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Death is Only the Beginning
Amanda Serner casts black Jersey barriers in her Kreuzberg studio. Her grandfather wades through barbed wire in hell. A golden beetle climbs toward the ceiling in Hauptbahnhof. And somewhere in the big city, a plaza opens amid crumbling ruins.
Berlin in the summer of 2017 is a city where reality is starting to fall apart. The old capital of the Prince-Electors is the border between the world we know and the world we have chosen to forget. In abandoned buildings covered by graffiti, doors are opening into the metropolis left behind by humanity. Beneath the villas at Wannsee, a black citadel appears. An old hospital built by angels holds secrets from the time when artists tore down walls and defied authority. A Swedish sculptor comes here, searching for inspiration. Instead, she finds the path to Inferno.
Berlin in the summer of 2017 is a city where reality is starting to fall apart. The old capital of the Prince-Electors is the border between the world we know and the world we have chosen to forget. In abandoned buildings covered by graffiti, doors are opening into the metropolis left behind by humanity. Beneath the villas at Wannsee, a black citadel appears. An old hospital built by angels holds secrets from the time when artists tore down walls and defied authority. A Swedish sculptor comes here, searching for inspiration. Instead, she finds the path to Inferno.
- GenresHorror
302 pages, ebook
Published November 1, 2018
2 people are currently reading
23 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
February 19, 2019
I will start off by saying I am huge fan of the RPG, Kult, which this novel is based upon. I have collected nearly everything I could for the game and was eagerly anticipating the arrival of this novel by the very authors of the game itself. I am also not any sort of literary critic, just an average reader who happens to really like the setting. I realize this is Gunilla and Micheal's first novel and know sometimes the first time out can be a bit rough. I am also reading the English edition, in which some things may get lost in translation. So with these things in mind, I was doing my best to keep an open-mind about it all and not to set my expectations too high. I was just hoping for good Kult story.
First a few things I noticed about the story in general, which I believe may have taken a way from the novel for me. And these are purely based upon my exposure and education, or lack there of. The novel takes place in Germany and mainly Berlin. Since I live in the US and generally read American published work, I had a harder time picturing the locations versus locations in some place like New York City. A European reader may not have an issue with this. There may also be cultural nuances that are lost on me. I have only general knowledge of East and West Germany before and after Reunification, so there may be a lot that is referenced in the novel that is taken for granted.
Which leads me to the 1st and greatest issue I had with the novel. The referenced Kult cosmology, in the story, all seems to be taken for granted. This novel expects its reader to know about Kult. There is little mystery here, which the original RPG books always tried to convey. Knowing anything about the world beyond was supposed to be life altering and possibly mind shattering. In the story, those in the know just kind of treat it all as some sort of tool to do things normal people didn't know they could do. Metropolis is a road to get from point A to point B in the Illusion. When a creature is introduced in the story, it is called out by its name, with little explanation of what it is. It is a razide or that is a lictor. A good example is the lictor. It is one of the secret jailers in the Illusion pulling the strings, whose true form is hidden from the masses. And the first time the main protagonist encounters one, she sees its true form and then just sorts of shrugs it off, because she has always seen weird stuff. Never mind learning there are such creatures controlling the police. An encounter with a fallen angel has a similar non-impact on things. And most other Kult references that are introduced are taken for granted in much of the same way, either by the characters in the story or for the reader.
The story itself has some interesting character arcs. But none of the characters really resonated with me and felt flat. The main protagonist seemed unaffected by all that she went through or learned. It is all traumatic, but she didn't seem altered by it. Some of the bystanders are traumatized, but they are only bystanders. The antagonist of course gets dealt with, but his resolution was anticipated. The interaction between the protagonists and the main antagonist seemed too...civil? Maybe monotone is a better word for it. There is no sense of tension at all. And the climax of the story had no real build up for me. The final plan, preparation and execution of it seemed to take only a few pages with little heightened sense of urgency. And much of it was telegraphed from very early on.
I only have one technical comment about the writing. There was some description shorthand used when the authors were lacking in knowledge about something. Whether it was about describing a clothing fashion or architecture. Let's say instead of describing what someone may be wearing, that could be out of date, they would just say they were dressed from the Eighties. Or from the Nineties. Or such and such a building was built in the Seventies. As if that was enough to describe its style. And they use this shorthand so much it was very noticeable to me. It was very distracting.
