Funny enough, I received this eARC not knowing it was a sequel. I read both of these novellas in a day. While book one was the favorite of the two, Cathedral of the Drowned was still quite entertaining. The cosmic aspect of the spiders and other moon creatures was fun to explore but what really intrigued me in book one was the mental health aspect and how much time we spent on the moon. I wasn't a fan of the drug/mafia focus in this book as it took away from the what made book one so special. Also, there was an unnecessary rape scene that felt out of place and added nothing to the story.

I am interested to see how the trilogy wraps up.

Another weird delving into Ballingrud’s strange and horrifying world. This entry trends to more immediate violence as opposed to the build in the first. The series is unique and beautiful and I’m eagerly anticipating the next entry.

This book was excellent. It was similarly written to 'Crypt of the Moon Spider' in that wonderfully weird and unsettling way, though this has more of an almost noir atmosphere at times.

Everything feels a bit grim and gritty but still quite surreal, while the descriptive prose brings the bizarre alien environments to life. There is a distinctly vivid and visual storytelling style that I love with both of the books in this series.

If you want something strange and horrific with a classic pulp feel, then you definitely need to read this book. I can't wait for the final part of the trilogy. 4.5⭐️

Thanks to Tor Publishing Group | Tor Nightfire for providing this book for review consideration via Netgalley.

Disclosure Statement: I received an ARC of this book from the publisher. My opinions and thoughts are authentically my own and have not been influenced in any way by either author or publisher.

The Lunar Gothic novellas are some of the weirdest shit I've ever read, but they are astonishingly good. Whereas I felt like Crypt of the Moon Spider was almost surrealist, focused on struggles of agency and authority, Cathedral of the Drowned feels like a deep, character-driven exploration of the psychology of being. The book looks at three major characters specifically in an effort to break apart who they are and what drives them.

If the first novella introduced some psychological horrors, this second one deepens that overarching theme, focusing in tightly on issues of consciousness, of bodies and reflections, on projections and reflections of self, and issues of the war between desire and reality. The book is a torrent of oppositions, push and pull, desire and satisfaction, culminating in a splash finale that makes me hunger for the conclusion to this trilogy.

I still hunger for more of this setting, and definitely more of what Ballingrud seems to be on the hunt to explore, but just as I loved the first novella, this second chapter has a ton to offer for close readers and pulp enthusiasts alike. I love this series.

This was not for me. It somehow had too much going on for such a short book, and could have used some more revision. In addition to that, I had to suspend my disbelief way further than what was necessary for a book that is very strict about being set in the 1930s. I'd have believed it more if it had a similar retro-futuristic setting the way that Fantastic Four does, or even The Jetsons, but being so stuck in the 30s really impacted how I was able to view the narrative.

I am only mildly interested in the third book, in like a bad syfy movie sort of way where I know it's going to be bad, but there's a niche somewhere for it.

It's been almost a year since I read "Crypt of the Moon Spider", so I was excited to learn it was the beginning of a series when I saw this title on Netgalley. I appreciated the quick reminders of who was who from the first novella, and I enjoyed getting to know the new character Maggie. The imagery in this series is superb but something about the cathedral ship on Io just ticked all the boxes for me. I am excited for this book to officially come out if only to see the fanart. I'm excited to see where the story goes next!

I am not okay. Will be recommending this series and the author is one to watch.. thank you to NetGalley and the publisher.

This book was such a ride. I accidentally received this without realizing it was a sequel. I went to work getting book one on KU and spent the weekend with that and the sequel. Everything from the first is ratcheted up in this one and it really does open more of that lore. If you have issues with spiders or creepy crawlers this will not be a good one for you but it’s a great time for us horror lovers and I am excited for the third book!

“I am of the loam.”

The second book in Ballingrud’s Lunar Gothic Trilogy was everything I didn’t know I needed. I vividly remember finishing book one and not being able to go to sleep that night. Cathedral of the Drowned delivered that same creeping horror, but really expanded the universe of the moon spiders to a scale that is hard to fathom.

Every POV in this story was shocking and hard to read at times but I couldn’t stop. Between the Earth, the moon, and Io, I don’t know which was a scarier place to be. I would definitely recommend reading Crypt Of The Moon Spider first, and even giving yourself a refresher on it if you have read it already. Going into this book blind is ~possible~ but you definitely won’t get as much out of it that way.

I finally got to The Strange by this author earlier this year and will 100% be stalking the rest of his backlist ASAP. His scifi elements are perfect and the weird horror really works for me as well. Check out this trilogy if you love spiders, body horror, space, and goo!

**Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for the eARC of this creepy a$$ title!**

"Thrilling and haunting in equal measure. Cathedral of the Drowned is a noir-tinged phantasmagoria. Ballingrud writes with purposeful lyricism: a hybrid that is at once gothic and period piece. The result is a Stygian black reinvention of the genre that, when it waxes into its power as a period piece, is where it truly shines." — Sofia Ajram, author of the Bram Stoker Award-nominated novella, Coup de Grâce

Crypt of the Moon Spider split the difference between horror and weird. Cathedral of the Damned will still make your stomach turn, but leans more heavily into the strangeness than the pure terror of its predecessor, and the story arc is elevated as a result.

