The Ballad of Black Tom

Now THAT is what I wanted out of a Halloween read. As I gather this is a response to the racism rampant in an HP Lovecraft novella, it's not a surprise that there are strong themes of racism, xenophobia, alienation and the abuse of power. You get a sweeping sense of dark power, bloody vengeance, tempered by the inevitable lesson that revenge is always destructive, to all involved. Impressive how a strong a vision of a particular time, place and fantasy elements is built into a world in such a short book. I was invested in and worried for Tommy immediately, as much as I hoped his rapscallion hustling might provide a better future rather than more trouble. LaValle ensures you feel Tommy's loss, and understand his choice that leads down a grimmer path. The switch to Malone's perspective was a little jarring, but it does make the climax that much more intense, and adds to the mystery in how much you don't see the minutiae of how Tommy became Black Tom and his first evil/morally gray deeds. The implication that his work to summon the Sleeping King explains our present day struggle with climate change is the cherry on top. The writing overall is superb. Definitely need to pick up more horror from this author.