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Arkham Horror #19
Lair of the Crystal Fang
When a mysterious killer haunts Arkham, three struggling investigators must confront the eldritch horrors of their past in this action-packed pulp adventure from the world of Arkham Horror
In the swirling sewers beneath Arkham, excavators uncover a crystalline formation that hints at dark events from the city’s past. As the discovery makes headlines, so too does a series of bizarre murders. With no leads, the Arkham police are always one step behind. Acting on a hunch, down-on-his luck former journalist Andy Van Nortwick reunites with adventurer Jake Williams and struggling filmmaker Maude Brion to unearth the truth. The trio know of the supernatural horrors that lurk beyond this world, and the reality haunts them. But time is running out and between them they must face their nightmares before the city of Arkham is lost to blood and chaos.
In the swirling sewers beneath Arkham, excavators uncover a crystalline formation that hints at dark events from the city’s past. As the discovery makes headlines, so too does a series of bizarre murders. With no leads, the Arkham police are always one step behind. Acting on a hunch, down-on-his luck former journalist Andy Van Nortwick reunites with adventurer Jake Williams and struggling filmmaker Maude Brion to unearth the truth. The trio know of the supernatural horrors that lurk beyond this world, and the reality haunts them. But time is running out and between them they must face their nightmares before the city of Arkham is lost to blood and chaos.
368 pages, Paperback
Published December 20, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
December 19, 2022
A spiritual sequel to S.A. Sidor's previous Arkham Horror novel Cult of the Spider Queen, Lair of the Crystal Fang has several characters (Andy Van Nortwick, Jake Williams (Ursula Down's close friend), and Maude Brion) returning for another occult adventure. Including some well know investigators from the Arkham Files board games (including Rex Murphy, Wendy Adams, Carolyn Fern, Mandy Thompson and Charlie Sinclair), Lair of the Crystal Fang begins with the discovery of the eponymous Crystal Fang in the sewers below Arkham while excavations are underway for Mayor Sinclair's new plan to revitalize and improve the city's sewer system. This discovery leads to a connection between the fang and the city's current rash of murders perpetrated by a man who calls himself the Lamprey.
Andy, Jake, Maude and Wendy, with the assistance of Carolyn Fern investigate the mysterious Lamprey and the connection to the sewers and the fang uncovering an even darker intent than just murder.
This is a wonderful pulp horror novel filled with an intriguing mystery, murder, witches and ancient beings....and several trips to the smelly Arkham sewers.
Thank you to NetGalley and Aconyte for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Andy, Jake, Maude and Wendy, with the assistance of Carolyn Fern investigate the mysterious Lamprey and the connection to the sewers and the fang uncovering an even darker intent than just murder.
This is a wonderful pulp horror novel filled with an intriguing mystery, murder, witches and ancient beings....and several trips to the smelly Arkham sewers.
Thank you to NetGalley and Aconyte for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
November 18, 2023
This was probably my favourite Arkham Horror novel. Why you ask?
My main gripe with this series is the lack of interest because apart from one or two characters from the boardgames most are rather new stuff that we can't connect. Here is a bit different, you've got a handful of them. You've got Charlie (the politician - here is the mayor of Arkham) helped by Mandy Thompson, in another part we've got Carolyne Fern, Wendy Adams plus 3 from previous novel by Sidor Andy, Maude & Jake). You also got Rex Murphy the unlucky reporter. This tale is as I said different... With a vast characters we jump from one chapter to the next to one party and that's the first bonus point. You've also got the point view of evil people and neutral ones.
Apart from this the story is good. They are building something in the sewers and find a crystal shard of a bygone era that is affecting them differently. You've got this two parties of "good" then a bunch of witches and the Lamprey (the evil one). They all have their interests and goals. That's the another interesting stuff.
So, what I didn't enjoy? Well, since you've got a vast cast of "named" characters you know that they can't be killed. So, there is a bit of lack of connection with the characters. Then is the Evil presence, that instead of being an evil one is Chaos God I've never heard of... Probably in the RPG or something. Then you've got the ending... IT was over in four of five pages.
Apart from this things it was undoubtly my favourite. There are still extra stories that could come from this characters. Nothing that I can consider woke came to this novel (you know my problem with previous ones) 8/10
My main gripe with this series is the lack of interest because apart from one or two characters from the boardgames most are rather new stuff that we can't connect. Here is a bit different, you've got a handful of them. You've got Charlie (the politician - here is the mayor of Arkham) helped by Mandy Thompson, in another part we've got Carolyne Fern, Wendy Adams plus 3 from previous novel by Sidor Andy, Maude & Jake). You also got Rex Murphy the unlucky reporter. This tale is as I said different... With a vast characters we jump from one chapter to the next to one party and that's the first bonus point. You've also got the point view of evil people and neutral ones.
Apart from this the story is good. They are building something in the sewers and find a crystal shard of a bygone era that is affecting them differently. You've got this two parties of "good" then a bunch of witches and the Lamprey (the evil one). They all have their interests and goals. That's the another interesting stuff.
So, what I didn't enjoy? Well, since you've got a vast cast of "named" characters you know that they can't be killed. So, there is a bit of lack of connection with the characters. Then is the Evil presence, that instead of being an evil one is Chaos God I've never heard of... Probably in the RPG or something. Then you've got the ending... IT was over in four of five pages.
Apart from this things it was undoubtly my favourite. There are still extra stories that could come from this characters. Nothing that I can consider woke came to this novel (you know my problem with previous ones) 8/10
December 4, 2023
Pure pulp goodness wrapped in a horror package. No requirement to be familiar with Arkham Horror, the board/card game to enjoy the story, same goes for the previous books in the series. Reads well as a standalone, however I do recommend reading Cult of the Spider Queen prior to this due to returning characters and backstory flashes.
March 17, 2024
Readers of my reviews will see that I absolutely loved Song of Carcosa. It set a high bar for Lair of the Crystal Fang, and while it didn't quite clear it, it still made a good run at it.
The actual story of Lair of the Crystal Fang is good, solid pulp, an adventure story which mixes a serial killer with an eldritch horror. What holds it back is, in my opinion, the writing style -- it's a very blunt, flat-affected tone with a lot of choppy sentences and periods (eg: "It couldn't be true. The police were arresting the wrong person. The man they had was a reporter. Rex was his name.") that makes it hard, in my opinion, to build up a sense of dread; at one point, I grabbed an 100 word section, which contained 8 sentences, and the only punctuation in it were periods except for one comma. That said, it's definitely a choice, and there are places where it really builds that Mid-Atlantic Accent; it's likely the choice will work better for other people than it did for me, personally.
