.
Another strong point from this author is their descriptions. Words forming vivid images, emotions jumping from the page, and the characters feeling as complex as they are. Stubborn, brave, cowards that change to bravery in the face of danger if it means saving their love ones... All of that is what made me love this book and find a more than possible new favorite author. C.S Humble have a great way with words, giving enough information to know context, to get the info we need for the present and the future, and showing emotions and internal conflict and...all, really.
I wish I had something bad to say about this book, because an all-praising review always feels like it was perfect, and there's nothing totally perfect in this world, but I just can't. I loved it, I was invested in the family dynamics, in whatever was going on. So, just go read it, I guess😂
I must admit, that I realize this book was part of a series, the fourth book to be more concrete, *after* requesting it, so I was a bit wary of not understanding it. But it was exactly the opposite. Is the fourth book, yet the start of a trilogy; like two trilogies put together to make a full series, but they're independent... That's what I understood, at least. But, yeah, this book can definitely be read without previous knowledge of the saga. I never felt like I was missing anything, nor was I shoved into my face details that didn't make sense and had to be found at others book. A perfect start for a new saga from Humble, in my opinion.
And, as you can guess, this one is not only a recommendation but a must, even for reluctant fans of the supernatural genre, because, yes, those elements are there, but, at least in this book, they play more of a second role, and don't come into your face until the end. Looking for a familial tale, strong emotions and peak action with a prose that wraps you from the very start? Look no further. Like, this had me crying by the end of it, how am I not going to recommend it?😂 No, I really think TCABTIRP is worth the opportunity, I think lots of people will find something to love in here. Now I just gotta look around for the next two books, 'cause I need to know what comes after!!
Just, a tale of family, the complex and hard relationships that come with being part of one and how far we'd go for them
June 28, 2025
I received an eARC of this book, the first of The Peregrine Estate and fourth in Amid the Vastness of All Else, through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Firstly, C. S. Humble is one of my favorite authors. Before this, I'd read three of his other books, giving all of them 5 stars each. There is something about his writing that pulls you in, an intimacy with his characters that I don't see often. It's the characters that matter, not their circumstances or their views or their journey, but who they are, the people they love, and how they grow.
To Carry a Body to Its Resting Place is, at its most basic, a story of three brothers who, as siblings usually are, at odds with each other and where they stand in the hierarchy of the family. The eldest and most troublesome, the middle dutiful son, and the 'baby'. It's a story of their being forced to come together in a strange and abnormal situation with strange and abnormal people. But it is much more than that.
Humble's writing isn't something I can really explain by comparing it to other authors or their works or describing it with my background in English literature. It's not in the words or their format. It's not in the pacing or the world. It's in the spaces between, the emotions that surround them. And it sounds quite philosophical, but it's the best possible way I could explain it.
The story pulls you in. This world of the strange and supernatural intrigues you. I want to know everything there is to know about all the ins and outs and customs and traditions of the Brohms and McKennys and their kin.
I have only one negative thing...but it's not really negative. I wish this book was twice as long. But I come from a chunky-fantasy-reading background. I love the slow-burn world building, the politicking and inner monologues. But I mostly just want more time with these characters and the worlds they live in. And I can't wait to dive right into San Antonio Mission.
Firstly, C. S. Humble is one of my favorite authors. Before this, I'd read three of his other books, giving all of them 5 stars each. There is something about his writing that pulls you in, an intimacy with his characters that I don't see often. It's the characters that matter, not their circumstances or their views or their journey, but who they are, the people they love, and how they grow.
To Carry a Body to Its Resting Place is, at its most basic, a story of three brothers who, as siblings usually are, at odds with each other and where they stand in the hierarchy of the family. The eldest and most troublesome, the middle dutiful son, and the 'baby'. It's a story of their being forced to come together in a strange and abnormal situation with strange and abnormal people. But it is much more than that.
Humble's writing isn't something I can really explain by comparing it to other authors or their works or describing it with my background in English literature. It's not in the words or their format. It's not in the pacing or the world. It's in the spaces between, the emotions that surround them. And it sounds quite philosophical, but it's the best possible way I could explain it.
The story pulls you in. This world of the strange and supernatural intrigues you. I want to know everything there is to know about all the ins and outs and customs and traditions of the Brohms and McKennys and their kin.
I have only one negative thing...but it's not really negative. I wish this book was twice as long. But I come from a chunky-fantasy-reading background. I love the slow-burn world building, the politicking and inner monologues. But I mostly just want more time with these characters and the worlds they live in. And I can't wait to dive right into San Antonio Mission.
June 3, 2025
I received this book as an arc through NetGalley. I have always loved C.S. Humble’s storytelling and was excited to get a chance to read this even though its book number 4 and I have yet to read any others in this series. I felt like I got transported to another world and barely scratched the surface of what lay beneath. Needless to say, I’m hooked and will need to finish the series.
June 9, 2025
OMG my poor heart!
June 7, 2025
To Carry a Body to Its Resting Place is yet another powerful and unforgettable piece from C.S. Humble, and I loved every word of it. As the first entry in the prequel trilogy to That Light Sublime series (also highly recommend), it sets the tone perfectly. It is gritty, mythic, and emotionally resonant. Humble continues to prove he’s one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary horror and dark fiction.
This story carries all the hallmarks of what I love about his writing: lyrical prose that never tips into excess, characters that feel fully alive, and an emotional core that sneaks up on you and hits hard. For such a short work, it evokes such strong feeling—grief, awe, dread, even beauty—all without ever losing its momentum or focus. Humble’s economy of language is something rare, every line is doing something meaningful.
The western horror atmosphere is spot on. The entire vibe is dusty, ghost-haunted, and quietly epic. If you're a fan of Joe R. Lansdale’s blend of horror and western grit, or if The Dark Tower series by Stephen King left a mark on you, this book will feel like familiar terrain but with a fresh and poetic voice all its own. It’s violent and strange and sacred all at once.
I’m beyond excited that this is just the beginning of a new trilogy. Humble is crafting something ambitious and deeply human across these interconnected works and I’ll follow wherever he takes us next. I’ll continue to be a huge supporter of his writing for as long as he keeps telling stories because no one else tells them quite like this.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
This story carries all the hallmarks of what I love about his writing: lyrical prose that never tips into excess, characters that feel fully alive, and an emotional core that sneaks up on you and hits hard. For such a short work, it evokes such strong feeling—grief, awe, dread, even beauty—all without ever losing its momentum or focus. Humble’s economy of language is something rare, every line is doing something meaningful.
The western horror atmosphere is spot on. The entire vibe is dusty, ghost-haunted, and quietly epic. If you're a fan of Joe R. Lansdale’s blend of horror and western grit, or if The Dark Tower series by Stephen King left a mark on you, this book will feel like familiar terrain but with a fresh and poetic voice all its own. It’s violent and strange and sacred all at once.
I’m beyond excited that this is just the beginning of a new trilogy. Humble is crafting something ambitious and deeply human across these interconnected works and I’ll follow wherever he takes us next. I’ll continue to be a huge supporter of his writing for as long as he keeps telling stories because no one else tells them quite like this.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
September 21, 2025
One line vibe: grief horror in a dusty road frame with family duty, old promises, and something hungry after dark
What it is: A homecoming for a dying parent turns into a hard obligation to carry a body to its resting place. The trip pulls brothers into backroads, old grudges, and a promise that refuses to loosen its grip. It starts as family drama and slides, step by step, into rural supernatural terror without losing the human core.
Personal take on the lead: I connected with the way he tries to be the steady one while the cost of that role keeps piling up. The quiet choices feel honest. When the story finally asks him to pay, I believed every move.
What worked for me:
• Family tension that feels lived in and specific
• Setting that breathes: night fields, empty stations, a sky that watches
• A promise that creates real stakes and clear rules for the journey
• Set pieces that squeeze decisions instead of just throwing noise
• An ending that pays the emotional debt the book builds
What to consider:
• The first half moves at a slow burn while grief does the talking
• A couple side characters read as function more than person
• One survival moment asks for a little grace
Content notes: death and active grief, violence, blood, firearms, threats, body transport, folklore and ritual elements
My quote: “Grief drives the car and love keeps the headlights on.” (Adell LaShawn)
Verdict: 4 out of 5. Strong heart, strong mood, and enough teeth to leave a mark. If you want a grief soaked journey where family duty meets the uncanny, add it to your list.
What it is: A homecoming for a dying parent turns into a hard obligation to carry a body to its resting place. The trip pulls brothers into backroads, old grudges, and a promise that refuses to loosen its grip. It starts as family drama and slides, step by step, into rural supernatural terror without losing the human core.
Personal take on the lead: I connected with the way he tries to be the steady one while the cost of that role keeps piling up. The quiet choices feel honest. When the story finally asks him to pay, I believed every move.
What worked for me:
• Family tension that feels lived in and specific
• Setting that breathes: night fields, empty stations, a sky that watches
• A promise that creates real stakes and clear rules for the journey
• Set pieces that squeeze decisions instead of just throwing noise
• An ending that pays the emotional debt the book builds
What to consider:
• The first half moves at a slow burn while grief does the talking
• A couple side characters read as function more than person
• One survival moment asks for a little grace
Content notes: death and active grief, violence, blood, firearms, threats, body transport, folklore and ritual elements
My quote: “Grief drives the car and love keeps the headlights on.” (Adell LaShawn)
Verdict: 4 out of 5. Strong heart, strong mood, and enough teeth to leave a mark. If you want a grief soaked journey where family duty meets the uncanny, add it to your list.
December 11, 2025
The first of the prequel books follows Ashley Sutliff from the That Light Sumblime trilogy, and how he is introduced to the Peregrine Estate.
The book starts off a little slow and introduces us to his family’s dynamic. From there it gradually ramps up as they venture into a Peregrine mission. About two thirds of the way into the book is where the action really starts to pick up.
I would say the first third is truly the only slow burn portions. As we work our way into the second third you start to put pieces together to form the true image of the book.
By the last third of the book it’s safe to say you have built a good handle on who Ashley is and in my experience, made me want to read TLS trilogy again to view it with a new enlightenment. So I am excited to read the next two prequel books and then perhaps dive in again into TLS.
