Joseph Sale’s The Claw of Craving, published by Blood Bound Books, is the first book of Lost Carcosa, and it gets the series of to a great start. Other than seeing references in other works, I don’t know a great deal about the King in Yellow and Robert W. Chambers’ work. Simililarly, I’d seen Carcosa mentioned, but it wasn’t until after reading that that I read the original short story, Ambrose Bierce’s ‘An Inhabitant of Carcosa’. Immediately, I could see the appeal of this lost and illusive city and understood why Sale had delved deeper into this mysterious world for his own work. The first chapter sees the protagonist Alan Chambers on the verge of ruin, desperately seeking Carcosa, a place which may not exist. He’s not an immediately likeable character. It’s clear he’s done shameful things and has become something of an outcast.
In the hands of some writers, this could make his despicable, but in Sale’s hands, he was more intriguing. I wanted to know why he’d been ostracised by his family and why he sought salvation in the darkest of places. This gave the book great intrigue from the start.
It isn’t until some time later in the text that we get to know a little more of Chambers’ past, and when we do, we understand there’s a tragedy in his constant quest for something more, something that always remained just out of grasp.
We’re thrown straight into Alan’s quest for Carcosa, with him following a lead to a brothel, The Black Star, where he’s teased with the promise of everything he desires, but it’s an ordeal to get there. These opening chapters in which he meets the enigmatic and beautiful Cali and the dwarf artist Petruccio dial up the strangeness of the tale, but also introduce elements of eroticism as Alan is put to the test, a test which eventually sees his enter this strange new word but not without some sacrifice.
It is here, is this other world, that Sale shows skill in world building. Without feeling like we are lost in description, Sale brings the city of Carcosa to life with rich details. Having first read Sale’s work with Dark Hilarity, I can see this is a real strength of his work. The places are beautifully brought to life, both the impressive and grand and the dark and seedy. Places in Sale’s work feel real and alive.
We are soon introduced to two other key characters, the actor LeBarron and Cali’s sister Cassilda.
With the main cast in place, we are introduced to the quest – the Pe’karians, a demon and fearsome race, have taken Cali and Cassilda’s mother. In order to get her back, they’ll need the titular Claw of Craving, a powerful weapon that can tip the odds in their favour.
I enjoyed the journey with these characters. The swampland introduced us to curious creatures which Sale again brought to life. Greater peril is introduced as the story continues, and I particularly liked the way a particularly tragic moment from Alan’s history is revealed, and how this allows him to do some good.
The climax also caught me by surprise, opening up the story massively to continue into the next part. As a stand-alone, this works as a satisfying read. Yes, it leaves a huge part of the story open to continue, but there’s plenty developed and resolved here. We’re not left on a cliffhanger with the fate of the characters in the balance, which makes it a very satisfying read.
I enjoy being in the worlds Sale creates, and I’m looking forward to discovering more of these fascinating places and seeing how the story unfolds further in the next part of the series.
Thank you, Joseph, for sending me a copy.