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The Calamities
The heir to one of the world’s most influential families reckons with the demonic secret to their power, in this contemporary dark fantasy that melds occult magic with shocking family drama from the New York Times bestselling author of The Book of Accidents.
Mourning Mayne knows he’ll one day bear the duty of managing his family’s vast empire of wealth and power. But the feckless Mourning has always struggled to accept this legacy, which is one of cruelty, domination, and exploitation... and something even darker.
Because the Maynes are no ordinary family: Hidden in our world are the fiends—half-human, half-demon, and possessed of dark magic born from buying human souls—and the Maynes are one of the oldest and most influential fiendish families.
But when Mourning’s estranged father, the formidable and terrifying Hadrian Mayne, demands that he return to the fold, Mourning has to make a decision whether to accept his legacy and embrace his role in the family, or to forge his own destiny, and with it, change the course of the world.
Because along the way home, he will meet Key, a black-market seller of human souls, and Quinn, an artist who may hold the dark truth behind the fate of the fiends. Alone, they have all struggled with the darkness of their fiendish nature... but together, they might find a path out of the shadows.
Mourning Mayne knows he’ll one day bear the duty of managing his family’s vast empire of wealth and power. But the feckless Mourning has always struggled to accept this legacy, which is one of cruelty, domination, and exploitation... and something even darker.
Because the Maynes are no ordinary family: Hidden in our world are the fiends—half-human, half-demon, and possessed of dark magic born from buying human souls—and the Maynes are one of the oldest and most influential fiendish families.
But when Mourning’s estranged father, the formidable and terrifying Hadrian Mayne, demands that he return to the fold, Mourning has to make a decision whether to accept his legacy and embrace his role in the family, or to forge his own destiny, and with it, change the course of the world.
Because along the way home, he will meet Key, a black-market seller of human souls, and Quinn, an artist who may hold the dark truth behind the fate of the fiends. Alone, they have all struggled with the darkness of their fiendish nature... but together, they might find a path out of the shadows.
558 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 18, 2026
About the author
Chuck Wendig
194 books7,729 followersChuck Wendig is a novelist, a screenwriter, and a freelance penmonkey.
He has contributed over two million words to the roleplaying game industry, and was the developer of the popular Hunter: The Vigil game line (White Wolf Game Studios / CCP).
He, along with writing partner Lance Weiler, is a fellow of the Sundance Film Festival Screenwriter's Lab (2010). Their short film, Pandemic, will show at the Sundance Film Festival 2011, and their feature film HiM is in development with producer Ted Hope.
Chuck's novel Double Dead will be out in November, 2011.
He's written too much. He should probably stop. Give him a wide berth, as he might be drunk and untrustworthy. He currently lives in the wilds of Pennsyltucky with a wonderful wife and two very stupid dogs. He is represented by Stacia Decker of the Donald Maass Literary Agency.
You can find him at his website, terribleminds.com.
He has contributed over two million words to the roleplaying game industry, and was the developer of the popular Hunter: The Vigil game line (White Wolf Game Studios / CCP).
He, along with writing partner Lance Weiler, is a fellow of the Sundance Film Festival Screenwriter's Lab (2010). Their short film, Pandemic, will show at the Sundance Film Festival 2011, and their feature film HiM is in development with producer Ted Hope.
Chuck's novel Double Dead will be out in November, 2011.
He's written too much. He should probably stop. Give him a wide berth, as he might be drunk and untrustworthy. He currently lives in the wilds of Pennsyltucky with a wonderful wife and two very stupid dogs. He is represented by Stacia Decker of the Donald Maass Literary Agency.
You can find him at his website, terribleminds.com.
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August 18, 2026
Some families inherit wealth. Others inherit power. The Maynes inherited something far more monstrous. My thanks to Del Ray for the arc.
Chuck Wendig’s The Calamities is a gloriously dark urban fantasy with gothic family drama and grotesque horror. Its deliciously sinister premise follows descendants of demons who make deals for human souls, turning those bargains into inherited power across generations.
Wendig builds an entire history around the fiendish families - their bloodlines, hierarchies, rivalries and the terrifying economy of souls. At the centre is the wealthy, powerful and spectacularly dysfunctional Mayne family. Mourning, the black sheep of the family, is drawn back into the fold with the mystery of what happened to his father. Watching he families manoeuvre for control in the power vacuum, tearing each other apart as individuals vie for power and survival is as compelling as any great family saga.
As Mourning digs deeper we descend with him into a world lurking beneath our own filled with ancient occultism, hedonism and inherited privilege. Beneath all the gothic excess is a sharp metaphor for the corruption and exploitation of the world by powerful dynastic families that inherit wealth and influence, hoard power, consume everything around them and leave everyone else to live with the consequences. The souls they collect become a particularly vicious symbol of what the ruling class can extract from those beneath them.
And then there is the horror.
Wendig lets this world get gloriously monstrous with grotesque body horror, visceral imagery and increasingly weird and unsettling developments. It's the kind of supernatural horror that keeps tightening the screws, raising the stakes until all those simmering family rivalries, secrets and power plays finally collide revealing it something much older, darker and more terrifying lurking behind the fiendish families.
Dark, decadent and deeply weird, The Calamities peels back the wallpaper of a beautiful old mansion to reveal something ancient, hungry and absolutely horrifying has been living inside the walls all along.
Chuck Wendig’s The Calamities is a gloriously dark urban fantasy with gothic family drama and grotesque horror. Its deliciously sinister premise follows descendants of demons who make deals for human souls, turning those bargains into inherited power across generations.
Wendig builds an entire history around the fiendish families - their bloodlines, hierarchies, rivalries and the terrifying economy of souls. At the centre is the wealthy, powerful and spectacularly dysfunctional Mayne family. Mourning, the black sheep of the family, is drawn back into the fold with the mystery of what happened to his father. Watching he families manoeuvre for control in the power vacuum, tearing each other apart as individuals vie for power and survival is as compelling as any great family saga.
As Mourning digs deeper we descend with him into a world lurking beneath our own filled with ancient occultism, hedonism and inherited privilege. Beneath all the gothic excess is a sharp metaphor for the corruption and exploitation of the world by powerful dynastic families that inherit wealth and influence, hoard power, consume everything around them and leave everyone else to live with the consequences. The souls they collect become a particularly vicious symbol of what the ruling class can extract from those beneath them.
And then there is the horror.
Wendig lets this world get gloriously monstrous with grotesque body horror, visceral imagery and increasingly weird and unsettling developments. It's the kind of supernatural horror that keeps tightening the screws, raising the stakes until all those simmering family rivalries, secrets and power plays finally collide revealing it something much older, darker and more terrifying lurking behind the fiendish families.
Dark, decadent and deeply weird, The Calamities peels back the wallpaper of a beautiful old mansion to reveal something ancient, hungry and absolutely horrifying has been living inside the walls all along.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Ever read a book and wonder, what did I just read? That is exactly what I felt when I read The Calamities. Chuck Wendig built a world full of power grabs, hunger, demons, revenge, loss, and family. The Calamitiesis dark, horrific, bizarre, fantastical, and full of unique characters. The Mayne family is extremely wealthy, powerful, and only half human. They come from a long line of half humans and half demons who drink an elixir of bought souls.
Mourning Mayne has been called home by his father. He doesn't want to be there, but his father left him with no choice. After his father disappears, Mourning is thrust into a role and a world that he never wanted to be part of. Along the way, he will meet other interesting characters such as Key, Silas, and Quinn. Each has their role, their purpose, and their own journey that will lead them all along a dark, deadly, and dangerous path.
This book is full of horror, gore, and HUGE imagination. Chuck Wendig has built a terrifying world full of demons, half humans, humans, and unimaginable horrors. Chuck Wendig deserves high props for his world building and the horrors he unleashed in this book. This book is not for the faint of heart or those who cannot stomach gore. This book is equal parts twisted, chilling, tension filled, horrific, riveting, mysterious, and grotesque. If you enjoy horror, fantasy, mystery and paranormal book genres, The Calamities has them all and then some! It's a dark wild ride and don't let the page count scare you away; this book will get under your skin in no time!
Thank you to Del Rey and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Mourning Mayne has been called home by his father. He doesn't want to be there, but his father left him with no choice. After his father disappears, Mourning is thrust into a role and a world that he never wanted to be part of. Along the way, he will meet other interesting characters such as Key, Silas, and Quinn. Each has their role, their purpose, and their own journey that will lead them all along a dark, deadly, and dangerous path.