All in all, another banger of a book by C.S. Humble, yes I recommend this one to all western/horror/fantasy enthusiasts.
The book starts off a little slow and introduces us to his family’s dynamic. From there it gradually ramps up as they venture into a Peregrine mission. About two thirds of the way into the book is where the action really starts to pick up.
I would say the first third is truly the only slow burn portions. As we work our way into the second third you start to put pieces together to form the true image of the book.
By the last third of the book it’s safe to say you have built a good handle on who Ashley is and in my experience, made me want to read TLS trilogy again to view it with a new enlightenment. So I am excited to read the next two prequel books and then perhaps dive in again into TLS.
All in all, another banger of a book by C.S. Humble, yes I recommend this one to all western/horror/fantasy enthusiasts.
June 1, 2025
I first heard about this book when another author that I loved was raving about it, so when the opportunity to read an advanced copy became available, I snagged it.
The story follows Ashley Sutliffe as he is dragged back home by his younger brother, Willow, to say his goodbyes to his dying father. Family secrets quickly surface and Ashley, Willow, and Ellery, the youngest brother, soon find themselves in the midst of a turf war between two families of monsters.
This was such a hauntingly heartfelt horror novel. C.S. Humble masterfully weaves together raw emotion and supernatural dread, but it’s the bond between the three brothers that truly lingers. Their relationship feels so authentic—it broke me in the best way. Humble has crafted an eerie world that hums with menace, but it’s his lyrical, biting prose that steals the show. He doesn’t just tell a story—he immerses us in it.
If you love a horror story with soul, grit, and a touch of the supernatural, don’t sleep on this one. It’s bleak, beautiful, and absolutely unforgettable.
The story follows Ashley Sutliffe as he is dragged back home by his younger brother, Willow, to say his goodbyes to his dying father. Family secrets quickly surface and Ashley, Willow, and Ellery, the youngest brother, soon find themselves in the midst of a turf war between two families of monsters.
This was such a hauntingly heartfelt horror novel. C.S. Humble masterfully weaves together raw emotion and supernatural dread, but it’s the bond between the three brothers that truly lingers. Their relationship feels so authentic—it broke me in the best way. Humble has crafted an eerie world that hums with menace, but it’s his lyrical, biting prose that steals the show. He doesn’t just tell a story—he immerses us in it.
If you love a horror story with soul, grit, and a touch of the supernatural, don’t sleep on this one. It’s bleak, beautiful, and absolutely unforgettable.
July 14, 2025
Firstly, this book is SO good!
We follow three brothers who are all brought back home due to their father being unwell. After he passes away, they are dragged into a dark world from their parent’s past.
The character development in the first half of the book is so well done; the strained relationship between the brothers and the overwhelming grief of their mother is felt on every page. Once they begin their journey to help their parent’s friends, the action really kicks in, oh and did I mention there are werewolves?!
I am absolutely in love with C.S. Humble’s writing style, it is so beautiful and moving, I cannot wait to read the rest of the books in the series!
*I was kindly gifted an ARC by the author*
We follow three brothers who are all brought back home due to their father being unwell. After he passes away, they are dragged into a dark world from their parent’s past.
The character development in the first half of the book is so well done; the strained relationship between the brothers and the overwhelming grief of their mother is felt on every page. Once they begin their journey to help their parent’s friends, the action really kicks in, oh and did I mention there are werewolves?!
I am absolutely in love with C.S. Humble’s writing style, it is so beautiful and moving, I cannot wait to read the rest of the books in the series!
*I was kindly gifted an ARC by the author*
May 27, 2025
The goodbyes we say live with us forever
This is the fourth book on the Amid the Vastness of All Else Saga, the first one, the Peregrine Estate Trilogy, and my first book by C.S. Humble, and to be honest with you. I am completely obsessed with it.
"Only for a piece of my life will I be without you and you without me. Only for a time will we be apart"
This was athmospheric, poetic, extremely well written, and impacting for being a novella, a horror book with a grip on your heart. Grief & horror delicately balanced into a ballard of pain and promise.
We follow the story of Ahsley, a man lost to gamble, who has been hunted to by his baby brother to come home to say goodbye to his dying parent. Soon, we learn that the Sutliff family has a promise to fulfill and is up to the brothers to keep that promise.
I loved the dynamic between the brothers, a love-hate relationship, where the grudges and heartfelt moments are shared, and when we learn a well-kept family secret and promise. We navigate grief, grudges, and a threat. This was so good!!!
I crave more from this storyline and the character of Ashley. So, I did what any level minded human does and preprder the entirety of the saga because I must consume it.
I would love to thank NetGalley, Shortwave Publishing, and C.S. Humble for the opportunity to read and review this masterpiece of horror grief and my newest obsession.
This is the fourth book on the Amid the Vastness of All Else Saga, the first one, the Peregrine Estate Trilogy, and my first book by C.S. Humble, and to be honest with you. I am completely obsessed with it.
"Only for a piece of my life will I be without you and you without me. Only for a time will we be apart"
This was athmospheric, poetic, extremely well written, and impacting for being a novella, a horror book with a grip on your heart. Grief & horror delicately balanced into a ballard of pain and promise.
