The Fallen: The Darkest Hand, Book 2

Richardson has better command of his narrative in the second Darkest Hand historical horror-fantasy (after 2016’s The Damned), and the short, punchy chapters, rather than being choppy, propel the fast-paced tale. The year is 1915, but not one readers will recognize. It’s been nine months since Vatican inquisitor Poldek Tacit was excommunicated and sent to Toulouse Inquisitional Prison, and he’s been brutally tortured by the vicious Salamanca, who hopes to unleash a power believed to reside inside him. Meanwhile, Chaste agent Sister Isabella witnesses a murder, and former Lieutenant Henry Frost and his love, werewolf Sandrine Prideux, come to her aid. There are signs that the Darkest Hand is trying to usher in the return of the Antichrist, and Isabella and her allies must break Tacit out of prison, since he may be the one man who can stop it. This tale is not for the faint of heart: the pages are splashed with gruesome torture scenes, terrifying events of biblical proportions, and smashing fight scenes. The killing fields of Slovenia are drenched in blood, ready to receive the king of darkness. Readers who enjoy extra-broody antiheroes who are good with fists and firearms will find much to love in this unusual mashup. (Feb.)