The Compleat Crow

By: Brian Lumley

Narrated by: Simon Vance

"He was tall and broad-shouldered, and it was plain to see that in his younger days, he had been a handsome man. Now...his hair had greyed a little, and his eyes, though still very bright and observant, bore the imprint of many a year spent exploring - and often, I guessed, discovering - along rarely trodden paths of mysterious, obscure learning."

Mysterious, obscure learning....

To many thousands of listeners world-wide, Titus Crow is the psychic sleuth - the cosmic voyager and investigator - of Brian Lumley's Cthulhu Mythos novels, from The Burrowers Beneath to Elysia.

But before The Burrowers and Crow's transition, his exploits were chronicled in a series of short stories and novellas uncollected in the USA, except in limited editions. Now these stories can be told again. From Inception, which tells of Crow's origins, to The Black Recalled, a tale of vengeance from beyond the grave, here in one volume, from the best-selling author of the epic Necroscope series, is The Compleat Crow.

©1987 Brian Lumley (P)2015 David N. Wilson

A must for Lovecraft fans

What did you love best about The Compleat Crow?

It's a wonderful set of stories about crow and his battles with minions of the CCD. It's a great companion to Lumleys other Titus stories. Truly a great listen

Who was your favorite character and why?

Demagogue reminds me of Watson

What does Simon Vance bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

HE does a great job with the voices

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

A few laughs and quite a few shivers

Any additional comments?

This audiobook was provided to me free of charge by the author, narrator or publishe via audiobookblast in exchange for an unbiased review

Fascinating tales of horror and sci-fi

The Titus Crow stories are some of the most iconic tales set in the Cthulhu Mythos. They're also some of the most unlike H.P. Lovecraft since the protagonists routinely kick the asses of the supernatural forces they're facing. The Compleat Crow follows the adventure sof Titus Crow before the book series where he becomes a time and space travelling stand-in for the Doctor from Doctor Who. They're spooky and enjoyable with quite a few twists and turns as well as more atmosphere than the main series. This is probably the best of the works aside from The Burrowers Beneath which I recommend as well.

The Art of Building Horror.

When it comes to horror, there are two things that strike me, first the build up, and second the hard metaphorical push off the edge! Lumley delivers both, his style may seem slow but not a word is not chosen without purpose, if the book feels at times uncomfortable then all the better! One should I dare say feel bothered amongst voidsent monsters! I came here after reading the first three volumes of The Necroscope series and I was not disappointed! I'm now even more curious about Titus Crow and I enjoyed this foray into his world! He reminds me of Sherlock Holmes a bit, with just a little more soul on the line quite literally and because of this, I recommend this book to any horror loving Sherlock fan or Mary Shelley fan! Personally I think Titus could have given Sherlock a good run for his money!

A fun collection, but less than I expected.

Here we have a fun collection of stories about Titus Crow, ranging from his birth to shortly before the adventures leading to his Transition. Dark. Atmospheric. Exciting. But little was new.

Simon Vance is, of course, an excellent narrator. His voices are varied and distinct. His tempo shifts are effective. And if somewhat less (accurate to the text) than I'd like, his inflections are skillful.

I think my disappointment with the narrator lies in the fact that several of these stories are in other collections (The Taint and Haggoppian, read by Joshua Saxon) and here just don't have the same depth of atmosphere and resonance as those other recordings.

Now, the stories themselves.

Naturally, Titus Crow is my favorite Lumley character. That is much if what drew me to this series in the first place. However, it was nice to also find a new character (Henri Marigny) who I connected with as well.

I most confess, however, to a bit of disappointment at how few of these stories are told from Crow's perspective. Most are about other characters who come into contact with Crow.

That said, however, each story is interesting and unique, with a different feel and a different focus, do there's plenty of variety.

As before, my favorite Crow story is still Lord of the Worms. I just love the ambiance, the overtones, and the air of mystery about the story and how it brilliantly presents Crow's expertise and brilliance while also showing his weaknesses and humanity.

One thing I will absolutely grant the author is his deftness with twist endings. Most are brilliantly put together.

A bit short of a classic

After the gripping, vivid introduction, I was disappointed that the pace of the storytelling often lagged to a halt. The prose is very compelling, but the adventures were sometimes too plodding to keep me engaged. This was no fault of the narrator, who is always excellent.

A Bit of Crow

Titus Crow, his friend Henri-Laurent de Marigny and others are featured in this series of novellas and short stories beginning with the onset of Titus Crow's supernatural abilities and ending with a story after his death.

Titus Crow is a occult detective with a Holmes like feel. The stories are based on the H.P. Lovecraft Cthulhu Mythos. I guess I am really going to have to read some Lovecraft one of these days as I think it would help me merge faster with the story.

The stories are narrated by Titus Crow and various other characters from the novels. I was confused on a few stories because I thought the narrator was Crow but it turned out to be someone else.

Included are stories ranging from 1970-1987:
Inception
Lord of Worms
The Caller of the Black
The Viking's Stone
The Mirror of Nitrocris
An Item of Supporting Evidence
Billy's Oak
Darghud's Doll
De Marigny's Clock
Name & Number
The Black Recalled

My favorites are: Lord of the Worms, De Marigny's Clock and The Black Recalled.

As always listening to Simon Vance is a pleasure.

This audiobook was provided at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of Audiobook Blast.

fun departure from classic Lovecraft mythos

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Which friend? I recommend this if you enjoy occult fantasy and detective style short fiction – however, Lovecraft traditionalists should be aware that Lumley's take on the mythos is fundamentally different from most other work in the genre. Crow is a potent investigator who does not succumb to the sweet, obliterating surcease of drugs (though he does enjoy his alcohol), suicide, gibbering insanity or involuntary body swappage -- this guy can productively peruse the Necronomicon, formulate innovative spellcraft, and smugly explain his designs to buddies while sipping choice brandy. I found it good fun, but it's not really cosmic horror – these stories are far more lighthearted than the fiction in such modern mythos works as Book of Cthulhu I/II, Lovecraft's Monsters, or the work of Laird Barron, et al.

What did you like best about this story?

the story mechanics of arcane sorcery and mythos lore are wonderfully and freshly fleshed out – Lumley builds on Lovecraftian fundamentals, and feathers in elements of numerology, Biblical references, and his own original inventions – rather than cryptic hints about the unnameable passages in the blasphemous Necronomicon, we are treated to fascinating details about how Titus Crow operates as an adept/investigator – combined with fun, adventurous, detective-style storylines, it's a pleasure to read, and strong for establishing a believable foundation for Crow's power

Which scene was your favorite?

the climax of Lord of Worms -- I don't think I can offer more detail without spoilers, so enough said

If you could take any character from The Compleat Crow out to dinner, who would it be and why?

in my humble opinion, this question is annoying – does anyone really care what fictional character I want to eat dinner with? okay, sorry for being snarky and sarcastic – I'd want to eat with The Lord of the Worms. why? Because he's very generous with his vast hoard of sorcerous, opium-laced wine.

Any additional comments?

at one point, Lumley takes us into the mind of a villainous cultist – we are informed that the cultist understands that, on a basic level, "balance is always maintained" – meaning that although the cultist wants nothing more than to usher in the apocalyptic rise of ye old demonic pantheon, he recognizes that the Forces of Good might thwart him. Good and Evil are balanced, and with Titus leading the charge, perhaps things are even tilting ever so slightly toward Good. I think this underscores the difference between Lumley's work other mythos authors: good, lighthearted fun.

"This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of AudiobookBlast dot com."

PS: Simon Vance is great, as usual

Lovecraft's Mythos Carried On

Would you consider the audio edition of The Compleat Crow to be better than the print version?

As I do most of my "reading" via audiobook these days, of course. The narrator was quite suitable for Lumley's stories, and seats the listener firmly into the narrative.

What did you like best about this story?

Brian Lumley carries on HP Lovecraft's Mthos quite well, although in a different dirrection than the Old Man of Providence, and this collection is a worthy addition to the universe, along with the rest of his Mythos books..

Which scene was your favorite?

Titus Crow is a different take on the classic Lovecraftian protagonist, in that he is able to maintain his sanity, somewhat, after repeated encounters with the creatures of the Mythos. I cannot limit myself to one particular scene, as Crow is

If you could rename The Compleat Crow, what would you call it?

I feel the title works quite well as a collection as is. The later Crow books had wonderful Lovecraftian titles, but as this is a collection of short stories, it seems fitting.

Fantastic Narration!

I was immediately drawn into this collection by its narrator. Not too over the top and the voices of each character distinct. On to the next in the Titus Crow series!

This is a favorite

I love this collection of short stories from Brian Lumley! It is especially good because it is all the Titus Crow related shorts. I listen to this collection several times each year. It’s one of my favorites.