The characters were great; I absolutely loved Maude's scenes in particular, and I'll probably look up Cult of the Spider Queen just to get more Maude. Wendy was also a standout in this, and it's a challenge to write child characters. There were a few too many characters, in my opinion -- if they'd cut the mayor's pov scenes, I think the book as a whole might have been a bit more focused and stronger -- but the characters all really stood out as their own creations regardless.
The actual story of Lair of the Crystal Fang is good, solid pulp, an adventure story which mixes a serial killer with an eldritch horror. What holds it back is, in my opinion, the writing style -- it's a very blunt, flat-affected tone with a lot of choppy sentences and periods (eg: "It couldn't be true. The police were arresting the wrong person. The man they had was a reporter. Rex was his name.") that makes it hard, in my opinion, to build up a sense of dread; at one point, I grabbed an 100 word section, which contained 8 sentences, and the only punctuation in it were periods except for one comma. That said, it's definitely a choice, and there are places where it really builds that Mid-Atlantic Accent; it's likely the choice will work better for other people than it did for me, personally.
The characters were great; I absolutely loved Maude's scenes in particular, and I'll probably look up Cult of the Spider Queen just to get more Maude. Wendy was also a standout in this, and it's a challenge to write child characters. There were a few too many characters, in my opinion -- if they'd cut the mayor's pov scenes, I think the book as a whole might have been a bit more focused and stronger -- but the characters all really stood out as their own creations regardless.
September 25, 2024
An enjoyable romp with Alessandra, not a difficult book but to be honest I think I needed that.
November 11, 2024
Probably the best of the series for SA Sidor, enjoyed how his 3 stories connected with characters but each also would be good as a standalone.
December 6, 2022
My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher Aconyte Books for an advance copy of this horror adventure set in the Arkham Horror Universe.
Even the most dankest of cities, a city plagued by demonic creatures who fill the stygian alleys, a city ripe with the smells of ozone and ether, a city whose skies turn red and rain gray water, even Arkham, especially Arkham needs good waste disposal system. Strong sewers that are hard to block, easy to maintain and made of modern materials to deal with the hundreds of years of dead matter, ichor from unnamed creatures, a what humans leave behind, or what's left behind in sacrifices. Arkham has enough problems to deal with, why add flooding, property damage and clogged storm drains to their list of woes. However this new public work campaign sets off a battle between gangsters, witches, a murder and our heroes when a strange stone is unearthed deep under the city, in Lair of the Crystal Fang: An Arkham Horror Novel by S. A. Sidor.
The Mayor of Arkham, which much planning and as honest as a mayor can be in a city of the odd, filled with gangsters, cultists, strange medical facilities, universities and more, has proposed the Big Drain, a program to bring the city's sewers into the 20th century. Visions of civic improvment, jobs, growth are the plan, however a murderer is stalking the sewers, choking victims and leaving behind corpses drained of blood. Workers are also disappearing, and a strange pink stone has been found deep underground, whose ownership is claimed by the powerful and the mysterious. Battles between gangsters are also taking place as the tunnels were used to move illegal hootch, or alcohol as Prohibition is still the law of the land. Our heroes slowly come together as weird things happen all over the city from hospitals, asylums and dilapidated buildings, as an ancient evil plans to drain not just Arkham but all of the world.
Another fun spooky adventure in a series that I can not get enough of. Everyone of these books has been great, but this one and the prequel to this Cult of the Spider Queen, have been among my favorites. You don't need to have read the previous book to enjoy this, but do so as it is a rollicking adventure story. This one is different because of the characters who are different than the usual ones who fill Arkham. I like the Mayor character as he is a politician, with a different way of looking at the city, not as a magical playground, but as a city in desperate need of good governance. All the characters are good, all with their own quirks and characterizations that make them unique and leaving the reader waning more. Which there might be as a lot of characters and plots are introduced that could easily fill up quite a few adventures. Which makes me excited. To see how a town like Arkham could be governed, while dealing with gangsters, corrupt cops, corrupt business types, and cultists, while being a mayor for the common person would be intriguing.
Another thing about this books and why I am quick to recommend them is the portrayal of women. Women are just to grab the hero, faint at the bad guys feet and scream. No they are doctors, professors, thieves, adventurers and just as brave if not more than the men around them. A great series that I have not read one bad or even ehh book in. I can say that pretty much for all of Aconyte books. These are tie in books that treat the source and the readers with respect and deliver great entertainment that I love to share with others. I can't wait for more books from them and S. A. Sidor.
Even the most dankest of cities, a city plagued by demonic creatures who fill the stygian alleys, a city ripe with the smells of ozone and ether, a city whose skies turn red and rain gray water, even Arkham, especially Arkham needs good waste disposal system. Strong sewers that are hard to block, easy to maintain and made of modern materials to deal with the hundreds of years of dead matter, ichor from unnamed creatures, a what humans leave behind, or what's left behind in sacrifices. Arkham has enough problems to deal with, why add flooding, property damage and clogged storm drains to their list of woes. However this new public work campaign sets off a battle between gangsters, witches, a murder and our heroes when a strange stone is unearthed deep under the city, in Lair of the Crystal Fang: An Arkham Horror Novel by S. A. Sidor.
The Mayor of Arkham, which much planning and as honest as a mayor can be in a city of the odd, filled with gangsters, cultists, strange medical facilities, universities and more, has proposed the Big Drain, a program to bring the city's sewers into the 20th century. Visions of civic improvment, jobs, growth are the plan, however a murderer is stalking the sewers, choking victims and leaving behind corpses drained of blood. Workers are also disappearing, and a strange pink stone has been found deep underground, whose ownership is claimed by the powerful and the mysterious. Battles between gangsters are also taking place as the tunnels were used to move illegal hootch, or alcohol as Prohibition is still the law of the land. Our heroes slowly come together as weird things happen all over the city from hospitals, asylums and dilapidated buildings, as an ancient evil plans to drain not just Arkham but all of the world.
Another fun spooky adventure in a series that I can not get enough of. Everyone of these books has been great, but this one and the prequel to this Cult of the Spider Queen, have been among my favorites. You don't need to have read the previous book to enjoy this, but do so as it is a rollicking adventure story. This one is different because of the characters who are different than the usual ones who fill Arkham. I like the Mayor character as he is a politician, with a different way of looking at the city, not as a magical playground, but as a city in desperate need of good governance. All the characters are good, all with their own quirks and characterizations that make them unique and leaving the reader waning more. Which there might be as a lot of characters and plots are introduced that could easily fill up quite a few adventures. Which makes me excited. To see how a town like Arkham could be governed, while dealing with gangsters, corrupt cops, corrupt business types, and cultists, while being a mayor for the common person would be intriguing.
Another thing about this books and why I am quick to recommend them is the portrayal of women. Women are just to grab the hero, faint at the bad guys feet and scream. No they are doctors, professors, thieves, adventurers and just as brave if not more than the men around them. A great series that I have not read one bad or even ehh book in. I can say that pretty much for all of Aconyte books. These are tie in books that treat the source and the readers with respect and deliver great entertainment that I love to share with others. I can't wait for more books from them and S. A. Sidor.
July 6, 2024
LAIR OF THE CRYSTAL FANG by S.A. Sidor is the third book in his "Andy Van Nortwick" trilogy with THE LAST RITUAL and CULT OF THE SPIDER-QUEEN. It takes the story back to Arkham, Massachusetts after the events of the Spider Queen novel and proceeds to follow up on several of the characters. It also makes use of several characters from the board game, which I always enjoy.
The premise of the books is a fairly simple one with a serial killing operating in Arkham, much to the show and horror of the city's citizens. The Lamprey operates from the Arkham sewer system and is taking advantage of the many tunnels as well as unmarked passages throughout. He is working for an entity living inside a crystal meteorite buried within said sewers and trying to bring about the end of the world, as you do in ARKHAM HORROR.
Honestly, I feel like a serial killer is a somewhat lazy plot thread to introduce into Arkham Horror. The equivalent of "cheap heat" for professional wrestling. Serial killers are exciting and interesting as well as fit into the pulp feel but I feel like the other books had a lot more interesting hooks to base the story around. That doesn't mean that this isn't an enjoyable story, it's very well-executed but it is a small complaint I had during the story.
It's great seeing characters like Rex Murphy, Wendy Adams, Carolyn Fern, Mandy Thompson and Charlie Sinclair spread throughout the story. Usually, the Arkham Horror board game characters are restricted to being cameos and are more like Easter Eggs than actual personalities. This is not the case here. I particularly like the handling of Wendy Adams, who is a street urchin trying to survive in a city full of monsters.
I appreciate the follow up from The Cult of the Spider Queen as we see Jack Williams becoming a rare disabled hero as he lost his right leg during the events of that book. We also see Maud Brion, former actress and director, struggling to recover her sanity after her ordeal. Finally, Andy Van Notwick has lost his job at the paper because he wasn't able to find gold in the jungle.
Seeing the characters attempt to bounce back from the events of an encounter with the Mythos is a rare treat in the world of Cthulhu adventures and works quite well for characterization. I also think Wendy Adams is a great character as a young woman who doesn't realize how weird the things she deals with truly are. Doctor Fern also strikes a nice balance between someone who wants to help with supernatural maladies and an objective scientist.
Ironically, one of my favorite parts of the book was the scenes with Charlie Sinclair. The Mayor of Arkham, he's an individual who believes in the occult and supernatural spookiness of his town. However, his political ambitions and stubborness is so great that when he discovers a mysterious magic crystal as well as a cult worshiping it, his primary concern is that it doesn't disrupt his attempt to repace the Arkham sewer system with a modern one.
In conclusion, this is a pretty fun book. While I think a serial killer plot in Arkham is somewhat low-hanging fruit, the story is engaging and the characters quite enjoyable. I'd love a fourth Andy Van Notwick novel and see the characters continue to develop. I'm even low-key shipping some of the characters, which I never thought I'd do.
The premise of the books is a fairly simple one with a serial killing operating in Arkham, much to the show and horror of the city's citizens. The Lamprey operates from the Arkham sewer system and is taking advantage of the many tunnels as well as unmarked passages throughout. He is working for an entity living inside a crystal meteorite buried within said sewers and trying to bring about the end of the world, as you do in ARKHAM HORROR.
Honestly, I feel like a serial killer is a somewhat lazy plot thread to introduce into Arkham Horror. The equivalent of "cheap heat" for professional wrestling. Serial killers are exciting and interesting as well as fit into the pulp feel but I feel like the other books had a lot more interesting hooks to base the story around. That doesn't mean that this isn't an enjoyable story, it's very well-executed but it is a small complaint I had during the story.
It's great seeing characters like Rex Murphy, Wendy Adams, Carolyn Fern, Mandy Thompson and Charlie Sinclair spread throughout the story. Usually, the Arkham Horror board game characters are restricted to being cameos and are more like Easter Eggs than actual personalities. This is not the case here. I particularly like the handling of Wendy Adams, who is a street urchin trying to survive in a city full of monsters.
I appreciate the follow up from The Cult of the Spider Queen as we see Jack Williams becoming a rare disabled hero as he lost his right leg during the events of that book. We also see Maud Brion, former actress and director, struggling to recover her sanity after her ordeal. Finally, Andy Van Notwick has lost his job at the paper because he wasn't able to find gold in the jungle.
Seeing the characters attempt to bounce back from the events of an encounter with the Mythos is a rare treat in the world of Cthulhu adventures and works quite well for characterization. I also think Wendy Adams is a great character as a young woman who doesn't realize how weird the things she deals with truly are. Doctor Fern also strikes a nice balance between someone who wants to help with supernatural maladies and an objective scientist.
Ironically, one of my favorite parts of the book was the scenes with Charlie Sinclair. The Mayor of Arkham, he's an individual who believes in the occult and supernatural spookiness of his town. However, his political ambitions and stubborness is so great that when he discovers a mysterious magic crystal as well as a cult worshiping it, his primary concern is that it doesn't disrupt his attempt to repace the Arkham sewer system with a modern one.
In conclusion, this is a pretty fun book. While I think a serial killer plot in Arkham is somewhat low-hanging fruit, the story is engaging and the characters quite enjoyable. I'd love a fourth Andy Van Notwick novel and see the characters continue to develop. I'm even low-key shipping some of the characters, which I never thought I'd do.
June 10, 2023
Set a long while after Andy, Jake, Maude, and Ursula returned from their doomed voyage into the Amazon and the Dreamlands we find ourselves dropped into the sewers beneath Arkham where the mayor has set out to improve the failing sewer system with a project which has gone terribly awry. A killer has been lurking in the sewers, you see, and the crew working the project has begun to behave in inexplicable ways, causing the hands on mayor to investigate. There a workman tears down a wall and reveals an ominous pink stone that hangs down like a fang and colors the walls of the chamber with sparkling shades of impossibly varied color. What is it and what does it have to do with the murders commuted by someone who strangles and draws the blood from their victims? Why does it feel so strangely powerful to those who come in contact with it? And once Andy and his friends, all of them embroiled in their own troubling experiences after the terrible nightmare of their past, come to be pulled into its influence, what will they do to try and save their city?
This book and it's predecessor (Cult of the Spider Queen) are just genuinely good pulpy supernatural adventure novels oozing with Arkham mythos and engaging narratives. If you enjoy a bit of adventure, cosmic horror, plucky heroes and heroines, and monstrous villains you're going to enjoy them both. I think I liked this one even more than the first! It's clear Sidor is comfy with his characters and the setting he's dropped them into after their misadventure and he doesn't keep them from suffering their own very real consequences simply because they're established characters either. Our characters, both old and new, are driven as much by their flaws as their strengths and we aren't just traveling the same familiar ground with any of their arcs. Where the first book was a rich narrative set in the jungle, this book is set beneath the streets of their home city, itself rich with hidden power and darkness between our murderer, the crystal itself, and a hidden past that sprang forth in the earliest days of Arkham's founding. Absolutely recommended reading!
This book and it's predecessor (Cult of the Spider Queen) are just genuinely good pulpy supernatural adventure novels oozing with Arkham mythos and engaging narratives. If you enjoy a bit of adventure, cosmic horror, plucky heroes and heroines, and monstrous villains you're going to enjoy them both. I think I liked this one even more than the first! It's clear Sidor is comfy with his characters and the setting he's dropped them into after their misadventure and he doesn't keep them from suffering their own very real consequences simply because they're established characters either. Our characters, both old and new, are driven as much by their flaws as their strengths and we aren't just traveling the same familiar ground with any of their arcs. Where the first book was a rich narrative set in the jungle, this book is set beneath the streets of their home city, itself rich with hidden power and darkness between our murderer, the crystal itself, and a hidden past that sprang forth in the earliest days of Arkham's founding. Absolutely recommended reading!
June 7, 2023
Media tie-in novels are always a risky proposition when finding something to read. Most of them are mediocre to just okay, with only a handful able to be memorable and actually good fiction. Thankfully you don't have to worry about that with Sidor's books. Having finished his previous book, Cult of the Spider Queen (a prequel to this one), I knew that I would enjoy this. And oh boy, did I enjoy it.
We get to see how the survivors of the last expedition are handling their lives (hint: not that well) after having dealt with giant spiders and the Dreamlands. Each are struggling in their own way, and the appearance of a serial killer and a crystal fang set events in motions that will drag them back into the occult world.
The Lair of the Crystal Fang lacks the expedition and strange land that made its prequel so good, but in return we get great characterization and possibly the most interesting sewers I've seen in any form of media. I tried to pace myself with this book, and instead found myself finishing it in a day and looking forward to the next one.
That's not to say the book is perfect, though. There's a subplot with the mayor that feels like it could've been fleshed out more, and there's a group of characters related to the fang that I wish we had seen more of instead of having their whole story revealed too near to the end. I suspect that this is mostly due to a limited size that the author had to work with (all aconyte books are about the same length, around 320-360 pages).
As a final note, my copy of the book had some physical formatting issues. Some pages were misaligned with text appearing too deep into the spine or on the edge of the book, there were random ink blots here and there, and there were three or four paragraphs that weren't indented right. I will say that I haven't seen anyone else with this problem, it didn't really harm my enjoyment of the book, and it's the only bad book I've had from aconyte (usually their products are great quality and look great on any bookshelf).
We get to see how the survivors of the last expedition are handling their lives (hint: not that well) after having dealt with giant spiders and the Dreamlands. Each are struggling in their own way, and the appearance of a serial killer and a crystal fang set events in motions that will drag them back into the occult world.
The Lair of the Crystal Fang lacks the expedition and strange land that made its prequel so good, but in return we get great characterization and possibly the most interesting sewers I've seen in any form of media. I tried to pace myself with this book, and instead found myself finishing it in a day and looking forward to the next one.
That's not to say the book is perfect, though. There's a subplot with the mayor that feels like it could've been fleshed out more, and there's a group of characters related to the fang that I wish we had seen more of instead of having their whole story revealed too near to the end. I suspect that this is mostly due to a limited size that the author had to work with (all aconyte books are about the same length, around 320-360 pages).
As a final note, my copy of the book had some physical formatting issues. Some pages were misaligned with text appearing too deep into the spine or on the edge of the book, there were random ink blots here and there, and there were three or four paragraphs that weren't indented right. I will say that I haven't seen anyone else with this problem, it didn't really harm my enjoyment of the book, and it's the only bad book I've had from aconyte (usually their products are great quality and look great on any bookshelf).
November 2, 2022
I received a free copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
During a modernization of Arkaham’s sewers, a discovery is found: a large pink crystal fang. Now the mayor has to figure out how to restart the infrastructure project that he has hanged his re-election campaign on. A set of comrades recovering from the trauma from their previous adventure are being dragged into the mystery due to a series of bizarre coincidences. Stalking them all is a serial killer who calls himself the Lamprey, and he has a monstrous goal behind his brutal murders.
This story is pure pulp and I love it. It reads like a story you could have found in an old pulp magazine from the 1920s or 1930s. The style is spot on. The characters are adventurers with mysterious histories. The bizarre is rarely explained and there’s always a sense of the unknown. I found myself wanting to read just one more chapter to find the answer to what exactly is happening.
However, it does start rather slowly. It takes a bit for the main protagonists to arrive on the page and even longer for the storylines to converge. Even by the end, one of the storylines feels only tangentially related to the overarching plot surrounding the crystal fang. Yet, this didn’t detract from the story. Instead, it helped make the world of Arkham feel more fleshed out.
Also, as a fan of the board game, I appreciated all the Easter Eggs in it. The board game could serve as a map to this book. It was fun just finding all the references and I’ll have to go back over it again to see what I missed.
Definitely a must-read for anyone who loves the game Arkham Horror. I would also recommend it to anyone who loves pulp novels or Lovecraft-inspired novels without all the problematic elements. It was a great October read.
During a modernization of Arkaham’s sewers, a discovery is found: a large pink crystal fang. Now the mayor has to figure out how to restart the infrastructure project that he has hanged his re-election campaign on. A set of comrades recovering from the trauma from their previous adventure are being dragged into the mystery due to a series of bizarre coincidences. Stalking them all is a serial killer who calls himself the Lamprey, and he has a monstrous goal behind his brutal murders.
This story is pure pulp and I love it. It reads like a story you could have found in an old pulp magazine from the 1920s or 1930s. The style is spot on. The characters are adventurers with mysterious histories. The bizarre is rarely explained and there’s always a sense of the unknown. I found myself wanting to read just one more chapter to find the answer to what exactly is happening.
However, it does start rather slowly. It takes a bit for the main protagonists to arrive on the page and even longer for the storylines to converge. Even by the end, one of the storylines feels only tangentially related to the overarching plot surrounding the crystal fang. Yet, this didn’t detract from the story. Instead, it helped make the world of Arkham feel more fleshed out.