We follow the story of Ahsley, a man lost to gamble, who has been hunted to by his baby brother to come home to say goodbye to his dying parent. Soon, we learn that the Sutliff family has a promise to fulfill and is up to the brothers to keep that promise.
I loved the dynamic between the brothers, a love-hate relationship, where the grudges and heartfelt moments are shared, and when we learn a well-kept family secret and promise. We navigate grief, grudges, and a threat. This was so good!!!
I crave more from this storyline and the character of Ashley. So, I did what any level minded human does and preprder the entirety of the saga because I must consume it.
I would love to thank NetGalley, Shortwave Publishing, and C.S. Humble for the opportunity to read and review this masterpiece of horror grief and my newest obsession.
July 15, 2025
“Saying goodbye is a greater event than to simply carry a body to its resting place. Goodbye is a feeling that stays with you forever. Walks beside you when you are alone and until fully alone, when goodbyes are said to you, ferries you into what comes after.”
Damnit Seth! Breaking my heart again and again! But I ALWAYS will keep coming back for more! People, if you haven’t read any of the That Light Sublime series, you need to fix that immediately! CS Humble writes the most beautiful prose and his characters are some of the most incredible, well rounded characters I’ve had the pleasure of reading. If any of you know me, I’ve never shut up about these books since they first came out in 2023. The fact that Shortwave books has snatched him up and made so many more people aware of these beautiful stories and then gave Seth a place to continue writing these stories warms my heart!! I’m just in love with Ashley Sutliff and his brothers Willow and Ellery. Such a touching story about Ashley coming home to say goodbye to his father and being tasked with a debt that needs repaying. This debt will change the course of his life, to make him the man he was meant to be. I love learning Ashley’s backstory and how he became who he is. Humble’s writing is like watching a sunset, breathtaking but you know it’s going to get dark very soon. He’s so good at destroying me, but I adore it! Thank you so much to Shortwave books for the arc, and please do yourself a favor and read all of these books!
Damnit Seth! Breaking my heart again and again! But I ALWAYS will keep coming back for more! People, if you haven’t read any of the That Light Sublime series, you need to fix that immediately! CS Humble writes the most beautiful prose and his characters are some of the most incredible, well rounded characters I’ve had the pleasure of reading. If any of you know me, I’ve never shut up about these books since they first came out in 2023. The fact that Shortwave books has snatched him up and made so many more people aware of these beautiful stories and then gave Seth a place to continue writing these stories warms my heart!! I’m just in love with Ashley Sutliff and his brothers Willow and Ellery. Such a touching story about Ashley coming home to say goodbye to his father and being tasked with a debt that needs repaying. This debt will change the course of his life, to make him the man he was meant to be. I love learning Ashley’s backstory and how he became who he is. Humble’s writing is like watching a sunset, breathtaking but you know it’s going to get dark very soon. He’s so good at destroying me, but I adore it! Thank you so much to Shortwave books for the arc, and please do yourself a favor and read all of these books!
July 5, 2025
I really don't know what I expected going into this, but this book suckerpunched me multiple times throughout my read. Between the journey of grief and the supernatural elements, this was absolutely incredible.
April 3, 2025
When I first discovered C.S. Humble’s The Massacre at Yellow Hill, I was giddy. That book mixes a gritty western mythos with vampires, secret societies, and cosmic horror, but more importantly, it does what I come to story for: it gave me new people to love.
Gilbert Ptolemy and his adopted son, Carson; Tabitha Miller and her family; these characters appear fully formed on the page, and they assert their reality with every action, every scrap of dialogue, every sacrifice.
It doesn’t hurt that Humble’s prose alternates between razor sharp observation and passages of lyrical beauty not often found in your average horror novel.
As I read on through the trilogy (A Red Winter in the West and The Light of Black Star), it became clear that there was much more at work there. Through this ever-expanding story, Humble wasn’t just spinning a great yarn. He was building worlds.
The 19th century of Humble’s books may sometimes resemble that historical era, but it is most certainly an alternative history with complex, competing occult organizations, all variety of supernatural entities, a highly regimented Gunfighters Guild, a young hero struggling with his troubling destiny, and a deep system of magic that ties all of these disparate parts together, leading up to a final battle.
I’d been hoodwinked. This wasn’t a horror-western series at all. I was reading an epic fantasy.
Ever since, I’ve been an evangelist for these books, the voice of one crying in the wilderness: Hey, you want to have your heart ripped out? Have I got the books for you.
So, when I heard that Humble was releasing more books in the series, I was understandably excited, and when I learned that they were prequels, I was doubly excited. Why? Because in Humble’s world, there is no safety for anyone, especially those characters we love most. So these prequels offer us the opportunity to spend time with those we’ve loved and lost.
More importantly, they allow Humble to deepen his world building, slow down to investigate the mythology of The Peregrine Estate, the occult organization fighting for the fate of the world. We also get a deeper look at the mechanics and politics of the famed Gunfighters Guild. All of this while we see the pieces shifting slowly into place to bring us to the plot events of the original trilogy. It’s deeply imagined, fascinating stuff.
But none of that is what matters.
These books are pure character work.
The opening volume, To Carry a Body to its Resting Place, follows the early career of the lovable rogue, Ashley Sutliff. In the original trilogy, Sutliff is a kind of Han Solo figure, drawn into the occult drama against his will. He’d much rather be playing cards, though, naturally, under his brash exterior is a loyal heart.
To Carry a Body to its Resting Place rounds out Sutliff’s character to great effect, humanizing him to an almost unbearable degree.
Ashley is drawn home by the news of his father’s impending death, and while there he uncovers family secrets and eventually rides off on what will become his first action for the Peregrine Estate, but these latter details are almost incidental. The heart of this book is a meditation of fathers and sons, what is owed, and how we say goodbye that more to Larry McMurtry than any horror or fantasy writer. It’s an emotionally wrenching read that suddenly hurtles into action.
San Antonio Mission is a much more plot-driven entry, with my favorite character, Gilbert Ptolemy dispatched by the Peregrine Estate to recruit newly freed slaves to join the cause. Ptolemy, a former slave himself, is partnered with the wisecracking Sarah Lockhart and a member of the Gunfighter’s Guild because there’s no guarantee that the former owner of these people will allow them to leave, even in this post-Juneteenth era.
These suspicions turn out to be correct, but nothing could prepare our team for the depth of the horrors that await them at the mission.
San Antonio Mission focuses more on human horrors, while placing them quite explicitly within their historical contexts, allowing Humble to investigate the horrors of U.S. history itself, and its legacy of racist violence. It also offers a cathartic response to those who set themselves up as tyrants. Add in some romance and the delightful new gunslinger, Oliver Maine, and this second volume feels like a much more complete and self-contained entry into the saga.
The final book in the trilogy, The Baroness of the Eastern Seaboard, does a lot to segue into the original storyline, presenting some of the future Big Bads, while also allowing the reader to access the interior world of the Gunfighters Guild. As with the other volumes, these are mostly details. The center of The Baroness of the Eastern Seaboard is the relationship between Sven and Larry, devoted husbands who also happen to be inching perilously close to each other’s ranks within the Guild. Any day now, they will be forced to compete for rank, meaning one of them must die.
The couples’ attempt to petition the Guild for a way around this impossibility leads to quests for each of the lovers, both of them bloody and harrowing. The most explicitly romantic of the three books, Baroness is a love story wrapped in a Peckinpah movie’s violence and propulsive action.
As a reader, all I wanted to do was protect Sven and Larry, but the facts of Humble’s universe leave no one safe, and things get just about as bad as they can get while still leaving our heroes alive to appear later on in the saga.
All in all, The Peregrine Estate Trilogy is a varied and wondrous treasure trove of stories that situate themselves less as straight prequels than as elaborate midrash, glimpses between the scenes of the larger story, illustrating Humble’s knack for not only storytelling and lush prose, but his near magical penchant for character building. It is a necessary addition to what has become a vast saga. Here’s hoping there’s more to come.
Gilbert Ptolemy and his adopted son, Carson; Tabitha Miller and her family; these characters appear fully formed on the page, and they assert their reality with every action, every scrap of dialogue, every sacrifice.
It doesn’t hurt that Humble’s prose alternates between razor sharp observation and passages of lyrical beauty not often found in your average horror novel.
As I read on through the trilogy (A Red Winter in the West and The Light of Black Star), it became clear that there was much more at work there. Through this ever-expanding story, Humble wasn’t just spinning a great yarn. He was building worlds.
The 19th century of Humble’s books may sometimes resemble that historical era, but it is most certainly an alternative history with complex, competing occult organizations, all variety of supernatural entities, a highly regimented Gunfighters Guild, a young hero struggling with his troubling destiny, and a deep system of magic that ties all of these disparate parts together, leading up to a final battle.
I’d been hoodwinked. This wasn’t a horror-western series at all. I was reading an epic fantasy.
Ever since, I’ve been an evangelist for these books, the voice of one crying in the wilderness: Hey, you want to have your heart ripped out? Have I got the books for you.
So, when I heard that Humble was releasing more books in the series, I was understandably excited, and when I learned that they were prequels, I was doubly excited. Why? Because in Humble’s world, there is no safety for anyone, especially those characters we love most. So these prequels offer us the opportunity to spend time with those we’ve loved and lost.
More importantly, they allow Humble to deepen his world building, slow down to investigate the mythology of The Peregrine Estate, the occult organization fighting for the fate of the world. We also get a deeper look at the mechanics and politics of the famed Gunfighters Guild. All of this while we see the pieces shifting slowly into place to bring us to the plot events of the original trilogy. It’s deeply imagined, fascinating stuff.
But none of that is what matters.
These books are pure character work.
The opening volume, To Carry a Body to its Resting Place, follows the early career of the lovable rogue, Ashley Sutliff. In the original trilogy, Sutliff is a kind of Han Solo figure, drawn into the occult drama against his will. He’d much rather be playing cards, though, naturally, under his brash exterior is a loyal heart.
To Carry a Body to its Resting Place rounds out Sutliff’s character to great effect, humanizing him to an almost unbearable degree.
Ashley is drawn home by the news of his father’s impending death, and while there he uncovers family secrets and eventually rides off on what will become his first action for the Peregrine Estate, but these latter details are almost incidental. The heart of this book is a meditation of fathers and sons, what is owed, and how we say goodbye that more to Larry McMurtry than any horror or fantasy writer. It’s an emotionally wrenching read that suddenly hurtles into action.
San Antonio Mission is a much more plot-driven entry, with my favorite character, Gilbert Ptolemy dispatched by the Peregrine Estate to recruit newly freed slaves to join the cause. Ptolemy, a former slave himself, is partnered with the wisecracking Sarah Lockhart and a member of the Gunfighter’s Guild because there’s no guarantee that the former owner of these people will allow them to leave, even in this post-Juneteenth era.
These suspicions turn out to be correct, but nothing could prepare our team for the depth of the horrors that await them at the mission.
San Antonio Mission focuses more on human horrors, while placing them quite explicitly within their historical contexts, allowing Humble to investigate the horrors of U.S. history itself, and its legacy of racist violence. It also offers a cathartic response to those who set themselves up as tyrants. Add in some romance and the delightful new gunslinger, Oliver Maine, and this second volume feels like a much more complete and self-contained entry into the saga.
The final book in the trilogy, The Baroness of the Eastern Seaboard, does a lot to segue into the original storyline, presenting some of the future Big Bads, while also allowing the reader to access the interior world of the Gunfighters Guild. As with the other volumes, these are mostly details. The center of The Baroness of the Eastern Seaboard is the relationship between Sven and Larry, devoted husbands who also happen to be inching perilously close to each other’s ranks within the Guild. Any day now, they will be forced to compete for rank, meaning one of them must die.
The couples’ attempt to petition the Guild for a way around this impossibility leads to quests for each of the lovers, both of them bloody and harrowing. The most explicitly romantic of the three books, Baroness is a love story wrapped in a Peckinpah movie’s violence and propulsive action.
As a reader, all I wanted to do was protect Sven and Larry, but the facts of Humble’s universe leave no one safe, and things get just about as bad as they can get while still leaving our heroes alive to appear later on in the saga.
All in all, The Peregrine Estate Trilogy is a varied and wondrous treasure trove of stories that situate themselves less as straight prequels than as elaborate midrash, glimpses between the scenes of the larger story, illustrating Humble’s knack for not only storytelling and lush prose, but his near magical penchant for character building. It is a necessary addition to what has become a vast saga. Here’s hoping there’s more to come.
July 16, 2025
With To Carry a Body to Its Resting Place, C.S. Humble opens the Peregrine Estate Trilogy with a haunting, elegiac novel that blends dark fantasy, Southern Gothic sensibilities, and emotionally resonant family drama into something truly special. Humble, best known for his genre-bending work in horror and speculative fiction, proves here that he is equally adept at crafting a literary tale steeped in loss, legacy, and the painful gravity of unfinished business.
The novel follows Ashley Sutliff, a washed-up gambler reluctantly pulled back to his family’s rural home in the Little Kansas Barony when word arrives that his estranged father is dying. Two years away haven’t dulled the bitterness or mended the fractures between Ashley and his brothers, Willow and Ellery. But what begins as a reluctant homecoming soon transforms into something stranger and more mythic: a call to fulfill a mysterious obligation made to the enigmatic Peregrine Estate—a place as eerie as it is powerful, tied to a fragile peace between rival werewolf packs.
Yes, there are werewolves—but To Carry a Body to Its Resting Place is not your typical supernatural tale. Humble uses the supernatural as an emotional lens, not just a plot device. The wolves, the estate, and the looming threat of war all serve as metaphors for the deeper battles the Sutliff brothers must face: grief, resentment, the weight of promises, and the aching distance between who we were and who we could’ve been.
Humble’s prose is rich, melancholic, and immersive. He writes with the kind of quiet, poetic precision that calls to mind authors like William Gay or Jesmyn Ward—crafting a sense of place so vivid you can almost feel the dust cling to your boots. Every sentence hums with the ache of longing and the sting of regret.
But what elevates this novel beyond genre or setting is its emotional truth. Ashley’s journey is one of reckoning—not just with the debts his father left behind, but with the unspoken things that define every family: silence, sacrifice, resentment, and, eventually, reconciliation. The sibling dynamics are especially poignant, with Willow’s steadfastness and Ellery’s emotional fragility contrasting beautifully against Ashley’s reluctant, burdened heart.
The novel follows Ashley Sutliff, a washed-up gambler reluctantly pulled back to his family’s rural home in the Little Kansas Barony when word arrives that his estranged father is dying. Two years away haven’t dulled the bitterness or mended the fractures between Ashley and his brothers, Willow and Ellery. But what begins as a reluctant homecoming soon transforms into something stranger and more mythic: a call to fulfill a mysterious obligation made to the enigmatic Peregrine Estate—a place as eerie as it is powerful, tied to a fragile peace between rival werewolf packs.
