It Rides A Pale Horse

AHHHHH<br />What the fuck?!?!?<br /><br />This was unlike anything I’ve read. It was so weird and disorienting, with a few moments of genuine horror- one scene was truly nightmare including. What starts out as a run of the mill abduction story turns into a high octane, cosmic, apocalyptic fever dream! <br /><br />It wasn’t perfect, the ending was abrupt, but the overall feeling it gave me is the feeling I chase when I read horror. That feeling of total immersion and escapism while simultaneously staring at the words in shock and awe and with a feeling of complete unease. <br /><br />This won’t be for everything- it’s confusing and not always clear and sometimes all over the place- but it was 100% for me!!

HAPPY PUBLICATION DAY!!!!! NOW AVAILABLE!! A horror lovers blood soaked dream! 5 stars!! Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.<br /><br />Peter Lark, known as Lark to his friends, sells his most recent sculpture to an unknown buyer. He is ecstatic about these funds as it expands his horizons and allows him to continue providing for his sister, Betsy. Betsy is a painter; with her paintings comes the ability to transform reality around her, making her a pariah in the local town. When Lark is contacted by his most recent buyer through an employee of theirs, he is asked to follow instructions from an ancient book detailing horrific sculptures. When Lark declines, the employee shows him pictures of a kidnapped Betsy, only to be released if he accomplishes the three parts of these sculptures. Not having any other option, Lark begins his work, but what will it cost him? His soul? His sister? Or the world?<br /><br />Man, excellent horror is hard to come by, but horror with a phenomenal plot as well is pretty much unheard of(Sorry, not sorry Stephen King!). Andy Morino has woven both together, stitched up like Frankenstein's monster, tearing it's way through this world. These characters are flawed, but not broken like so many horror mains, and the way Betsy's power manifests is just *chef's kiss*. This is gory, it's gritty, and it great. I couldn't look away as the gore ensued.<br /><br />Five severed heads....uh...I mean...stars for It Rides a Pale Horse. This is definitely an adult book, so recommended for readers 16+ who can stomach lots of graphic gore. Recommended for those who love stories like Hellraiser.

This is batshit crazy in an amazing way, more thoughts to come when I have time to write a review.

I strongly dislike the term 'Fever dream' because it's so overused, but it is the perfect term for this cosmic horror.<br /><br />Interesting characters, unique plot, and a few truly horrific scenes, It Rides a Pale Horse has it all.<br />

I'm going to set this one aside at 28%. No rating. <br /><br />Honestly, I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around what's actually happening in this book.<br /><br />Lark and Betsy are brother and sister and both are artists. He a famous one and she a recluse who doesn't leave the house. When Lark sets out to deliver one of his sculptures to a mysterious wealthy family he is informed by this man, with video evidence, that they have taken Betsy and unless he can recreate The Insomniak from a demonic book she will not be returned or worse even, killed. <br /><br />There are long passages discussing art that I'm completely clueless about and which seemed to go on and on (yawn) but when the narrative shifts to a ghost residing in the hangar where Betsy is brought I was starting to really get into it. However, once we returned to Lark and Betsy's storyline I lost interest again. What Betsy's artwork actually is I'm unable to even comprehend. <br /><br />Admittedly I'm giving up early so the pay off in the end may be well worth your time if you're a more patient reader than I. <br /><br />I will say that Andy Marino is an excellent writer, intelligent and creative, and I'm excited to see what kind of story he can spin next. This one just wasn't for me this time around.

4.5 ⭐️ <br /><br />Talk about a fantastic piece of cosmic horror! Absolutely insane and entirely unique. I literally read this with my mouth hanging open half the time and must’ve said “Wtf” at least 20 times. I went in completely blind, which I never do, and I’m very glad I did because everything felt like a punch to the stomach. It was incredibly dark, gory, and sad, but sprinkled with humorous moments and dialogue that I loved. Unfortunately, that humor only led to more sadness because I actually came to give a shit about the characters and, let me tell you, they go through so much trauma. Despite the otherworldly and fantastical situations, these characters felt completely human, an aspect that always makes horror even more terrifying. It Rides a Pale Horse is such a strong portrayal of the lengths someone will go to protect the one they love, as well as exploring greed and obsession. Marino exhibited mastery at creating tension and dread with vivid imagery that was seriously disturbing. It’s like he crawled into my head and pulled out my darkest nightmares. I’m probably the least artistic person ever so I also appreciated and enjoyed getting into the minds of art-driven characters. <br /><br />Anyways, Marino, consider me your newest fan! Overall, a fantastic read. It takes a while to get really juicy, but I loved the build up before everything goes off the rails. If you enjoy Lovecraftian horror, highly recommend because this one is totally for you. Cannot wait to see what Marino writes next.