Also, as a fan of the board game, I appreciated all the Easter Eggs in it. The board game could serve as a map to this book. It was fun just finding all the references and I’ll have to go back over it again to see what I missed.
Definitely a must-read for anyone who loves the game Arkham Horror. I would also recommend it to anyone who loves pulp novels or Lovecraft-inspired novels without all the problematic elements. It was a great October read.
August 3, 2023
I was glad to see that 'Cult of the Spider Queen' had a sequel, as I'd really enjoyed that book and its characters. They're back in Arkham now, but of course it's never easy to escape the supernatural in that old town...
A mysterious crystal formation has been found in the sewers under Arkham, and those poor workmen who try to investigate don't come out alive. Enter both our heroes from past SA Sidor novels, as well as some new faces on a mission to uncover exactly what's going on.
This time I found it fun to see a Lovecraftian mystery in which the citizens of Arkham weren't entirely oblivious! It's a full-blown 1920s mystery, with journalists and paparazzi getting in the way of the police, everyone holding a theory, misinformation and false accusations. Meanwhile, those who are aware of what the Crystal Fang might mean aren't having an easy time.
I was reminded of the old 'Quatermass and the Pit' movie too, with the uncovering of a Mysterious Thing that turns out to be far more malevolent than at first thought. What to do? Is its power growing? Is it valuable, or should it be destroyed?
There's a lot going on in this book, and I think that's why despite my enjoyment, I found it a little hard to stick with. Other titles in the series have kept me gripped, but there's so many different perspectives here that while I knew what was going on, I grew frustrated with having to re-engage with characters as chapters alternated protagonists so much.
It's good fun, but not my favourite in the Arkham range.
I was kindly sent an advance copy of this book by the publisher, but the above opinions are my own.
A mysterious crystal formation has been found in the sewers under Arkham, and those poor workmen who try to investigate don't come out alive. Enter both our heroes from past SA Sidor novels, as well as some new faces on a mission to uncover exactly what's going on.
This time I found it fun to see a Lovecraftian mystery in which the citizens of Arkham weren't entirely oblivious! It's a full-blown 1920s mystery, with journalists and paparazzi getting in the way of the police, everyone holding a theory, misinformation and false accusations. Meanwhile, those who are aware of what the Crystal Fang might mean aren't having an easy time.
I was reminded of the old 'Quatermass and the Pit' movie too, with the uncovering of a Mysterious Thing that turns out to be far more malevolent than at first thought. What to do? Is its power growing? Is it valuable, or should it be destroyed?
There's a lot going on in this book, and I think that's why despite my enjoyment, I found it a little hard to stick with. Other titles in the series have kept me gripped, but there's so many different perspectives here that while I knew what was going on, I grew frustrated with having to re-engage with characters as chapters alternated protagonists so much.
It's good fun, but not my favourite in the Arkham range.
I was kindly sent an advance copy of this book by the publisher, but the above opinions are my own.
December 14, 2022
As always I want to start by saying that I was given an ARC copy of this to review by @AconyteBooks. My review is honest and left voluntarily. #AconyteBooks #Ad #Gifted #ArkhamHorror #TheLairofTheCrystalFang #SASidor
Is it possible to not love one of Aconyte’s Arkham Horror novels? Maybe but when you love Horror, Lovecraft and the Arkham Horror games it’s hard NOT to love it. Even more so when you had in some pulp goodness to the mix. S. A. Sidor knows what they are doing when it comes to these genres and Lair of the Crystal Fang delivers.
Following on from the Cult of the Spider Queen but ultimately standing alone the latest entry in the Arkham line up sees excavators uncover a crystalline formation swirling in the sewers beneath the city, a formation that could be connected to dark events of the city’s past. The discovery, of course makes headlines but so do the series of bizarre murders that are taking place. With no solid leads the Arkham police are always one step behind. Enter the journalist Andy Van Nortwick who acting on an hunch reunites with adventurer Jake Williams and the struggling filmmaker Maude Brion to unearth the truth. The trio are more than familiar with the supernatural horrors that lurk beyond our world and the reality haunts them still. But with time running out they might face their nightmares and help save the city before Arkham is lost in a wave of blood and chaos.
If you are looking for a brilliant and pulpy novel look no further. Sidor’s writing suits the story and setting perfectly mixing the creepy horror and pulpy action to create something that you are hardly able to put down. The characters are wonderfully flawed, each recovering realistically from discovering what cosmic and eldritch horrors are out there but they over come this to work together and try and save their city. The descriptive writing is wonderful at setting the scene and making your skin crawl (in a good way!). And while it does reference The Cult of the Spider Queen I do think this could be read stand alone as well. Another brilliant entry with a perfect mix of action, horror and a real sense of historical period. Even if you haven’t played the Arkham games or aren’t really a fan but love a good action novel then I think this is one you are sure to love!
Is it possible to not love one of Aconyte’s Arkham Horror novels? Maybe but when you love Horror, Lovecraft and the Arkham Horror games it’s hard NOT to love it. Even more so when you had in some pulp goodness to the mix. S. A. Sidor knows what they are doing when it comes to these genres and Lair of the Crystal Fang delivers.
Following on from the Cult of the Spider Queen but ultimately standing alone the latest entry in the Arkham line up sees excavators uncover a crystalline formation swirling in the sewers beneath the city, a formation that could be connected to dark events of the city’s past. The discovery, of course makes headlines but so do the series of bizarre murders that are taking place. With no solid leads the Arkham police are always one step behind. Enter the journalist Andy Van Nortwick who acting on an hunch reunites with adventurer Jake Williams and the struggling filmmaker Maude Brion to unearth the truth. The trio are more than familiar with the supernatural horrors that lurk beyond our world and the reality haunts them still. But with time running out they might face their nightmares and help save the city before Arkham is lost in a wave of blood and chaos.
If you are looking for a brilliant and pulpy novel look no further. Sidor’s writing suits the story and setting perfectly mixing the creepy horror and pulpy action to create something that you are hardly able to put down. The characters are wonderfully flawed, each recovering realistically from discovering what cosmic and eldritch horrors are out there but they over come this to work together and try and save their city. The descriptive writing is wonderful at setting the scene and making your skin crawl (in a good way!). And while it does reference The Cult of the Spider Queen I do think this could be read stand alone as well. Another brilliant entry with a perfect mix of action, horror and a real sense of historical period. Even if you haven’t played the Arkham games or aren’t really a fan but love a good action novel then I think this is one you are sure to love!
