I feel like this book started off really strongly and then devolved. The first half was really solid- the premise was laid out in an interesting way, the pacing felt organic, and the way the different forms of magic were described were very cool. After it got the second half I felt like the book changed somehow, at certain points it felt too slow and then at others it felt too fast. I feel like the last 2 chapters especially needed to be given more page time because the resolution was incredibly quick.

I jumped into this book like jumping into a painting! A magical globe and canvas trotting adventure with so many twists and turns you’ll never guess what happens next! This would make a fantastic tv series and I cannot believe this is a debut novel!

This book seemed like it would be absolutely perfect for me. Everything I love in a book. I would’ve loved it more if there were more or more books to read afterwards. Maybe a different genre classification would’ve set expectations more clearly.

American artist Lewis Dixon is very surprised when he is contacted by the British Museum, and even more surprised to find out that they want to display his mysterious painting. When he arrives at the museum he soon discovers hidden magical realms and that he holds the power to help destroy dangerous art that threatens the world, or so it seems…An atmospheric fantasy read with interesting world-building and intriguing characters.

3.5 ⭐️

Thanks to Net Galley for this ARC. Overall, I liked the concept and story, but at times it was slow and I lost interest. I kept putting it down to read other books which is why it took me four months to read.

I liked the world building, magic system, and the characters.

It felt like this was an entry book to a possible series which is why there was a lot of world building and explanation of the magic system. Not to spoil anything, but by the end of the epilogue I started to hope there would be another book to continue the story.

I am sad that the theme of a parental death is a trigger for me and something I have to skip in books because this book is amazing. Obviously the cover is cool but then the writing style pulls you in like no other. This was so creative. I’ll have to purchase this one to read at a later date in life as I don’t want to miss this story. I heavily recommend based on the portion I read.

Thank you so much for the ARC! I am leaving honest feedback voluntarily.

Emerging African-American artist Lewis is shocked when the British Museum shows an unusual interest in his art. This is his chance to show the world what he’s capable of…he just has no idea that he might also be saving the world at the same time. Lewis soon learns he has not been invited to participate in a curated show, but rather a test: to see if the fugue-like exhilaration he experiences when painting is actually magic, a power that allows him to enter nine very special paintings—paintings made by his great-grandfather. Spread across the globe, these paintings have unbelievable eldritch abilities…and not necessarily beneficial ones. Partnered with an alluring agent in the museum's employ, Noah Rao, Lewis must find the paintings and destroy them.

I was a little nervous going into this because I typically do not read horror, but the premise of the paintings having powers and Lewis' ability to travel into them really sucked me in; pun intended. It was not terrifying in a I'm-not-going-to-be-able-to-sleep-tonight way, but in an excessive-amount-of-gore-and-body-horror way. This story was much more about dealing with grief and the rough times that life deals to many people. But, I very much enjoyed Lewis and Noah's evolving relationship and the cast of characters they encounter along the way. I particularly liked Cassandra's reveal and learning about Lewis' family history.

The one downside, and I don't think this is a spoiler to mention, but I really hate the concept of time travel in stories and that was involved in this one. I could have done without that, but that is truly a personal preference. I enjoyed the ending, although it was a little abrupt, but it left a slight opening for another book in this world, which I would definitely be interested in reading.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Avon, and Harper Voyager for a free copy of this eArc in return for an honest review.

A messy execution mars The Macabre by Kosoko Jackson despite its heartfelt morality and intriguing concept.

Firstly, The Macabre by Kosoko Jackson is billed as an adult fantasy horror novel, but it really should be marketed as a young adult book. Everything about it screams “young adult,” including the fact that our apparently thirty-something protagonist is frequently referred to as a “boy.” I think it’s important that people go into books with realistic expectations, so I hope the publisher considers changing its marketing strategy.

Secondly, there are some cool ideas and moments in this book. The magic system has a ton of potential, as does the horror element. The protagonist is Black, gay, painter named Lewis who discovers he possesses a unique magical ability due to being an ancestor of a nineteenth-century painter named Edgar Dupont. He is recruited by the magical division of the British Museum to find paintings done by his ancestor, which contain sinister magical powers that the museum believes need to be neutralized. Lewis’s ancestral connection and magical abilities make him the ideal candidate to perform such a task. The paintings are scattered all over the world, leading him on a wild adventure fraught with danger and treachery. I enjoyed the fact that Jackson imbues the book with a steadfast sense of morality and a sharp insistence on criticizing global injustices of colonialism and racism.

As much as I wanted to enjoy this book, I can’t ignore it’s messiness. We are thrown into the action with absolutely no time to get to know Lewis as a character—all we know is that he’s a painter and that his mother recently died. It is impossible to connect with the characters more generally because about ninety percent of their dialogue consists of clunky exposition. They are constantly explaining things about their current situation and their magic system to each other, but they might as well hold their breath because it never makes any sense. The magic does whatever the author wants it to do, which leads to a confusing slog from plot point to plot point without clear stakes, emotional or otherwise. The result is a murky and anticlimactic ending that suggests the possibility of a sequel.

I would only recommend this book to fans of young adult horror and fantasy, and even then with the qualification that it will probably be a better fit for action-driven readers.


Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Magic, international travel and malevolent paintings. This book was a wild ride from beginning to end. The plot was intriguing and creative and I enjoyed it thoroughly.

The reason it isn't my favorite book of the year is due to a few things. First is that the language in some places feels off, like it's been badly translated from another language. The second reason is that a few times it felt like the main character huge leaps of logic, or pulled a conclusion out of thin air with no explanation. I had to go back and reread in a few places to make sure I didn't miss a clue. Those things pulled me out of the story, but not for long. The Macabre's unique and intriguing plot drew me back because I had to know how it ended.

The Macabre is a chilling, high-octane horror with a sharp emotional core. Kosoko Jackson blends slasher thrills with social commentary, crafting a story that's both terrifying and thought-provoking.

★ ¾

This book seemed like it was made for me directly—to the point where I was overcome with so much grief that it ended up falling short of my expectations. A gothic novel about cursed paintings? A Black, queer MC from a Black, queer author? A narrative critical of art, art history, and the stories that are chosen to be told and those that are left to the shadows? The lengths we will go to save those we love, no matter the cost? All of these things were promised to me and made me incredibly eager for this title, but the text itself—for me—fell incredibly short in its execution.

I'm aware this is Jackson's adult debut, but this book felt less like an adult novel and more like a YA novel with occasional gruesome, graphic scenes (which I usually love!) interspersed to up the level of "maturity" that the book was expected to be. Rather than letting the reader grapple with the larger moral questions of the text as they read (anticolonial narratives, how being a minority does not absolve you from the ability to be an oppressor, etc.), the story chose to spend time that could have been used in creating a more cohesive world to emphasize parable over plot: to force a conclusion that overwhelmed the story that the author was trying to tell rather than running parallel alongside it. I heavily empathize with the author here—so many white and/or cisheterosexual readers act obtuse and end up obstinate towards narratives that contradict their worldview, and being so insistent on the correct interpretation of the text is very likely the author's way to leave no room for argument or the twisting of the novel's takeaways to keep readers comfortable. However, I don't believe how this was executed was the way to pull this off in a manner that was both effective as a lesson and told a story that kept readers immersed. Much of the beautiful prose was interrupted by explanations that felt as if I was being spoken down to as a reader, and many of the characters that could have benefited from more on-screen development (especially Cassandra and Evangeline) felt not-entirely finished and more like vehicles used to push the decided conclusion on the reader rather than real individuals, which often made much of the protagonist's conflict seem flat and lacking in comparison to the lush, gothic-fantasy environment the paintings themselves provided.

Thank you to Harper Voyager and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This book was really good until about the halfway mark. And then I started losing interest and the plot seemed to become divided. The main character did grow and change but I hated how arrogant he was, The world building or magic building was minimal, and how the main character got sucked into his journey seemed rushed and as if he accepted the mission without questioning it.

Good read for someone who likes urban fantasy with a painting vibe!

review also posted to Goodreads

This book had the perfect recipe to hook me. Fantasy/Horror, centered around the art world, lgbtq characters, and I feel a little disappointed that I didn’t enjoy it as much as I had been expecting.
I think I might’ve rated this book higher if it had been able to hold my attention better. There were times where I had to keep putting it down because I just couldn’t get into the story.
Don’t get me wrong. It’s a good story, but it didn’t grip me like other books I’ve read by Jackson. I was hoping that the twist/ending would make it worth it in the end.
The twist felt a little expected, but was handled well, and I enjoyed the ending. However, I feel like there was a lot more ‘telling’ in this book rather than ‘showing’, and I wonder if that’s why I didn’t feel as immersed in the story.

What a wonderful, fascinating book. I already want to reread it, in my eagerness to devour it I missed things by going too quickly.

Lewis thinks he's been called to the British Museum to show off one of his paintings, and is shocked to discover he's really been summoned to purify the dark and powerful magic contained in art painted by his ancestor. As a protagonist, Lewis is queer, black, and unwilling to let anyone else make up his mind for him. His independence and values make what should be a neat plot messy, as he discovers what the museum isn't telling him.

The Macabre is a lush, atmospheric blend of queer horror, magical art, and emotional reckoning that swings big—even if the story occasionally strains under the weight of its ambition. It's eerie, bold, and memorable, with a protagonist who's as haunted as the paintings he’s meant to destroy.

I really liked everything Jackson set out to do in this book. The vibes are great. Our main character is a disaster in human form though. No one should ever let him do anything! The action is packed, the characters are going 100 mph, but I think ultimately there was too much packed into this book with not enough connection between the different ideas. It didn’t flow quite as smoothly as I would have liked. But it reached and I appreciate it for that. I’d have happily read a duology of this story that really got into it all!

(This was a voluntary review of a free advanced reader copy. Thanks to HarperVoyager, Kosoko Jackson, and NetGalley for that privilege!)

The Macabre by Kosoko Jackson is an absolute knockout. A gothic, gripping, and deeply atmospheric read that pulls you into its eerie world and doesn’t let go. From the first page, Jackson’s writing is razor-sharp and immersive, blending horror with emotional depth in a way that feels both literary and unflinchingly raw.

The story is full of tension, both psychological and supernatural, with twists that hit hard and moments that genuinely gave me chills. What impressed me most was how layered everything felt, the haunted setting, the characters’ inner demons, and the lingering questions about grief, identity, and what it means to survive. Jackson doesn’t just aim to scare you. He wants you to feel the weight of the past pressing in from every angle.

The pacing was tight, the prose beautiful without being overdone, and the characters, especially the lead, were complex and unforgettable. I found myself highlighting passages just to come back to them later. It’s the kind of book that stays with you long after you finish.

The Macabre is smart, terrifying, and emotionally resonant. Easily one of the best horror novels I’ve read in a long time. I’ll be recommending this one to everyone.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Kosoko Jackson’s The Macabre is an eerie, atmospheric descent into horror that blends queerness, grief, and suspense with literary.. dread. This isn’t your typical horror novel that relies on blood and gore, but instead, it thrives on psychological tension, creeping dread (I felt unsettled the ENTIRE TIME!), and a sense of emotional dislocation that grows with every page.

The prose is gorgeously.. I know I've said this already, but it's unsettling. Jackson writes with a lyrical edge that feels both elegant and disorienting, drawing you into a world where the lines between reality and nightmare blur. The pacing is deliberate, allowing the reader to fully absorb the weight of each moment, each glance, each shadow. It’s the kind of writing that makes you feel like the walls are slowly closing in...

What sets The Macabre apart is how it centers queerness not as a subplot but as a vital, integrated part of the story’s emotional landscape. The characters, particularly the protagonist, feel complex, navigating not just external threats but the haunting weight of memory, identity, and longing even. There’s a deep emotional current running beneath the horror, which makes the terrifying moments hit even harder.

Though the story leans into ambiguity and might leave some readers wishing for more concrete answers, this openness adds to the dreamlike quality of the narrative. The Macabre forces its readers to sit with uncertainty, to find meaning in the shadows...or not!

The Macabre is chilling, beautifully written, queer, evocative, and haunting in the best way. Thinking about it, it kind of continues to haunt you after, in the best of ways.

Thank you to Kosoko Jackson, for unsettling me and having me staring at the wall in the dark. Also thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager and Netgalley for making it possible. This one will stick with me for a little while.

This book was creepy, intense, and totally unputdownable. Andre is a really compelling main character, and the story does a great job of mixing real-life trauma with supernatural horror.
. If you like dark, twisty reads with a social edge, this one’s for you.

A struggling painter, Lewis Dixon is given the ultimate challenge. Destroy all 10 artworks.

Seems simple? Well of course not, we follow Lewis as he is plunged into a world of ancient history and dark magic as he juggles the ambition to destroy all these paintings as well as ensuring no one dies in the process. We soon come to find out Noah (a secret agent to help Lewis on this journey) may have a crush on Lewis and we are thrown into a queer love story amongst everything else which I loved! As Lewis learns about his past and how these paintings come to be there was so much jaw agape moments that just kept me wanting to read more as we come to understand these cursed killer paintings and the true meaning behind their creations.