Unearthed: A Dark Tale from Innsmouth

Tales from Innsmouth #2

by Ashley Lister

Five staff members from Innsmouth University break into a church to unearth a secret that should have remained buried. Deep beneath the church's ancient sepulchre there is a grave, labelled with a warning that promises hell on earth if it is ever opened. And still, because they believe they know better, the graverobbers ignore the warning.

114 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 21, 2020

About the author

This author is also published under the pen name Ashley R. Lister.

Reviews

[Corrina Morse · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first book by Ashley Lister, and it won't be my last. It was more supernatural than horror in my opinion, which is by no means a bad thing! With shadow demons and time control, it was pretty creepy and atmospheric. The writing flowed well and I read this in one sitting. I also enjoyed Ashley's sense of humour throughout the book. A relatively quick and wholly entertaining read! 🖤

[Lisa Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was looking forward to reading Cursed, book 3 in the Dark Tales from Innsmouth Series by Ashley Lister, and I finally read it Sunday afternoon, cover to cover, without pause. It is a fast-paced and fantastic tale.

The wonderfully crafted prologue goes from ominous to intense, and the story that follows does the same. Cursed has a truly Lovecraftian premise told in a very modern and skillful voice. It’s creative and brutal and thoroughly engrossing. Additionally, the story has psychological horror and social mirroring. The human horror elements of cause and effect, of self-importance, and of outright narcissism play a big part in driving the story and the backstory, and it is done with excellent characterization, perspective presentation, and dialogue. It’s clever and flows well with the brutality of the tale.

And there is most definitely a good deal of brutality in the tale. Not graphic brutality, but brutality nonetheless. And complexity. This is not a casual read, but it is an excellent horror read. Lister continues to astound me with his storytelling, and I eagerly await the next book in the Dark Tales from Innsmouth series.

[Lou · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh my gosh this was a tough one for me.
I LOVED it! I always enjoy when a book sends me to Google and this one sent me down the Lovecraft wormhole, as well as introducing me to one or two words I also had to go and look up. Alongside a well paced story and nicely fleshed out characters (including the odd slight nod to characters and situations in the previous novel) this was probably my favourite offering so far from this author.
BUT...then the unthinkable happened. There I was, nicely snuggled up in bed, thoroughly engrossed, when I turned the page...and there was no more! I actually audibly gasped in surprise and disappointment. It felt like those terrible pre-internet days when you discovered someone had torn out the last page in your library book!! There's too many loose ends and things I want to know, so I grudgingly had to remove a star. However, if those loose ends happen to be cleared up in the next book (I haven't looked yet) then I will sigh with relief and jump back here to add that last star and say thankyou for writing so well that it made me feel like this 😀

[Lisa Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unearthed starts with a bang. From a Magnum. What follows is a fast-paced and brutal tale of cosmic horror with lots of action, unexpected twists, and strong characters.

I love how Lister does not shy away from strong female characters and how three-dimensional his lead characters are. I enjoyed the unpredictability of Unearthed and how the pace left me mentally exhausted. I really dig (pun intended) the classic premise brought forward and modernized and how Lister tweaked it into originality.

Unearthed is a fun read from a fantastic storyteller. It’s a must-read for fans of cosmic horror but has broad enough appeal for any fan of supernatural horror. I look forward to reading the next book in Lister’s Dark Tales from Innsmouth series.

[PAR · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very exciting ride! The storyline kept my attention riveted. The story moves along at a good pace, giving you respites to catch your breath. The story was so vivid, it played like a movie in my head. It made me smile and brought tears to my eyes all the while keeping me on the edge of my seat in fear of what might happen next. What great characters this author has come up with.! I received this novel from StoryOrigin and this is my true and honest opinion.

[Rachel Eastwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! A brilliant read. Great story, great characters and highly addictive. I can’t wait to find out what else is going to happen in Innsmouth. Full of suspense, gore and some darkly comic moments.