Grimoire of the Four Impostors

by Coy Hall

Journey into the Occult, Where History is Horror. Presented in six tales, Grimoire of the Four Impostors takes readers on a dark tour of the 17th century, where corners of the world stand in shadow. Here grimoires possess secrets, impostors beguile the unwary, temptation turns macabre, and the night is no friend.

Genres: Horror, Short Stories, Fiction, Gothic, Fantasy, Historical, Mystery

154 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2021

About the author

Coy Hall lives in West Virginia, where he splits time as a professor of history and author. His books include Grimoire of the Four Impostors (2021), The Hangman Feeds the Jackal: A Gothic Western (2022), The Promise of Plague Wolves (2023), and A Séance for Wicked King Death (2023).

Reviews

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you’ve ever read the likes of Arthur Machen, Clark Ashton Smith, Algernon Blackwood, et al, and thought to yourself “I wish more modern authors wrote in this style,” look no further than Coy Hall. That's not to say the writing is antiquated; rather, Hall is very deliberate with his words and thus immerses the reader into the story, drawing them in with his prose style and keeping them engaged by evoking a dark sense of wonder.

Structurally, this book consists of six interconnected stories, all of which tie back to the mysterious and titular grimoire, and which blur the lines between horror, fantasy, and historical fiction. The framing chapters (first and last story) take place in 1690 and 1724, respectively. The stories in the middle, which are actually supposed to be tales from the grimoire, would have to be set sometime before those dates. Within these pages there are strange beasts, there are witches, and there are mercenaries. There are occult scholars, corrupt priests, and more.

Aesthetically, it's a bit like Castlevania, except without all the pesky vampires.

Grimoire of the Four Imposters is not a fast-paced book, and although it’s not long, it is best enjoyed like a fine wine, sipping at the passages and breaking it up into a few sittings. In fact, this is one of the reasons I thought the linked stories format worked so well. And perhaps one of the greatest compliments I can give to any work of literature, it seems like the type of book that would be rewarding upon a reread.

Overall, a meticulously-written book with a fascinating and dark story.

[Catherine McCarthy · Rating 5 out of 5]

To begin with it was both the cover and title that drew me in...the stories within sustained that interest. Expertly researched and intelligently written, this collection is in keeping with the time frame in which it is set and yet at the same time accessible. In parts I was reminded of Umberto Eco's The Name of the Rose, Robert E Howard's Soloman Kane, and also Washington Irving's Sleep Hollow.
Great imagery, an ancient folklore feel, and a satisfying conclusion, I would love to see this adapted for screen.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful collection of stories, all linked via the thread of the occult and 'magic'. Two stories 'bookend' the four, providing the reference to the grimoire, its nature and its ultimate fate. The four tales inbetween take you from an encounter between a wealthy Hungarian and a scholar, to the destruction of an abbey, to sailors marooned on a Caribbean island, to a journeyman executioner. Each of these stories is 'tainted' by a being which is not human, though it may appear so in some aspects. Each tale is tangibly linked to the others with its theme of the creation of life from the inanimate or the dead, the secrets of which are held in the grimoire itself. Richly descriptive, hugely atmospheric, these stories blend the occult with folk horror and the gothic. An intelligent and refreshing addition to the world of literary speculative fiction.

[M.C. August · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absorbing collection of folk horror stories. Coy Hall is a brilliant architect of constructing historical worlds and locations that feel real and accurate. You can tell ample research went into the book, and his influence as being a professor of history is quite apparent. I found each of the stories to be haunting and genuinely creepy, with the final offering being my favorite. Hence, I wanted more when I reached the end. Hall has his own unique style and brand of writing, and I especially admire the way he describes rotting corpses. And GRIMOIRE OF THE FOUR IMPOSTERS has plenty! Highly recommended book from a rising star in the genre.

[Beverley Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're looking for expertly researched historical horror, along with a collection of stories with a linked theme, you can do no better than pick up Coy Hall's, Grimoire of the Four Imposters.

It's a banquet of words and haunting imagery, that takes a reader by the hand and leads them through tantalising and horrific tales. The writing is sublime, both ancient in feel but very understandable, and the richness of the characters leaps off the page.

There are genuine disturbing moments, the kind of dread that settles softly and you find yourself thinking about afterwards; the kind that buries deep. Much like the titular grimoire, the effect of which whispers through these tales, there are dark, compelling delights at work here.

I'll finish with how fresh this collection feels, despite its historical settings, and one that makes you want to start over as you turn the last page, to discover the clues you might have missed.

One of my favourite reads of 2021!

[Brian G Berry · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky to receive an advanced copy of Coy Halls Grimoire Of The Four Impostors, and after reading it, I feel like I have been missing out on one highly talented writer! Which inevitably had me tracking down anything he's been featured in. 
Hall's capturing of a 17th century prose is very impressive to say the least.  Gothic horror broken into tales thick in atmosphere, GOTFI is a great collection that I will be gladly adding to my shelf upon its street date of September 7th. Highly recommended- add it to the list!

[Sally · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well that was just brilliant! Four stories of the four imposters sandwiched between two encounters of the Grimoire itself. All beautifully and masterfully entwined together through characters, locations and religious politics. Occultism, witches, even snippets of body horror. This book has everything! It was creepy and sad, atmospheric and thought provoking. Y'all this book is EVERYTHING! Coy Hall researched the shit out of this book. I can't recommend this enough. I will definitely revisit this one and make notes of all of the connections between the stories, for now I'll just say put this on your want to read list immediately.

[Damien Casey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Think about Hellraiser: Bloodlines. Ok stop. You spent more than a second thinking about space and that was NOT my intention. I was hoping you would think about the creation of the lament configuration bit, the little chunk that takes place in France. You know the part? Now imagine if it wasn’t kind of the worst. This is what Coy Hall has crafted with The Grimoires of the Four Imposters. This book feels ancient, it feels like an ancient evil is lurking over your shoulder while you read. The book works in much the same way as the configuration; I awoke one morning after reading late into the night to the sound of a hammer hitting a nail over and over, my first thought was “oh great, I’ve been cursed by a book.” I wasn’t cursed, their was a guy fixing a barn. Still, that speaks to how much this book got under my skin. I consider myself pretty well read/watched when it comes to the medium of horror and it’s sort of harder for things to truly get under my skin and stay there. I can count a handful of things in the past decade that made me feel, just off, like a deep dread. Grimoires of the Four Imposters sits in that handful. Scenes found their way under my skin like a lone tree branch worming it’s way through my blood vessels, the pond by my house now seems to hold something more than that big ass turtle I saw that one day. Coy has created a world that is sure to make any fan of horror feel at unease in the world around them in all the best ways. K thx.

[Remo Nassutti · Rating 5 out of 5]

Coy Hall composes a dark mosaic from tense, atmospheric journies through horror's classic hallmarks. With precise historical details and a clear stylistic vision, the Grimoire feels as alive in your hands as the narrative suggests. Each story maintains the required tension to keep the reader turning the page while presenting dark nightmare visuals.

I felt invested from the opening passages, a winding search through lonely Carpathian villages, and shrouded woods. Hall introduces haunting automatons. They might have been some of the eeriest characters I've encountered this year. This preliminary section begins a churning undercurrent of dread that carries the reader through each tale. This section also introduces the first instance of a repeating motif: creatures or entities that take human form and walk among us. In other words, the titular imposters. These threats appear in each story, morphing into an array of horrifying visages.
The first imposter reads like a mixture of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales and Algernon Blackwood's The Willows. We follow a doomed trek through haunted woods teaming with terrifying figures. Hall engulfs us in atmosphere, carefully choosing where each word falls. The attention to detail sells the plot. Each character felt authentic, complete with unique lexicons, biases, dogmas, and fears. In this first story, a scene occurs that would have fit nicely on Cannibal Corpse's Eaten Back to Life. Though to mention which song it shares parallels with would spoil the plot. Of the four imposters, this one might have been my favorite.
The second imposter presents another horror staple in the form of a menacing witch character with her terrifying shape-shifting rat. While this story was quieter than the first story, I felt myself hanging on every word and visual.
Our third imposter takes us to a barren island where a stranded crew fights for survival. This story hinted at a touch of cosmic horror. Hall delivers precise details to unsettle and unnerve. The notion of being trapped got to me as the character race against starvation and dehydration.
Our final imposter introduces some of the book's most disturbing visuals. The narrative felt in a similar vein to the first imposter.

The combination of well-researched historical details and a strong sense of theme makes Grimoire a memorable and enchanting read. I recommend this book for fans of classic horror and gothic fiction. I'm excited to see the elements from this book appear in subsequent works.

[Sarah Huntington · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been wanting to read this since it came out. I thought I might have trouble with the language and have to sit with a dictionary, but I was fine. I loved the language and the word use. The stories are extremely creepy and at one point, I was thinking 'Wait, is this a true story?' ( I believe in all manner of things I probably shouldn't) Nothing scares me like the Occult and Grimoires and it all felt like real historic events.
I think Coy Hall most likely had a peer into the multiverse, popped back, and wrote everything scary and creepy he saw. At least, that's what I believe now.

[Nicole Eigener · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review to come!

[Anthony Perconti · Rating 5 out of 5]

Coy Hall’s Grimoire of the Four Imposters is a collection of six self contained (yet interconnected) stories that make up a mosaic novel. The titular “four imposters” comprise the meat of the book, with two flanking tales serving as thematic bookends. The focus of this novel is an exploration of a mythic and highly elusive tome of spells that is just as fluid as the arc of history. Hall, a history professor by trade, utilizes the focal point of the alchemical McGuffin as a means to examine a specific historical period. Set in and around the late 17th Century, Grimoire acts as a dark mirror, reflecting back a turbulent and violent era of human history. The novel is replete with warfare, colonial exploitation, religious fervor, sectarian violence and paranoia. In Coy Hall’s vision, history itself, is the hungry maw that consumes all it encounters. The supernatural elements found in Grimoire reflect the fears and concerns of the historical populus: where malign, soul corrupting entities are never far away and God harkens back to his Old Testament roots. A time when Enochian adepts could transcend the boundaries of life and death and a fear of the dark is not only warranted, but essential. Grimoire of the Four Imposters is a cosmic horror fiction of the Pre-Enlightenment Age.

[Adam Hulse · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Truly Spellbinding Read.

The very concept of this book is genius. Yet without serious skill a concept alone is never enough. Thankfully Coy is one of the best writers I've had the pleasure of reading for a very long time. He has created more than a mere book here. What emerges is a festival of creativity which feels like a fully immersive experience. There are adventures within which leave you feeling as though you lived through them. Whether it be riding a horse through a dark forest or helping to search through ancient ruins, you are there! Sprawling landscapes and colourful characters are so well constructed and researched you feel as though perhaps you're reading absolute fact. Hall has a real verve for historical content and it is truly faultless work he has created here. The inner dread of central characters and gothic tension put me in mind of The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle. Hall's dreamlike quality of merging horror with fantasy is fascinating and I haven't been taken so far away by the written word since Clive Barker's Weaveworld. Coy Hall has done something magical here and I have total faith his ability can take him as far as he wishes to go. Unless the Puritans catch him first!

[Heather Ventura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent stories! The writing is exquisite! The well researched historical details give a depth and richness to the horror. I had to force myself to put it down each night. This one took a chunk out of me - the way good horror does.

[Derek Hutchins · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a debut. Coy Hall hits the floor running with this masterful series of historic tales. Filled with dark magick and strange, fantastic beings, this book feels like it was ripped straight from post-Renaissance legend. Hall weaves an impressive web filled with historical details that manages to feel accessible and historically accurate at the same time. Hall has done his research, and crafted a book you will not want to miss!

[Anthony · Rating 5 out of 5]

Expertly written and left me wanting for more, a real pleasure to read and very gothic! Excellent!

[Avery Chandler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hall has a unique voice and he takes you to places and times largely unfamiliar in horror. Grimoire of the Four Impostors is cerebral, macabre, and creepy. The framework of a real grimoire with an "Enochian" code written into the stories added a fun layer that left me searching for symbolism as I went through the book.

Without doubt, my favorite tale is "The Nightshade Garden." I loved Dr. Toth and his dog, Vinegar Tom! The scene where Tom chases a rat from the stables to the river, all while the rat's arms are turning into the mottled arms of an infant, actually scared me.

[J.W. Donley · Rating 5 out of 5]

**Note: I was provided a copy of this title in exchange for an honest and fair review.**

You can also read this review here: https://horrortree.com/epeolatry-book...

First of all, this beautiful book’s colors pop from the matte finish of the cover. I find the interior design, including the margins and type choice, perfect for this collection. Plus, I absolutely love when an entry in the back covers the history of the chosen type. These design choices all play into the concept: The Grimoire of the Four Imposters by Coy Hall, a medieval grimoire filled with dangerous information.

The collection contains a total of six stories, with the inner four meant to be part of the original grimoire, while the outer tales cover different encounters with said grimoire. I appreciate that this isn’t a book of spells and rituals, but of stories with occult secrets hidden within.

My favorite is ‘Sire of the Hatchet’ (which I’ve also read in The Fiends in the Furrows: An Anthology of Folk Horror). It’s about traveling executioners hired by a village to interrogate and torture a witch. But things are much stranger than imaginable. I enjoyed reading this tale even more due to its context in the book among the other stories.

I also loved the total cultural immersion. Even though I am not a medieval scholar by any means, I felt at ease exploring and learning about the characters and settings. I can only imagine Hall’s passion for Eastern Europe’s medieval history. It’s also wonderful to read horrors of the region other than that of Vlad Dracula (he does get a mention; not as the vampire, but as the count who battled armies invading from the east and had a habit of filling fields with bodies on pikes.)

I definitely recommend checking out Hall’s collection, especially if you’re looking for something a little different. Since I don’t see a ton of medieval horror available in the market, I consider this a sign that the sub-genre is ripe for exploration.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Coy Hall’s GFI recalls Elizabeth Kostova’s THE HISTORIAN in its sweeping historical breadth. A true historian himself, Hall brings so much of his knowledge to the table here. Real wars, ethnic conflicts, plagues, and scenes of medieval daily life (and other eras) form the backdrop of this expertly written work. And like Kostova, Hall’s novel is run through with with a sense of the eerie that proceeds from his treatment of the mystical and occult—again informed by his deep reading and historical knowledge. But be assured, this is no dry scholarly treatise. It’s a gripping, horrific tale of the dark side of things, a gloriously disturbing ride.

[C.W. Blackwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grimoire of the Four Imposters is a thrilling collection of gothic horror tales, loaded with rich prose and fascinating characters. Hall’s exceptional writing style delivers lush and vivid descriptions, yet does so with razor-sharp precision. Not a single word is wasted or out of place. The result is a very satisfying read. Hall’s background as a history professor clearly benefits these stories—each is told with a historian’s meticulousness, as if the texts could almost pass as long-lost historical documents. But to be sure, this is no history textbook. Clockwork men and haunted forests fill these pages, and magic abounds. If you love dark fiction with a gothic or folkloric flavor, this book is a must read.

I also want to leave a quick note about the quality of the book’s design, which is so good, I found myself looking it over admiringly each time I picked it up.

[Patrick Stanley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this amazing horror novel from Coy Hall books and great reading the characters and history
of events is awesome. Hammer movie type vibes. Highly recommended has me reading novels he put's out. These novels deliver. Currently reading his new one Promise of the Plaque Wolves and seeing It's awesome too.

[D]

Each of these stories captures a moment of the past with little historical details that give reality to the horror. There is a story in here I don’t think I’ll ever forget. I love horror that leaves a piece of itself behind with you.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a special book. While it is technically a collection, Hall does such a good job with the over arching story that it doesn't feel that way at all. The writing is impeccable. Many modern horror fans weened on gore and violence may not prefer it, since they rarely experience this manner of constant dread and unease. Modern horror tends to get right to the point of things. But for those who love a good gothic horror with tension and dread over fast pay offs Hall does a wonderful job of it. He doesn't need to splatter blood on every page, and the fact that he doesn't makes it noteworthy when there is any gore. He doesn't use gore because he's afraid of losing the audience, but only when the scene demands it. The book is a work of craft, and should be appreciated as such.

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

I find it hard to know what to say about this one to be honest. It was one of those that I didn’t find myself getting into, but at the same time found it really hard to put down. The stories are interesting and very well researched, I just didn’t love it like I have so many other reads this year.

[Pamela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Horror isn’t usually my go-to genre, but I really enjoyed this book. It’s well-researched, and the historically-accurate details blended well with the fictional elements. The book unfolds over the course of six interconnected stories set in 17th century Europe. The pace is steady. The tension and curiosity build with each story. As you answer one question, you think of three more. Once you reach the end, you’ll want to re-read it looking for all of the details and connections you missed the first time.

[Kayla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hall has an excellent writing style and ability to build dread without falling prey to mainstream horror tropes or losing the essence of the time periods he writes about.

[Garth Sedona · Rating 5 out of 5]

With this book, Hall bestows upon us a brilliant collection of Gothic occult horror stories that are harrowing and grotesque. His vivid and entrancing prose transports us to terrifying locales and introduces us to primitive characters in the throes of conflict with evil. With grimy and disgusting realism, these stories take us to places we've never been. To ages in the distant past when nightmares and devilish horrors were commonplace. There is not a weak link in this chain of loosely connected stories. In fact, each one seems to be better than the one that preceded it, and the introductory story was marvelous. Highly recommended!

[Gwen Clayton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the best fiction book I’ve read so far in 2022. The writing is so fluid and captivating, and the historical imagery is painted superbly. There is a little bit of gore but only enough to bring out the creepiness factor; it isn’t overdone. The esoteric element is heavy, which is what I found most appealing.

[Eli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing! Creepy and atmospheric. Really transports you to the 17th century.

[D.T. Neal]

Coy Hall delivers a fascinating collection of six interrelated occult tales in GRIMOIRE OF THE FOUR IMPOSTORS, thematically tied in the ideas of identity, authenticity, and humanity in the face of historical-yet-supernatural horror.

Hall consistently writes expressive, atmospheric prose that revels in diabolical details and breathtaking darkness. He uses the classic framing device with the opening and closing stories, set in the 17th and 18th century, while the tales between (all of which occur earlier) explore the enigmatic, titular Grimoire and its effects on the characters who've encountered it.

These tales are told with an aura of grim fairytales -- not in the modern, woefully overused sense of fairytale retellings, but in the classic, far darker vestige of that idea, with supernatural terrors holding fast to a world wrought in shadow, superstition, darkness, and terror. When fairytales were the province of adults, not children. This isn't kids' stuff.

These are rich stories to be savored, not fleeting slasher fiction. They are cerebral, well-considered macabre tales of ruination and harm inflicted on human lives, an all-too familiar refrain in human history. But in historian Hall's hands, each of the core stories is like another bauble, a tidy treasure that serves up its own internal logic and nightmares for the delectation of the reader. As a sampler of Hall's occult imagination, it's unparalleled. He holds the darkness close and is not afraid to see where it takes him, and impishly drags the reader along for the carriage ride.

His prose is almost dreamlike, with each story like a hallucination (or a bad trip -- only gorgeously written, to make the pretty pain and pathos he inflicts all the sharper). Readers used to quick hits of in-your-face horror might be bewildered by this book, but there is potent, twisted magic in the pages of the GRIMOIRE, and no one who reads it will ever forget it. You have been warned.

I'm reminded of "The King in Yellow" by Robert W. Chambers in the best way by GRIMOIRE. Coy Hall has created a compendium to last with GRIMOIRE, and I think readers will be delighting in it and the ghastly occult terrors it inflicts for a very long time.