this had what I was looking for in a horror novel, the characters were great and the plot made me scared a couple of times.

I am an arachnid lover and i try to read all books with spiders in them. This book did not disappoint and honestly gave me a nightmare the first might reading it and i actually own spiders and tarantulas. Loved it though. Definitely recommend. And prompts for having it about a black character, male and being on the front cover

What a fascinating story this turned out to be. I really enjoyed it from beginning to end. We get right into the meat of the story when it starts, so to speak, which is that Darnell has a long prison sentence ahead of him and he is offered a reprieve to go home if he participates in a study with an experimental drug. Of course, he says yes so he can get home to his wife and child, and that's when his life takes a turn. I really enjoyed how this story was told. It wasn't overly grotesque but there was enough description to make my skin crawl. I thought having him deal with becoming a part of society again but also navigating the strange things happening to his body was brilliant. My only critique was that it ended and I wanted more. It's a quick read but more than worth my time.

Let’s start off looking at Justin C. Key’s Spider King with a definition and a look at the heart of the story and then we’ll get back to the creepy mutant spiders bursting out of someone’s body. Paresthesia is a group of sensations like “pins and needles” that also includes formication or “the sensation that resembles that of small insects crawling on or under your skin.” Let that thought make your skin crawl for a moment, but don’t worry if you’re got a fear of spiders because this tale is about more than the body horror the protagonist handles with astonishing levels of courage. This is a tale that blends layers of horror with disarmingly endearing moments that will stay with you long after you have finished it.

The real horror in this story is the range of deep, lasting psychological effects being incarcerated has upon someone’s mental health. I had to go hunt around some and was hard pressed to find many speculative fiction stories that handle these issues nevertheless with the forthrightness and skill Key brings to them. After two years in prison and many more ahead of him, there is no hesitation as Darnell is given an offer of a mysterious injection in exchange for his immediate release. His first week home is fraught not only with the bittersweet reunion with his four-year-old daughter who looks at him like a stranger but being estranged from his wife. Her very touch makes him tense and troubled because in prison someone getting that close to you usually means you’re in for a world of trouble. That’s just the surface of some of the issues Darnell is dealing with before the terrifying spiders come along and make things more difficult.

Yet the spiders also provide an empathetic and charming touch to some of the problems of being out in the real world again. Key plays around with the horror of what it might be like having spiders gestating in your body, bursting forth from it, making their homes under your skin, and becoming something of an extended arachnid family. If you have some degree of arachnophobia then there are probably going to be some delightful, shivery moments that have you wanting to look away or hitting pause on the audiobook. Relish those moments and don’t let it deter you because at its soft, spidery heart this is a story about family, love, and trying to put the pieces of your life back together again.

** Thank you to Serial Box and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest, unbiased review **

I adored this Novella! As a lifelong born arachnophobe who overcame through aversion self-therapy (Fiction and non-fiction), I must caution current arachnophobes and readers opposed to genetic engineering, you'll encounter plenty of both! I found the themes quite exciting (especially the science) and author Justin Key superbly understands his characters inside and out. Truly, I thought I was standing right close by observing the progress of the story.