Most of book one was spent at the psych ward on the Moon. In this packed sequel, more time is allotted to Earth (specifically a racial turf war in late 1920’s Brooklyn) as well as new setting — a partially submerged gothic Cathedral ship that landed just offshore on one of Jupiter’s moons, rich with volcanoes, jungles, and terrifying creatures of the deep.

The author paints a menacing picture of the many types of monsters in the story, be it environmental, alien, or human. The pages reek of dread as they fly by, an impressive mix of violent gang warfare, twisted science experiments, and arachnid-fueled horror — all presented with tight, evocative prose and excellent pacing.

It’s going to be a long wait for the next entry.

Crypt of the Moon Spider was an unexpected favorite for me last year, and the follow up did not disappoint.

I enjoyed the split perspectives of what was happening with Charlie vs what was happening on Earth and think it was done really well considering how short it was. Delightfully creepy, can't wait for the third installment!

this book is so weird but so was the first one so that was exactly what I was expecting. I really enjoyed the first book so I was looking forward to this and I was not disappointed. This one was just as weird and creepy as the first. I can't wait for the last book in the series!

Blog link goes live Oct 21st
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Amazon and Barnes & Noble reviews will go when available
Youtube review should be up in Friday Reads on July 25th


**TL;DR**: Wonderful with one big icky
**Source**: NetGalley - Thank you to the publisher!!

**Plot**: Veronica’s revenge! This is one you definitely need to read the first book first.
**Characters**: This one focuses in on Doctor Cull, Charlie, and a new female character. I didn’t expect to enjoy our two men from book one but I really did.
**Setting:** There is less Moon time here and more Earth/Jupiter time. The Jupiter setting more than made up for this.
**Horror:** All the creepy crawlers you could want and we really get more of the space horror which is deeply exciting.
****

**Thoughts:**

This was going to be a 5 star read. In fact, if we could have removed one scene from this book it would still be a 5 star, new favorite read. We have creepy crawlers, giant space spiders, a moon full of webs, space horror, and then Io and the goodies there! So much of what this had is things I love. Unfortunately one scene did leave a bad taste in my mouth.

My one and only complaint about this is the on page rape scene. I don’t care who is getting violated, and in this case it is a man, it’s still a rape. So while I can maybe stretch my imagination to see why the argument could be had for this, I still think if we completely lifted the scene from the book it wouldn’t have been missed. It seemed to come from no where, and added very little to nothing to the characters of those involved. Could there be some repercussions in book three? Maybe. Would there have been a better way to reach whatever those were? Yes, probably.

These sort of things happen in real life, and I’m not for completely washing our literature free of everything I find uncomfortable or distasteful, but I want it to have meaning and substance. This felt like it was there to shock. The rest of this novella is fantastic. It’s filled with horror, intrigue, gore, everything you could want. Yet we still had to push to something that’s not useful to the narrative. I’m very disappointed to say the least. I will continue! I can’t tell you how much I loved the rest of this! But wow, do I wish that one/two page scene never existed.

In this sequel to Crypt of the Moon Spider, we focus on the two halves of Charlie Duchamp. One part of him is a brain in a jar, stranded on Jupiter’s jungle moon Io, who just wants to go home. The other, more murderous half of him, is left behind at Barrowfield Home on Earth’s moon and is a repeat host to the eggs of the Moon Spider.

There was a lot to unpack in this novella. This story was unique and amazingly written while also being incredibly atmospheric - all makings of a fantastic sci-fi horror story. I fell in love with Crypt of the Moon Spider for the ease in which Ballingrud shaped such a unique sci-fi world set in the 1920s. Everything felt so natural and common, that I never once questioned anything crazy that was happening, which is good, since this book continued those themes and upped the crazy.

I loved the gangster themes and enjoyed learning more about Maggie in this novella. Although I wish Veronica made a bigger appearance. But it is clear to me that this story is aligning all the stars in place for the final book and I can feel that the final installment is going to be a show stopping finale.

Overall, this made for a quick and entertaining read. I did enjoy the identity themes laced throughout this one, but as a whole, I personally enjoyed the first book more. The final book is set to release in 2026, and I can’t wait to see how Ballingrud finishes this series!

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Tor Publishing Group/Tor Nightfire, and Nathan Ballingrud for the eARC of the second book of The Lunar Gothic Trilogy in exchange for my honest review!

This second novella in Ballingrud’s Lunar Gothic Trilogy picks up right after the bizarre events of CRYPT OF THE MOON SPIDER, as Dr. Cull joins forces with a brutal woman gangster named Maggie. She brings some intense violence to this surreal take on monsters, the mob, and the strangest substance in the universe.

Taking place between one of Jupiter’s moons, Earth’s moon, and Brooklyn in the early 1920s, we follow characters from the first novella albeit in altered forms, which adds to the series’ overall weirdness. Charlie/Grub’s dual personality is highlighted, which comes to a head in the thrilling, brilliantly written (and lengthy) sixth chapter. The Irish vs. Sicilian mob story briefly pulls readers back into reality, but things here are never fully what they seem.

