This magic system is a great concept and was enjoyable to explore. There were places where I wished for more or the plot to speed up or slow down. The character development was well thought out for some and not executed well for others. The introduction and exposition of the magic system was well thought out and executed.

Once I got past the first 30% the story picked up and was easier to hold for longer periods of time. I did find it hard to get invested into their storylines because there isn't much background on the characters to truly root for them.

It took me a bit of time to get through this book. I was easily able to walk away from the story though it did stick with me. I enjoyed my time with the book and would recommend it for fans of fantasy.

This book was incredible. Between the magic, the horror, and the art, I was captivated from jump. The imagery is out of this world stellar and really puts you there. It freaks you out one moment and melts your heart the next.

I loved this slow burn and unique queer fantasy story. This book led me through one page at a time building a world that seems normal but comes with its own magical and horror-filled twists. I fell in love with the style of writing and the gloomy moodiness of the book. Our queer characters slowly build their relationship and become entangled in their magic and grief. This book has so many layers and will undoubtedly haunt me until I return to it again.

Thank you to Avon Harper Voyager | Harper Voyager and NetGalley for an E-ARC copy of this book.

CW: Gore (Blood, Wounds, Dismemberment); Self-Harm; Medical Institutionalization; Loss of Loved Ones

I was really drawn into the book for the first quarter or so. Jackson’s descriptions of emotion and horror imagery with the first painting were excellent, and I was intrigued about the mystery behind the nameless woman at the hospital and the British Museum that recruited main character Lewis for this project of pacifying grotesque paintings from one of his ancestors.

However, from that point forward, the book lost me. It became more adventure focused than horror focused, and while some of the fantasy elements were cool, they were also not that well explained. I also found that Lewis picked up on too much about magic too quickly; relatedly, he adjusted mentally and emotionally too quickly to whatever was thrown at him.

From the very beginning, this book doesn’t gently invite you in, it’s a strong tide dragging you into this world. The magic system isn’t overly complicated but slides in enough to understand. The story is layered and woven with horror not the way you think, but it’s definitely there.

When I picked up this title, I really expected full horror, the cover gives a similar impression to Grady Hendrix's Horrorstor. What I received wasn't what the marketing really gave the impression of.

It's setup was reminiscent of a lot of Urban Fantasy, it had echoes of Gareth Brown's Book of Doors in its exposition.

I just wish I felt more scared. That's the biggest issue. I felt more drawn in to the romance (unsurprising given Jackson's bibliography of works) than the horror surrounding these paintings and the magical world.

I do know other ARC readers who adored this title though so their is an audience and it would suit a collection in need of "low horror" titles.

I was really interested in this concept, but the writing fell really, really flat for me. ALLL telling and not showing. I just didn't love anything about it.

I read this almost exclusively due to the similarities between it and one of my favorite 8-bit horror game, Ib. Ib follows a similar premise of a person getting pulled into a horrifying art world: however, I found Jackson's version to be less engaging (and not just because of the differing formats). The protagonist, Lewis, felt fairly amorphous and unformed. It was hard to related to anything that was happening in part because I didn't feel like I had any sense of who he was outside of what was happening to him. While this is effective in a video game, where you are meant to project yourself onto the protagonist, it doesn't work as well in a novel. I was hoping that the plot would eventually built to some sort of shift or twist, but was sadly disappointed.

Queer horror meets urban fantasy just as art meets magic and its horrific consequences.
Great for those new to horror who are coming to the genre from urban fantasy and want to dip their toes into something spooky without it getting too intense.

DNF at 52%.
The premise of this book is brilliant. Art and magic should go together. Unfortunately, I was struggling to connect with any of the characters. I also needed a more atmospheric writing style for this idea. It felt choppy and immature at times.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Voyager, and author Kosoko Jackson for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

There is something so satisfying about the blend of the horror and fantasy genres! It truly takes a story to the next level and incites such irrational fear which I love.

The Macabre is a lush story full of artistic expression and freedom, both in the authors exquisite prose and in the craft of the horror in the story itself. The characters are dynamic, the magic is really fun, and the paintings are horrific! I went through a myriad of emotions as the story progressed and often found myself questioning what I would do if I were in Lewis’s place (our MC).

What makes this book even better is that we also get a gorgeous first print edition with red edges! Can’t wait to get a trophy copy for my shelves.

?A picture is worth a thousand nightmares.

A struggling painter, Lewis Dixon is shocked when the British Museum shows an unusual interest in his art. While he’s always felt there’s something powerful about what he puts on canvas, he also felt there was something disturbing just under the surface—especially as he was compelled to make a painting of a painting—one that he has a connection the object of his art is one of the ten paintings his great-grandfather created over a hundred years ago. Only Lewis’s version is surreal…and maybe just a touch horrific.

Still, he accepts the invitation, only to find not a curated show, but a to see if he not only has the magic necessary to enter the paintings, but also the strength to escape them. Because unbeknownst to Lewis, there is power in his art, just as the ten paintings carry with them both immense eldritch abilities and a terrible curse—making them, perhaps, the most valuable works of art in the world.

And Lewis has been asked to destroy them all.

With orders from a mysterious museum official, Evangeline, and partnered with an alluring agent in her employ, Noah Rao, Lewis must plunge into a world of black markets, gothic magic, ancient history, and unspeakable terror to save those unlucky enough to call any of the paintings their own, and to hopefully locate the tenth painting in the series, long missing, the powers of which are suspected to be most devastating of all…

WOW. This was incredible! Such a unique premise, and I had a great time reading!

Queer horror and urban fantasy resting on an intriguing plot revolving around a mysterious set of magical paintings had me staying up past my bedtime to keep reading The Macabre. Jackson aimed high with this novel with its magic system, history, romance, and social issues and didn’t necessarily hit all points, but it was a fun read, and I look forward to the next adult work from this heretofore YA author.

firstly i will say this book is more fantasy than horror, and so i feel that— while there are horror elements— there’s a bit of mismarketing going in with things like the cover. i went into this expecting horror first, and that was not what i received, and it definitely colored my impressions of the book.
that aside, this felt a little clunky. the characters, the romance— the plot was there, but the rest felt flat and underdeveloped, like it was just written to get from point a to point b with no meat in between. intriguing premise, but middling execution. gorgeous cover though.

The Macabre by Kosoko Jackson is a chilling and stylish blend of queer romance and supernatural horror, wrapped in a richly atmospheric setting. A gripping, emotionally layered read perfect for fans of gothic thrillers.

Really interesting premise! However, I felt like the writing still leaned heavily toward YA, and I just didn’t buy the characters as real adults, even in a “magical” setting. There were way too many descriptive details that also weighed down the pacing.

Perhaps I flew through this a bit quick, but that is an advantage of reading a fantasy book by an author that knows how to explain his plot devices and warps genres to fit whatever he deems necessary. Wonderful characters that brought life to the world and the art within it, with beautiful descriptions that flowed wonderfully.

This book is a gothic horror/fantasy mix that is far more fantasy than horror, which kind of disappointed me. The cover and blurb seemed like it would be a full on horror read. While the book was overall written very well and kept me engaged, the character development fell a little flat so I didn't feel connected to anyone. If the author reworked this a bit and added more on the characters, it would be a great book.

Having just finished A Dash of Salt and Pepper, I was excited about receiving this ARC to review. While this was an excellent book, it took me a few chapters to adjust and open my mind to to this genre. Dark magic and horror infused with a tidbit of romance had my mind on overdrive! Nonetheless, I loved the storyline, Kosoko did great job with character development and explaining all the elements necessary to free my mind. I just needed a bit more explanation in areas that weren’t so apparent to me. I’m a romance reader at heart, but this book pulled me into places I would’ve never gone had it not been for this author. Kosoko has delivered another noteworthy installment toward his repertoire of literary genius. Thank you NetGalley, Avon Books and Harper Voyager for allowing me to experience it!

First thoughts: I don't normally read fantasy, but enjoyed this for the most part. There were a couple of typos. The cover made me think it was more horror than fantasy, and I would have enjoyed more horror elements in the end, rather than almost pure magical fantasy stuff.

Overall, this book was pretty good! I do feel like the ending got a little mushy and hard to wade through, but that just might be a me thing because I'm not a huge fantasy reader and the magic elements took over everything else pretty heavily at the end.

I think my belief that it was going to be horror was partially based on the fact that I had seen Jackson's ya book The Forest Demands It's Due floating around the library. Upon further research, I did see that Jackson writes in many genres.

I appreciated the heavy horror at the beginning, but it didn't sustain throughout the book. I love a good found family type story, and it felt like it leaned into that a bit, too.

There was almost TOO much going on this this book, overall. Almost too many little threads to tie together. It made the book feel slower paced and longer than it really was at times.

I am certain that I would read another book by this author, as their writing style is lovely. I love a descriptive book, with lots of vivid imagery, which Jackson provides throughout. I would likely enjoy their horror and romance books, as those are genres I read regularly.