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Chance Matthews #2
Low Red Moon
Several years after the events in Threshold, Chance and Deacon have married. They're looking ahead to the future, trying to put the past behind them. But new nightmares await them as a woman with a need for violence enters their lives. And something even worse has followed her...
337 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 2003
9 people are currently reading
837 people want to read
About the author
Caitlín R. Kiernan
416 books1,665 followersCaitlín Rebekah Kiernan is an Irish-born American published paleontologist and author of science fiction and dark fantasy works, including ten novels, series of comic books, and more than two hundred and fifty published short stories, novellas, and vignettes.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews
October 13, 2022
Caitlin R. Kiernan may be my favorite living author. The writing is beautiful, the characters are compelling and the mythology she’s put together is brilliant. She is a master of all genres. No one else writes like this. Blown away as always!
July 5, 2008
[Note: The author, miffed by my saying I did not like any of her characters, personally attacked my review on her blog.]
Caitlin R. Kiernan is one of the rising stars of horror, and her literary prowess is once again on display in her novel Low Red Moon. Not only is the story a most unpredictable of sequels to her highly acclaimed novel Threshold: A Novel of Deep Time, it is streaked with deadly slashes of originality. Whereas Threshold was rooted in a neo-Gothic Lovecraftian universe, Low Red Moon is a more conventional tale brandishing a fascinating, intriguing, yet slightly incomprehensible source of evil. We first meet murderess Narcissa Snow sitting in a hotel room that she has remade into a bloody chamber of horrors, arguing with the voices of a lifetime of victims as she waits fervently for a phone call. We are given strange glimpses of a dark fellowship which Narcissa is determined to join, and it soon becomes clear that whatever horror she will unleash in these pages is done in pursuit of that one goal, a desire to belong in a group of indefinable monsters somewhere in a yellow house in Providence.
After dipping our toes in the bloody pool of this sadistic killer's persona, the scene shifts to Birmingham, Alabama, where Deacon Silvey and Chance Matthews, the primary characters in Kiernan's earlier novel Threshold, are married and expecting a child. Theirs is a most unconventional of partnerships: Chance is a learned paleontologist and Deacon is an unemployed recovering alcoholic and reluctant psychic. Against his wishes, Deacon finds himself being consulted by the local police on a series of recent murders. Not only can Deacon "see" the murders as they were committed, he in turn can be seen in those visions by the killer and is made to understand that she comes seeking him.
A strange man and teenaged girl only thicken the plot, for they come to Deacon in search of the woman they know is searching for him. Deacon is never sure whom to trust or believe, but he does know that his pregnant wife is in danger as long as this killer is on the loose. I have to admit I found several aspects of this novel confusing, and my enjoyment of the story was limited somewhat by the fact that I simply did not like a single character in these pages. Deacon is an inscrutable man, keeping secrets from the police, his wife, and (when he can do it) himself, and he is constantly on the verge of giving up and retreating back into alcoholism. Toward the end of the novel, some of Deacon's actions and thoughts struck me as remarkable if not incomprehensible, further damaging the rather low opinion I already had of him. His wife Chance is far less complicated but even harder to like, constantly nagging Deacon about his involvement in psychic matters she puts no stock in; if there is love in this relationship, it is not easy to find.
As far as the plot goes, I feel as if I'm missing a few pieces to the puzzle. Narcissa Snow is a fascinating, truly disturbing murderess, yet her reasons for all the bad things she did never made complete sense to me, and one possible aspect of her identity felt completely out of place in the context of the novel. The conclusion, for its part, works pretty well, maintaining the darkness which seems to brood over the entire novel. The epilogue does not completely succeed in pulling together some of the disparate storylines of the preceding pages, but it does make an honest, appropriately subtle attempt.
Low Red Moon seemed to hang over my imagination like a death shroud, mimicking in some small way the effects of Deacon's constant migraines on his well-being. This is simply a dark tale that likes to skip rocks across the lake of hopelessness. A sense of gloom and doom is appropriate to the tale being told, but a cast of characters who do not, in my perception, share a single spark of life among them made this otherwise compelling read something to be endured as well as enjoyed.
Caitlin R. Kiernan is one of the rising stars of horror, and her literary prowess is once again on display in her novel Low Red Moon. Not only is the story a most unpredictable of sequels to her highly acclaimed novel Threshold: A Novel of Deep Time, it is streaked with deadly slashes of originality. Whereas Threshold was rooted in a neo-Gothic Lovecraftian universe, Low Red Moon is a more conventional tale brandishing a fascinating, intriguing, yet slightly incomprehensible source of evil. We first meet murderess Narcissa Snow sitting in a hotel room that she has remade into a bloody chamber of horrors, arguing with the voices of a lifetime of victims as she waits fervently for a phone call. We are given strange glimpses of a dark fellowship which Narcissa is determined to join, and it soon becomes clear that whatever horror she will unleash in these pages is done in pursuit of that one goal, a desire to belong in a group of indefinable monsters somewhere in a yellow house in Providence.
After dipping our toes in the bloody pool of this sadistic killer's persona, the scene shifts to Birmingham, Alabama, where Deacon Silvey and Chance Matthews, the primary characters in Kiernan's earlier novel Threshold, are married and expecting a child. Theirs is a most unconventional of partnerships: Chance is a learned paleontologist and Deacon is an unemployed recovering alcoholic and reluctant psychic. Against his wishes, Deacon finds himself being consulted by the local police on a series of recent murders. Not only can Deacon "see" the murders as they were committed, he in turn can be seen in those visions by the killer and is made to understand that she comes seeking him.
A strange man and teenaged girl only thicken the plot, for they come to Deacon in search of the woman they know is searching for him. Deacon is never sure whom to trust or believe, but he does know that his pregnant wife is in danger as long as this killer is on the loose. I have to admit I found several aspects of this novel confusing, and my enjoyment of the story was limited somewhat by the fact that I simply did not like a single character in these pages. Deacon is an inscrutable man, keeping secrets from the police, his wife, and (when he can do it) himself, and he is constantly on the verge of giving up and retreating back into alcoholism. Toward the end of the novel, some of Deacon's actions and thoughts struck me as remarkable if not incomprehensible, further damaging the rather low opinion I already had of him. His wife Chance is far less complicated but even harder to like, constantly nagging Deacon about his involvement in psychic matters she puts no stock in; if there is love in this relationship, it is not easy to find.
As far as the plot goes, I feel as if I'm missing a few pieces to the puzzle. Narcissa Snow is a fascinating, truly disturbing murderess, yet her reasons for all the bad things she did never made complete sense to me, and one possible aspect of her identity felt completely out of place in the context of the novel. The conclusion, for its part, works pretty well, maintaining the darkness which seems to brood over the entire novel. The epilogue does not completely succeed in pulling together some of the disparate storylines of the preceding pages, but it does make an honest, appropriately subtle attempt.
Low Red Moon seemed to hang over my imagination like a death shroud, mimicking in some small way the effects of Deacon's constant migraines on his well-being. This is simply a dark tale that likes to skip rocks across the lake of hopelessness. A sense of gloom and doom is appropriate to the tale being told, but a cast of characters who do not, in my perception, share a single spark of life among them made this otherwise compelling read something to be endured as well as enjoyed.
July 5, 2010
I got about 40 pages in when I realized I didn't care about what was going on in the story, the characters were interesting to me, this book just not for me.
October 17, 2024
Goddamn this was intense. Kiernan really rounded out the faster-paced thriller atmosphere from "Threshold" and cranked the dial until it came off with more dream sequences, supernatural craziness, crime-drama ultraviolence, etc. and it all really comes together perfectly and expands on Kiernan's mythos while hitting all the trademarks. Really loved how genre-bendy this one was and Deacon, a caustic and broken drunkard who is nonetheless trying to do the right thing at every turn despite how hard the world and his demons fight him, is probably one of the most compelling protagonists I've read in a long while. Really everyone here is fantastic, though, and Kiernan's characters are as always major highlights. I would say more, but it's a cerebral, well-written supernatural thriller and just like "Threshold", that sort of thing tends to stand on its own without the added pretentions of a lit nerd reviewer like me. Intense, strange, extreme, twisty, really emotionally gripping surreal crime horror. Kiernan is one of the best.
10/24: On 2nd read, probably the weakest and most traditional of the trilogy but it's still a very fun dark romp and even knowing the plot the 2nd time, it charges forward with a vicious and urgent momentum that still feels captivating and surprising, and the lead up to that inevitable final punch to the gut is as hard-hitting as it is the first time, and informed in hindsight very well by the themes of this series as established in the first book. Hard to put down, and even its lull points are inconsequential considering how easily Kiernan can get back into the swing of the story. Kiernan knows their way around a thriller narrative without a doubt.
10/24: On 2nd read, probably the weakest and most traditional of the trilogy but it's still a very fun dark romp and even knowing the plot the 2nd time, it charges forward with a vicious and urgent momentum that still feels captivating and surprising, and the lead up to that inevitable final punch to the gut is as hard-hitting as it is the first time, and informed in hindsight very well by the themes of this series as established in the first book. Hard to put down, and even its lull points are inconsequential considering how easily Kiernan can get back into the swing of the story. Kiernan knows their way around a thriller narrative without a doubt.
September 9, 2012
WARNING: SLIGHT SPOILERS
This is a wonderful, chilling, surreal Lovecraftian novel from one of today's most powerful literary voices. The novel mainly concerns three characters: Deacon and Chance Silvey and Narcissa (gotta love that name!)Snow. Deacon and Chance, a married couple here, appeared in Kiernan's earlier work "Threshold," and both are complicated, fractured characters. Deacon is battling the demon of alcoholism and the curse of psychic visions. Chance is a paleontologist (a clear nod to the author's own background), pregnant with the couple's first child, struggling in her relationship with the alcoholic, vision-haunted Deacon, and having inexplicable glimpses of blood which wrack her empirical mind. Narcissa is a straight-up psychopath, serial killer and deeply entrenched in the study and practice of forbidden lore. Narcissa pursues Deacon, Chance and their unborn child, enacting a plan to offer Deacon and Chance's child to a group of ghouls who will not allow Narcissa into their fellowship (so to speak). Without giving too much away, "Low Red Moon" includes oodles of cool mythos references, and nobody writes ghouls like Kiernan. For the fan of literary horror, this book is absolutely essential.
This is a wonderful, chilling, surreal Lovecraftian novel from one of today's most powerful literary voices. The novel mainly concerns three characters: Deacon and Chance Silvey and Narcissa (gotta love that name!)Snow. Deacon and Chance, a married couple here, appeared in Kiernan's earlier work "Threshold," and both are complicated, fractured characters. Deacon is battling the demon of alcoholism and the curse of psychic visions. Chance is a paleontologist (a clear nod to the author's own background), pregnant with the couple's first child, struggling in her relationship with the alcoholic, vision-haunted Deacon, and having inexplicable glimpses of blood which wrack her empirical mind. Narcissa is a straight-up psychopath, serial killer and deeply entrenched in the study and practice of forbidden lore. Narcissa pursues Deacon, Chance and their unborn child, enacting a plan to offer Deacon and Chance's child to a group of ghouls who will not allow Narcissa into their fellowship (so to speak). Without giving too much away, "Low Red Moon" includes oodles of cool mythos references, and nobody writes ghouls like Kiernan. For the fan of literary horror, this book is absolutely essential.
August 11, 2014
I initially read Threshold and thought it was horrible, so I figured that all the buzz I had heard about Caitlín Kiernan was just hype. But then I read Daughter of Hounds and I thought it was pretty good, so I figured I'd come back and read Low Red Moon. And it was...okay.
Horror is a fragile thing. It's relatively easy for it to tip over into amusement if events or characters get too unbelieveable, as movies like the Evil Dead series aptly demonstrate, but it's just as easy for the mood to entirely evaporate from a single incident or character. I suspect that's part of why I never really got into Low Red Moon, since after suffering through Threshold, I didn't particularly care about Deacon Silvey or Chance now-Silvey. I already read a book about them where none of the events even mattered, as shown by how they didn't mention them at all and the dreamscape ending of Threshold apparently came down to "nothin happened i dunno lol" in the grand scheme of things, with only a single reference to old rail tunnel thrown in to indicate that events in that book even happened or still affected the Silveys' lives.
The other problem I had with the horror elements was with the villain. Or maybe I should say the villains, because Narcissa as portrayed when she's the viewpoint character and Narcissa through the eyes of others were basically two entirely different people. In her own head, Narcissa is mostly a sad failure, a rejected child who wasn't even taken by the hounds and has spent her whole life murdering people to try to get into their good graces. She constantly hears the voices of the people she's killed, lives like an animal--literally in some cases, going naked and killing squirrels for food with her bare hands--and other than the murdering people she's mostly an object of pity. She has no affection, no friends, no real life, and the only thing in the world she wants is the one thing she can't have.
Though other people's eyes, she's a hypercompetent supernatural movie serial killer. You know what I mean, the kind who can teleport and has a Metal Gear-style minimap in her vision telling her where everyone is and what direction they're facing so she can spawn in behind them and is almost immune to bullets despite wearing only blood and who cannot be stopped or defeated in any way until a plot-relevant climax. And while it's true that she has a reason for her seemingly-supernatural powers--to wit, having actual supernatural powers by virtue of having read the Cultes des Goules and a passel of other eldritch tomes from her grandfather's library--it's still really jarring comparing this version of Narcissa to the other one.
And sure, it could just be the point of view. A lot of Kiernan's work hinges on issues of perception, from the vital-to-the-plot issue of Deacon's clairvoyance to the visions that Chance experiences throughout Low Red Moon to the existence (or not) of the monsters in Threshold. And at least in this book we know that there is a real threat and that the plot isn't just constant hallucinations, but it still annoyed me because the supernatural serial killer is such an overused trope that I've become jaded to it even when there's an actual legitimate reason for it. Oh, another unstoppable killer that the police can't catch. How terrifying. I've never seen something like that before.
Also, in response to a question from Deacon, Sadie mentions that in her writing she used to combine words to make new adjectives but stopped because it just pissed people off. Ha ha. Very funny, Kiernan.
The parts I did like were all the mundane aspects of Deacon and Chance's relationship, the story of two people trying to make a life for each other but being haunted by the figurative ghosts of their past. Chance keeps saying that Deacon's only job is to stay sober, but a negative isn't really enough to spend all your time on. Throughout the book, there's always that question hanging in the air: can he avoid going back to his old life? Has Deacon really turned a new leaf, and will his relationship with Chance manage to survive when his past returns from the box he stuffed it in?
I would almost have rather read a novel entirely about that, though without Deacon's psychic powers most of the rest of his past unravels too and it would be a completely different novel and so such a wish is inherently self-destructive. But since Narcissa and her story did nothing for me, I would have preferred the attempt at that to what I read in the end.
Horror is a fragile thing. It's relatively easy for it to tip over into amusement if events or characters get too unbelieveable, as movies like the Evil Dead series aptly demonstrate, but it's just as easy for the mood to entirely evaporate from a single incident or character. I suspect that's part of why I never really got into Low Red Moon, since after suffering through Threshold, I didn't particularly care about Deacon Silvey or Chance now-Silvey. I already read a book about them where none of the events even mattered, as shown by how they didn't mention them at all and the dreamscape ending of Threshold apparently came down to "nothin happened i dunno lol" in the grand scheme of things, with only a single reference to old rail tunnel thrown in to indicate that events in that book even happened or still affected the Silveys' lives.
The other problem I had with the horror elements was with the villain. Or maybe I should say the villains, because Narcissa as portrayed when she's the viewpoint character and Narcissa through the eyes of others were basically two entirely different people. In her own head, Narcissa is mostly a sad failure, a rejected child who wasn't even taken by the hounds and has spent her whole life murdering people to try to get into their good graces. She constantly hears the voices of the people she's killed, lives like an animal--literally in some cases, going naked and killing squirrels for food with her bare hands--and other than the murdering people she's mostly an object of pity. She has no affection, no friends, no real life, and the only thing in the world she wants is the one thing she can't have.
Though other people's eyes, she's a hypercompetent supernatural movie serial killer. You know what I mean, the kind who can teleport and has a Metal Gear-style minimap in her vision telling her where everyone is and what direction they're facing so she can spawn in behind them and is almost immune to bullets despite wearing only blood and who cannot be stopped or defeated in any way until a plot-relevant climax. And while it's true that she has a reason for her seemingly-supernatural powers--to wit, having actual supernatural powers by virtue of having read the Cultes des Goules and a passel of other eldritch tomes from her grandfather's library--it's still really jarring comparing this version of Narcissa to the other one.
And sure, it could just be the point of view. A lot of Kiernan's work hinges on issues of perception, from the vital-to-the-plot issue of Deacon's clairvoyance to the visions that Chance experiences throughout Low Red Moon to the existence (or not) of the monsters in Threshold. And at least in this book we know that there is a real threat and that the plot isn't just constant hallucinations, but it still annoyed me because the supernatural serial killer is such an overused trope that I've become jaded to it even when there's an actual legitimate reason for it. Oh, another unstoppable killer that the police can't catch. How terrifying. I've never seen something like that before.
Also, in response to a question from Deacon, Sadie mentions that in her writing she used to combine words to make new adjectives but stopped because it just pissed people off. Ha ha. Very funny, Kiernan.
The parts I did like were all the mundane aspects of Deacon and Chance's relationship, the story of two people trying to make a life for each other but being haunted by the figurative ghosts of their past. Chance keeps saying that Deacon's only job is to stay sober, but a negative isn't really enough to spend all your time on. Throughout the book, there's always that question hanging in the air: can he avoid going back to his old life? Has Deacon really turned a new leaf, and will his relationship with Chance manage to survive when his past returns from the box he stuffed it in?
I would almost have rather read a novel entirely about that, though without Deacon's psychic powers most of the rest of his past unravels too and it would be a completely different novel and so such a wish is inherently self-destructive. But since Narcissa and her story did nothing for me, I would have preferred the attempt at that to what I read in the end.
September 10, 2008
It's interesting how disparate the reviews to this book are. It seems to be a love it or hate it kind of book!
I loved it, more than any of Kiernan's that I've read, with the possible exception of Murder Of Angels, certainly better than Threshold.
I agree somewhat with other reviewers about the characters in this book, or at least the protagonists- I really didn't like them much, didn't hate them exactly, but I didn't connect with them until at least the last third of the book. When it came down to the crunch and we got to see what they were really made of I did get a little more invested, but at first, I was lukewarm at best- even knowing them from the previous book. (and even in Threshold Chance and Deke weren't really the stars for me- it was all about Dancy for me, and Sadie, and other side characters that were frankly much more memorable.)
I was fascinated by Narcissa however! I was completely drawn into her and felt much more sympathy with her. She is a monster of the purest kind and there is something horrifyingly beautiful about her. Even at her most monstrous, she has a kind of integrity that the protagonists didn't.
All in all it is a great story! It kept my attention from cover to cover without a lag, something Kiernan's books don't always do. I love her- but sometimes I feel like she's writing over my head, or around me somehow, not quite occupying the same space I'm in. But either my mind is expanding or she found me this time .
I loved it, more than any of Kiernan's that I've read, with the possible exception of Murder Of Angels, certainly better than Threshold.
I agree somewhat with other reviewers about the characters in this book, or at least the protagonists- I really didn't like them much, didn't hate them exactly, but I didn't connect with them until at least the last third of the book. When it came down to the crunch and we got to see what they were really made of I did get a little more invested, but at first, I was lukewarm at best- even knowing them from the previous book. (and even in Threshold Chance and Deke weren't really the stars for me- it was all about Dancy for me, and Sadie, and other side characters that were frankly much more memorable.)
I was fascinated by Narcissa however! I was completely drawn into her and felt much more sympathy with her. She is a monster of the purest kind and there is something horrifyingly beautiful about her. Even at her most monstrous, she has a kind of integrity that the protagonists didn't.
All in all it is a great story! It kept my attention from cover to cover without a lag, something Kiernan's books don't always do. I love her- but sometimes I feel like she's writing over my head, or around me somehow, not quite occupying the same space I'm in. But either my mind is expanding or she found me this time .
November 8, 2019
Very interesting book. I liked how the author continued the story of two of the characters from the first in the series. I did like this one better than the first in the series, however, the conclusion felt somewhat unfinished. Would recommend.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 21, 2017
My favorite novel by Kiernan. The show of growth from FIve of CUps is extraordinary. She really found herself with this book. I've read it 4 times. That's how special of a book it is.
September 20, 2018
Underwhelming with overblown prose that tries to make this novel more than it is.
June 14, 2021
Not for the front of heart
Great book in this short series - I am fascinated by the world that Caitlin Kieran creates. Very Lovecraftian and highly recommended.
Great book in this short series - I am fascinated by the world that Caitlin Kieran creates. Very Lovecraftian and highly recommended.
July 18, 2022
Review to follow ...
August 8, 2025
this book made me cry.
November 7, 2025
A chilling murder tale to kick off this series.
September 25, 2018
I picked this up in a used bookstore. I’d never heard of the book or author before. I still count myself so lucky to have picked this up as I discovered one of my favorite writers.
Kiernan has a gift when it comes to prose, language, and characterizations. Her novels are reminiscent of Lovecraft. They reverberate some time after reading.
I also like the fact that her books are sometimes set in Birmingham. I love the paleontology and science being fused with the supernatural. I would recommend reading the series in order, Threshold, Low Red Moon, and Daughter of Hounds. I read Low Red Moon first though and was still able to keep up with the story. I think it would have been better if I already knew the background of Chance and Deacon.
I also have to say I like the characters, but don’t like them together. They seem to make each other more miserable than they are. They don’t really understand each other, they hide things from each other, and they aren’t always supportive. All couples have hard times and different ways of dealing with stuff, but I saw very little throughout that made me understand why they were together. I believe they love each other, or that readers are supposed to believe they are deeply in love beneath it all. I can buy that, I suppose, but overall it seems so toxic for them both that I couldn’t help feeling like each would be a better character and more likable without the other. That of course would not work for the plot, but maybe there was a middle ground somewhere that was missed.
Kiernan has a gift when it comes to prose, language, and characterizations. Her novels are reminiscent of Lovecraft. They reverberate some time after reading.
I also like the fact that her books are sometimes set in Birmingham. I love the paleontology and science being fused with the supernatural. I would recommend reading the series in order, Threshold, Low Red Moon, and Daughter of Hounds. I read Low Red Moon first though and was still able to keep up with the story. I think it would have been better if I already knew the background of Chance and Deacon.
I also have to say I like the characters, but don’t like them together. They seem to make each other more miserable than they are. They don’t really understand each other, they hide things from each other, and they aren’t always supportive. All couples have hard times and different ways of dealing with stuff, but I saw very little throughout that made me understand why they were together. I believe they love each other, or that readers are supposed to believe they are deeply in love beneath it all. I can buy that, I suppose, but overall it seems so toxic for them both that I couldn’t help feeling like each would be a better character and more likable without the other. That of course would not work for the plot, but maybe there was a middle ground somewhere that was missed.
September 18, 2010
Married, living in a new apartment, with a child on the way, Chance and Deacon are trying to make a go at a normal life. But when Chance begins to have vivid, violent visions and Deacon, a gifted psychic, is pulled into a police search for a serial killer, their peace and safety are utterly destroyed. Low Red Moon is the second in a loose series featuring these characters, and it's a story of otherworldy forces, approaching madness, and the people that try to survive within this chaos. It has a number of unequivocal strengths: The cast is beautifully realized, and recovering alcoholic Deacon and murderous Narcissa steal the showa combination of destructive personalities and compelling motivations makes each stand out. The ghouls, vampires, and gods which haunt the edges of Kiernan's world give the plot depth and intrigue. And, as always, Kiernan's prose is rich, artful, and a pleasure to read.
But while I enjoy all of Kiernan's novels, somelike Threshold, like The Red Treestrike me as superb: they are arresting, terrifying, and I return to them again and again. Low Red Moon is not such a book. Rather, like Daughter of Hounds, it is enjoyable, and good, but not quite great. It doesn't seem to contain quite enough. The aspects which haunt the fringes of the text, from the ghouls which construct the fantasy landscape to the characters which tie it to Kiernan's other novels, sometimes distract from or overwhelm the plot at handa problem exasperated by the fact that Chance, although apparently the protagonist, lacks agency, and the book's pacing is at first too leisurely and then too rushed, which makes for slow buildup and an abrupt conclusion. Many aspects of the novel shine, but too much in Low Red Moon feels overshadowed or underexploredas if the heart of the action (and the best of the book) is occurring offstage and, rather than intrigued by the mystery, the reader is simply left disappointed. That not all of Kiernan's novels meet the high standard of her best work is hardly a failing. Low Red Moon is still enjoyable, thoughtful, and artfuljust as I would expect from Kiernan. I do recommend it. But it's not my new favorite.
But while I enjoy all of Kiernan's novels, somelike Threshold, like The Red Treestrike me as superb: they are arresting, terrifying, and I return to them again and again. Low Red Moon is not such a book. Rather, like Daughter of Hounds, it is enjoyable, and good, but not quite great. It doesn't seem to contain quite enough. The aspects which haunt the fringes of the text, from the ghouls which construct the fantasy landscape to the characters which tie it to Kiernan's other novels, sometimes distract from or overwhelm the plot at handa problem exasperated by the fact that Chance, although apparently the protagonist, lacks agency, and the book's pacing is at first too leisurely and then too rushed, which makes for slow buildup and an abrupt conclusion. Many aspects of the novel shine, but too much in Low Red Moon feels overshadowed or underexploredas if the heart of the action (and the best of the book) is occurring offstage and, rather than intrigued by the mystery, the reader is simply left disappointed. That not all of Kiernan's novels meet the high standard of her best work is hardly a failing. Low Red Moon is still enjoyable, thoughtful, and artfuljust as I would expect from Kiernan. I do recommend it. But it's not my new favorite.
July 4, 2008
After reading "Bradbury Weather" in Subterranean magazine, I decided I wanted to have a closer look at Caitlín R. Kiernan's fiction. After some consideration, I picked up Low Red Moon from a local bookstore and read it through. I was enthralled, having a harder and harder time putting it down the farther I got into the work.
First off, the present tense narrative threw me in the beginning. Modern fiction conditions the reader to read in the past tense so when I started reading the book; it was difficult and slow. However, it worked well with the flashback being in past tense. The changes in tense gave the reader a definite indicator when they were in the story. I overcame the tense issue about 50 pages in and was reading at full speed.
Another problem I had, which is entirely with me, was I was trying to define what Narcissa was. At first, taking a hint from the title, I thought she was a werewolf. Then I began to doubt that, thinking that perhaps she was a ghoul. I knew Kiernan had steeped her story in Lovecraftian Mythos and because I knew that, I tried to drop the character into a preconceived hole. Needless to say, the she did not fit in any holes, but she was still an enjoyable and very flawed character.
The story is well told over all. The pacing. I enjoyed Detective Downs, Starling Jane and Scarborough Pentecost. The description was overwrought at times, but it did not slow the story too much. Her world was also well thought out and not fully explained - which is good. I liked how she pioneered her own mythos, not falling into the worn ruts that modern fiction and role-playing games have made.
I do have to say, I found the ending was too sketchy. I understand why the scenes seem to skip was characters fade in and out of consciousness and action. However, I am interested in exactly how Deacon left the tunnel with the baby. I did not expect it to be an easy thing and with leaving it out of the story, it detracted from it.
I would definitely recommend this story to friends interested in fantasy, horror or the Lovecraftian vein (in fact, I already have). Kiernan has a very distinct style, and I look forward to reading future works from her.
First off, the present tense narrative threw me in the beginning. Modern fiction conditions the reader to read in the past tense so when I started reading the book; it was difficult and slow. However, it worked well with the flashback being in past tense. The changes in tense gave the reader a definite indicator when they were in the story. I overcame the tense issue about 50 pages in and was reading at full speed.
Another problem I had, which is entirely with me, was I was trying to define what Narcissa was. At first, taking a hint from the title, I thought she was a werewolf. Then I began to doubt that, thinking that perhaps she was a ghoul. I knew Kiernan had steeped her story in Lovecraftian Mythos and because I knew that, I tried to drop the character into a preconceived hole. Needless to say, the she did not fit in any holes, but she was still an enjoyable and very flawed character.
The story is well told over all. The pacing. I enjoyed Detective Downs, Starling Jane and Scarborough Pentecost. The description was overwrought at times, but it did not slow the story too much. Her world was also well thought out and not fully explained - which is good. I liked how she pioneered her own mythos, not falling into the worn ruts that modern fiction and role-playing games have made.
I do have to say, I found the ending was too sketchy. I understand why the scenes seem to skip was characters fade in and out of consciousness and action. However, I am interested in exactly how Deacon left the tunnel with the baby. I did not expect it to be an easy thing and with leaving it out of the story, it detracted from it.
I would definitely recommend this story to friends interested in fantasy, horror or the Lovecraftian vein (in fact, I already have). Kiernan has a very distinct style, and I look forward to reading future works from her.
June 26, 2016
Rate: 7
This is the next in the serious of Kiernan's books, and several of the characters are revived: Chance, Deacon, and Sadie. Chance and Deacon are married and expecting their first child. While Deacon attempts to stay sober and keep his psychic powers at bay, Chance is working at the university, but strange things keep happening. Chance, the scientist, starts having visions of blood, and Deacon is drawn into a murder case, to help with his vision. What he sees is a part werewolf woman, desperate to join the order of real werewolves. She kills whereever she is, and dismembers the bodies in an attempt to gain status. She is hot after Deacon and Chance to steal their baby and will stop at nothing. Two characters, changelings, Scarborough and Jane, are sent to try and stop her, but they won't explain themselves to Deacon, but only try to get him to help. She eventually kidnaps Chance and the race is on to save the baby.
Kiernan never fully explains the monsters, or werevolves, so that is a bit confusing, and this book ties into a first book I haven't read, but still understood what was going on. I found the characters a bit set in their ways, but still enjoyable. It was a really creepy book, but I loved it for that. Several charcters died, which surprised me, but the capacity for evil was interesting. It delved into Narcissa, the monter's, background more, which I also found interesting. In the end, she was too destructive for either side, but she had been raised to be that evil. I liked how all of her kills haunted her and her focus. It was a fun creepy read.
John Shim
This is the next in the serious of Kiernan's books, and several of the characters are revived: Chance, Deacon, and Sadie. Chance and Deacon are married and expecting their first child. While Deacon attempts to stay sober and keep his psychic powers at bay, Chance is working at the university, but strange things keep happening. Chance, the scientist, starts having visions of blood, and Deacon is drawn into a murder case, to help with his vision. What he sees is a part werewolf woman, desperate to join the order of real werewolves. She kills whereever she is, and dismembers the bodies in an attempt to gain status. She is hot after Deacon and Chance to steal their baby and will stop at nothing. Two characters, changelings, Scarborough and Jane, are sent to try and stop her, but they won't explain themselves to Deacon, but only try to get him to help. She eventually kidnaps Chance and the race is on to save the baby.
Kiernan never fully explains the monsters, or werevolves, so that is a bit confusing, and this book ties into a first book I haven't read, but still understood what was going on. I found the characters a bit set in their ways, but still enjoyable. It was a really creepy book, but I loved it for that. Several charcters died, which surprised me, but the capacity for evil was interesting. It delved into Narcissa, the monter's, background more, which I also found interesting. In the end, she was too destructive for either side, but she had been raised to be that evil. I liked how all of her kills haunted her and her focus. It was a fun creepy read.
John Shim
July 9, 2009
This is the fourth book I've read by Caitlin Kiernan and as much as I love the others (Silk, Murder of Angels & Threshold) this was by far my favorite.
Low Red Moon picks up with Chance, Deacon and Sadie a few years down the road after Threshold. Sadie is pursuing her writing with the support of her parents and Deacon is now sober and married to Chance. Adding stress and anticipation to the mix; Chance is pregnant and due to deliver quite soon. But the impending arrival of an unplanned baby is not the problem, of course, the problem is a sadistic serial killer who is zeroing in on Deacon invading his dreams and going after those close to him. As dark as Threshold was, this story is darker and takes us down a rabbit hole with more twists and turns than can be counted.
I couldn't put this one down and when I was forced to by interuptions I was counting the minutes until I could get back to it. This read was gripping and had a momentum that I couldn't resist. This book also introduces new characters and more mysterious and dangerous creatures, with hints and glimpses of a world existing alongside ours but one that most people can't percieve... and it is not a pretty place. Some things we are better off not knowing and, as in H.P. Lovecraft's tales, learning certain things can bring a hapless mortal to the attention of beings it would be better to be unmarked and unnoticed by.
Low Red Moon is a perfect example of urban fantasy blended seamlessly with horror. Highly, highly recommended.
Low Red Moon picks up with Chance, Deacon and Sadie a few years down the road after Threshold. Sadie is pursuing her writing with the support of her parents and Deacon is now sober and married to Chance. Adding stress and anticipation to the mix; Chance is pregnant and due to deliver quite soon. But the impending arrival of an unplanned baby is not the problem, of course, the problem is a sadistic serial killer who is zeroing in on Deacon invading his dreams and going after those close to him. As dark as Threshold was, this story is darker and takes us down a rabbit hole with more twists and turns than can be counted.
I couldn't put this one down and when I was forced to by interuptions I was counting the minutes until I could get back to it. This read was gripping and had a momentum that I couldn't resist. This book also introduces new characters and more mysterious and dangerous creatures, with hints and glimpses of a world existing alongside ours but one that most people can't percieve... and it is not a pretty place. Some things we are better off not knowing and, as in H.P. Lovecraft's tales, learning certain things can bring a hapless mortal to the attention of beings it would be better to be unmarked and unnoticed by.
Low Red Moon is a perfect example of urban fantasy blended seamlessly with horror. Highly, highly recommended.
May 21, 2015
Low Red Moon picks up, more or less, where Threshold left off, with Deacon and Chance married and pregnant. The resolution of Threshold seems to have held, and the characters from Silk are all out of town. (I love coherent worldbuilding like this, where the various stories aren't directly related but they all exist in each other's universe and have minor or indirect effects on each other.) A new threat has come to town, with a whole new line of mythology, and Deacon and Chance have to deal with it.
It's a lot more plot-driven than the earlier books - we know pretty much up front what the antagonist wants, and the shape of the story is reasonably predictable. (There's one well-done twist in the middle, telegraphed well enough that it fits but still an agonizing surprise.) Normally I would be thrilled, but here I kind of think it's a flaw - the character-driven earlier books worked better to Kiernan's strengths. Low Red Moon feels to me very much like a middle book, moving characters to where they need to be for later adventures rather than really being a coherent story on its own.
The high body count may feed into that impression. The antagonist, Narcissa Snow, is an interesting character in her own right, but she's pretty one-track for most of her scenes and she's also pretty clearly doomed, so it's harder to get invested in her. Chance's daughter, appearing in visions late in the book, may be the most interesting character of all of them, and her at least we should see turn up again.
It's a lot more plot-driven than the earlier books - we know pretty much up front what the antagonist wants, and the shape of the story is reasonably predictable. (There's one well-done twist in the middle, telegraphed well enough that it fits but still an agonizing surprise.) Normally I would be thrilled, but here I kind of think it's a flaw - the character-driven earlier books worked better to Kiernan's strengths. Low Red Moon feels to me very much like a middle book, moving characters to where they need to be for later adventures rather than really being a coherent story on its own.
The high body count may feed into that impression. The antagonist, Narcissa Snow, is an interesting character in her own right, but she's pretty one-track for most of her scenes and she's also pretty clearly doomed, so it's harder to get invested in her. Chance's daughter, appearing in visions late in the book, may be the most interesting character of all of them, and her at least we should see turn up again.
January 7, 2025
Ok thriller from the usually reliable Kiernan. This one, which is sequel to a previous book focuses on the young couple Chance, a paleontologist and eight months pregnant and her psychic, recovering alcoholic husband Deacon. Emotionally damaged but determined to create a stable life for their upcoming child, they become tangled in a plot involving lyncanthropes and a murderous half-human, half-something named Narcissa Snow, who his convinced that offering Deacon and Chance's child to a group of ghouls will let them into their club.
Kiernan is a pretty fantastic writer and she is on home territory here with goth castoffs living on the edge of society and reality, as she should be as she was one of the inventors of the goth/splatter/horror subgenre. And she always has sympathy for her monsters, so Narcissa gets a deep dive of motivation that almost makes her sympathetic.
The main problem with the book is Chance. She, aside from being a paleontologist, which is undeniably cool, she's a rather bland character and Kiernan's artistic grip slips with her. She's just not good with average folk.
And it takes awhile to get to the payoff, which we can see coming from a mile away.
But there are some great sequences. One of Deacon's friends escapes Narcissa's grip in a pretty spectacular way. And when Kiernan focuses on the monsters that lurk just below the surface of polite society, she has a gift for finding just what creeps us out and making us stick our finger in there and feel around.
So, all in all, minor Kiernan.
Kiernan is a pretty fantastic writer and she is on home territory here with goth castoffs living on the edge of society and reality, as she should be as she was one of the inventors of the goth/splatter/horror subgenre. And she always has sympathy for her monsters, so Narcissa gets a deep dive of motivation that almost makes her sympathetic.
The main problem with the book is Chance. She, aside from being a paleontologist, which is undeniably cool, she's a rather bland character and Kiernan's artistic grip slips with her. She's just not good with average folk.
And it takes awhile to get to the payoff, which we can see coming from a mile away.
But there are some great sequences. One of Deacon's friends escapes Narcissa's grip in a pretty spectacular way. And when Kiernan focuses on the monsters that lurk just below the surface of polite society, she has a gift for finding just what creeps us out and making us stick our finger in there and feel around.
So, all in all, minor Kiernan.
January 16, 2008
This book shared some of the same dark, creepy elements that I liked in Silk, but, altogether, I think I enjoyed Silk more.
Kiernan's characters are deeply flawed and unable to fully trust each other (friends, lovers, enemies alike). Terrible things happen immediately around them, but everyone's too intent on arguing or wallowing in individual problems to take much action. It makes you feel frustrated and sad for each character, and I think Kiernan explores their faults and internal conflicts very well. But there are so many other interesting elements to the world around them that she describes and largely alludes to - that I wish she'd spent just as much time on it.
There are werewolves and changelings that live alongside human beings, playing a larger game that's only hinted at. They apparently abide by their own rules on how they interact with each other and the rest of the world, but this parallel culture is mostly revealed in bits and pieces. Primarily through the eyes of Narcissa, a hybrid whose one intent is to become accepted by them.
Kiernan's written several other novels in the same setting with many of the same characters, so it's possible she reveals more about this world in the other books.
Kiernan's characters are deeply flawed and unable to fully trust each other (friends, lovers, enemies alike). Terrible things happen immediately around them, but everyone's too intent on arguing or wallowing in individual problems to take much action. It makes you feel frustrated and sad for each character, and I think Kiernan explores their faults and internal conflicts very well. But there are so many other interesting elements to the world around them that she describes and largely alludes to - that I wish she'd spent just as much time on it.
There are werewolves and changelings that live alongside human beings, playing a larger game that's only hinted at. They apparently abide by their own rules on how they interact with each other and the rest of the world, but this parallel culture is mostly revealed in bits and pieces. Primarily through the eyes of Narcissa, a hybrid whose one intent is to become accepted by them.
Kiernan's written several other novels in the same setting with many of the same characters, so it's possible she reveals more about this world in the other books.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 18, 2010
I have really come to consider Caitlin Kiernan as one my top three favorite authors. I often follow her blog, and compare other reads to works of hers. This book continues from the end of Threshold, the story picking up from there. I found this one to be more conventional in the horror sense, yet it was more intimate and accessible. This is Deacon's tale. He is the central protagonist in this one, and it is through his growth and maturation that the story unfolds. Deacon must accept his gifts, his vision, his past, and the present choices that he makes. Deacon is haunted by dreams filled with blood and gore, and haunted by the evil Narcissa. I loved that this book touched on so many of Kiernan's past novels like, Silk, Threshold, and Daughter of Hounds. Her prose keeps you from skipping ahead, a you want to digest every word. Her books stay with you long after each reading session, and her characters are very memorable. I feel that like the stories she weaves us into, there is always something more underneath it all, something between the lines, and the words. A bigger picture let's say. If you enjoy horror or suspense, but have never read Caitlin Kiernan, than you really have been missing out. Read her now!!!!!
June 28, 2013
Horror is really not my thing, but I picked this book up because of Neil Gaiman, right there on the cover, gushing about the writing style. As much as I love Mr. Gaiman's work and respect his literary opinion, I'm going to go ahead and respectfully disagree on this one.
I almost quit reading within two sentences. The author seems to be morally opposed to verbs, commas before conjunctions, and anything that might indicate the subject of a sentence. I think she's trying to convince me that the characters are so street-hardened that they have no fucks to give about grammar, but what she's really doing is keeping me so conscious of the fact that I'm reading words on a page, that I am unable to pay much attention to the story.
I didn't really care about any of the characters, and their names could have been pulled from a Llewellyn bibliography (Narcissa Snow, Scarborough Pentecost, Alice Sprinkle, and all of their obnoxiously named friends and foes). This made it difficult to care about the plot, which was fairly disjointed. There were a lot of psychological elements that Kiernan could have played on to make this book more interesting, but she was much more interested in painting pictures with gore. What some artists do with landscapes, she does with viscera.
Not for me.
I almost quit reading within two sentences. The author seems to be morally opposed to verbs, commas before conjunctions, and anything that might indicate the subject of a sentence. I think she's trying to convince me that the characters are so street-hardened that they have no fucks to give about grammar, but what she's really doing is keeping me so conscious of the fact that I'm reading words on a page, that I am unable to pay much attention to the story.
I didn't really care about any of the characters, and their names could have been pulled from a Llewellyn bibliography (Narcissa Snow, Scarborough Pentecost, Alice Sprinkle, and all of their obnoxiously named friends and foes). This made it difficult to care about the plot, which was fairly disjointed. There were a lot of psychological elements that Kiernan could have played on to make this book more interesting, but she was much more interested in painting pictures with gore. What some artists do with landscapes, she does with viscera.
Not for me.
April 2, 2013
I somewhat foolishly (okay, very foolishly) read this one out of sequence, picking it up before reading "Threshold". I think it actually stands fairly well on its own, though.
It's fascinating going through and reading Kiernan's novels from the beginning. I love the links between her books (Daria Parker's music is referenced in "Low Red Moon", for example, and there are quotes from "Alice in Wonderland" which thread through this and later books).
As a standalone novel, this doesn't quite gel. It's almost there, but it ends up feeling a little scattered and unfocused. I feel like the novel should be about Chance, but she has a lack of real agency (which isn't necessarily a bad thing per se) which means that she never really feels like the protagonist. Which is probably entirely intentional on Kiernan's part.
There is a lot of good stuff in here, with Kiernan's usual lush prose in full evidence. I also really love all the palaeontology that Kiernan weaves in, which is a great nod to Kiernan's own training.
It's fascinating going through and reading Kiernan's novels from the beginning. I love the links between her books (Daria Parker's music is referenced in "Low Red Moon", for example, and there are quotes from "Alice in Wonderland" which thread through this and later books).
As a standalone novel, this doesn't quite gel. It's almost there, but it ends up feeling a little scattered and unfocused. I feel like the novel should be about Chance, but she has a lack of real agency (which isn't necessarily a bad thing per se) which means that she never really feels like the protagonist. Which is probably entirely intentional on Kiernan's part.
There is a lot of good stuff in here, with Kiernan's usual lush prose in full evidence. I also really love all the palaeontology that Kiernan weaves in, which is a great nod to Kiernan's own training.
August 2, 2009
By page 9, I am utterly absorbed. I think Kiernan is a genius with words and about as sick as my brain. Let's just hope she stays enough in this world for me to focus. I got really tired of characters mincing about the washed out netherworlds of Murder of Angels (which was written beautifully, I just couldn't keep focused on all that vague otherness.)
Okay, this book was equally inexplicable as her previous novels. She merely hints at why the otherworldliness should be true.
I also want to mention that having conversed with this author, she is a consummate snob who thinks most writers unserious and most readers mere "consumers" of words. Henceforth, I am neither reading nor recommending her work to anyone.
Okay, this book was equally inexplicable as her previous novels. She merely hints at why the otherworldliness should be true.
I also want to mention that having conversed with this author, she is a consummate snob who thinks most writers unserious and most readers mere "consumers" of words. Henceforth, I am neither reading nor recommending her work to anyone.
October 2, 2013
Loved this for: its imagery, gritty lyricism, moments of sheer terror, the dream/future child, and the abrupt ending.
Did not like: didn't Chance already go through a whole book of supernatural occurences? Why is she all up in Deacon's shit about him being psychic? Also, if everyone could stop dilly-dallying for five seconds something might actually get done in this book. This isn't a complaint about lack of plot, just lack of "shut the fuck up and do it already." Narcissa can't be stopped! She is unstoppable! But if we leave in the next five minutes we might stop her! But I can't stop being emo long enough to do that! This book seriously needed a character with a Type A personality.
Did not like: didn't Chance already go through a whole book of supernatural occurences? Why is she all up in Deacon's shit about him being psychic? Also, if everyone could stop dilly-dallying for five seconds something might actually get done in this book. This isn't a complaint about lack of plot, just lack of "shut the fuck up and do it already." Narcissa can't be stopped! She is unstoppable! But if we leave in the next five minutes we might stop her! But I can't stop being emo long enough to do that! This book seriously needed a character with a Type A personality.
July 20, 2007
I had high hopes for this book judging from the amount and the sheer level of good reviews all around the book cover from well-renowned fantasy authors (like Gaiman and Straub, for instance). I found the book quite disappointing, however, and I couldn't wait for it to end. I didn't like the characters (except for Chance but only during the first half of the book) and the story was confusing especially at the end. It just didn't come together for me. I liked the way she tells the story though and how she uses words. I still have another book of her coming up [Threshold] and hopefully it would be better than this since it's all about Chance this time.
August 12, 2011
This book had a lot of potential but lost me with the disjointed plot. There were several points where I was left feeling like I was missing a key piece of information for the story and character motivations to make sense. The pace of the story varied from too slow to information overload. Narcissa was an incredible villain and I feel that the story only scratches the surface of doing her evil due justice. Deacon was obnoxious. Chance felt like she was floating through the story. Several of the minor characters attempted to have profound moments that sometimes seemed unnecessary to the overall storyline.
All in all, not a terrible read but I definitely did not love it.
All in all, not a terrible read but I definitely did not love it.
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