This book is full of horror, gore, and HUGE imagination. Chuck Wendig has built a terrifying world full of demons, half humans, humans, and unimaginable horrors. Chuck Wendig deserves high props for his world building and the horrors he unleashed in this book. This book is not for the faint of heart or those who cannot stomach gore. This book is equal parts twisted, chilling, tension filled, horrific, riveting, mysterious, and grotesque. If you enjoy horror, fantasy, mystery and paranormal book genres, The Calamities has them all and then some! It's a dark wild ride and don't let the page count scare you away; this book will get under your skin in no time!
Thank you to Del Rey and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
September 16, 2026
An elite demon cult family - is the comparison to the immoral wealthy too on the nose?
The basic premise is a bloody horror following chaotic bisexual half-demon f*ck-ups.😈
Half-human, half-demon hybrids possessing dark magic created by buying human souls. These souls feed an addictive family "fount" of elixir that grants them enhanced power, healing, and extended life.
Mourning (a heck of a name) is the black-sheep heir to one of the oldest and most influential families. He has spent years avoiding his family’s legacy of cruelty and exploitation until his father summons him home.
There are other character perspectives that make up this sprawling tome including a non-binary artist and a questionable black-market merchant.
However, I was not expecting a sudden disruption to Mourning’s story to introduce a new main character, and then another.
This has some grotesque body horror, on par with Wendig’s other books. However, I did get quite desensitised as the book is just SOOOO long. This wasn’t helped by the uneven pacing which would info dump with ‘tell not show’.
This is not a standalone! Which does seem crazy for a 600 page book. I definitely preferred the first half as all of the storylines started with a bang and then drifted as characters scrambled to get into place for an ending that was very abrupt.
Overall, if you want a bloody horror with a grungy urban horror setting - you’ll probably find a lot to like here. I found it slightly too long and a little too convoluted with a crazy ending.
Physical arc gifted by Del Rey.
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The basic premise is a bloody horror following chaotic bisexual half-demon f*ck-ups.😈
Half-human, half-demon hybrids possessing dark magic created by buying human souls. These souls feed an addictive family "fount" of elixir that grants them enhanced power, healing, and extended life.
Mourning (a heck of a name) is the black-sheep heir to one of the oldest and most influential families. He has spent years avoiding his family’s legacy of cruelty and exploitation until his father summons him home.
There are other character perspectives that make up this sprawling tome including a non-binary artist and a questionable black-market merchant.
However, I was not expecting a sudden disruption to Mourning’s story to introduce a new main character, and then another.
This has some grotesque body horror, on par with Wendig’s other books. However, I did get quite desensitised as the book is just SOOOO long. This wasn’t helped by the uneven pacing which would info dump with ‘tell not show’.
This is not a standalone! Which does seem crazy for a 600 page book. I definitely preferred the first half as all of the storylines started with a bang and then drifted as characters scrambled to get into place for an ending that was very abrupt.
Overall, if you want a bloody horror with a grungy urban horror setting - you’ll probably find a lot to like here. I found it slightly too long and a little too convoluted with a crazy ending.
Physical arc gifted by Del Rey.
Bookstagram
Tiktok
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Chuck Wendig has taken his readers on many epic journeys. From a group of sleepwalkers who rebuild society, to an evil underground mine and a wicked apple orchard, to a mysterious staircase in the woods, and now he has introduced us to a family of demons.
Chuck Wendig is THE horror author whom I can always count on to deliver a completely original and compelling tale and The Calamities is no exception.
Bizarre, grotesque, shocking, and an action packed thrill ride are just a few words I’d use to describe this one. His world building is incredible and I enjoyed the main characters Mourning and Key. All of the nods to his prior works in this one were just icing on the cake. I can't wait to read book two of this series and I know that fans of Chuck’s prior works are going to love this one as well!
The Calamities by Chuck Wendig will be available on August 18. Many thanks to Del Rey for the gifted copy!
Chuck Wendig is THE horror author whom I can always count on to deliver a completely original and compelling tale and The Calamities is no exception.
Bizarre, grotesque, shocking, and an action packed thrill ride are just a few words I’d use to describe this one. His world building is incredible and I enjoyed the main characters Mourning and Key. All of the nods to his prior works in this one were just icing on the cake. I can't wait to read book two of this series and I know that fans of Chuck’s prior works are going to love this one as well!
The Calamities by Chuck Wendig will be available on August 18. Many thanks to Del Rey for the gifted copy!
August 12, 2026
🎧Horror fantasy ALC/ARC Review
Holy hell, the audiobook performances here are top tier good! In fact, I believe the audio itself is a whole experience! Damn man, @macleodandrewsactor has got to be one of the best storytellers ever! I knew right away that this man was an actor and can do just about any voice. Readers who enjoy audio as a preferred format and dig fantasy horror, LISTEN TO THIS!!
The Calamities is a pretty mind-bending tale. Think part Succession with demons. The story is full of some nasty little characters and boy, does this book get dark. Imagine a family dynasty who buy the souls of others.
Some scenes are freaking wild, grotesque, and terrifyingly horrific. Chuck Wendig has a wild imagination and is perfect for fans of fantasy, horror, and twisted family dynamics.
Highly highly recommend the audiobook and you can get it in multiple formats next Tuesday, 8/18.
4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Recommend by one of @scaredstraightreads ‘s favorites of 2026.
Pub Date - 8/18
Thank you to Del Rey and PRH Audio for the gifted copies.
Holy hell, the audiobook performances here are top tier good! In fact, I believe the audio itself is a whole experience! Damn man, @macleodandrewsactor has got to be one of the best storytellers ever! I knew right away that this man was an actor and can do just about any voice. Readers who enjoy audio as a preferred format and dig fantasy horror, LISTEN TO THIS!!
The Calamities is a pretty mind-bending tale. Think part Succession with demons. The story is full of some nasty little characters and boy, does this book get dark. Imagine a family dynasty who buy the souls of others.
Some scenes are freaking wild, grotesque, and terrifyingly horrific. Chuck Wendig has a wild imagination and is perfect for fans of fantasy, horror, and twisted family dynamics.
Highly highly recommend the audiobook and you can get it in multiple formats next Tuesday, 8/18.
4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Recommend by one of @scaredstraightreads ‘s favorites of 2026.
Pub Date - 8/18
Thank you to Del Rey and PRH Audio for the gifted copies.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
THE BEST CHUCK WENDIG NOVEL EVER ‼️
I don’t say this lightly. THE CALAMITIES is part horror, part dark (AF) fantasy, part family dynasty, and all parts masterpiece. Thank you @delreybooks for this gifted copy of Chuck Wendig’s upcoming horror novel, THE CALAMITIES! Swipe right to read my mini synopsis.
At over 500 pages, you may feel overwhelmed, but I’m telling you right now that I couldn’t put it down. Wendig does an excellent job scaring you on this journey with truly bonkers and WTF moments galore. The world in this book is something I’ve never seen before (and needs to be optioned for series)! I would be surprised if anything comes in between this book and the title of ScaredStraightReads’ best book of 2026. No notes. STARS: 5, PUB: 8/18
I don’t say this lightly. THE CALAMITIES is part horror, part dark (AF) fantasy, part family dynasty, and all parts masterpiece. Thank you @delreybooks for this gifted copy of Chuck Wendig’s upcoming horror novel, THE CALAMITIES! Swipe right to read my mini synopsis.
At over 500 pages, you may feel overwhelmed, but I’m telling you right now that I couldn’t put it down. Wendig does an excellent job scaring you on this journey with truly bonkers and WTF moments galore. The world in this book is something I’ve never seen before (and needs to be optioned for series)! I would be surprised if anything comes in between this book and the title of ScaredStraightReads’ best book of 2026. No notes. STARS: 5, PUB: 8/18
July 9, 2026
This is going to be a contender for favorite book of the year! We have fantasy, we have horror...and you already know that's my favorite combination! Chuck Wendig brings us to our world, but it's actually run by demons. There are families in power, like crime syndicates, who trade in human souls. These souls bring them wealth and beauty and power, etc. You know I love demons, you know I love wealthy family drama! It's like this book was written for me personally, thank you so much Chuck! Add the cat character, and we've got an obvious slam dunk. I'm not giving a synopsis, just read the book blurb... I love how dark and unhinged it is, I love the exploration of the human soul, I love the gory parts, and I love the flesh room. After consulting with friends, I am apparently more messed up than initially expected, because I'm here for the flesh room, while they were appalled by it. Please DM when you hit that part. This is a MUST-READ for my dark fantasy loving counterparts! And there is corn (not Korn).
Thank you SO MUCH to Del Rey for the physical ARC! A treasure. Book releases 8/18/26.
Thank you SO MUCH to Del Rey for the physical ARC! A treasure. Book releases 8/18/26.
to-find-or-get
June 29, 2026Pre-read
Noooo, my request for this one was rejected 😭 I guess I'll have to wait for it to come out! It sounds right up my alley (they totally got me with the For fans of Ninth House bit
Noooo, my request for this one was rejected 😭 I guess I'll have to wait for it to come out! It sounds right up my alley (they totally got me with the For fans of Ninth House bit
July 1, 2026
Thanks to Netgalley and Del Rey for the pre-release copy of Chuck Wendig's The Calamities. Below is my honest review.
Ughhhh, Chuck, the majority of the time, your books are big wins for me, but this one didn't work for me at all.
The characters weren't really likeable or root-for-able, though I am hoping Key completes her quest and Silas was a creepy yet interesting POV. The plot was kinda messy and all over the place with a lot of extraneous complications, and the pacing was just off. I felt like there was a lot of potential that was spent on making things gruesome for shock value rather than put into the main storyline.
There was a lot of build up at the end, leading to something huge, but then it just kind of abruptly stops and you're left feeling like "that's it? that?" and that was disappointing.
I did like the concept of the soul-bargaining and the elixir, but I felt like it took a massive back burner to the convoluted plot.
I didn't hate it overall though, and I'll consider reading the second/final book of the duology when it comes out, to see if it picks up and utilizes all the potential built in this one.
I give it 2.5 stars, rounded up to three for a "didn't love it, didn't hate it, liked it I guess."
Ughhhh, Chuck, the majority of the time, your books are big wins for me, but this one didn't work for me at all.
The characters weren't really likeable or root-for-able, though I am hoping Key completes her quest and Silas was a creepy yet interesting POV. The plot was kinda messy and all over the place with a lot of extraneous complications, and the pacing was just off. I felt like there was a lot of potential that was spent on making things gruesome for shock value rather than put into the main storyline.
There was a lot of build up at the end, leading to something huge, but then it just kind of abruptly stops and you're left feeling like "that's it? that?" and that was disappointing.
I did like the concept of the soul-bargaining and the elixir, but I felt like it took a massive back burner to the convoluted plot.
I didn't hate it overall though, and I'll consider reading the second/final book of the duology when it comes out, to see if it picks up and utilizes all the potential built in this one.
I give it 2.5 stars, rounded up to three for a "didn't love it, didn't hate it, liked it I guess."
Did Not Finish
July 13, 2026Thank you to NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review. Unfortunately, I DNF’ed this at 14% for numerous reasons.
The Calamities is a dark fantasy centred on Mourning Mayne, a wayward son of a powerful half-demon-half-human family. When Mourning is forced to return to his home, he is faced with his demonic inheritance and finds that he can no longer run from it.
I went into this book eager to read a good dark, perhaps urban gothic story. Instead, I was met with rampant misogyny, stilted prose, and such an edgelord of a protagonist that I wondered if he might somehow be worse than Ebony Dark’ness Dementia Raven Way. I will concede that I’ve never read anything by Wendig and therefore can’t comment on his authorship; whether this is a blip in an otherwise excellent record or a recurring theme remains unclear to me, and frankly I have no intention of finding out.
While I am aware that misogyny remains rampant in horror as a genre, and indeed in fiction overall, I remain intolerant of it. In what world is it necessary to present a female character (even a simulacrum of her) in a position so debasing and degrading that it warrants an interrogation of the author? Authors make choices in their writing, and they must be prepared to defend their narrative choices in the court of reader opinion. I cannot reasonably conceive of a reason why this scene was necessary beyond the kind of shock factor that only a seventeen year-old edgelord would find meaningful. It was unnecessary and therefore should not have been included.
Did the misogyny end there? Certainly not. The description of wealthy ‘horse girls’ would normally have been passable as a misogynistic character’s perception were it not so heavily implied to be a well-documented pattern. Readers who believe the women in this novel to reflect women in reality are likely due for a rude awakening when they find that the overwhelming majority of women don’t bring their sports/hobbies into the bedroom. Considering the author seemed to deem it necessary to mention a woman’s “folds” when describing childbirth, I must also add the possibly groundbreaking revelation that women do, in fact, exist beyond being sentient vessels for their vaginas.
All of this could have been enough to dismiss the book as simply a misogynistic mess, but it’s unfortunately riddled with some of the worst syntax I’ve ever seen in writing. If one were to take a shot every time this book uses the structure ‘not x, but y,’ they would die of alcohol poisoning within a single chapter. There was so much unnecessary repetition both in structure and content that the simple act of reading the novel felt like an exercise in self-immolation. In the end, I couldn’t drag out my suffering any longer.
I honestly can’t imagine anyone but an edgelord enjoying this book, but to each their own. Readers looking for dark, gothic themes that gracefully explore the sensuality and morbidity of their subject matter are better off reading Ava Reid’s Innamorata. If they want to read something edgy for the sake of it, popular Dramione fanfic My Immortal may be more their speed. Either way, I cannot in good conscience recommend this book.
The Calamities is a dark fantasy centred on Mourning Mayne, a wayward son of a powerful half-demon-half-human family. When Mourning is forced to return to his home, he is faced with his demonic inheritance and finds that he can no longer run from it.
I went into this book eager to read a good dark, perhaps urban gothic story. Instead, I was met with rampant misogyny, stilted prose, and such an edgelord of a protagonist that I wondered if he might somehow be worse than Ebony Dark’ness Dementia Raven Way. I will concede that I’ve never read anything by Wendig and therefore can’t comment on his authorship; whether this is a blip in an otherwise excellent record or a recurring theme remains unclear to me, and frankly I have no intention of finding out.
While I am aware that misogyny remains rampant in horror as a genre, and indeed in fiction overall, I remain intolerant of it. In what world is it necessary to present a female character (even a simulacrum of her) in a position so debasing and degrading that it warrants an interrogation of the author? Authors make choices in their writing, and they must be prepared to defend their narrative choices in the court of reader opinion. I cannot reasonably conceive of a reason why this scene was necessary beyond the kind of shock factor that only a seventeen year-old edgelord would find meaningful. It was unnecessary and therefore should not have been included.
Did the misogyny end there? Certainly not. The description of wealthy ‘horse girls’ would normally have been passable as a misogynistic character’s perception were it not so heavily implied to be a well-documented pattern. Readers who believe the women in this novel to reflect women in reality are likely due for a rude awakening when they find that the overwhelming majority of women don’t bring their sports/hobbies into the bedroom. Considering the author seemed to deem it necessary to mention a woman’s “folds” when describing childbirth, I must also add the possibly groundbreaking revelation that women do, in fact, exist beyond being sentient vessels for their vaginas.
All of this could have been enough to dismiss the book as simply a misogynistic mess, but it’s unfortunately riddled with some of the worst syntax I’ve ever seen in writing. If one were to take a shot every time this book uses the structure ‘not x, but y,’ they would die of alcohol poisoning within a single chapter. There was so much unnecessary repetition both in structure and content that the simple act of reading the novel felt like an exercise in self-immolation. In the end, I couldn’t drag out my suffering any longer.
I honestly can’t imagine anyone but an edgelord enjoying this book, but to each their own. Readers looking for dark, gothic themes that gracefully explore the sensuality and morbidity of their subject matter are better off reading Ava Reid’s Innamorata. If they want to read something edgy for the sake of it, popular Dramione fanfic My Immortal may be more their speed. Either way, I cannot in good conscience recommend this book.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Chuck Wendig pulls out all the stops for the first book in a series which seamlessly combines dark fantasy with horror and gives us an epic tale of greed, dysfunctional family, revenge, and absolute terror. This book is right up there in scope with The Stand and there's more to come.
There are "broods" of families who are, for the most part, human but their ancestry goes back eons to actual demons. These families who are blood born are soulless and ruthless. They're wealthy and powerful but the source of this are the founts each family keeps to drink of. These founts are comprised of human souls.
These families make faustion deals with humans in exchange for the souls and this elixir from the souls keeps them powerful and provides them with long life and health. But they are also wary of each other. These families don't get along and sometimes the dysfunction within the broods causes a rift within the family itself. It's a world where very bad people will do very bad things with no regards to morality.
In this book, Mourning is the eldest son and heir apparent to a powerful family. But he doesn't want it. He'd rather be on an island drinking, drugging, and having sex with whoever catches his eye. He's dragged back by his absolutely ruthless father and things are going to take a horrific turn. Because the founts are becoming empty and the heads of families are either missing or dead.
When Mournings father disappears, taking the family elixir supply with him, he's forced to find out what's going on before he's killed. This is where the book turns into a great multi-character road trip from hell. With dreams and visions of a terrifying tower in a cornfield, Mourning, a soul hunter named Key, and an artist named Quinn are all drawn to this mysterious structure for their own reasons and, along the way, there will be bloody and violent repurcussions.
There are scenes in here that'll turn your stomach and creatures which will make your skin crawl. I'm not even going to mention a character named Julian and what he has in his house. Grandly gross and delightfully disgusting is all I'll say! It sticks with you.
You'll have to read this book to discover all the bone chilling secrets but you'll be happy you did. I highly recommend it. I received an ARC of this book through Netgalley. This review is voluntary and is my own personal opinion.
There are "broods" of families who are, for the most part, human but their ancestry goes back eons to actual demons. These families who are blood born are soulless and ruthless. They're wealthy and powerful but the source of this are the founts each family keeps to drink of. These founts are comprised of human souls.
These families make faustion deals with humans in exchange for the souls and this elixir from the souls keeps them powerful and provides them with long life and health. But they are also wary of each other. These families don't get along and sometimes the dysfunction within the broods causes a rift within the family itself. It's a world where very bad people will do very bad things with no regards to morality.
In this book, Mourning is the eldest son and heir apparent to a powerful family. But he doesn't want it. He'd rather be on an island drinking, drugging, and having sex with whoever catches his eye. He's dragged back by his absolutely ruthless father and things are going to take a horrific turn. Because the founts are becoming empty and the heads of families are either missing or dead.
When Mournings father disappears, taking the family elixir supply with him, he's forced to find out what's going on before he's killed. This is where the book turns into a great multi-character road trip from hell. With dreams and visions of a terrifying tower in a cornfield, Mourning, a soul hunter named Key, and an artist named Quinn are all drawn to this mysterious structure for their own reasons and, along the way, there will be bloody and violent repurcussions.
There are scenes in here that'll turn your stomach and creatures which will make your skin crawl. I'm not even going to mention a character named Julian and what he has in his house. Grandly gross and delightfully disgusting is all I'll say! It sticks with you.
You'll have to read this book to discover all the bone chilling secrets but you'll be happy you did. I highly recommend it. I received an ARC of this book through Netgalley. This review is voluntary and is my own personal opinion.
Did Not Finish
August 27, 2026Dnf @16%. Some interesting moments but mostly meandering.
October 25, 2026
If you told me that the wealthiest people in the world had either sold their soul or convinced someone to sell theirs, I'd believe you. So this wasn't that scary.
The Calamities is a sort of dark horror fantasy following multiple POVs. The wealthy families deal in the selling of souls to fuel their founts, which flows with an amber liquid that's basically magic. Four stories converge into one motley crew trying to find this liquid magic and the reason why everything has suddenly flipped upside down.
This is all my favorite things, but somehow I just wasn't excited by it. Still recommend though. 3.5 - and thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!
The Calamities is a sort of dark horror fantasy following multiple POVs. The wealthy families deal in the selling of souls to fuel their founts, which flows with an amber liquid that's basically magic. Four stories converge into one motley crew trying to find this liquid magic and the reason why everything has suddenly flipped upside down.
This is all my favorite things, but somehow I just wasn't excited by it. Still recommend though. 3.5 - and thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I love Chuck s'much, this was brilliant, characters that you root for but you shouldn't really cos they're kinda bad??? Soul eaters, demons, a cute (ishhh?) cat, I loved the references to chucks previous books and other authors in this, felt like I was in on the joke, in the cool gang y'know (I'm not) this was really gross in parts, really funny in parts and I had such a blast reading it, theres lots of commentry on society (tech bro/manosphere insults had me howling) and it's actually truly frightening cos if it came on the news that the most powerful in society were only powerful cos they were being helped by fiends from hell I wouldn't bat an eyelid tbh
August 28, 2026
A Masterclass in High-Octane Supernatural Dread.
Part contemporary fantasy, part visceral horror, and pure unadulterated adrenaline. The Calamities by Chuck Wendig is an absolute juggernaut of a read. The book has been pitched as "Horror meets Succession," and that description hits the nail precisely on the head.
The story drops us right into the wealthy, monstrously dysfunctional Mayne family dynasty. Hidden from the regular human population, these "fiends" are elite, half-human, half-demon hybrids who maintain their global power by trafficking in human souls. When the terrifying patriarch Hadrian Mayne vanishes, his estranged, deeply reluctant son Mourning is dragged kicking and screaming back into the fold to claim his birthright. What follows is a brutal, bloody struggle where the stakes are quite literally eternal.
True to Wendig's signature style, the narrative moves at a relentless, white-knuckle pace. Once the momentum swings into motion, it never lets up. Wendig creates a fascinating, terrifyingly detailed hidden economy built entirely around the trade of human souls. The mythology of the various demonic lineages and how they weaponise their dark magic is brilliantly layered, unfolding naturally without massive, boring data dumps.
Mourning Mayne is a fantastic, deeply flawed protagonist. His struggle to resist the cruelty of his family's legacy while navigating a den of vipers makes him incredibly compelling to root for, while supporting characters like the soul-merchant Key add fantastic layers of moral ambiguity to the narrative.
I must admit, I did have my reservations early on in this book. The sheer scope of the demonic families and the terminology takes a little while to wrap your head around. However, after about an hour or so of reading, the hook dug in deep, and I found myself completely unable to put this book down.
It delivers a heavy dose of supernatural dread that will thoroughly satisfy fans of Stephen King, Ronald Malfi, or Leigh Bardugo’s Ninth House. An absolute must-read!
Part contemporary fantasy, part visceral horror, and pure unadulterated adrenaline. The Calamities by Chuck Wendig is an absolute juggernaut of a read. The book has been pitched as "Horror meets Succession," and that description hits the nail precisely on the head.
The story drops us right into the wealthy, monstrously dysfunctional Mayne family dynasty. Hidden from the regular human population, these "fiends" are elite, half-human, half-demon hybrids who maintain their global power by trafficking in human souls. When the terrifying patriarch Hadrian Mayne vanishes, his estranged, deeply reluctant son Mourning is dragged kicking and screaming back into the fold to claim his birthright. What follows is a brutal, bloody struggle where the stakes are quite literally eternal.
True to Wendig's signature style, the narrative moves at a relentless, white-knuckle pace. Once the momentum swings into motion, it never lets up. Wendig creates a fascinating, terrifyingly detailed hidden economy built entirely around the trade of human souls. The mythology of the various demonic lineages and how they weaponise their dark magic is brilliantly layered, unfolding naturally without massive, boring data dumps.
Mourning Mayne is a fantastic, deeply flawed protagonist. His struggle to resist the cruelty of his family's legacy while navigating a den of vipers makes him incredibly compelling to root for, while supporting characters like the soul-merchant Key add fantastic layers of moral ambiguity to the narrative.
I must admit, I did have my reservations early on in this book. The sheer scope of the demonic families and the terminology takes a little while to wrap your head around. However, after about an hour or so of reading, the hook dug in deep, and I found myself completely unable to put this book down.
It delivers a heavy dose of supernatural dread that will thoroughly satisfy fans of Stephen King, Ronald Malfi, or Leigh Bardugo’s Ninth House. An absolute must-read!
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
3 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2026/08/19/...
Chuck Wendig has a knack for coming up with premises which make me keep coming back for more, even when I know there’s a decent chance I’ll have some issues with the execution. The Calamities is another one of those books. It’s urban fantasy that’s dark, weird, and occasionally gruesome, which is very much in keeping with the author’s trademark strangeness. Unfortunately, though, it also falls into some of the usual pitfalls I’ve run into with his work, where a compelling idea keeps expanding until it becomes more sprawling and complicated than interesting.
At the center of this story is Mourning Mayne, scion to an ancient and powerful house of fiends, demonic beings who have gained and maintained their influence since time immemorial by buying human souls. Their lives are sustained by a strange elixir created from those souls which give the Maynes and the other fiendish families their supernatural abilities, thus making the business of collecting souls as much a part of their inheritance as their wealth and power. But Mourning has never been particularly interested in being involved in family affairs, especially given all the ugliness it entails. He had been more than happy to exile himself to the opposite side of the county as soon as he was able, leaving his twin siblings to deal with the matter of who would eventually inherit their father’s legacy.
But the Mayne patriarch, Hadrian, has other plans. Out of nowhere, he summons his wayward son home, and Mourning suddenly finds himself pulled back into the world he’d desperately wanted to leave behind. Despite everything, the desire to make his father proud is a difficult habit to break, and when Hadrian announces that he intends to make Mourning his heir, our protagonist is left with a jumble of emotions he barely has time to process before his father disappears along with their house’s reserve of soul elixir. Naturally, the other fiendish families take notice, with accusations flying and old grudges resurfacing. Mourning is soon confronted by Key, a soul dealer with whom he has a complicated history, and discovers that she hasn’t really been out of his life at all, having secretly kept an eye on him the whole time he was away. And now, the two of them find themselves working together to unravel the mystery, their search eventually leading them to a mysterious artist whose connection to the fiends is far more important and potentially dangerous than anyone realizes.
The concept behind The Calamities had all the ingredients to make it instantly appealing to me. I’ve always had a soft spot for the black sheep of the family trope, and while it’s hardly a new idea, I was curious to see how Wendig would put his own spin on it within this particular world of demonic families and trafficked human souls. Mourning’s decision to walk away from this system of exploitation gives the story a solid foundation, and there’s also potential in the setup of him being dragged right back in, forced to accept his destiny. I mean, there are so many ways this could play out.
Yet, I’m sad to say the execution didn’t quite live up to the promise. What starts off as relatively tight storytelling gradually frays to become much more sprawling and unfocused. I wasn’t a fan of Key’s or Quinn’s POVs, which introduced even more characters and layers of mythology, much of which felt questionable in its relevance and ultimately served more to complicate the story than enhance it. Eventually, the plot grew to such bloated proportions, it became difficult to keep track of what was actually important, and I found myself feeling less interested and invested as it wore on.
This is also where I run into a somewhat recurrent issue with Wendig’s books. He clearly has a very distinctive voice, and I love that he’s willing to get weird, but sometimes it feels like it’s weirdness for weirdness’s sake rather than because it actually serves the story. His writing occasionally seems more interested in reminding me how unconventional the book is than in letting the story speak for itself. While some of it worked for me, other moments felt forced, and by the end, I couldn’t help thinking about how much more effective this could have been if it had simply trusted its strongest ideas and given them more room to breathe.
Ultimately, I think The Calamities would have benefited from a little more cohesiveness. The novel spends so much time building toward something enormous, with the ending throwing revelation after revelation at you, suggesting that everything is about to come crashing down. But by that point, I think I was more confused and skeptical than anything. That’s not to say I had a bad experience, as there was plenty here I genuinely enjoyed, particularly the core concept. But I also spent a good portion of the book wishing it would start reining things in rather than continuing to expand the scope. The final pages clearly leave the door open for a sequel, and if another book follows, I’ll more than likely give it a shot, though I do hope it will bring some focus to all these moving parts before the whole thing becomes too much to hold together.
Chuck Wendig has a knack for coming up with premises which make me keep coming back for more, even when I know there’s a decent chance I’ll have some issues with the execution. The Calamities is another one of those books. It’s urban fantasy that’s dark, weird, and occasionally gruesome, which is very much in keeping with the author’s trademark strangeness. Unfortunately, though, it also falls into some of the usual pitfalls I’ve run into with his work, where a compelling idea keeps expanding until it becomes more sprawling and complicated than interesting.
At the center of this story is Mourning Mayne, scion to an ancient and powerful house of fiends, demonic beings who have gained and maintained their influence since time immemorial by buying human souls. Their lives are sustained by a strange elixir created from those souls which give the Maynes and the other fiendish families their supernatural abilities, thus making the business of collecting souls as much a part of their inheritance as their wealth and power. But Mourning has never been particularly interested in being involved in family affairs, especially given all the ugliness it entails. He had been more than happy to exile himself to the opposite side of the county as soon as he was able, leaving his twin siblings to deal with the matter of who would eventually inherit their father’s legacy.
But the Mayne patriarch, Hadrian, has other plans. Out of nowhere, he summons his wayward son home, and Mourning suddenly finds himself pulled back into the world he’d desperately wanted to leave behind. Despite everything, the desire to make his father proud is a difficult habit to break, and when Hadrian announces that he intends to make Mourning his heir, our protagonist is left with a jumble of emotions he barely has time to process before his father disappears along with their house’s reserve of soul elixir. Naturally, the other fiendish families take notice, with accusations flying and old grudges resurfacing. Mourning is soon confronted by Key, a soul dealer with whom he has a complicated history, and discovers that she hasn’t really been out of his life at all, having secretly kept an eye on him the whole time he was away. And now, the two of them find themselves working together to unravel the mystery, their search eventually leading them to a mysterious artist whose connection to the fiends is far more important and potentially dangerous than anyone realizes.
The concept behind The Calamities had all the ingredients to make it instantly appealing to me. I’ve always had a soft spot for the black sheep of the family trope, and while it’s hardly a new idea, I was curious to see how Wendig would put his own spin on it within this particular world of demonic families and trafficked human souls. Mourning’s decision to walk away from this system of exploitation gives the story a solid foundation, and there’s also potential in the setup of him being dragged right back in, forced to accept his destiny. I mean, there are so many ways this could play out.
Yet, I’m sad to say the execution didn’t quite live up to the promise. What starts off as relatively tight storytelling gradually frays to become much more sprawling and unfocused. I wasn’t a fan of Key’s or Quinn’s POVs, which introduced even more characters and layers of mythology, much of which felt questionable in its relevance and ultimately served more to complicate the story than enhance it. Eventually, the plot grew to such bloated proportions, it became difficult to keep track of what was actually important, and I found myself feeling less interested and invested as it wore on.
This is also where I run into a somewhat recurrent issue with Wendig’s books. He clearly has a very distinctive voice, and I love that he’s willing to get weird, but sometimes it feels like it’s weirdness for weirdness’s sake rather than because it actually serves the story. His writing occasionally seems more interested in reminding me how unconventional the book is than in letting the story speak for itself. While some of it worked for me, other moments felt forced, and by the end, I couldn’t help thinking about how much more effective this could have been if it had simply trusted its strongest ideas and given them more room to breathe.
Ultimately, I think The Calamities would have benefited from a little more cohesiveness. The novel spends so much time building toward something enormous, with the ending throwing revelation after revelation at you, suggesting that everything is about to come crashing down. But by that point, I think I was more confused and skeptical than anything. That’s not to say I had a bad experience, as there was plenty here I genuinely enjoyed, particularly the core concept. But I also spent a good portion of the book wishing it would start reining things in rather than continuing to expand the scope. The final pages clearly leave the door open for a sequel, and if another book follows, I’ll more than likely give it a shot, though I do hope it will bring some focus to all these moving parts before the whole thing becomes too much to hold together.
July 10, 2026
Chuck Wendig has done it again with another banger of an epic masterpiece. He always takes a foundation of tropes that are tired and overdone - in this case, broods of rich families who eat souls in exchange for power - how often have I seen that archetypal storyline?? But he breathes fresh life into these tropes, and keeps me riveted thanks to his characters and worldbuilding.
I also am tired of this recent trend of fiction about billionaires behaving badly; I generally find rich people bland and the only thing interesting about them is their wealth. Here, too, Wendig twists the knife and makes characters that were unlikable, yes, but complex and compelling.
Mourning Mayne wasn't my favorite character, the shallow scion of one of the broods who is a wayward playboy with an obsessive childhood crush on his assistant. I found him dull and insipid at first, typical spoiled rich boy, until his backstory is revealed; he refused to eat his crush's soul. Eating souls is a crude way of explaining it, but basically these old families have fixers, or fiends, who span out over the world and bargain with people to sell them their souls. The souls then become an elixir that is like a drug to them and gives them their power. Then I was on Mourning's side, despite the silly name, because he always tried to do the right thing despite being a fucked up hot mess. This definitely had "What if Succession had demons" vibes too.
The families are in an uproar because the Mayne patriarch has gone missing and taken their fount of elixir. But the game is much more dangerous than that. The hunt is on for a homicidal nonbinary artist called Quinn who is the key to something far darker than stolen elixir.
Mourning joins forces with another fiend on the run, Key, another character I loved, who is trying to redeem herself for stealing the soul of her friend-with-benefits and unrequited love, Lucinda, to save her life. The daughter of an addict, she resists imbibing of elixir, making her even more interesting to me.
I also enjoyed Quinn's character. You can always win me over with a pet cat (who thankfully does not die, spoiler alert necessary for horror.) I thought they were excellent nonbinary representation. As a genderfluid person myself, I related to their feelings about gender. Only one small quibble though. When they/them pronouns are used, please, please say "themself" instead of "themselves." Them is intended to be a singular pronoun and nonbinary folks generally aren't plural.
The story was frequently gory and soaked in blood and tentacles, which I often found gross but I agreed with the author's afterword that I also find horror comforting because it is an unreal mirror of the darkness of the real world that allows us to confront its heartaches. I loved the room of flesh, gave me goosebumps. Sometimes I love to be grossed out. The book as a whole though wasn't all that scary to me, mostly just gross and weird but in a good way. It leaned heavier into fantasy than horror, I thought, as well as action and thriller elements.
At times I did get tired of rich people problems, but this epic novel kept up the pace and kept me on the edge of my seat. It was a fun blend of intellectual dark fantasy and horror that I loved, cinematic in scope. I can't wait for the next book. Chuck Wendig is fast becoming an author I can always count on; I have also read Wanderers by him and loved it, and am overdue to read its sequel.
This book is a nonstop thrill ride with rich layers and interesting characters, and a fun start to an intriguing new series.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance review copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I also am tired of this recent trend of fiction about billionaires behaving badly; I generally find rich people bland and the only thing interesting about them is their wealth. Here, too, Wendig twists the knife and makes characters that were unlikable, yes, but complex and compelling.
Mourning Mayne wasn't my favorite character, the shallow scion of one of the broods who is a wayward playboy with an obsessive childhood crush on his assistant. I found him dull and insipid at first, typical spoiled rich boy, until his backstory is revealed; he refused to eat his crush's soul. Eating souls is a crude way of explaining it, but basically these old families have fixers, or fiends, who span out over the world and bargain with people to sell them their souls. The souls then become an elixir that is like a drug to them and gives them their power. Then I was on Mourning's side, despite the silly name, because he always tried to do the right thing despite being a fucked up hot mess. This definitely had "What if Succession had demons" vibes too.
The families are in an uproar because the Mayne patriarch has gone missing and taken their fount of elixir. But the game is much more dangerous than that. The hunt is on for a homicidal nonbinary artist called Quinn who is the key to something far darker than stolen elixir.
Mourning joins forces with another fiend on the run, Key, another character I loved, who is trying to redeem herself for stealing the soul of her friend-with-benefits and unrequited love, Lucinda, to save her life. The daughter of an addict, she resists imbibing of elixir, making her even more interesting to me.
I also enjoyed Quinn's character. You can always win me over with a pet cat (who thankfully does not die, spoiler alert necessary for horror.) I thought they were excellent nonbinary representation. As a genderfluid person myself, I related to their feelings about gender. Only one small quibble though. When they/them pronouns are used, please, please say "themself" instead of "themselves." Them is intended to be a singular pronoun and nonbinary folks generally aren't plural.
The story was frequently gory and soaked in blood and tentacles, which I often found gross but I agreed with the author's afterword that I also find horror comforting because it is an unreal mirror of the darkness of the real world that allows us to confront its heartaches. I loved the room of flesh, gave me goosebumps. Sometimes I love to be grossed out. The book as a whole though wasn't all that scary to me, mostly just gross and weird but in a good way. It leaned heavier into fantasy than horror, I thought, as well as action and thriller elements.
At times I did get tired of rich people problems, but this epic novel kept up the pace and kept me on the edge of my seat. It was a fun blend of intellectual dark fantasy and horror that I loved, cinematic in scope. I can't wait for the next book. Chuck Wendig is fast becoming an author I can always count on; I have also read Wanderers by him and loved it, and am overdue to read its sequel.
This book is a nonstop thrill ride with rich layers and interesting characters, and a fun start to an intriguing new series.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance review copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
August 24, 2026
3.75 stars
A dense book, medium paced but increasing to a mostly complete finish. That said, it’s also clearly an opener to a continuing story.
I always enjoy Wendig’s books. He’s an entertaining writer with lots of imagination. This one was a bit denser and so took some time to really start moving, but ultimately I liked it.
A dense book, medium paced but increasing to a mostly complete finish. That said, it’s also clearly an opener to a continuing story.
I always enjoy Wendig’s books. He’s an entertaining writer with lots of imagination. This one was a bit denser and so took some time to really start moving, but ultimately I liked it.
September 3, 2026
3.5
😈 💀Calamities by Chuck Wendig —special thanks to @delreybooks for the gifted copy💀 😈
Are you looking for wealthy families with dark secrets? Faustian bargains that come at a heavy price? Some gross AF horror scenes? Some urban fantasy? Welcome to The Calamities, the first in a duology. Enjoy your unique stay.
I gave this one 3.5 stars. Below, I’ll explain what I loved and what I personally didn’t like—but you may 😉
💀 Liked:
💀 World Building
💀 Characters
💀 Horror Elements
💀 Storyline
😈 What didn’t work for me:
😈 Overall length of the story
😈 Some parts felt more like filler than plot points
😈 Slow build up that led up to a bit of a rushed ending
😈 💀Calamities by Chuck Wendig —special thanks to @delreybooks for the gifted copy💀 😈
Are you looking for wealthy families with dark secrets? Faustian bargains that come at a heavy price? Some gross AF horror scenes? Some urban fantasy? Welcome to The Calamities, the first in a duology. Enjoy your unique stay.
I gave this one 3.5 stars. Below, I’ll explain what I loved and what I personally didn’t like—but you may 😉
💀 Liked:
💀 World Building
💀 Characters
💀 Horror Elements
💀 Storyline
😈 What didn’t work for me:
😈 Overall length of the story
😈 Some parts felt more like filler than plot points
😈 Slow build up that led up to a bit of a rushed ending
June 8, 2026
Chuck Wendig absolutely knocked this one out of the park.
The Calamities is one of those rare books that manages to be funny, heartfelt, strange, and deeply human all at once. Wendig has a gift for creating characters who feel messy and real, and I found myself completely invested in their journey. The story balances humor and emotion beautifully, weaving together moments that made me laugh with others that hit surprisingly hard.
What stood out most was the sense of connection running through the entire book. Beneath the adventure, chaos, and larger-than-life circumstances is a story about people trying to find where they belong and who they can trust when everything falls apart. The characters aren’t perfect, and that’s exactly what makes them so compelling.
Wendig’s writing is sharp, energetic, and packed with personality. The pacing kept me turning pages, and even when things got weird, it always felt purposeful and grounded by the characters at its core.
By the time I finished, I wasn’t ready to leave this world or these people behind. Funny, emotional, imaginative, and unforgettable, The Calamities was an easy five-star read for me.
I love how there are ties to all of his other work within these pages, too. It’s just so good. Consistently.
GIVE ME THE SECOND BOOK *IMMEDIATELY* PLZ.
Huge thanks to NetGalley, Penguin Random House/Del Ray, and Chuck Wendig for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review. I honestly cannot wait for this next book :D
The Calamities is one of those rare books that manages to be funny, heartfelt, strange, and deeply human all at once. Wendig has a gift for creating characters who feel messy and real, and I found myself completely invested in their journey. The story balances humor and emotion beautifully, weaving together moments that made me laugh with others that hit surprisingly hard.
What stood out most was the sense of connection running through the entire book. Beneath the adventure, chaos, and larger-than-life circumstances is a story about people trying to find where they belong and who they can trust when everything falls apart. The characters aren’t perfect, and that’s exactly what makes them so compelling.
Wendig’s writing is sharp, energetic, and packed with personality. The pacing kept me turning pages, and even when things got weird, it always felt purposeful and grounded by the characters at its core.
By the time I finished, I wasn’t ready to leave this world or these people behind. Funny, emotional, imaginative, and unforgettable, The Calamities was an easy five-star read for me.
I love how there are ties to all of his other work within these pages, too. It’s just so good. Consistently.
GIVE ME THE SECOND BOOK *IMMEDIATELY* PLZ.
Huge thanks to NetGalley, Penguin Random House/Del Ray, and Chuck Wendig for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review. I honestly cannot wait for this next book :D
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you NetGalley and Del Rey books for this awesome ARC
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
**The Calamities** earns every ounce of its dread.
Chuck Wendig builds a family dynasty rotten at the root, then makes you fall for it anyway. Mourning Mayne wants no part of the empire waiting for him, an empire built on cruelty dressed up as legacy, on power bought with human souls. But wanting no part of something and escaping it are different arts entirely, and Wendig knows the distance between them intimately.
What struck me most was the texture. This isn't demons as spectacle. It's demons as inheritance, as blood, as the quiet horror of realizing the monster was always your father. Hadrian Mayne looms over every page even when he's absent, and that absence does more damage than most villains manage in the room.
Key and Quinn crack the story open. A black-market soul dealer and an artist chasing truth sound like genre furniture on paper, but Wendig gives them weight, gives them want, gives them reasons to matter beyond plot mechanics.
The prose moves the way good horror should: patient, then sudden. Long stretches of simmering family menace broken by moments that land like a blade.
Fans of Ninth House or The Atlas Six will recognize the DNA here, but Wendig's version bleeds more. Book one of The Fiends, and I already need the second.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
**The Calamities** earns every ounce of its dread.
Chuck Wendig builds a family dynasty rotten at the root, then makes you fall for it anyway. Mourning Mayne wants no part of the empire waiting for him, an empire built on cruelty dressed up as legacy, on power bought with human souls. But wanting no part of something and escaping it are different arts entirely, and Wendig knows the distance between them intimately.
What struck me most was the texture. This isn't demons as spectacle. It's demons as inheritance, as blood, as the quiet horror of realizing the monster was always your father. Hadrian Mayne looms over every page even when he's absent, and that absence does more damage than most villains manage in the room.
Key and Quinn crack the story open. A black-market soul dealer and an artist chasing truth sound like genre furniture on paper, but Wendig gives them weight, gives them want, gives them reasons to matter beyond plot mechanics.
The prose moves the way good horror should: patient, then sudden. Long stretches of simmering family menace broken by moments that land like a blade.
Fans of Ninth House or The Atlas Six will recognize the DNA here, but Wendig's version bleeds more. Book one of The Fiends, and I already need the second.
August 19, 2026
The Calamities is one of those books where I finished thinking... well... man, that was A LOT.
And I mean that in both good and slightly overwhelming ways.
Mourning Mayne is called back to his family home by his father, Hadrian, despite having absolutely no desire to return. It becomes obvious pretty quickly that this isn't exactly one big happy demonic family. Mourning's relationship with his father is complicated at best, things aren't particularly warm and fuzzy with his twin siblings either, and Mourning has spent a long time trying to distance himself from everything the Mayne name represents.
Because the Maynes aren't simply another ridiculously wealthy and powerful family.
They're fiends.
Their power is built on human souls, Faustian bargains and a supernatural system that has allowed families like theirs to maintain their influence for generations. And Mourning has never been particularly interested in embracing his inheritance.
After the family's welcome gathering, everyone eventually goes to bed.
The next morning?
Hadrian is gone.
Bad.
But then they discover that the Fount beneath their estate, the source containing the Elixir their kind relies upon, is empty too....
So like I just said, Hadrian missing: bad.
BUT, Hadrian + THE SOUL JUICE missing: OH FUCK!
And that's basically when everything starts going spectacularly to hell.
Mourning suddenly has to deal with his father's disappearance, his dysfunctional family, the consequences of losing the Fount and the other powerful people who have a vested interest in what happened.
Meanwhile, we also meet Key, a black-market seller of human souls, and Quinn.
I have to give Chuck Wendig credit for the world-building because the whole concept is wonderfully messed up.
Fiends. Broods. Human souls. Founts. Elixir. Ancient families whose wealth and supernatural power have literally been built by consuming what they take from ordinary humans...
It's basically generational wealth and exploitation with demons.
Subtle? Maybe not.
Fun concept? Absolutely.
I also really liked Mourning as someone born into this incredibly powerful family who doesn't simply accept that their way of life should automatically become his. His complicated relationship with his legacy (and particularly the choices he's made when confronted with what participating in that system actually requires) made him an interesting character to follow.
Where the book lost me somewhat was in just how MUCH it was trying to do.
This is a big book with multiple characters, storylines, family politics, supernatural rules, soul dealing, mysteries, strange visions, grotesque creatures and enough terminology that occasionally I felt like I needed a notebook and a flowchart beside me.
There were moments when I was completely fascinated by the world and others where I felt a little disconnected because there were simply so many moving pieces.
That said, I think this is also one of those books that will work incredibly well for readers who love huge, strange, complicated worlds and don't mind being dropped into the middle of absolute supernatural chaos.
Overall, The Calamities is dark, bizarre, ambitious, occasionally grotesque and incredibly creative. I didn't connect with every part of it equally and I occasionally wished the story had been a little tighter, but the concept itself definitely stuck with me.
And ... I'm probably never going to look at generational wealth again without thinking about demon families drinking soul juice.
So... there's that...
3.75⭐
Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey for the opportunity to read and review this ARC. All opinions are my own.
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And I mean that in both good and slightly overwhelming ways.
Mourning Mayne is called back to his family home by his father, Hadrian, despite having absolutely no desire to return. It becomes obvious pretty quickly that this isn't exactly one big happy demonic family. Mourning's relationship with his father is complicated at best, things aren't particularly warm and fuzzy with his twin siblings either, and Mourning has spent a long time trying to distance himself from everything the Mayne name represents.
Because the Maynes aren't simply another ridiculously wealthy and powerful family.
They're fiends.
Their power is built on human souls, Faustian bargains and a supernatural system that has allowed families like theirs to maintain their influence for generations. And Mourning has never been particularly interested in embracing his inheritance.
After the family's welcome gathering, everyone eventually goes to bed.
The next morning?
Hadrian is gone.
Bad.
But then they discover that the Fount beneath their estate, the source containing the Elixir their kind relies upon, is empty too....
So like I just said, Hadrian missing: bad.
BUT, Hadrian + THE SOUL JUICE missing: OH FUCK!
And that's basically when everything starts going spectacularly to hell.
Mourning suddenly has to deal with his father's disappearance, his dysfunctional family, the consequences of losing the Fount and the other powerful people who have a vested interest in what happened.
Meanwhile, we also meet Key, a black-market seller of human souls, and Quinn.
I have to give Chuck Wendig credit for the world-building because the whole concept is wonderfully messed up.
Fiends. Broods. Human souls. Founts. Elixir. Ancient families whose wealth and supernatural power have literally been built by consuming what they take from ordinary humans...
It's basically generational wealth and exploitation with demons.
Subtle? Maybe not.
Fun concept? Absolutely.
I also really liked Mourning as someone born into this incredibly powerful family who doesn't simply accept that their way of life should automatically become his. His complicated relationship with his legacy (and particularly the choices he's made when confronted with what participating in that system actually requires) made him an interesting character to follow.
Where the book lost me somewhat was in just how MUCH it was trying to do.
This is a big book with multiple characters, storylines, family politics, supernatural rules, soul dealing, mysteries, strange visions, grotesque creatures and enough terminology that occasionally I felt like I needed a notebook and a flowchart beside me.
There were moments when I was completely fascinated by the world and others where I felt a little disconnected because there were simply so many moving pieces.
That said, I think this is also one of those books that will work incredibly well for readers who love huge, strange, complicated worlds and don't mind being dropped into the middle of absolute supernatural chaos.
Overall, The Calamities is dark, bizarre, ambitious, occasionally grotesque and incredibly creative. I didn't connect with every part of it equally and I occasionally wished the story had been a little tighter, but the concept itself definitely stuck with me.
And ... I'm probably never going to look at generational wealth again without thinking about demon families drinking soul juice.
So... there's that...
3.75⭐
Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey for the opportunity to read and review this ARC. All opinions are my own.
https://turnthepagewithana.blogspot.c...
October 6, 2026
Chuck Wendig you fucking weirdo. I loved this!!! I’m a big fan of his, because most of his stories take place in Bucks County, PA. It’s fun to see a book through the POV of a character when you know the settings!!
Mourning was a complex character, frankly a fucking loser, but I would also be a loser with a dad (and siblings) like his. We start off with a banger in the book (no spoiling) where he meets his nanny-turned-crush Sophie, but she’s a bit… altered. That sets the whole scene for the book, along with a chaotic family dinner scene right after the reunion.
I think the scariest part of this book is not the demons, or what demons do, like have weird dungeons full of human skins. The true evil is when said demonic families take advantage of humans in unique and new ways, whether it be by influencing their love lives, climate change or scariest of all— tech bros.
A great spooky and RICH read, by far his most intricate book. A perfect start to October
Mourning was a complex character, frankly a fucking loser, but I would also be a loser with a dad (and siblings) like his. We start off with a banger in the book (no spoiling) where he meets his nanny-turned-crush Sophie, but she’s a bit… altered. That sets the whole scene for the book, along with a chaotic family dinner scene right after the reunion.
I think the scariest part of this book is not the demons, or what demons do, like have weird dungeons full of human skins. The true evil is when said demonic families take advantage of humans in unique and new ways, whether it be by influencing their love lives, climate change or scariest of all— tech bros.
A great spooky and RICH read, by far his most intricate book. A perfect start to October
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Wow what a ride! Can't wait for part 2. Here is my blurb:
"The most terrifying thing about these demons is how human they are. The Calamities is a delightfully brutal and inventive take on demonology from the blast furnace of Wendig's imagination. A gore-stained epic."
"The most terrifying thing about these demons is how human they are. The Calamities is a delightfully brutal and inventive take on demonology from the blast furnace of Wendig's imagination. A gore-stained epic."
Did Not Finish
July 23, 2026DNF @10% I have enjoyed previous books by this author, which is probably why I received an invitation to read this one. However, I did not realize it was part of a series when I accepted and I am just not into it.
September 24, 2026
Demons, souls, and the scrabble to survive.
A long story, draws you into power struggle and the world of demons and hybrid-demon families. Mourning is brought back home by his father, who demands he come home and start being active in their lives and the family business. There he finds his siblings and typical staff that surround his father and the estate. But he also finds their dirty secret - a well of souls. The souls, the demon's lifeblood, are doled out by the patriarch of the family. But mob style, the families fight over souls and power.
This was a great audiobook, even though one part was read by a narrator I struggle with. I loved that the author narrated one POV - I think it really did add to the emotion and struggle of the character and additional feeling to the story. I also appreciated the other 2 POV, really giving us depth to the story as we learn how they get souls and how the families function behind the scenes and how power works.
You can tell this is book 1 of a series. It really gives a backstory, brings you into the world of demons, and takes you through this change of power and the next part of these families. It's full of all the things you think are tied to demons - each dark deadly sin - but I didn't mind as it was in line with the families and the lives they led. I was drawn in instantly and I enjoyed this start to a new series. Not my usual jam but I enjoyed the unique feel to the story!
A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.
A long story, draws you into power struggle and the world of demons and hybrid-demon families. Mourning is brought back home by his father, who demands he come home and start being active in their lives and the family business. There he finds his siblings and typical staff that surround his father and the estate. But he also finds their dirty secret - a well of souls. The souls, the demon's lifeblood, are doled out by the patriarch of the family. But mob style, the families fight over souls and power.
This was a great audiobook, even though one part was read by a narrator I struggle with. I loved that the author narrated one POV - I think it really did add to the emotion and struggle of the character and additional feeling to the story. I also appreciated the other 2 POV, really giving us depth to the story as we learn how they get souls and how the families function behind the scenes and how power works.
You can tell this is book 1 of a series. It really gives a backstory, brings you into the world of demons, and takes you through this change of power and the next part of these families. It's full of all the things you think are tied to demons - each dark deadly sin - but I didn't mind as it was in line with the families and the lives they led. I was drawn in instantly and I enjoyed this start to a new series. Not my usual jam but I enjoyed the unique feel to the story!
A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.
September 1, 2026
3.5/5
I'm still fairly new to Chuck Wendig. I tried one of his books a while ago, but it didn't really wow me. Still, a lot of people love his work, so I wanted to give him another chance. And The Calamities sounded very much like my kind of thing - I like dark urban fantasy and horror.
And it is definitely dark. And gory. And bleak. There are some genuinely brilliant moments here, and Wendig can write the hell out of a scene when he wants to. The whole idea of fiendish families trading human souls for power is great, and I really liked the world he built around it. The different families, their history, the elixir, the whole strange economy of souls - there is a lot to like here. But it's also a lot.
The book takes its time setting everything up, and for quite a while I felt like the characters were wandering from one plot thread to another, meeting people, getting involved in another complication, then wandering somewhere else. There are lots of interesting things happening, but I wasn't always sure where all of it was going. Even when everything finally starts coming together, I couldn't shake the feeling that the book was simply too long.
Which is a shame, because there is some really good stuff here. The world is imaginative, the horror can be excellent, and there are some wonderfully disgusting ideas. Wendig clearly had a lot of fun with this book, and it shows. I just wish he'd had someone take a pair of scissors to it.
I also liked the characters in places, although I never became particularly attached to most of them. Key was probably my favorite, and Silas was certainly memorable. The whole group has an interesting dynamic, but again, there are so many characters and side stories that some of them never quite got the attention I wanted.
The premise itself is probably what kept me going. There is something really fun about this hidden world of demonic families living alongside ordinary people, making deals for souls and building dynasties out of them. And underneath all the blood and flesh and general Wendig weirdness, there are some interesting ideas about inherited wealth, power and exploitation.
So yeah, mixed feelings. There is a lot here that impressed me, but also a lot that made me wish the book would just get to the point already.
A very dark, very ambitious and often well written book that I enjoyed more in individual moments than as a whole. I'm glad I read it, but I think it could have been considerably shorter.
I'm still fairly new to Chuck Wendig. I tried one of his books a while ago, but it didn't really wow me. Still, a lot of people love his work, so I wanted to give him another chance. And The Calamities sounded very much like my kind of thing - I like dark urban fantasy and horror.
And it is definitely dark. And gory. And bleak. There are some genuinely brilliant moments here, and Wendig can write the hell out of a scene when he wants to. The whole idea of fiendish families trading human souls for power is great, and I really liked the world he built around it. The different families, their history, the elixir, the whole strange economy of souls - there is a lot to like here. But it's also a lot.
The book takes its time setting everything up, and for quite a while I felt like the characters were wandering from one plot thread to another, meeting people, getting involved in another complication, then wandering somewhere else. There are lots of interesting things happening, but I wasn't always sure where all of it was going. Even when everything finally starts coming together, I couldn't shake the feeling that the book was simply too long.
Which is a shame, because there is some really good stuff here. The world is imaginative, the horror can be excellent, and there are some wonderfully disgusting ideas. Wendig clearly had a lot of fun with this book, and it shows. I just wish he'd had someone take a pair of scissors to it.
I also liked the characters in places, although I never became particularly attached to most of them. Key was probably my favorite, and Silas was certainly memorable. The whole group has an interesting dynamic, but again, there are so many characters and side stories that some of them never quite got the attention I wanted.
The premise itself is probably what kept me going. There is something really fun about this hidden world of demonic families living alongside ordinary people, making deals for souls and building dynasties out of them. And underneath all the blood and flesh and general Wendig weirdness, there are some interesting ideas about inherited wealth, power and exploitation.
So yeah, mixed feelings. There is a lot here that impressed me, but also a lot that made me wish the book would just get to the point already.
A very dark, very ambitious and often well written book that I enjoyed more in individual moments than as a whole. I'm glad I read it, but I think it could have been considerably shorter.
September 7, 2026
Spooky Season, I guess, is officially started!
4.5 Stars for this demon-infested, insane hell-ride.
Usually I like to go into a book as blind as possible, as I did here, however I'd have done well to maybe read the synopsis first. I don't always feel this way, but I'll admit that I spent the first 33% of this book wondering "what the f**k is going on?" Seriously, for all the Wendig-style prose and choice of words, the gore and violence that kept me reading, I was waiting for the 'click', that piece to fall into place, the ah-ha moment where "I get it, now". And that did happen. I just wish, you know, it happened sooner.
But that's the extent of my complaints, here. Once I got to know the main characters, I got attached to them, and the story went soaring forward. I absolutely cannot wait to see what happens with them (or to them) in the next episode.
This book was off the wall, bat-shit crazy. Dark, but not as heavy as Staircase in the Wood. In fact, I think I enjoyed this more than Staircase. I'd rank this above that, but just beneath Black River Orchard, which is probably my favorite of Wendig's stand-alone books.
4.5 Stars for this demon-infested, insane hell-ride.
Usually I like to go into a book as blind as possible, as I did here, however I'd have done well to maybe read the synopsis first. I don't always feel this way, but I'll admit that I spent the first 33% of this book wondering "what the f**k is going on?" Seriously, for all the Wendig-style prose and choice of words, the gore and violence that kept me reading, I was waiting for the 'click', that piece to fall into place, the ah-ha moment where "I get it, now". And that did happen. I just wish, you know, it happened sooner.
But that's the extent of my complaints, here. Once I got to know the main characters, I got attached to them, and the story went soaring forward. I absolutely cannot wait to see what happens with them (or to them) in the next episode.
This book was off the wall, bat-shit crazy. Dark, but not as heavy as Staircase in the Wood. In fact, I think I enjoyed this more than Staircase. I'd rank this above that, but just beneath Black River Orchard, which is probably my favorite of Wendig's stand-alone books.
September 7, 2026
4.5
Mourning’s uncles basement WTF 😳
This one had a bit of everything fantasy, horror, character development but also lots of heavy plot. I really enjoyed discovering the bits and pieces of what the heck was going on. Great imagery as per usual. I feel it for a little lengthy for me towards the end but not sure what I’d change so that is probably a me problem.
Mourning’s uncles basement WTF 😳
This one had a bit of everything fantasy, horror, character development but also lots of heavy plot. I really enjoyed discovering the bits and pieces of what the heck was going on. Great imagery as per usual. I feel it for a little lengthy for me towards the end but not sure what I’d change so that is probably a me problem.
September 5, 2026
The story: loved it.
The audiobook: set it over the top.
The audiobook: set it over the top.
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