Review: The Worm and His Kings by Hailey Piper

 

 Disclaimer: I received e-book version of The Worm and His Kings from Off Limits Press in exchange for honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

When I became a book reviewer and joined the #horrorfam back in August, the very first book I heard mentioned was The Worm and His Kings and its author Hailey Piper.  While I am not overly familiar with the Cosmic Horror subgenre, I knew from the hype I was hearing from other reviewers that I had to read this book as soon as I could get my hands on it.

From the first page, I was hurled into a world of dread. Monique, our protagonist, is searching for her lost girlfriend Donna. It has been three months since she saw her last, and dozens of other homeless people have gone missing from Freedom Tunnel in the time since. The culprit behind the kidnappings is no man, it is a being know to Monique as Gray Hill.  After seeing Gray Hill take its latest victim, Monique pursues it through the subway tunnels beneath New York, to a group of cult-like faithful seeking the return of The Worm, all leading to an underground lair of the unimaginable. Each page draws you closer to an ending that is both beautiful and unexpected.

Hailey Piper's writing style reminds me of a mix between Neil Gaiman, Clive Barker, H.P. Lovecraft, all mixed with Guillermo DelToro. I could clearly see this story being made into a movie.  The Worm and His Kings is such a beautiful story; it is full of love, perseverance, heart break, betrayal, and the pain and power of living your own truth. And it is also terrifying and makes one feel small, powerless and insignificant in the galaxy when the Worm is coming back. 

This is without a doubt one of my top horror books of the year. 

5/5 Stars