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Wormking: The Nocturne Society II
A new monster is awakening in Berlin. But soon the Nocturne Society realizes, the creature might not be an unknown threat, but one that they faced before. They named this parasitic apex predator: The Wormking!
The new supernatural mystery from the groundbreaking series The Nocturne Society that began with THERE ARE NO MONSTERS.
Lovecraft meets Sherlock Holmes in the modern age.
NOTE: Content is meant for adult readers, includes violence against minors
The new supernatural mystery from the groundbreaking series The Nocturne Society that began with THERE ARE NO MONSTERS.
Lovecraft meets Sherlock Holmes in the modern age.
NOTE: Content is meant for adult readers, includes violence against minors
189 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 1, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
November 12, 2021
Leyendecker fuses visceral cosmic horror with the tropes of Cold War espionage thrillers, raising questions of whether the right thing is sometime also the immoral thing.
After helping defeat the creature in the sewers, Simon has been accepted into the Nocturne Society as Brockmann’s official partner; so, when Brockmann spots hints that a parasitic creature he’s faced before has risen in Berlin, the two of them race to investigate. Unfortunately, if Brockmann’s right, the infection will rapidly spread meaning defeating it will require drastic action; action that is certainly illegal and potentially immoral.
While this novel starts with Simon and Brockmann already working together, Leyendecker follows the same overall dynamic as the previous volume: Brockmann has plenty of field experience as a killer but lacks investigative skills, Simon has modern technical savvy but no real experience in the field, and Brookman’s old handler scrapes together a small amount of logistical support. This skilfully avoids the unfeasibility of private individuals successfully investigating occult horrors while maintaining the intimate tension of individuals investigating occult horrors without a massive international organisation to call on in need.
Where the previous book centred around the threat of a single cunning predator, this one introduces a parasite that drives the infected to violent rampage. As such, it raises possibly the most Lovecraftian of threats: the death of human reason.
The combination of mindless killing spree and contagiousness also creates the core challenge of hunting it: even if one does find an infected person, they might well not be coherent enough to answer questions, and almost certainly won’t know how they were infected; and if anyone who comes into contact with an infected person might become infected with no way of telling for certain, the only way to be sure it’s destroyed is to kill everyone who might have come into contact with them. Leyendecker leans hard into both the lack of evidence of what is happening and the drastic means needed to limit spread by having Simon’s first encounter with the creature be an ongoing spree killing at a school after the first police officer has arrived.
The challenge is increased still further by their only being two of them to stop the threat: Leyendecker maintains a careful balance of splitting up and remaining together that both makes it plausible that they would have chosen to act together or apart while making each of them feel the absence of the other’s skills at key moments or regret leaving a lead unfollowed to devote their efforts to the same task.
The plot arc concludes in a way that is both realistic (for the universe) and consistent with the evidence available to the reader. However, as befits cosmic horror, this conclusion of the current threat leaves broader questions of how the creature came to be and what the wider truth is unanswered.
Simon remains a sympathetic protagonist. After his experiences of the previous volume, he has become less idealistic; however, plausibly, his unconscious sense the world is a decent place remains, driving him to be more heroic than pragmatic.
Brockmann remains the same pragmatic curmudgeon as he was in the previous book; however, again plausibly, he has accepted he cannot do everything alone and the Simon’s actions in the previous investigation show he is not useless; thus, while he has not become pleasant, readers might find him more sympathetic than in the previous book.
The supporting cast are a solid mix of ordinary people and those in the know, creating a powerful contrast between characters who can be trusted but must be lied to and those who cannot be trusted but ironically do not need to be kept in the dark. This amplifies the sense of a cold war thriller that pervaded the first book.
Overall, I enjoyed this novel greatly. I recommend it to readers seeking fast-paced cosmic horror investigation that avoids the tension deflation of simply shooting the monster.
After helping defeat the creature in the sewers, Simon has been accepted into the Nocturne Society as Brockmann’s official partner; so, when Brockmann spots hints that a parasitic creature he’s faced before has risen in Berlin, the two of them race to investigate. Unfortunately, if Brockmann’s right, the infection will rapidly spread meaning defeating it will require drastic action; action that is certainly illegal and potentially immoral.
While this novel starts with Simon and Brockmann already working together, Leyendecker follows the same overall dynamic as the previous volume: Brockmann has plenty of field experience as a killer but lacks investigative skills, Simon has modern technical savvy but no real experience in the field, and Brookman’s old handler scrapes together a small amount of logistical support. This skilfully avoids the unfeasibility of private individuals successfully investigating occult horrors while maintaining the intimate tension of individuals investigating occult horrors without a massive international organisation to call on in need.
Where the previous book centred around the threat of a single cunning predator, this one introduces a parasite that drives the infected to violent rampage. As such, it raises possibly the most Lovecraftian of threats: the death of human reason.
The combination of mindless killing spree and contagiousness also creates the core challenge of hunting it: even if one does find an infected person, they might well not be coherent enough to answer questions, and almost certainly won’t know how they were infected; and if anyone who comes into contact with an infected person might become infected with no way of telling for certain, the only way to be sure it’s destroyed is to kill everyone who might have come into contact with them. Leyendecker leans hard into both the lack of evidence of what is happening and the drastic means needed to limit spread by having Simon’s first encounter with the creature be an ongoing spree killing at a school after the first police officer has arrived.
The challenge is increased still further by their only being two of them to stop the threat: Leyendecker maintains a careful balance of splitting up and remaining together that both makes it plausible that they would have chosen to act together or apart while making each of them feel the absence of the other’s skills at key moments or regret leaving a lead unfollowed to devote their efforts to the same task.
The plot arc concludes in a way that is both realistic (for the universe) and consistent with the evidence available to the reader. However, as befits cosmic horror, this conclusion of the current threat leaves broader questions of how the creature came to be and what the wider truth is unanswered.
Simon remains a sympathetic protagonist. After his experiences of the previous volume, he has become less idealistic; however, plausibly, his unconscious sense the world is a decent place remains, driving him to be more heroic than pragmatic.
Brockmann remains the same pragmatic curmudgeon as he was in the previous book; however, again plausibly, he has accepted he cannot do everything alone and the Simon’s actions in the previous investigation show he is not useless; thus, while he has not become pleasant, readers might find him more sympathetic than in the previous book.
The supporting cast are a solid mix of ordinary people and those in the know, creating a powerful contrast between characters who can be trusted but must be lied to and those who cannot be trusted but ironically do not need to be kept in the dark. This amplifies the sense of a cold war thriller that pervaded the first book.
Overall, I enjoyed this novel greatly. I recommend it to readers seeking fast-paced cosmic horror investigation that avoids the tension deflation of simply shooting the monster.
December 12, 2021
An amazing novel with a plot that keeps you on the edge of the seat and a really frightening monster.
A killing spree in a Berlin school sets a new hunt in motion and this time the monster is not the only dangers … don’t want to spoil the plot, but it is really good!
A masterful blend of noir and horror.
A killing spree in a Berlin school sets a new hunt in motion and this time the monster is not the only dangers … don’t want to spoil the plot, but it is really good!
A masterful blend of noir and horror.
May 25, 2021
Great story, bad translation
The original storytelling is amazing, but it seems to have been run through Google translate. It's like making jerky out of filet mignon, still might be pretty good, but you can taste the wasted potential.
The original storytelling is amazing, but it seems to have been run through Google translate. It's like making jerky out of filet mignon, still might be pretty good, but you can taste the wasted potential.
June 27, 2022
So first I read older reviews criticizing translation problems. Those seemed to have been solved in the second edition I read. Could not find anything out of ordinary.
So, the second book of The Nocturne Society. If you want to read only one book of the series, make it this one. It is a masterpiece of urban horror. I am not using this word lightly.
Twisty, dark, thrilling and often quite deep this is another hybrid of street level spy-novel and horror.
What is it about? Brockmann and Simon from the last book are now in an uneasy partnership, but as they face a much more dangerous opponent in form of an ancient parasite spreading in Berlin their appreciation for each other grows.
I thought I would love Brockmann, but Simon would start annoying me sooner or later. This is in many ways Simon‘s book and I must say by the end I was deeply invested in both of them.
Without spoilering, this book has so many well-prepared twists, it is just incredible.
A school shooting in the beginning is among the most scary scenes I ever read.
So, the second book of The Nocturne Society. If you want to read only one book of the series, make it this one. It is a masterpiece of urban horror. I am not using this word lightly.
Twisty, dark, thrilling and often quite deep this is another hybrid of street level spy-novel and horror.
What is it about? Brockmann and Simon from the last book are now in an uneasy partnership, but as they face a much more dangerous opponent in form of an ancient parasite spreading in Berlin their appreciation for each other grows.
I thought I would love Brockmann, but Simon would start annoying me sooner or later. This is in many ways Simon‘s book and I must say by the end I was deeply invested in both of them.
Without spoilering, this book has so many well-prepared twists, it is just incredible.
A school shooting in the beginning is among the most scary scenes I ever read.
August 17, 2021
Quick Read. Okay Plot
I felt the story was a little light, and could have been so much more. The characters were underdeveloped, and the scene settings were minimal. I find that the characters being able to fly commercial airlines, with guns, to be unrealistic. I also find that the characters, to be hiding in a building, and to not hear multiple gun shots, to be unrealistic as well. There are just too many flaws in the writing, to influence me to want to read additional novels by this author.
I felt the story was a little light, and could have been so much more. The characters were underdeveloped, and the scene settings were minimal. I find that the characters being able to fly commercial airlines, with guns, to be unrealistic. I also find that the characters, to be hiding in a building, and to not hear multiple gun shots, to be unrealistic as well. There are just too many flaws in the writing, to influence me to want to read additional novels by this author.
February 5, 2022
Excellent sequel
I read book #1 and gave it 5 stars. I knew I had to read the sequel. I like the development of the main characters of Bochmann( and learning about his past ) and especially Simon as they work to locate( and stop) the Wormking .A few twists to keep things interesting. I also like the setting of Berlin( past and present). The author gives a great description of the city. I'll definitely read the next ones.
I read book #1 and gave it 5 stars. I knew I had to read the sequel. I like the development of the main characters of Bochmann( and learning about his past ) and especially Simon as they work to locate( and stop) the Wormking .A few twists to keep things interesting. I also like the setting of Berlin( past and present). The author gives a great description of the city. I'll definitely read the next ones.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews