Carnival of Fear

Ravenloft #6

by J. Robert King, Phillip Babb (Illustrator)

In the evil land of l'Morai, three carnival performers investigate a death along the sideshow boardwalk during a carnival, and their search unearths a conspiracy and leads to more murders. Original. 2.

Genres: Fantasy, Horror, Fiction, Dungeons and Dragons, Dark Fantasy, Role Playing Games, Mystery

321 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published July 1, 1993

Reviews

[PRJ Greenwell · Rating 4 out of 5]

More of a 4.25 out of 5 but marked down a tad for routine characterisations.

What a pleasant little surprise this was. Of the six Ravenloft books I've read, this one was the icing on the cake so far, just edging out the first in the series. Of all of them, this is the one that actually delivered dark Gothic horror the best. This is an effectively-crafted and chillingly nasty book, peopled with ugly characters (if a touch wooden) and a very ugly and unpleasant setting.

Some genuinely horrific things go on in this book, and that my friends, is what Ravenloft is meant to be about, no? The previous five books in this series flirted with the concept, sometimes dipped their toes into it, but this book is completely doused and drowned in it.

It's not classic literature by any means, but it's darkly entertaining and fast paced. Well done.

[Aleksandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not just another horror book. The setting is horribly attractive (a person I shared it with found it sick though). Not that I'd like to live there but I certainly would visit it as an invisible tourist. The plot is somewhat simple yet very thrilling. Among all Ravenloft books I loved it the most. In fact most Ravenloft books are your usual horror easy reading and this one is outstanding.

[Jason Panella · Rating 3 out of 5]

(3.5 stars). One of the better Ravenloft novels. Also one of the more heartbreaking. There's some unfortunate '90s fantasy misogyny near the end, though it passes quickly. It's maybe the least fantasy of the series (so far), almost putting all of the eggs in the gothic horror / moral tale basket.

[Ronald Wilcox · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the sixth novel set in the world of Ravenloft, the horror world of Dungeons & Dragons. Truthfully the story did not seem to have much to do with Ravenloft but was entertaining in its own right. Someone has began killing the freaks who work at the carnival outside the town of L'Morai. A blind juggler, a man-giant, and a magician from the carnival decide to investigate when the local gendarme decide the killings are "accidents". Their investigation leads to unrest within the Carnival and the townspeople with tragic results.

[Sugarpop · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the better Ravenloft novels. Almost truly great even!

The horror and mystery elements have been implemented greatly and enriched the story. It was a great read from start to finish. The horrifying reveals hit hard.

The only two points of criticism I have are the misogynistic elements typical for the era the book is from that surface every now and then. The other is the reliance on visual description even though the protagonist is blind. The only non-visual descriptions are said by Marie hersekf. It is a contrast that needn't be.

[Rob C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

definitely a different style from the normal hack and slash ...this one had intrigue and mystery added to the horrors of ravenloft

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a twisted view on a carnival.

[Kristina · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was gooooood

[Jeff LaSala · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the most memorable of Ravenloft novels.

[Kierstin Martin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wasn't my cup of tea. I definitely disliked the era it was written, that really my main personal dislike of this book. I didn't read more than half way through. 2 stars...

[Hunter R · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's plenty to like about this book. First, the sexism and ableism are noticeable but pretty minor, as Ravenloft books go. Mostly just thoughtless stuff, like the casual references to sexual violence, and the way Marie not needing a cane is used to show how capable she is, as though needing a cane makes you weak or something.

The prose ranges from pretty decent to excellent. Especially early on, there were a number of moments where I really felt the tension and horror of what was being described. Terms like "gripping" and "evocative" come to mind.

The story and setting felt realistic, not so much because of the gritty detail (though there is some of that), but because the people acted in the ways I expect people to act. There's a moment about halfway through where a character is talking to a crowd about how they can build a utopian society, and like two minutes later the crowd descends into chaos and violence because they can't agree on how to treat someone who might be a criminal. Because, you know, building a society is really hard and people have very strong opinions about it. And then not two chapters later, those same people are fighting side-by-side and dying for one another. Because, you know, people are complicated. There's a lot of stuff like that in this book. The juxtaposition between the way the citizens of l'Morai see themselves and how they treat the freaks is another example. We all contain multitudes, and J. Robert King knows it and will absolutely use that fact to create horror, and I love that.

Probably my biggest issue with the book was the whole of chapters 4 through 7. I actually skimmed through that section because it just felt totally irrelevant. I think it was way too long to spend on what any reasonable reader would have immediately recognized as a red herring.

The book picks up again after that, though it doesn't take too long to basically ditch the murder mystery/investigation vibe altogether to focus more on the characters trying to survive/protect each other. That was also good and well written, though it felt very different from what I thought I would be getting. Like, a not-insignificant portion of the book is about preparing for and fighting a war. There were still those moments of evocative description that I enjoyed, and it was fun to see some characters being badasses, if nothing else.

There is a resolution to the murder mystery plotline, technically, but it felt pretty unsatisfying to me. I went into this initially paying attention to all the details and trying to make sense of them, and I did manage to put some things together and feel proud of that, but there were also questions that I thought were important that turned out to just not be. Like, How/why are the victims chosen? Nobody knows, but don't worry about it, it doesn't matter. And, Why are these recent murders so much sloppier/more obvious than all the previous ones? That one is just never addressed. Basically, it felt like the answers to the really important questions, up to and including "why is this happening?" were "just because." Maybe that's not a fair or accurate assessment, but it's how I felt.

I'm not really sure how the book is supposed to be read. If you go in expecting a murder mystery, you'll probably be disappointed. But if you go in knowing that the murder mystery isn't really the point, you probably won't find the first half of the book very engaging. Even though all of it is pretty well written, I think maybe the whole is less than the sum of its parts.

Still, I don't regret reading it. It's nothing more or less than the kind of mindless entertainment you should probably expect from a D&D book.

[Damian Dubois · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was first published in 1993 so it’s probably been sitting on my shelf for a good 25 years unread (which even for me is a bloody long time not to have picked it up).

Having really enjoyed Knight of the Black Rose (who wouldn’t as it was all about Lord Soth from the Dragonlance novels!) I bought this and a few other Ravenloft books thinking that I’d like them as well.

Sadly, that wasn’t to be the case. This book at first flirted with a possible 3 stars but as it progressed it simply became plain ridiculous (and nearly got to the point of me thinking I’m done here) and dipped in to 1 star territory. I thought it ended on a much higher note so 2 stars feels about right and maybe a little generous at the same time.

Not recommended - there are plenty of other books out there so go pick something else! 😃

[Joseph VanBuren · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the Ravenloft novels, but it's true that they vary in quality and depth. Carnival of Fear was an unexpectedly sad and thought-provoking tale, not just a franchise cash-in. Instead of the undead, it focuses on the carnival freaks, which makes it even more saturated in the melancholy mood of gothic horror. The writing is not spectacular but solid, well-paced, and full of twists that keep you guessing. Out of the six Ravenloft novels I've read, this might be my second favorite. Recommended if you like gothic fantasy, carnival/circus horror, and/or moody moral tales.

[Scott Hibberson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story centres around a carnival of freaks who are being bumped off one by one. At first, you’d be right to think this is a simple murder mystery, but in truth, it’s much more than that. There are shades of Greek Tragedy to the plot where the central character, Marie the blind juggler, uncovers a secret that is both self-destructive and full of pathos. There is something Oedipal about her journey of self-discovery. King dies a great job in portraying a central character that is sympathetic, heroic, and deeply tragic.

[Mikaël · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book has absolutely nothing to do with DnD or Ravenloft, and it's written in a painfully amateurish manner. Odd syntax styles with seemingly no concept of genders, inconsistent narration, characters with fluctuating personalities and memories, and a story and setting that make no sense and whose explanation is simply childish

[I.D. · Rating 4 out of 5]

More like 4.5 stars.
An endless carnival of oddities searches for a murderer only to uncover a dark secret about their very existence.
Wow this was way better than I was expecting. It dragged in a few places and had a few cliched characters but overall it was a really interesting concept and had loads of twisted nastiness that worked well. It’s unpleasant at times but delivers the goods.

[Frank · Rating 2 out of 5]

Started off with promise but sort of took a 180 around the midway point, ending about a mile off from its chartered course. That said, didn't hate the ending, but it felt like two different books by that point.

[Jamie F · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the saddest Dungeons and Dragon theme I've read to date. Expertly written with twists I did not see coming. I recommend as I am to read the Ravenloft series in order. If you're not sure the order just do a quick search and you'll be on your way.

[Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was the second time reading this one. There were some great parts & I enjoyed the character development. I had trouble getting through Marie the General. The book was a 5 in my mind from my first read, second time a bit lower!

[Matthew · Rating 1 out of 5]

Didn't like it, didn't bother finishing it.

Starts off good, and the original premise seemed interesting. But once it started heading towards court trials, I was out. Not interested at all. Definitely not what I had in mind when I picked up a gothic horror fantasy novel.

[Brian K · Rating 4 out of 5]

Memorable

[Matt S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kindof a parallel to the real world.

[Sarah Ehinger · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ravenloft is a dark world. I both love and hate that darkness. It is interesting to visit, but I wouldn't want to spend a lot of time there.

[Vianey Rodriguez · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too cruel for my taste, and I expected more from the story.

[Or · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a story about cruelty and the searching for a way to break away from it. It's about humans and what they are capable of doing.

[David · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book tries to paint of picture of the strange and dark setting that is Ravenloft but it felt like it stumbled most of the way. I suppose it could be that it's trying hard to be more of a suspenseful murder-mystery kind of plot than the more typical horror-oriented style of Ravenloft stories. The plot twists are creative and surprising, and the finale was nicely done. But on the whole, it wasn't much more than for casual reading only.