Yes, there are werewolves—but To Carry a Body to Its Resting Place is not your typical supernatural tale. Humble uses the supernatural as an emotional lens, not just a plot device. The wolves, the estate, and the looming threat of war all serve as metaphors for the deeper battles the Sutliff brothers must face: grief, resentment, the weight of promises, and the aching distance between who we were and who we could’ve been.
Humble’s prose is rich, melancholic, and immersive. He writes with the kind of quiet, poetic precision that calls to mind authors like William Gay or Jesmyn Ward—crafting a sense of place so vivid you can almost feel the dust cling to your boots. Every sentence hums with the ache of longing and the sting of regret.
But what elevates this novel beyond genre or setting is its emotional truth. Ashley’s journey is one of reckoning—not just with the debts his father left behind, but with the unspoken things that define every family: silence, sacrifice, resentment, and, eventually, reconciliation. The sibling dynamics are especially poignant, with Willow’s steadfastness and Ellery’s emotional fragility contrasting beautifully against Ashley’s reluctant, burdened heart.
April 16, 2025
Atmospheric, intriguing and heartbreaking.
The Sutcliff brothers are easy to follow and very easy to care about.
Willow is sent by his mother to collect his older brother Ashleigh and bring him home to say goodbye to their father. Ashleigh did a lot of damage when he left and now he has to face his dying father, his mother and his youngest brother Ellery. As his father is dying, he finds out about a promise his father made years before that he is expecting Ashleigh to uphold. He learns of a world of werewolves and territory wars and pack lines. With Willow and Ellery, they head to Little Kansas to help prevent a supernatural war.
The setup for the rest of the trilogy was done very well, this book is well-paced and spot on in length. Every interaction felt important or relevant, and I'm really invested in the brothers and their story. I've not read anything by C.S Humble before but I'm eager to read more after this! I haven't read That Light Sublime trilogy as I didn't realise until I was already reading that some of the other characters are from that series. Honestly speaking, I don't think you need to have read the original trilogy to understand this at all. I loved how this was a fantasy in a western setting, not a usual pick for me, but the characters kept me reading! I really fell in love with them.
Thank you to Shortwave publishing for providing this book for review consideration via Netgalley! All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.
The Sutcliff brothers are easy to follow and very easy to care about.
Willow is sent by his mother to collect his older brother Ashleigh and bring him home to say goodbye to their father. Ashleigh did a lot of damage when he left and now he has to face his dying father, his mother and his youngest brother Ellery. As his father is dying, he finds out about a promise his father made years before that he is expecting Ashleigh to uphold. He learns of a world of werewolves and territory wars and pack lines. With Willow and Ellery, they head to Little Kansas to help prevent a supernatural war.
The setup for the rest of the trilogy was done very well, this book is well-paced and spot on in length. Every interaction felt important or relevant, and I'm really invested in the brothers and their story. I've not read anything by C.S Humble before but I'm eager to read more after this! I haven't read That Light Sublime trilogy as I didn't realise until I was already reading that some of the other characters are from that series. Honestly speaking, I don't think you need to have read the original trilogy to understand this at all. I loved how this was a fantasy in a western setting, not a usual pick for me, but the characters kept me reading! I really fell in love with them.
Thank you to Shortwave publishing for providing this book for review consideration via Netgalley! All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.
June 19, 2025
Thanks to Shortwave for gifting me this copy.
Western, Grief Horror
“Saying goodbye is a greater event than to simply carry a body to its resting place. Goodbye is a feeling that stays with you forever. Walks beside you when you are alone and until fully alone, when goodbyes are said to you, ferries you into what comes after goodbye.”
You know you get that buzz when you discover a new author and immediately know there books are for you? Well, this was me with this book. We start with Willow who has arrived to collect his gambling brother in St Louis and tell him his father is passing away. The brothers have a pretty tumultuous relationship & we soon learn that they have to be brought together to deal with their parents secrets. This felt like a book of two halves to me - the first was absolutely crammed with quotes and insights and getting to know these characters and their relationships. The second became a bit more action packed and involves werewolves so it really has a great mix to keep you invested even though to be honest, I would of gone on any journey with these characters.
This book features: Mid 1800’s frontier, family dynamics, grief, organisations, werewolves, references to social issues
I feel rich and truly privileged to be able to have read these words. C.S. Humble is the beating heart of horror. To finish this series is not a want, it’s a need.
Western, Grief Horror
“Saying goodbye is a greater event than to simply carry a body to its resting place. Goodbye is a feeling that stays with you forever. Walks beside you when you are alone and until fully alone, when goodbyes are said to you, ferries you into what comes after goodbye.”
You know you get that buzz when you discover a new author and immediately know there books are for you? Well, this was me with this book. We start with Willow who has arrived to collect his gambling brother in St Louis and tell him his father is passing away. The brothers have a pretty tumultuous relationship & we soon learn that they have to be brought together to deal with their parents secrets. This felt like a book of two halves to me - the first was absolutely crammed with quotes and insights and getting to know these characters and their relationships. The second became a bit more action packed and involves werewolves so it really has a great mix to keep you invested even though to be honest, I would of gone on any journey with these characters.