September 19, 2024
I was stunned to see this book and another from Arkham sitting on the bookshelf at my local Barnes & Noble so I grabbed them quickly and purchased them. I really enjoy the mythology of Lovecraft's worlds, so I was looking forward to reading this book.
Things started out well, but the plot began to stagnate, with it ending in utter disappointment.
Something's wrong in the sewers of Arkham. They underwater lines are being rebuilt, but there's been a discovery. A giant pink crystal is embedded in the ceiling of one chamber and it's having effects on those that stand before it. Men begin to disappear, some go mad, and one begins to talk to it. There's a serial killer in the city who calls himself the Lamprey because he drains the blood of his victims. What he uses that blood for is known only to the crystal. Two reporters investigate, with a few of their friends. Discoveries are made, some are revealed dramatically, but the ending is just a quick write off. It seems as if the writer hit his word limit and stopped. There's also an inclusion of group in the last one hundred pages that felt out of place. I've enjoyed this characters in other works, but this came off as throw them at the wall and see if they stick.
I was depressed when finishing at its lackluster ending.
Things started out well, but the plot began to stagnate, with it ending in utter disappointment.
Something's wrong in the sewers of Arkham. They underwater lines are being rebuilt, but there's been a discovery. A giant pink crystal is embedded in the ceiling of one chamber and it's having effects on those that stand before it. Men begin to disappear, some go mad, and one begins to talk to it. There's a serial killer in the city who calls himself the Lamprey because he drains the blood of his victims. What he uses that blood for is known only to the crystal. Two reporters investigate, with a few of their friends. Discoveries are made, some are revealed dramatically, but the ending is just a quick write off. It seems as if the writer hit his word limit and stopped. There's also an inclusion of group in the last one hundred pages that felt out of place. I've enjoyed this characters in other works, but this came off as throw them at the wall and see if they stick.
I was depressed when finishing at its lackluster ending.
September 30, 2022
Arkham Horror by Aconyte is back with a pulp fiction action and horror adventure for fans of the series as well as newcomers. Lair of the Crystal Fang features Great Old Ones, witches, cults, and more with it's largest Arkham Horror cast yet.
An accidental discovery during sewer renovations leads to mysteries about Arkham's past and a series of heinous murders. A murderer proclaiming himself as the Lamprey stands in the way of journalist Andy Van Nortwick, adventurer Jake Williams, and movie star Maude Brion back from battling the Spider Queen. This story also features appearances by Wendy Adams, Rex Murphy, Charlie Kane and more investigators we all know and love from the Arkham Horror Universe.
SA Sidor ties together action and horror in a story filled with thrills, anticipation, and plot twists as he proves he can compete with pulp fiction greats.
An accidental discovery during sewer renovations leads to mysteries about Arkham's past and a series of heinous murders. A murderer proclaiming himself as the Lamprey stands in the way of journalist Andy Van Nortwick, adventurer Jake Williams, and movie star Maude Brion back from battling the Spider Queen. This story also features appearances by Wendy Adams, Rex Murphy, Charlie Kane and more investigators we all know and love from the Arkham Horror Universe.
SA Sidor ties together action and horror in a story filled with thrills, anticipation, and plot twists as he proves he can compete with pulp fiction greats.
March 15, 2023
This review was originally published on NetGalley.com. I was given an ebook freely by NetGalley and the book’s publisher in return for a voluntary and honest review..
A journalist, filmmaker and Adventurer walk into a sewer. It’s not a set up to a joke but an awesome adventure.
I’ve read a few Arkham Horror books and I really enjoyed this one. I prefer the stories taking place in Arkham. Arkham is more than a city or setting. It is its own emotion. There’s characters popping up all over the book from previously published books in the series as well as the board game.
S. A. Sidon does an excellent job of bringing the pulp to this horror classics. I was wrapped up as tight as a mummy in this book. Sidon brings the horror and just a sprinkle of humor to every twist and turn.
If you enjoy the game or pulp horror and action you really need to treat yourself to this book.
A journalist, filmmaker and Adventurer walk into a sewer. It’s not a set up to a joke but an awesome adventure.
I’ve read a few Arkham Horror books and I really enjoyed this one. I prefer the stories taking place in Arkham. Arkham is more than a city or setting. It is its own emotion. There’s characters popping up all over the book from previously published books in the series as well as the board game.
S. A. Sidon does an excellent job of bringing the pulp to this horror classics. I was wrapped up as tight as a mummy in this book. Sidon brings the horror and just a sprinkle of humor to every twist and turn.
If you enjoy the game or pulp horror and action you really need to treat yourself to this book.
February 9, 2023
Lair Of The Crystal Fang was a decent pulp icky bug. Set in the twenties or thereabouts, it’s part of the Arkham Horror series with centers around the town of Arkham, somewhere in New England.
The writing was good with solid third-person and past-tense writing. The narrative was mostly brisk with maybe a bit too much characterization for my taste, but it wasn’t that bad. The chapters and scenes were relatively short making this an easy read.
My only real beef was the extensive head-hopping. This was no limited point of view but all over the place. A few times I had to reread just to figure out who was doing what.
Overall, I enjoyed this icky bug and it stayed true to the pulp atmosphere. Recommended.
The writing was good with solid third-person and past-tense writing. The narrative was mostly brisk with maybe a bit too much characterization for my taste, but it wasn’t that bad. The chapters and scenes were relatively short making this an easy read.
My only real beef was the extensive head-hopping. This was no limited point of view but all over the place. A few times I had to reread just to figure out who was doing what.
Overall, I enjoyed this icky bug and it stayed true to the pulp atmosphere. Recommended.
January 16, 2023
Cult of the Spider Queen was one of my favourite books of last year, and it's still on top of the pile as my favourite entry in the Arkham Horror line; so when I saw that several of the characters from the book were going to be reuniting for another adventure I was very excited. Instead of the long and winding waters of the Amazon river and the dense forests that surround it, this book returns readers to Arkham, and takes you beneath the surface into the sewers beneath the city, where a mysterious artefact has been discovered, and a killer has the city on edge.
One of the things that really made Cult of the Spider Queen stand out amongst the other Arkham Horror titles was that it was set in a very different location, and that the book took on the feel of the old pulp adventure films like Creature From The Black Lagoon more than it did it's actual source material. With Sidor shifting the focus back to the streets of Arkham this book needed something to make it feel different. Luckily, by placing the vast majority of the action beneath the city streets it manages to not feel repetitive.
The story focuses on a strange crystal structure that's found beneath Arkham City when work is being done to expand and update the city's sewer systems. The crystal, which resembles a fang, isn't the only thing lurking in the sewers, as a mysterious killer has been using them to get around Arkham, dumping the bodies of their victims. Rex, one of the local reporters, has been looking into the case, but ends up getting arrested as the killer when he's caught underground near the fang.
When Rex is eventually released he runs into Andy Van Nortwick, who used to work at the same paper but was fired after a failed expedition to the Amazon, and a story about giant spider monsters.Andy convinces Rex to let him help, and the two of them set out to try and figure out where the strange crystal structure came from, and why it seems to be connected to the person performing the killings. Along the way they'll end up getting help from explorer Jake Williams, former film star Maude Brion, as well as a couple of smart street kids with a history of running up against the supernatural.
Lair of the Crystal Fang brings together a number of characters, some of whom appeared in Sidor's previous book, others who have appeared in a story in The Devourer Below, as well as some more characters fans of the games will recognise. It's kind of great to get to see these characters again, with most of them being stars in the previous Sidor book. We get to find out what happened to Andy when he got home (thrown out of his job as a laughing stock), what happened to Jake (lost his leg but is still healing), and what happened to Maud (got shut away in an asylum). It doesn't feel like many of them got a happy ending after their last adventure, and as such you don't really feel bad that they're getting drawn into something else, and that they might be in danger once again. Instead, you kind of see this as a second chance for them; one where they might finally come out on top.
The new characters that they get to team up with and work with compliment them well, with Wendy in particular bringing a lot of great energy into the mix. The new situation also feels like a fun evolution to what the characters went through before. The tightly confined waterways of the Amazon are replaces with the dark tunnels of the Arkham sewers, with them once again travelling along dangerous waters to find a deadly killer; though this time it's sewer water and a much more human killer.
The book also introduces a lot of new mysteries and gives readers some interesting new history for the city, as well as the various cults and supernatural groups that call it home. There are some really interesting moments where the cults, the criminals, and the politics of Arkham get to take centre stage and make it ends up making the city feel more alive and real than in many of the previous books. There's a sense that it isn't just a background for these spooky adventures, but a living, evolving city where all these different stories are happening in their own intersecting circles.
Lair of the Crystal Fang is going to be different to the previous Sidor entry in the series, just as that was different to the first. It gives readers a different perspective on Arkham, a different type of adventure, and different scares. Go into it knowing that you're going to get something new and you're going to have a great time with it.
One of the things that really made Cult of the Spider Queen stand out amongst the other Arkham Horror titles was that it was set in a very different location, and that the book took on the feel of the old pulp adventure films like Creature From The Black Lagoon more than it did it's actual source material. With Sidor shifting the focus back to the streets of Arkham this book needed something to make it feel different. Luckily, by placing the vast majority of the action beneath the city streets it manages to not feel repetitive.
The story focuses on a strange crystal structure that's found beneath Arkham City when work is being done to expand and update the city's sewer systems. The crystal, which resembles a fang, isn't the only thing lurking in the sewers, as a mysterious killer has been using them to get around Arkham, dumping the bodies of their victims. Rex, one of the local reporters, has been looking into the case, but ends up getting arrested as the killer when he's caught underground near the fang.
When Rex is eventually released he runs into Andy Van Nortwick, who used to work at the same paper but was fired after a failed expedition to the Amazon, and a story about giant spider monsters.Andy convinces Rex to let him help, and the two of them set out to try and figure out where the strange crystal structure came from, and why it seems to be connected to the person performing the killings. Along the way they'll end up getting help from explorer Jake Williams, former film star Maude Brion, as well as a couple of smart street kids with a history of running up against the supernatural.
Lair of the Crystal Fang brings together a number of characters, some of whom appeared in Sidor's previous book, others who have appeared in a story in The Devourer Below, as well as some more characters fans of the games will recognise. It's kind of great to get to see these characters again, with most of them being stars in the previous Sidor book. We get to find out what happened to Andy when he got home (thrown out of his job as a laughing stock), what happened to Jake (lost his leg but is still healing), and what happened to Maud (got shut away in an asylum). It doesn't feel like many of them got a happy ending after their last adventure, and as such you don't really feel bad that they're getting drawn into something else, and that they might be in danger once again. Instead, you kind of see this as a second chance for them; one where they might finally come out on top.
The new characters that they get to team up with and work with compliment them well, with Wendy in particular bringing a lot of great energy into the mix. The new situation also feels like a fun evolution to what the characters went through before. The tightly confined waterways of the Amazon are replaces with the dark tunnels of the Arkham sewers, with them once again travelling along dangerous waters to find a deadly killer; though this time it's sewer water and a much more human killer.
The book also introduces a lot of new mysteries and gives readers some interesting new history for the city, as well as the various cults and supernatural groups that call it home. There are some really interesting moments where the cults, the criminals, and the politics of Arkham get to take centre stage and make it ends up making the city feel more alive and real than in many of the previous books. There's a sense that it isn't just a background for these spooky adventures, but a living, evolving city where all these different stories are happening in their own intersecting circles.
Lair of the Crystal Fang is going to be different to the previous Sidor entry in the series, just as that was different to the first. It gives readers a different perspective on Arkham, a different type of adventure, and different scares. Go into it knowing that you're going to get something new and you're going to have a great time with it.
December 19, 2022
I own and have read every Arkham book there is. Every time a new one is released I always say “this is the best one yet”, and I repeat myself with this title. I love the sewer location and the idea of the “strangler”. I love old characters making a comeback (doesn’t mean have had to read any of the previous books) it just makes everything feel like this big connected series because most Arkham books are stand alone.
I loved this book from start to finish and I can’t wait for my copy to show up and add it to my Arkham shelf.
I loved this book from start to finish and I can’t wait for my copy to show up and add it to my Arkham shelf.
October 30, 2024
The book started as an intriguing adventure. Then more and more characters joined the story and it made me suspicious that something is wrong. Around page 200 the story became childish - events just happened because of "magic". The ending was better but too rushed and again "magic". The author never explained why this magic happened and how. It seems that so many characters were needed to fill the book with events sometimes not connected. At the same time, it lacked explanation of events. The book seems rushed, not finished and with bad editorial work.
December 19, 2022
An excellent mix of horror, action, and thriller that kept me hooked and entertained till the end.
The author did a good job in recreating the atmosphere of 40s noir/pulp novels and added a something interesting to the Arkham lore.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine
The author did a good job in recreating the atmosphere of 40s noir/pulp novels and added a something interesting to the Arkham lore.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine
January 3, 2023
I really like this series, and SA Sidor's books are some of the best in the series.
That said, this one is a bit confusing, there are way too many bad guys. It does clean up nicely though in the end. Getting there is tough, though, as there are few revelations, little progress for our intrepid adventurers, but mostly dead ends and red herrings.
That said, this one is a bit confusing, there are way too many bad guys. It does clean up nicely though in the end. Getting there is tough, though, as there are few revelations, little progress for our intrepid adventurers, but mostly dead ends and red herrings.
August 9, 2023
Meine Meinung zu dem Buch geht leider in eine negative Richtung, da ich mit dem Schreibstil und der Erzählweise absolut nichts anfangen konnte. Ich habe das Buch auch ehrlich gesagt bei ca 20% abgebrochen, da es für mich wirklich keine gute Leseerfahrung war, und dass obwohl ich das Thema und den Mythos sonst großartig finde...
November 25, 2022
This is a review of an early copy of the book.
I enjoyed this book and it makes me want to read more from this author and this publishing house.
The book description promised a pulp story and it delivered. The author created characters I cared about and the book moved along at a good pace. Fun story!
I enjoyed this book and it makes me want to read more from this author and this publishing house.
The book description promised a pulp story and it delivered. The author created characters I cared about and the book moved along at a good pace. Fun story!
January 29, 2023
This was another humorous entry in the Arkham Horror series. Andy is kind of a charming, bumbling fool that adds all the humor to these dark tales. ;)
I liked it better than Cult of the Spider Queen and it was nice to have most of the main characters return in this follow-up.
I liked it better than Cult of the Spider Queen and it was nice to have most of the main characters return in this follow-up.
February 3, 2024
It was a decent reading experience, shifting through the perspectives was also great to add more life in the world of the book overall.
September 8, 2024
S. A. Sidor strikes again.
May 2, 2025
Fill in book. I needed something different
December 18, 2022
My thanks to Aconyte Books for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘Lair of the Crystal Fang’ by S A Sidor.
I so enjoy curling up with the pulp horror adventures of this Lovecraft-inspired series of historical mysteries aligned to the popular Arkham Horror board game system.
This is Book 19 in the series, each of which can be easily read as stand-alone. ‘Lair of the Crystal Fang’ is Sidor’s third novel for Arkham Horror and contains characters that were introduced in ‘The Last Ritual’ (2020) and ‘Cult of the Spider Queen’ (2021) along with others from the wider Arkham Horror Universe.
I have read both of these earlier novels along with a few others by different authors and have been impressed by the series as a whole.
With respect to the plot, a brief overview: Something strange has been discovered in the sewers underneath Arkham, a crystalline formation that hints at dark events from the city’s past. While the discovery makes headlines, so does a series of bizarre murders in the sewers. As usual, the Arkham police are baffled. Down-on-his luck former journalist Andy Van Nortwick reunites with adventurer Jake Williams and filmmaker Maude Brion to unearth the truth.
The trio are aware of the supernatural horrors that lurk beyond this world and remain haunted by their experiences. Yet time is running out and they must face their nightmares before the city of Arkham is lost to blood and chaos. Chilling!
There is an art to creating pulp fiction whether focused on crime, mystery, horror, adventure or a mixture of genres. With ‘Lair of the Crystal Fang’ S A Sidor demonstrates their understanding of these tropes and traditions and combines with a strong sense of the late 1920s period setting, a well crafted story and relatable characters.
Overall, highly entertaining and immersive pulpy fun. I look forward to reading more in the series.
I so enjoy curling up with the pulp horror adventures of this Lovecraft-inspired series of historical mysteries aligned to the popular Arkham Horror board game system.
This is Book 19 in the series, each of which can be easily read as stand-alone. ‘Lair of the Crystal Fang’ is Sidor’s third novel for Arkham Horror and contains characters that were introduced in ‘The Last Ritual’ (2020) and ‘Cult of the Spider Queen’ (2021) along with others from the wider Arkham Horror Universe.
I have read both of these earlier novels along with a few others by different authors and have been impressed by the series as a whole.
With respect to the plot, a brief overview: Something strange has been discovered in the sewers underneath Arkham, a crystalline formation that hints at dark events from the city’s past. While the discovery makes headlines, so does a series of bizarre murders in the sewers. As usual, the Arkham police are baffled. Down-on-his luck former journalist Andy Van Nortwick reunites with adventurer Jake Williams and filmmaker Maude Brion to unearth the truth.
The trio are aware of the supernatural horrors that lurk beyond this world and remain haunted by their experiences. Yet time is running out and they must face their nightmares before the city of Arkham is lost to blood and chaos. Chilling!
There is an art to creating pulp fiction whether focused on crime, mystery, horror, adventure or a mixture of genres. With ‘Lair of the Crystal Fang’ S A Sidor demonstrates their understanding of these tropes and traditions and combines with a strong sense of the late 1920s period setting, a well crafted story and relatable characters.
Overall, highly entertaining and immersive pulpy fun. I look forward to reading more in the series.
January 2, 2024
Lair of the Crystal Fang shows that S.A Sidor knows the Arkham Files better than most other writers. this is a proper Lovecraftian pulp fiction through and through. While I usually prefer more horror in the Arkham series this book features plenty of strange phenomena and occult elements.
We follow many characters throughout the story including Andy Van Nortwick, the protagonist of the last S.A Sidor book. So while this is technically a sequel to Cult of the Spider Queen and features other returning characters, it is its own adventure with its own monstrous villain.
This Arkham Horror book features probably the most characters from the board game, including Charlie Kain, Rex Murphy, Dr Carolyn Fern, Jake Williams, Wendy Adams, and Mandy Thomson. Most of whom fit nicely into the story and interact with each other well. The same cannot be said for Charlie and Mandy however. Their involvement in the story started as significant but quickly became non existent. I believe this is because they are being set up for the next book, but it felt too disconnected.
Lair of the Crystal Fang is S.A Sidor's best book in the series so far and I am excited to see where he takes it in the future. I would like to see larger overarching stories form this series however. Overall I recommend this book if you liked S.A Sidor's other books in the mythos
We follow many characters throughout the story including Andy Van Nortwick, the protagonist of the last S.A Sidor book. So while this is technically a sequel to Cult of the Spider Queen and features other returning characters, it is its own adventure with its own monstrous villain.
This Arkham Horror book features probably the most characters from the board game, including Charlie Kain, Rex Murphy, Dr Carolyn Fern, Jake Williams, Wendy Adams, and Mandy Thomson. Most of whom fit nicely into the story and interact with each other well. The same cannot be said for Charlie and Mandy however. Their involvement in the story started as significant but quickly became non existent. I believe this is because they are being set up for the next book, but it felt too disconnected.
Lair of the Crystal Fang is S.A Sidor's best book in the series so far and I am excited to see where he takes it in the future. I would like to see larger overarching stories form this series however. Overall I recommend this book if you liked S.A Sidor's other books in the mythos
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