Hellfighters

by Dominique Marks

In New York City, 1923, the jazz, glitter, and poetic verse of the Harlem Renaissance is in full swing. But Earl Ridley, a veteran of the all-Black 369th U.S. Army Regiment (the Harlem Hellfighters) is still mired in the dark horror of the trenches of 1918 France, especially one terrible apparition that seemed to have come from somewhere other than Earth. When his vet buddies begin to transform into monstrous alien Sibyls, Earl realizes that what he thought were hallucinations were actually real. Earl is brought out of his isolation by Rose, a sex worker from the deep South, who is wounded by her own trauma. Together they learn that the purpose of the alien Sibyls is nothing less than the end of humanity. To heal, Earl will need to form new bonds, and gain the trust of a man he thought was his adversary. With the help of a young immigrant psychic, a vet-turned-musician, and perhaps even the notorious gangster Stephanie St. Clair, Earl and Rose must find a way to destroy the Sibyls–before he becomes one himself.

287 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 15, 2025

Reviews

[Helen Whistberry · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve been in a slump lately, having trouble finding a book I could vibe with, but this one got me excited about reading again. Set in New York City during the height of the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s, the story follows Earl, veteran of an all-Black Army unit that fought in World War I, and some of his buddies who are having varying degrees of success readjusting to post-Army life in a society which is not only unappreciative of its Black vets but at times dangerously hostile. Earl in particular is struggling with agoraphobia, hallucinations, and flashbacks to memories of a horrifying and inexplicable event in the trenches that he believes is a figment of his imagination, but is it?

That’s the jumping off point for a story that combines elements of classic noir mystery, cosmic and body horror, and historical fiction with a touching and believable love story between Earl and Rose, a sex worker whose past trauma draws her to both the pain and the gentle soul she sees behind Earl’s stoic exterior. Drawing on real historical figures such as Stephanie St. Clair, a powerful and charismatic crime boss, and the words of poets such as Langston Hughes and Claude McKay, the book does a great job of immersing the reader in the culture and feel of the time and place but always in service to the plot and the emotional journey the characters undergo as they slowly realize they are fighting forces so powerful that only the strongest and most determined will survive.

I’m a sucker for found family, and I loved everyone in the loyal group of friends that gradually coalesces around Rose and Earl as they search for answers as to why Earl’s former comrades are undergoing terrifying transformations before he becomes a victim himself. Earl is such a relatable character to me: lost in his own world at the beginning of the story, afraid to even leave his apartment, his gradual evolution as he learns to trust and reach out for help is definitely the beating heart of this tale. A great read for fans of weirdly creepy stories that center very human and appealing characters that you can’t help but root for and uses horror effectively as both metaphor for larger societal ills and for more down to earth chills and thrills.

Content warnings for strong themes of racism, racial violence and discrimination, PTSD/war trauma, mental health issues, and body horror that I would classify on the milder end of the scale but your mileage may vary. (Note: I received an ARC of this book from the author.)