This book features: Mid 1800’s frontier, family dynamics, grief, organisations, werewolves, references to social issues
I feel rich and truly privileged to be able to have read these words. C.S. Humble is the beating heart of horror. To finish this series is not a want, it’s a need.
May 20, 2025
A paranormal thriller about werewolves that will also make me cry?! Yes please.
C.S's writing brought me into the story in a way that was so captivating I could hear the sound of boats on the river and feel wind through my hair. I don't typically love 'wild west' stories, but WOW, there is always an exception eh?
A majority of this book focuses on the strained relationship of three brothers as they are told about their parents hidden past and the debt (in the form of duty) that they have inherited. There is no way you can convince me that these three brother's didn't actually exist at some point. They're so well written and CS does an amazing job of making us love them through their flaws.
I read a lot of genre fiction and am used to certain beats being hit at certain points through the book. I'd say this book leans more into LitFic and that adds a layer to the story I wasn't ready for, and loved.
This is my first C.S Humble book but it absolutely won't be my last. I'm going to go back and read the first trilogy in this universe, then absolutely continue with this series.
What to expect
🐺 Flawed adult brothers trying their best
🐺 Dangerous werewolves
🐺 Steamboat rides
🐺 Mom being a badass
🐺 Your hear being ripped out, both by a beast and by CS Humble
🐺 Gorgeous writing
This book is best read while playing poker at a saloon, keep your gun close.
C.S's writing brought me into the story in a way that was so captivating I could hear the sound of boats on the river and feel wind through my hair. I don't typically love 'wild west' stories, but WOW, there is always an exception eh?
A majority of this book focuses on the strained relationship of three brothers as they are told about their parents hidden past and the debt (in the form of duty) that they have inherited. There is no way you can convince me that these three brother's didn't actually exist at some point. They're so well written and CS does an amazing job of making us love them through their flaws.
I read a lot of genre fiction and am used to certain beats being hit at certain points through the book. I'd say this book leans more into LitFic and that adds a layer to the story I wasn't ready for, and loved.
This is my first C.S Humble book but it absolutely won't be my last. I'm going to go back and read the first trilogy in this universe, then absolutely continue with this series.
What to expect
🐺 Flawed adult brothers trying their best
🐺 Dangerous werewolves
🐺 Steamboat rides
🐺 Mom being a badass
🐺 Your hear being ripped out, both by a beast and by CS Humble
🐺 Gorgeous writing
This book is best read while playing poker at a saloon, keep your gun close.
November 5, 2025
4.5*
We're back in CS Humble's world and the prose and characters are as lovely as ever. This prequel story is about the gambler Ashley Sutlif. He's young, brah, and cocky as hell, but when he gets word that his father is dying he comes home to the family farm.
This book is about brothers (Ashley, Willow, and Ellery) as well as family obligation. Ashley's parents worked with the Peregrine Estate in their past, and now the y brothers are needed and brought into the workings of The Peregrine Estate to deal with werewolves in the Kansas territories.
Humble's character work, dialogue and prose is so good. Sometimes a read a sentence and I think Humble didn't just write this, he crafted it. I love his writing.
But we also get great action, from tense poker games to a battle against a werewolf. I only wish we got more of that at the end of this book.
We're back in CS Humble's world and the prose and characters are as lovely as ever. This prequel story is about the gambler Ashley Sutlif. He's young, brah, and cocky as hell, but when he gets word that his father is dying he comes home to the family farm.
This book is about brothers (Ashley, Willow, and Ellery) as well as family obligation. Ashley's parents worked with the Peregrine Estate in their past, and now the y brothers are needed and brought into the workings of The Peregrine Estate to deal with werewolves in the Kansas territories.
Humble's character work, dialogue and prose is so good. Sometimes a read a sentence and I think Humble didn't just write this, he crafted it. I love his writing.
But we also get great action, from tense poker games to a battle against a werewolf. I only wish we got more of that at the end of this book.
June 3, 2025
C S Humble's "To Carry A Body To It's Resting Place.
I came into this story with disappointment from the last book I read so my expectation was decidedly low. So imagine my surprise at discovering a masterpeice, a gem, a beauty of a book. The story is great and the writing is beautiful. From the return of the prodigal son, the death in the family, the grief, the family infightings, the reconciliations to that lethal encounter with werewolves - the story is woven beautifully together.
I love that there is no regurgitation of tired werewolf tropes here and before the encounter with the beasts one is kept engrossed as the themes of family, death and grief are explored.
I love this book and I will be reading it again.
I will be waiting for the next installment.
I came into this story with disappointment from the last book I read so my expectation was decidedly low. So imagine my surprise at discovering a masterpeice, a gem, a beauty of a book. The story is great and the writing is beautiful. From the return of the prodigal son, the death in the family, the grief, the family infightings, the reconciliations to that lethal encounter with werewolves - the story is woven beautifully together.
I love that there is no regurgitation of tired werewolf tropes here and before the encounter with the beasts one is kept engrossed as the themes of family, death and grief are explored.
I love this book and I will be reading it again.
I will be waiting for the next installment.
October 21, 2025
Not enough werewolves for my liking and that's what the book is supposed to be about.
November 24, 2025
Poetry in prose.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews