Hi and welcome to my review of It Rides a Pale Horse!

There was just something about the title and the eerie cover that made me take a look at the blurb and well, if you know me at all, you’ll know they had me at “set in a small town filled with dark secrets”.

It Rides a Pale Horse is told from the perspective of Lark, an artist, a sculptor, whose sister has been abducted. In exchange for her life and freedom, Lark is to create a sculpture, build an installation, as per the… well… let’s call them instructions for lack of a better word, in a psalter he’s been given by his sister’s kidnappers.

It’s quite clear from the get-go that something is well and truly off about the psalter (as well as about the people who own it), and while Lark is gathering the stuff he needs for his creation he also notices that there is also something off about his town and the people he’s known all his life.

There are also the so-called museum interludes told from another perspective that allow us a peek at how Lark’s sister, the ever-present yet ever-elusive Betsy, is faring. Oh and did I mention Betsy is also an artist, a forger who, to all intents and purposes, mentally becomes the painter whose work she is imitating, like she’s possessed? And that’s not even the weirdest thing about her artwork…

I can’t even begin to describe this book and how it made me feel. It’s slow-burning in that eerie manner that raises the hair at the back of your neck without you even fully appreciating why. It takes a sinister, rather gory, rather visceral turn and is quite nightmarish in places.

The gorier bits are lightened by rather poetic turns of phrase, and I never quite knew what to expect next, nor what was actually going on. Honestly, this has to be one of the strangest stories I’ve ever read but definitely in a way that worked for me, that kept me wondering, that motivated me to keep on reading.

I’ve been thinking and thinking and turning it over in my head but my initial thought, and one that might not make any sense to you whatsoever but I can’t get rid of, is this: what It Rides a Pale Horse felt like to me, is a Salvador Dalí painting. (Which, I guess, is rather in keeping with Betsy’s storyline.) Surreal, warped daily life stuff, real elements in sinister compositions, dreamlike veering into nightmarish.

It Rides a Pale Horse felt unique in a big way because of the main storyline and executed premise and a number of smaller ways, in that it’s a sort of pick ‘n’ mix of ordinary horror elements, but applied and blended in such a way that it becomes something else entirely and the result is infinitely larger than the sum of its parts.

I would definitely recommend this to fans of the horror genre who are looking to shake things up.

It Rides a Pale Horse is out now!

Massive thanks to Redhook Books (Orbit) and #NetGalley for the eARC.

It Rides a Pale Horse had an original premise combining art and horror and I was here for it. Unfortunately, the pacing didn't flow. There would be moments of action only to be interupted by long explanations of past events and people.
It's mentioned in reviews that some people were confused about the art and artists talked about in this book. I didn't have an issue with it only because I have past experience studying art history, but I can definitely see how it can be a challenge to read through those parts.
Overall, I thought the story was unique and I'd recommend to those who like horror and art.

Larks sister has been abducted from the home they share. Gumley has given hark a dangerous task and he must complete it if he hopes to get his sister back alive. Lark went to his best friend Krupp for help. He showed him the book and he started telling him what he needed to build. Afterward Krupp just passed out on the table as he calls it reformatting his hard drive.

Krupp asks lark to take him home and that they can start the task in the morning because he didn’t sleep long enough but lark told him that they need to get to work tonight because Betsy was all alone in that room. Lark and Krupp went to wreckers junk yard to get a sink for the unclean, a pile of half burned candles for the lonely, a bed frame for the sleepless, a carpenters vise for the fever stricken, bricks of a foundation for the dispossessed, a cast iron pan for the starving, a tarp for the plague stricken, a typewriter for the mute, idle and lathe, a radiator for the freezing, a fire extinguisher for the burning, and a coffin for the dead.

The cats woke up wrecker and he watched lark and Krupp on his cameras stealing everything they needed to build the sculpture. Wrecker runs at Krupp and collided into him and then grabs him by his throat. Lark was finally able to get wrecker to let him go and they left to build the sculpture.

Everybody was starting to get lost and get angry at each other especially lark and Krupp. He kept freaking out about a jar the red vines were in when there was a candy store in town. They got into a big fight when they were at larks fathers house.

Betsy’s turnings were coming alive. Lark wouldn’t shoot it because it looked like his sister. To him it would be like shooting his sister. Krupp ended up aiming a gun at lark. He has been angry since he decided to start helping lark get Betsy back. The towns people wouldn’t lend lark a gun unless he put 2 bullets in Betsy head and lark said he couldn’t so they refused to let him use it.

I really enjoyed reading this title. It was very well written and have a great story to it. For me I give it 5/5 stars. I would definitely recommend this to others.

I thought the premise of the book sounded really spooky and twisted, and was looking forward to reading this. However, I was unable to get into the book, and had to finally give up at 25%. I don't know if it was the writing style, or all of the art mentions (I am not at all knowledgeable about artists and their specific paintings), or if it was the lack of horror, and the way it just went straight into the weird category. Maybe it was all of the above. I wanted to like it. I know it got a lot of great reviews, so you may like it.

https://weatherwaxreport.blog/2022/10/04/it-rides-a-pale-horse-by-tony-marino/

This is the first Netgalley/orbit book I had picked up in a while. I was in the mood for a horror but something a “little different”, not zombies or post apocalypse or demons or whatever. I wanted something a little surreal and a little weird and this sounded like that.

Unfortunately this review is going to be pretty short because I stalled out very hard on the prose style. I found it to just wander away from the moment getting lost in metaphors that I didn’t fully follow only to lead to another metaphor or turn of phrase and soon I was lost and had to re-read.

I wasn’t a huge fan of the characters, either. I don’t know why but I wasn’t getting attached to Lark and I’m not sure what it was exactly but he just slid off me.

Sigh… this is not a pleasant review for me to write.

I also did not like the dialogue, I felt it was just awkward, this is presented as an urban fantasy in modernish times and someone said he “he ate with great relish”, and that to me either sounds narrative or really old school, and it was neither, it was modern dialogue? I don’t know, I sound super nitpicky but I just could not get past 15% with this one and unfortunately I set it down.

From what I gathered of the plot thus far his sister has some magical talent with painting or art, perhaps? He seems to get sucked into her work in a way that’s more than just “good art”, but I didn’t get to explore that much further. She’s sort of a social outcast, a voluntary hermit and doesn’t get out much. I sort of gathered he is maybe her only real friend and tether to the real world? I could be wrong. A lot of the art stuff was a bit more technical and since I have absolutely no artistic ability or interest in old paintings/artists this went all right over my head. There were references I knew I wasn’t getting and things like that.

This will be for people a bit more versed in the arts than I am, and maybe someone more focused and better with flourishing language because I got lost and confused.

No rating since I DNF’ed.

At times nauseating, this is pure existential horror at its best. I loved all of the art history involved, the lore, the town myths and tales. Upstate New York during a creepy season. A small town with townsfolk that are close, maybe too close to something. A very messed up brother and sister, and an underlying best friend and buddy tale.

I was so looking forward to this novel; after reading The Seven Visitations of Sydney Burgess and reading the synopsis, I thought it sounded great. I am left with a giant, "WTF did I just read?" feeling.

In many ways, It Rides a Pale Horse is an epic horror trip, with Peter Larkin and his sister Betsy compelled to create works of art that transcend the earthly realm. The numerous layers of terror that Lark encounters in trying to save his sister create a tension that does not subside even at the conclusion of the book. If you enjoy art and horror in combination with a ton of gore, add this one to your TBR.

I struggled with the sheer volume of characters involved, I honestly could not keep straight how individuals were involved in the story or what role they played in the town. The motivations of the characters were not well developed, either, the only one who seemed to have a clear reason for their actions was Lark. Overall, I found the story difficult to follow because there was so much going on at once!

Thank you to Netgalley and Redhook Books for the digital ARC of It Rides a Pale Horse. The opinions in this review are my own.

Thank you to Redhook Books and NetGalley for the ARC.

2.5/5 stars

This book will appeal to those who are fans of art and horror - and I can say the horror elements are done really well. Most other aspects of the book I felt to be really surface level. I never felt like I understood the main character’s background, what was going on with the antagonists, and the lore behind the plot.

The museum interludes and Rayanne were probably my favorite parts, but even these tended to drag on for longer than necessary considering the lack of depth or development. I really wanted to like this book, but I struggled to finish it.

I loved this! The tone and atmosphere was so creepy and the characters fit into the story so well. This is also such a unique horror story--I read a lot of horror and sometimes I just get burnt out on the same tropes and plotlines over and over again, but this one was genuinely not what I expected. I had such a good time reading it, and am really looking forward to more from this author! Spooky, dark and atmospheric--this is a horror book, and author, I definitely wouldn't sleep on!

Very interesting storyline. Creepy, atmospheric, and the characters were very interesting. Look forward to more by this author.

Talk about a fantastic piece of cosmic horror! Absolutely insane and entirely unique. I literally read this with my mouth hanging open half the time and must’ve said “Wtf” at least 20 times. I went in completely blind, which I never do, and I’m very glad I did because everything felt like a punch to the stomach. It was incredibly dark, gory, and sad, but sprinkled with humorous moments and dialogue that I loved. Unfortunately, that humor only led to more sadness because I actually came to give a shit about the characters and, let me tell you, they go through so much trauma. Despite the otherworldly and fantastical situations, these characters felt completely human, an aspect that always makes horror even more terrifying. It Rides a Pale Horse is such a strong portrayal of the lengths someone will go to protect the one they love, as well as exploring greed and obsession. Marino exhibited mastery at creating tension and dread with vivid imagery that was seriously disturbing. It’s like he crawled into my head and pulled out my darkest nightmares. I’m probably the least artistic person ever so I also enjoyed and appreciated getting into the minds of art-driven characters. Anyways Marino, consider me your newest fan! Overall, a fantastic read. It takes a while to get really juicy but I loved the build up before everything goes off the rails. If you enjoy Lovecraftian horror, highly recommend because this one is totally for you. Cannot wait to see what Marino writes next.

📚🅱🅾🅾🅺 🆁🅴🆅🅸🅴🆆📚Rating:⭐️⭐️
It Rides a Pale Horse by Andy Marino

This book had an awesome premise but it was so confusing to me. The description of art and everything along with it I had to reread multiple times because it was so technical and difficult to comprehend. The dialogue between the characters broke up the seriousness of the art sections but overall I’m still not sure what the heck I read.

Lark and his sister Betsy are both well known in their small town. They are both artists though their styles differ dramatically. Lark is popular and Betsy has her quirks.

Lark goes to drop off a piece of art when he’s told by the man who commissioned it that his sister Betsy has been taken. He is instructed to do what the book says and Betsy will be fine.

Luke immediately realizes something is wrong with this bizarre book. It’s made of skin and seems demonic and the author is insane. He also believes the people that have Betsy have sinister plans as he witnesses the people in town start to change.

It Rides a Pale Horse is available October 4, 2022.

Thank you to Netgalley and Redhook Books for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

Totally spooky, eerie... almost malevolent. IT RIDES A PALE HORSE is a horror thriller mystery blend that does all three genres justice.

This is the second horror novel I've read this year with a ton of "art speak" [the first being House of a Thousand Lies by Cody Luke Davis] and this one, like the other, did not disappoint. Terrifying, gory, and just the right amount of blood-soaked demons.

Lark and his sisters are artists in a small upstate New York town. They are the "weirdos, Mister". While Lark is the more widely accepted of the two, he's still a bit of an outsider. He goes to deliver a piece of work to a mysterious buyer and finds a guard who plays him a live feed of his sister being held captive.

He must re-create a certain work of art from a specific book and then Betsy can go free. But this isn't just a copy of a painting. This is something darker. Evil.

This is a book that is best for daytime, with all the lights on if you are someone who is jumpy. Or, at night, in the dark, with just one light if you like to be scared.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book .

I requested this one because it might be an upcoming title I would like to review on my Youtube Channel. However, after reading the first several chapters I have determined that this book does not suit my tastes. So I decided to DNF this one.

3.5/5 Cups of coffee. This was super dark and gory so perfect in the horror genre I think I was slightly disappointed in the plot, it felt a little lacking because there was so much movement that somehow felt extra though most of it was also integral, it lent a disjointed feel to the novel. Still it's definitely a solid horror read and worth the read. Thanks so much to the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is a new horror writer that you should not miss! Betsy and Peter Larkin are siblings and both well known artists in their small town.
When Peter "Lark" delivers his new piece to a buyer he finds himself in a terrible situation -instead of a transaction, the buyer is kidnapping his sister. His only hope is to depict a book that he is given in his art.

When he realizes they are serious, Lark is determined to complete the action and save Betsy. The book however, is connected to a horror that he may not be able to face. This book is dark, gritty and filled with gore (may not be for everyone!). If you love horror, want a new and very scary story, love your horror to be larger than life than, It Rides a Pale Horse is for you!
#RedHookBooks

This was a decent horror novel. The first couple of chapters were excellent and I was very into it. Whenever the point of view switched to that of a ghost I was a bit turned off at first because the story took a sudden turn out of nowhere with seemingly no explanation. However, once the two meshed together I was drawn back in and ended up enjoying it. Sometimes the writing was a bit hard for me to understand, the more technical terms and at times I did feel confused but overall it was decent. 3.5 stars for me on this one

First off, thank you so much to #Netgalley, the publisher and especially the author for this ARC!
This book has such an original plot and it was hard for me to get into at first because I didn’t really understand what was happening but once I hit around 25-30 percent I was sucked in! I am really happy to see more original horror stories come out and from someone different than the same 2 ‘horror’ writers that have dominated the genre for years. If you’re looking for something different, visceral and gory….. this book is for you!

I'm going to set this one aside at 28%.

Honestly, I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around what's actually happening in this book.

Lark and Betsy are brother and sister and both are artists. He a famous one and she a recluse who doesn't leave the house. When Lark sets out to deliver one of his sculptures to a mysterious wealthy family he is informed by this man, with video evidence, that they have taken Betsy and unless he can recreate The Insomniak she will not be returned or worse even, killed.

There are long passages discussing art that I'm completely clueless about and which seemed to go on and on but when the narrative shifts to a ghost residing in the hangar where Betsy is brought I was starting to really get into it. However, once we returned to Lark and Betsy's storyline I lost interest again. What Betsy's artwork actually is I'm unable to even comprehend.

Admittedly I'm giving up early so the pay off in the end may be well worth your time if you're a more patient reader than I.

I will say that Andy Marino is an excellent writer, intelligent and creative, and I'm excited to see what kind of story he can spin next. This one just wasn't for me this time around.