Incarnate

A Novel

De: Richard Thomas

Narrado por: Shaun Taylor-Corbett, Todd Menesses, Dawn Harvey

“A must-read for fans of strange, surreal horror.”—The New York Times

In a frozen tundra, a sin-eater fights for redemption and absolution as monstrous creatures ravage a community already struggling to survive.

Sebastian Pana is a sin-eater, a shaman-like figure who can absolve the dead of their transgressions before they move on to the afterlife. But when a tear in the fabric of reality allows hideous beasts to invade the small arctic town he calls home, Sebastian must wage battle with them the only way he knows how: by unleashing the power of sin itself.

Thus, the stage is set for an epic confrontation between the forces of good and evil, in which a mother monster strives to save the dying land around her—and a young Inuit boy, haunted by Sebastian’s fate, risks everything to forge a new way forward for the desperate vestiges of humanity. As an obliterating darkness descends from the frozen mountains, this profoundly redemptive tale will build toward a climactic showdown in which nature and the supernatural collide with the eternal quest for healing and forgiveness.

From an author who has been compared to Lovecraft, Bradbury, and Gaiman, Incarnate is a masterpiece of contemporary arctic horror—a dark, unsettling story told in a maximalist voice inflected with powerful notes of hope and grace.

©2024 Richard Thomas (P)2024 Podium Audio

Reseñas de la Crítica

“Thomas excels at summoning nightmarish images, as vivid as they are stark. . . . The most terrifying aspects of the novel, however, stem from its strange, shifting structure, which never quite allows the reader to find firm footing. . . . Fans of Brian Evenson will enjoy—and perhaps cower from—this cold-weather tale.”—Kirkus Reviews

“A stunningly creepy supernatural thriller set in the remote Arctic. It captures the terror of being alone in the frozen darkness with something dreadful. Weird and thrilling!”—Jonathan Maberry, New York Times bestselling author of the Sleepers War and NecroTek series

“A harrowing look into the world of a sin-eater stationed at the end of the world. Richard Thomas manages to harness the northern lights into a brutal story about weathering the frozen tundra as well as the suffering of all mankind. Graceful, cosmic, and heartbreaking, Incarnate is a universe unto itself.”—Gus Moreno, author of This Thing Between Us

Evocative imagery

I really enjoyed the voice acting and the writing. The interlinked story structure worked well for me.

Captivating visceral horror

This novel grabs you by the throat, forces atmosphere and dread down your throat, while allowing visceral elements to claw their way out. From the artic to the dessert, you generally feel the isolation. The food descriptions had be salivating one minute and gagging the next. A unique must read/listen for horror fans.

Deeply intricate

This isn’t a book I’d recommend for everyone. But, for those looking for a rich, convoluted horror story then this is for you. Things within this book get very weird and very fast. Not everything has an explanation either, so if you’re okay with a book that leaves a lot of interpretation up to the reader then you’ll like this.

It’s incredibly hard to describe this book without giving away spoilers. It’s incredibly interesting. There are so many layers to both the characters and the world around them. The book is split up into 3 different acts which are told through different perspectives. Each act is unique and gives different glimpses into this unique world. Whilst simultaneously creating an intricate story that is seamless from one act to another.

This book is incredibly profound. The author uses the setting of Alaska to the book’s benefit. The setting amplifies this feeling of dread. It reinforces the dire situation the characters are faced with. The story was made more impactful through the utilization of the setting

The story is deeply profound. It tackles all sorts of different aspects of life. A huge theme is about the cycle of life and death. Like what did this person’s life mean? What did their death mean? Was their life made more impactful through their death? Could something wicked find salvation through death? Was that thing even wicked or was it misunderstood in life? These things help to reinforce other ideas throughout the book that all lead to a satisfying conclusion.

Not only is the story really good but the horror elements throughout it are gripping. The book mainly utilizes an overwhelming sense of dread that forces the characters to act on survival instincts. But, the book also contains many examples of sickening body horror. The descriptions in this were so vivid. I felt sick at certain descriptions of tastes or smells or sensations.

A dislike I had was towards act 2. Act 1 ends on a really high note and act 2 started off and stayed at a consistent slow pace. It feels like the momentum generated by act 1 came to a screeching halt. So it took awhile for me to actually get through act 2 but it did get interesting towards the end. Act 3 was pretty well rounded on it started. But for me at least I thought that act 2 was a little boring.

Overall I think that this book told a genuinely intriguing and horrifying story. I think it’s worth checking out if you like Lovecraft or intricate horror stories.

Confusing

I have a long commute to work so I listen to a lot of audiobooks. I’m over four hours into this book and still don’t understand anything about the title character.