<b>3.75 stars</b><br /><br /><b>Stunningly grotesque and visionary</b>, <i>It Rides a Pale Horse</i> is the case where style over substance (almost) works — the most direct comparison I can come up with is a fusion between the movie <i>The Cell</i> with Jennifer Lopez, and the visual work of Junji Ito. If you're interested in fiction taking the unconventional route, and pushing ideas to their utmost limit, you'll find plenty to enjoy here.<br /><br />On the flip side, I can also foresee readers finding its quirks overwhelming. With things going batshit crazy from the get go, the story can be a little groundless, and this lack of internal logic can result in subsequent events coming across as arbitrary (even if as individual scenes they are beautifully put together). <i>It Rides a Pale Horse</i> is also filled with sarcastic characters, almost to a fault; everyone can blurt out funny comebacks, and everyone has made at least one biting remarks during a traumatizing situation. Sometimes they work as intended, adding levity between moments of horror, while in others I wish I can see the characters behaving less aloof, and more involved emotionally in their situation. <br /><br />Just like the Tarsem Singh movie mentioned earlier, If you removed the 'packaging' (beautiful writing, inventive gores, commentary on the power of art/artist, etc.), the actual 'plot' of <i>It Rides a Pale Horse</i> is very thin, and leaves some fundamental questions unanswered. While it does add to the overall fever dream atmosphere, I do wish by the end I would have a firmer grasp on what exactly happened in the past 300+ pages.<br /><br />Even though my overall reading experience wasn't stellar, <i>It Rides a Pale Horse</i> will for sure leave an impression; it has tons of jaw-dropping scenes (inspiring and gross in equal measure), and a concept I rarely come across in horror (the act of art-making = power to summon). I would definitely give it a try if you're already curious — just go in with an open-mind that it might not be what you're expecting.<br /><br /><i>**This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Much appreciated!**</i>

This book had an awesome premise but it was so confusing to me. The description of art and everything along with it I had to reread multiple times because it was so technical and difficult to comprehend. The dialogue between the characters broke up the seriousness of the art sections but overall I’m still not sure what the heck I read.<br /><br />Lark and his sister Betsy are both well known in their small town. They are both artists though their styles differ dramatically. Lark is popular and Betsy has her quirks.<br /><br />Lark goes to drop off a piece of art when he’s told by the man who commissioned it that his sister Betsy has been taken. He is instructed to do what the book says and Betsy will be fine.<br /><br />Luke immediately realizes something is wrong with this bizarre book. It’s made of skin and seems demonic and the author is insane. He also believes the people that have Betsy have sinister plans as he witnesses the people in town start to change.<br /><br />It Rides a Pale Horse is available October 4, 2022.<br /><br />Thank you to Netgalley and Redhook Books for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

Off-the-wall cosmic/cult horror tale that doesn't just walk down the path of crazy, it takes its clothes off and runs screaming down it full tilt. The kind of book where when you finish it you sort of stare at a wall for a minute and wonder what the hell you just read. I don't rightly know, but it was horrifying and enjoyable despite the psychedelic skip down the crazy lane.<br /><br />There is a lot of art terminology and stuff I didn't grasp in the writing, and I struggled initially with the writing style. When I got into the story though that kind of fell by the wayside as I enjoyed the plot and characters more than I struggled with the terms. If it was more of a smooth ride for me then I might have rated the book a bit higher but I still really loved it.<br /><br />There was even a scene that got to me and had me put the book down for a bit. That transcendental moment in horror when something so terrible claws its way into your skin and disturbs you on a primal level. I think often that disturbing, horrific feeling is the dragon we all chase in being a horror fan. At least it is for me. It is sort of an out-of-body experience mixed with terror and revulsion not just in a physical sense but an emotional or spiritual one as well. That system shock, that sensation of primal fear, is almost indescribably both awful and full of wonder, and that is how I would best describe my overall time with this novel.<br /><br />

4.5⭐️ What a wild time!!! If you love weird fiction, artsy horror, and magical supernatural scifi(ish) elements you may really like this one. It’s also a subgenre that I can’t mention cause maybe it’s a spoiler? There is also the POV of a ghost! She might be my fave character. We are following artists throughout the story and the writing really reflects that, which may not be everyone’s vibe. And as is common with the subgenre, it’s pretty crazy and doesn’t offer much in the way of explanations, which might irritate some people but honestly all that is a-ok for me! <br /><br />I’m such a huge fan of Andy Marino’s books at this point. I’ve only read his adult horror books but after Seven Visitations &amp; this one, I’ll read anything from him now! He’s such a talented author imo. His stories are exactly what I want to be reading and if I could write, I’d want to put out stuff like this.