I know I have heaped a lot of criticism on the novel. But it really isn't as bad as I may be making it out to seem. But in all honesty it is just OK. Nice to have the world of Kult explored. But I just feel it could have been so much better if there was more mystery of those things beyond the Illusion. If there was introduced a greater sense of tension and if I could have connected more with the characters. If you are a fan of Kult, definitely get it to have another Kult book on your shelf and story added to the cosmology. But if you unfamiliar with Kult, you likely will not get much out of the book.
First a few things I noticed about the story in general, which I believe may have taken a way from the novel for me. And these are purely based upon my exposure and education, or lack there of. The novel takes place in Germany and mainly Berlin. Since I live in the US and generally read American published work, I had a harder time picturing the locations versus locations in some place like New York City. A European reader may not have an issue with this. There may also be cultural nuances that are lost on me. I have only general knowledge of East and West Germany before and after Reunification, so there may be a lot that is referenced in the novel that is taken for granted.
Which leads me to the 1st and greatest issue I had with the novel. The referenced Kult cosmology, in the story, all seems to be taken for granted. This novel expects its reader to know about Kult. There is little mystery here, which the original RPG books always tried to convey. Knowing anything about the world beyond was supposed to be life altering and possibly mind shattering. In the story, those in the know just kind of treat it all as some sort of tool to do things normal people didn't know they could do. Metropolis is a road to get from point A to point B in the Illusion. When a creature is introduced in the story, it is called out by its name, with little explanation of what it is. It is a razide or that is a lictor. A good example is the lictor. It is one of the secret jailers in the Illusion pulling the strings, whose true form is hidden from the masses. And the first time the main protagonist encounters one, she sees its true form and then just sorts of shrugs it off, because she has always seen weird stuff. Never mind learning there are such creatures controlling the police. An encounter with a fallen angel has a similar non-impact on things. And most other Kult references that are introduced are taken for granted in much of the same way, either by the characters in the story or for the reader.
The story itself has some interesting character arcs. But none of the characters really resonated with me and felt flat. The main protagonist seemed unaffected by all that she went through or learned. It is all traumatic, but she didn't seem altered by it. Some of the bystanders are traumatized, but they are only bystanders. The antagonist of course gets dealt with, but his resolution was anticipated. The interaction between the protagonists and the main antagonist seemed too...civil? Maybe monotone is a better word for it. There is no sense of tension at all. And the climax of the story had no real build up for me. The final plan, preparation and execution of it seemed to take only a few pages with little heightened sense of urgency. And much of it was telegraphed from very early on.
I only have one technical comment about the writing. There was some description shorthand used when the authors were lacking in knowledge about something. Whether it was about describing a clothing fashion or architecture. Let's say instead of describing what someone may be wearing, that could be out of date, they would just say they were dressed from the Eighties. Or from the Nineties. Or such and such a building was built in the Seventies. As if that was enough to describe its style. And they use this shorthand so much it was very noticeable to me. It was very distracting.
I know I have heaped a lot of criticism on the novel. But it really isn't as bad as I may be making it out to seem. But in all honesty it is just OK. Nice to have the world of Kult explored. But I just feel it could have been so much better if there was more mystery of those things beyond the Illusion. If there was introduced a greater sense of tension and if I could have connected more with the characters. If you are a fan of Kult, definitely get it to have another Kult book on your shelf and story added to the cosmology. But if you unfamiliar with Kult, you likely will not get much out of the book.
September 7, 2021
This novel is rooted in the world of Swedish table-top role-playing game KULT. I have played a lot of role-playing games but not been too familiar with this one, but the essence is that the world is an illusion and things are happening beyond what we can normally see or comprehend.
With that foundation given, I must say that if you love cosmic horror you can enjoy this book even without knowing much about KULT. There will be words and terms you won't recognize but in a way they will explain themselves as you read (or if they won't, it's actually not a problem). You will understand that some things are not understandable, if you catch my drift.
