Review: Black River Lantern by Alex Grass

A surreal carnival of horrors, Black River Lantern by Alex Grass is a genre-spanning novel of dangerous powers, cruel fathers, and the secrets that shape our lives.

The Maravicos Carnival is a legendary institution in the town of Kayjigville, but so is the temper and ambition of Papa Maravicos, who will do anything to keep the family business thriving. After escaping from his father’s never-ending cycle of abuse and pain, Eddie Maravicos is dragged back to this torturous circus, armed with the surprising new power to read minds. It doesn’t take long for his father to capitalize on this new ability, making it a main attraction, and strengthening his grip on his moneymaking progeny.

However, Eddie’s clairvoyance isn’t the only power brewing in the carnival, as Papa Maravicos’ hunger for domination and money leads him to become more monstrous than ever before. Balanced between intense family drama and a strange fantasy reminiscent of both China de Mieville and Christopher Moore, this novel is bizarre and winding, filled with surprises, betrayals, unexpected allies and moments of madness. What begins as a dark piece of whimsical fiction evolves into an epic battle of good and evil, a struggle to save souls and find freedom in the most unlikely places.

There is no lack of impressive linguistic tricks in this high-flying freak show of a story, with visceral imagery and vivid scene-painting. There is also a richness to the dialogue, with heavy accents and whimsical eccentricities, odd turns of phrase and bursts of raw excitement or anger or joy. The secondary characters that populate these pages, and occasionally narrate the story, help to shape readers’ perspective of the Maravicos men, but also flesh out the exposition and significance of the carnival setting. The whole story has the off-balance tone of a dark fairy tale, sitting on the fence of fantasy and reality, but veering sharply into dark fantasy, as readers know full well there will be nightmares to follow.

It can be a challenge to make a book simultaneously engaging, horrifying, thought-provoking and funny, but the comedic aspects of the writing are undeniable, even if the humor leans dark. Grass has the ability to find ideal moments for a good punchline or wisecrack, despite the seriousness of so many of the book’s subjects. Emotional and physical abuse, betrayals of privacy, the resentment of being used, twisted forms of love, societal rejection, and so many other themes pervade this novel, giving it high stakes and a fearless edge.

While the prose is bold and strong, the plot formation and flow can be confusing, particularly with the temporal jumps and narrator changes. There are also some sections that feel out of place, redundant, or tangential, without a clear purpose within the larger narrative. Some instances of gratuitous language or profanity also feel forced, and the emotional peaks can arrive suddenly, seemingly without enough justification earlier in the scene.

Overall, the wild cast of characters, the brilliant blend of fantastic elements, and the wisdom woven through the sharp writing make Black River Lantern a continuously riveting read.