Another day, another audiobook finished.

This time we have CT Phipps’ homage to HP Lovecraft, and we runs the gamut through much of HPL’s more popular stories, tying it all together nicely along the way.

The Old Ones have returned and laid waste to the earth, leaving a planet greatly changed from the one we know. Much of the earth is a poisoned wasteland, haunted by mutants and many HPL fiends. Pockets of humanity still survive, living in cities dotted throughout the land, but mostly isolated from each other. 

John Henry Booth, through whose eyes we see the evens unfold, is a ranger and traditional CT Phipps anti-hero. He’s grizzled, cynical and brave, and about to get put through the ringer.

John is a ranger, living in The Remnant, the biggest stronghold of humanity left (in their opinion). His job is to protect the city from the critters that roam outside the walls, and he’s good at his job. On a mission to take out a group of slavers, Booth gets injured and his team wiped out when they enter a strange temple they find in the desert. Booth wakes up strapped to a bed back in the Remnant, and it all goes (further) downhill from here.

This is one of the author’s works, and there’s a less of the humour and pop culture than his later books. Funnily, those few references heard are usually met with confusion from the characters, who have little knowledge of pre-apocalyptic days. As for Lovecraft references, this obviously has them in spades, with the Necronomicon, Cthulhu, Nyharlotep and more making appearances in one way or another. As for others, there are buildings named after characters, gaunts from the Dreamquest and so forth. In a word something for everyone. Except Cats of Ulthar fans. But there is a sequel.

I think this is my favourite of CT Phipp’s books so far (and I’ve read/heard a lot). It’s less jokey (not necessarily a bad thing), more gallows humour than Tarantino gangster banter, and you can sense the author’s love and knowledge of HPL at ever juncture. Finally, it’s just a good story about humanity fighting on against impossible odds, and it ends on a great note. Oh yeah, and the narrator was terrific.

5/5 stars.