The language is descriptive and paints the supernatural in a great way. The plot is set in Berlin, which makes for a few shrug-worthy passages if you aren't familiar with the city (I'm not) because the authors keep listing street names and place names as though one would know where that is and what it looks like.
Many of the characters in the book are sparsely described however, and we don't know what drives them. The main character seems detached from her own life and becomes more like an observer than an acting protagonist. However, in light of what is actually happening to her, I think it's possible to imagine she is overwhelmed and confused about her own situation. Some of the supporting protagonists and antagonists are better described and more coherently depicted, while others are vague and only present to support the plot.
What the book does well is - as mentioned - the descriptions of the unnatural and building a sense of mystery, confusion, and tension through the protagonists' discoveries. I also liked that one of the supporting protagonists is a trans woman whose transition is mentioned once or twice when relevant and then since not regarded as important (because it isn't). The helplessness and hopelessness of facing threats nobody else can see is very tangible.
What the book doesn't do so well is conveying any thoughts and feelings in the central cast of characters that would make them come alive or depict them as particularly sympathetic. There is a scene which contradicts my criticism, in which one character takes care of another after a supernatural assault and where the tenderness of the two characters is visible through descriptions alone, but there are more examples of scenes which don't do anything like this at all. There are also the issue of the unexpected (and unnecessary) sex scenes and descriptions of sex acts which I'm guessing are supposed to be disturbing as well as enticing, but which end up as just... odd.
With that foundation given, I must say that if you love cosmic horror you can enjoy this book even without knowing much about KULT. There will be words and terms you won't recognize but in a way they will explain themselves as you read (or if they won't, it's actually not a problem). You will understand that some things are not understandable, if you catch my drift.
The language is descriptive and paints the supernatural in a great way. The plot is set in Berlin, which makes for a few shrug-worthy passages if you aren't familiar with the city (I'm not) because the authors keep listing street names and place names as though one would know where that is and what it looks like.
Many of the characters in the book are sparsely described however, and we don't know what drives them. The main character seems detached from her own life and becomes more like an observer than an acting protagonist. However, in light of what is actually happening to her, I think it's possible to imagine she is overwhelmed and confused about her own situation. Some of the supporting protagonists and antagonists are better described and more coherently depicted, while others are vague and only present to support the plot.
What the book does well is - as mentioned - the descriptions of the unnatural and building a sense of mystery, confusion, and tension through the protagonists' discoveries. I also liked that one of the supporting protagonists is a trans woman whose transition is mentioned once or twice when relevant and then since not regarded as important (because it isn't). The helplessness and hopelessness of facing threats nobody else can see is very tangible.
What the book doesn't do so well is conveying any thoughts and feelings in the central cast of characters that would make them come alive or depict them as particularly sympathetic. There is a scene which contradicts my criticism, in which one character takes care of another after a supernatural assault and where the tenderness of the two characters is visible through descriptions alone, but there are more examples of scenes which don't do anything like this at all. There are also the issue of the unexpected (and unnecessary) sex scenes and descriptions of sex acts which I'm guessing are supposed to be disturbing as well as enticing, but which end up as just... odd.
March 28, 2025
I wanted to give this book a fair try. I've been a fan of the KULT RPG game for decades and I was excited about reading a novel based on it, but sadly it doesn't stand on its own as a piece of fiction or, even worse, as part of the game. It is not inspirational at all to go back to the game and have new ideas for it.
On the good side I'll say it is a brisk read and it does give you an interesting view of Berlin and in the end is a commendable step in getting the Kult universe beyond its RPG roots (I know there are other novels and spin offs out there, but this is the only one I've ever found available to read in English).
On the bad side It is muddled, confusing, uninvolving and absolutely all over the place with shapeless characters.
Kult's imagery always flirted with being overly garish and kitsch but this book also makes ir blatantly ugly. Every time there is a description of an art work (and there are many) the art pieces are extremely hideous.
The last nail in the coffin are some throwaway comments to try to give this a layer of "historic" context, like namedropping the situationist manifesto or carelessly mentioning "70s German Left Terrorism"...both things for no reason whatsoever and without context or even understanding of what they mean (the "art" mentioned on this book has nothing situationist to it, and the things that happen on the book can't be in any way related to left politics direct action, it is all entirely absurd)
Drink every time you see:
"nape of the neck"
"it was man-high"
The name of a type of armchair (why armchairs only?)
On the good side I'll say it is a brisk read and it does give you an interesting view of Berlin and in the end is a commendable step in getting the Kult universe beyond its RPG roots (I know there are other novels and spin offs out there, but this is the only one I've ever found available to read in English).
On the bad side It is muddled, confusing, uninvolving and absolutely all over the place with shapeless characters.
Kult's imagery always flirted with being overly garish and kitsch but this book also makes ir blatantly ugly. Every time there is a description of an art work (and there are many) the art pieces are extremely hideous.
The last nail in the coffin are some throwaway comments to try to give this a layer of "historic" context, like namedropping the situationist manifesto or carelessly mentioning "70s German Left Terrorism"...both things for no reason whatsoever and without context or even understanding of what they mean (the "art" mentioned on this book has nothing situationist to it, and the things that happen on the book can't be in any way related to left politics direct action, it is all entirely absurd)
Drink every time you see:
"nape of the neck"
"it was man-high"
The name of a type of armchair (why armchairs only?)
May 1, 2021
Well. How to start?
I'm a fan of the RPG, but I think this book is very poorly structured.
There are NO explanation to what a lictor is, which if you haven't read the system's book, you have NO idea what it is.
There's sex in the book (and hardcore) which serves no purpose.
But my main issue with this book is the ending.
Or better put: there's no resolution, there's no real end. It feels like the author simple gave up.
Lots of plot points are dropped, too much irrelevant characters, and overall, even if the story is interesting, the lack of a proper end simply kills the experience.
So... Read at you own risk
I'm a fan of the RPG, but I think this book is very poorly structured.
There are NO explanation to what a lictor is, which if you haven't read the system's book, you have NO idea what it is.
There's sex in the book (and hardcore) which serves no purpose.
But my main issue with this book is the ending.
Or better put: there's no resolution, there's no real end. It feels like the author simple gave up.
Lots of plot points are dropped, too much irrelevant characters, and overall, even if the story is interesting, the lack of a proper end simply kills the experience.
So... Read at you own risk
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 21, 2019
Gritty and dark as expected, I found the novel surprisingly engaging and atmospheric. It's strange, really, because it's not like it has a lot of action or plot for that matter, but the world itself is so seductive and intoxicating, like a fever dream. It definitely rekindled my fascination with Kult, and I can't wait for next instalment.
December 20, 2020
A novel from the creators of Kult themselves. Complex, dark, harsh and undorgettable; a great entry point for one of the best RPGs ever created. There are perhaps too many characters, some of them unimportant at some points, and the translation is weak at some points. However this don’t diminish the experience.
June 21, 2022
It rambled a lot...maybe partially due to translation issues. But it was very hard to get grounded into the story.
I was hoping for some more insight to the Kult RPG...but sadly I don't think it gave a good feeling for what to expect.
When it was dark it was really DARK...and I expected a slow burn...but it just didn't have enough...
I was hoping for some more insight to the Kult RPG...but sadly I don't think it gave a good feeling for what to expect.
When it was dark it was really DARK...and I expected a slow burn...but it just didn't have enough...
August 10, 2020
I’d heard Kult was dark, and now I have a clear idea. It’s for the extreme type who likes things to go too far, so I don’t mind dabbling in it for a while.
There’s a lot of padding description for towns, building structures, food. The translation isn’t too bad, but sometimes it’s stilted, making the dreary details even heavier: “They were given bag of mint green ecstasy tablets”
But the horror’s twisted, violent and forbidding,and when it happens, it reads like Slayer lyrics (a compliment)! On top of that the mystical system shines through. Spells are woven by intuition and luck. They take on life, imaginatively with an approach similar to Tim Powers.
There’s a lot of padding description for towns, building structures, food. The translation isn’t too bad, but sometimes it’s stilted, making the dreary details even heavier: “They were given bag of mint green ecstasy tablets”
But the horror’s twisted, violent and forbidding,and when it happens, it reads like Slayer lyrics (a compliment)! On top of that the mystical system shines through. Spells are woven by intuition and luck. They take on life, imaginatively with an approach similar to Tim Powers.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews