The Searching Dead

I received an e-copy ARC of The Searching Dead, authored by Ramsey Campbell, from NetGalley and the publisher Flame Tree Press in return for my honest review, which follows below. I thank both for this opportunity. It is the first book of the Three Births of Daoloth trilogy, which originally released in 2016 under PS Publishing; from what I can see this first printing is still available to purchase in hardcover. I rated this novel 4.5 stars. This a coming of age story, in a country still recovering from war. This is a story of a boy questioning his burgeoning faith while seeing its declination to spiritualism, a widowed neighbor’s faith. This is a story of a creative mind developing its artistic style amid becoming exposed to written ramblings of a darker personality. This is a story of cosmic horror that is built upon slowly, often indirectly, as viewed through the eyes of a youth, who strives to do difficult good and learn oblique truths. There were a few sections that found my attention wavering, hence the .5 star removal. In some cases, a slow build can be mismanaged, leaving scant room for the end to bloom with the full impact the author intended. I think Campbell hit all the marks here; when it picked up I was enthralled, help captive till the last page, eager for the next book in this trilogy.