There are a lot of things happening here, so new comers are urged to read the first installment before venturing into this trippy, grotesque, multi-genre series. The finale here is as horrifying as it gets, yet oddly beautiful, and the descriptions of alien-like creatures will fuel nightmares.

The final chapter can’t get here fast enough.

Such a fantastic sequel to Crypt of the Moon Spider. I think one thing I’m loving about this series is that even though the most front and center aspect are spiders in people’s brains, both main characters have this aspect of being empathetic in a world that punishes that and I’m fascinated to see whether there will be any triumph in that direction when the trilogy ends… it’s so horrific with the awful people who have power plus the cosmic beings that are somehow connected to gargantuan vermin — we get a centipede, The Bishop, in this one — but there’s also been a weird thread of maybe finding home or self or something…? It’s hard to explain without spoilers so I do need someone to read these and debate them with me! The universe building is incredibly compelling and I can’t even guess what’s going to be revealed next. But it will be something big! And possibly with too many legs. At any rate, a creepy, moving, and sometimes gross good time!

I actually liked this a lot more than Crypt of the Moon Spider. I did enjoy that book too, but I was expecting something a lot different than what it was. Knowing that this is more sci-fi gangster book than straight up horror really helped me enjoy it more. I think the only gripes I have with it are things that are just gonna happen with novellas sometimes since they're so short. Like, I got a little confused a few times because things happen so fast and there were a few parts that I wish I could have spent more time with. Wanting more of something is usually a good sign that what is there is super fun, though. The imagery in particular is super cool with the creepy cathedral spaceships and teleporting assassins and everything. I actually think this would make a really neat graphic novel. I have no idea where it's going to go in the final book, but I'm definitely going to be on the lookout for that. Thanks for the ARC! I enjoyed this quite a bit!

Book two in the spider and madness driven Lunar Gothic Trilogy

The Strange (2023) was an eye catching introduction to the weird fiction of Nathan Ballingrud, which was one of my favourite novels of 2023, featuring in my annual Horror DNA Top Ten, an unsettling science fiction tale set on the desolate dustbowl of Mars. This fascinating author is particularly well known for his short stories, brought together in the collections North American Lake Monsters (2013, also recently rereleased in the UK by top indie publisher Dead Ink) and Wounds (2019).

In 2007 his short story ‘The Monsters of Heaven’ won the prestigious Shirley Jackson Award, later securing a second Jackson gong in 2013 for North American Lake Monsters. Ballingrud’s widely admired weird fiction has also been nominated for numerous other top prizes, including the Bram Stoker, the World Fantasy Award and the British Fantasy Award.

After The Strange Ballingrud returned to novella length fiction with Crypt of the Moon Spider, which was highly commended in my 2024 annual Horror DNA best of list. This is the first in his Lunar Gothic Trilogy, with Cathedral of the Drowned being a direct continuation. These are bizarre books, even by Ballingrud’s exulted standards of weirdness, which should be read in the correct order, and even doing so is no guarantee the books will be understood. They are confusing, jarring, and hallucinogenic, with Crypt of the Spider Moon being a significantly stronger read. From what I understood of Cathedral of the Drowned the plot is as flimsy as it is incoherent, feeling akin to a middle section of a longer work.

The Crypt of the Spider Moon is set in an alternative version of 1923 at the Barrowfield Home for Treatment of the Melancholy where Veronica is treated by Dr Barrington Cull, a medical practitioner known for his invasive and successful treatments which have been widely lauded. A key part of the treatment involves inserting a certain type of spiderweb into the brain, which originates with a long dead giant spider which once lived on the moon. Even though the spider has been dead for years, it still has followers who worship it like a god.

Little background is given to this version of 1923 and this continues in Cathedral of the Drowned. Many of the characters from the first novella return with the initial stages involving a plot to return to the moon, following the chaos of what happened at the wild conclusion of the first story. This opening section drags, with the narrative picking up when the story moves elsewhere and we catch up with Charlie Duchamp and the strengthening spiders.

Finding out more about the dangerous cult which follows the spiders was interesting, but overall I found this novella underwhelming and just too confusing. It lacks the freshness of the original and even the introduction of new monstrosities, such as a giant centipede, ‘The Bishop,’ failed to add spark. As with Crypt of the Spider Moon, this was a violent book with deeply grotesque imagery and body horror, if you think spiders are gross, definitely avoid Cathedral of the Drowned. Many of the features which made the original so endearing in the original return here, but they fail to click in the same way in a story which never really gets going.

I read Crypt of the Moon Spider earlier this year and it is still one of my favorite reads of the year so far! I am so excited to be able to read Cathedral of the Drowned early.

This sequel proves to be as weird, unsettling, gory, and disorienting as the first book. We visit characters from the last story but they’re in new forms. We see new locations of moon and experience its creepiness all over again.

We also have a new story-line happening on Earth. While these parts weren’t as unusual or mind-bending as the scenes on the moon, it added an interesting perspective to the story. I’m interested to see where it goes in the third book.

Overall, this was still dark and bizarre- just what I wanted from it!