This was a solid creeping read for an evening, and set the scene well. It captured the language and nuance of the settings time period better than most, but did have a bit of a sloppy introduction to the actual action. You have two or three actual scene setting starts before you really get into the meat of the action.

Unapologetically Lovecraftian, this novel of terrifying Cosmic Horror, hypnotism, illusion, and mind control is based on the wildly popular board game. In 1925, in Europe and Arkham, Massachusetts, strange forces are afoot. Many individuals of one mind are attempting to "Open the Gate," to call forth an other-dimensional monstrosity. The sorcerer-leader, a Surrealist painter from Spain, chooses Arkham as the locale.


A tension-wrought horror novel, I was so engrossed I I devoured it in one session. There is violence but all intimacy is offstage.

Combining the life and pluck of a Jazz Age still shadowed by the table-rapping spiritists of the Victorian Age, The Last Ritual reads like a story born of those times would, a sort of blend of Lovecraft meets the Great Gatsby. Sidor brings us into a world like but unlike our own, where things may be a dream or not, where we may be slipping into madness...or being hunted by madness. This book has all the elements that I associate with Lovecraftian fantasy/horror: including abrupt changes in pace and setting, strange insights and even more strange occurrences, demon (or alien-ish) rituals, black outs, strange visions, mysterious disappearances, dead bodies, shadowy monsters, horned Gods, and more - all against a cosmic/bigger picture backdrop.

And while the plot is interesting in that strange meandering sort of dreamy/nightmarish way, the scary high stakes moment that should have been a major wow/scare moment instead sort of flattens under the weight of a more cosmic crescendo: a statement/quest to the truth of reality and art (yes it's a "look at all the strange little things, but don't miss the big picture kind of story"). Overall it's Sidor's writing and actual descriptions that really stood out to me:

"Not that Minnie herself was obscene. See, she was like a piece of broken mirror. Small and shiny, and if you weren't careful she'd leave you bleeding. She reflected back places in yourself that were better left unexamined."

and on the main character summing up his recent paintings: "While they were good, they lacked something almost palpable, as if the real subject had wandered away just before I started to paint. Haunted by absences. I put them away."

or describing one of our Arkham-esque horrors: "The net blob hitched itself along, hauling forth its girth with maximum effort. It shambled onto the bridge. How sluggish it was, but how impressively persistent....A halo of flies buzzed around it, ignoring the cold to feast on morsels hidden in its collapsing chambers - it's honeycomb of well-aged slimes...Inside the rats tumbled round as if they were spinning on a wheel. Somehow I knew the swirling energy of their lifeforces fed and propelled this monster. The motion of their rat bodies animated its horror. If the blob were to consume me, then I would power it like the rats did."

and probably my favorite line from the book:

"I never want this woman angry at me, I thought. She's the kind of lady who might stab you with a pair of scissors if she figured you deserved it. Or she might die for you. It all depended."

A definite read for fans of the genre, Lovecraft, Arkham Horror, or those who like an elegant writing style that is both creatively observant AND creatively expressive.

The second book in the new Arkham Horror series and another fun read!
Whereas Wrath of N’kai is a non-stop action romp, The Last Ritual has many more quiet moments- there aren't as many Mythos references or monsters. It delves into the realm of artists, as we know from other Lovecraft stories that artists seem to have a special sensitivity to Mythos influences. I always enjoy returning to this familiar setting with its memorable characters.

Each book in this new series by Aconyte Books is a standalone, so you can pick and choose whichever one sounds most interesting to you.
If a moody, end-of-year-seasonal Mythos story is what you’re looking for, then you should check out The Last Ritual.

Thank you to NetGalley and Aconyte Books for providing me with an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

4/5 Stars!

As a fan of Lovecraft and Arkham Horror games and stories, this book did not let me down! I didn't realize this book was part of a series until after I'd finished the book, so this can be read as stand-alone, even if you have never read the series, Lovecraft, or had any interaction with Arkham Horror. This book was definitely more mystery than cosmic horror, but that didn't harm the story at all. All through the book, you will feel the sense of impending dread that comes along with Alden trying to discover exactly what was going on with the ritual in the artists' community.

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