***** Reality-Terrifying Fear and Doubt Review by: Rox Burkey
Author CW Hawes brings Special Agent Pierce Mostyn and his team to Antarctica in Book 8 to save mankind. The tale begins at the Russian station, Vostok, where the devastation is everywhere. Results of which left slime along with inhuman destruction. From the size of the borehole, the possible culprits are deep below the frozen landscape, and the Mountains of Madness are silent.
I am a fan of the fantastic Pierce Mostyn, along with his team of experts in uncatalogued creatures. These monsters live in the ice caves but are ready to rampage the world and humanity. Hawes sets up the reader with history from a fiction story that provides an intriguing consideration of the location. The hook is perfect for keeping you turning the pages.
“The novel’s based on fact?” “In a measure. The book was heavily fictionalized for the pulp magazine market. There was in fact, a Dr William Dyer, and he did lead an expedition to Antarctica in 1930. Lovecraft corresponded with Dyer. Unfortunately, the letters are lost. We’re aware of the correspondence because Lovecraft mentioned it to several of his correspondents.” “How much of Lovecraft’s book is fiction?” “That, too, we aren’t sure about. The mountain ranges and the city as mentioned by Lovecraft, are fiction. However, the Gamburtsev Mountains, which are a sub-glacial range, are just about spot on where Lovecraft quotes Dyer as giving the location of the Mountains of Madness. And the sub-glacial lake Lovecraft mentions, could correspond with Lake Vostok or another, as yet undiscovered, lake.”
The nonstop action and adventure this expert team sign up for, has a strong possibility of disaster. Failure is a death sentence. Their investigation uncovers several missteps by the Russian scientists, including disturbing the last undocumented freshwater lake below the ice. Freeing the sleeping monsters or Shoggoths is not easily undone. Only Mostyn’s team has a slight chance to win this battle. An ancient Cyclopean architected city is where they discover their enemy.
The sounds and sight of conflict brought me right into the fray. I could see, smell, and hear the Elder Things, their slaves, called Shoggoth, and the pitched battles. All the characters are complex and developed perfectly for this mission. Mostyn is a favorite, but I rooted for the various team members at different points in the story. The dialogue adds tension in the story, which never lets up until the end.
I recommend this to readers of horrors and monsters that Author Hawes creates to haunt my dreams. This story is like finding anomalies in the closet you can’t escape from. Set your time aside and plan for nonstop reading. Like all his stories, CW Hawes doesn’t let up or allow you to breathe until the surprising end. You’ll want to find out who loses.
About the Author:
CW Hawes is a multi-genre author and award-winning poet. His interests are wide-ranging, and this is reflected in his books.
He is the author of over 20 post-apocalyptic, mystery, alternative history, and horror novels and stories.
Among CW’s many interests is a love for fine food, tea, music (classical, swing, folk, and ‘50s and ‘60s pop), philosophy and mythology, art and architecture, books, history, nature, writing instruments (especially fountain pens and dip pens), airships, and steam power technology. All of these find a place in his writing.
He is married to Raihana Dewji, a graphic artist for 3M, who currently paints and draws fine art and produces book covers.
CW was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, and has sojourned in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York City, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Iowa. For thirty years, he was employed by Hennepin County in Minnesota and worked in human service. He retired in 2015 and now resides in the Houston, Texas area. You can find him online on his website, on Twitter, and on Facebook. Should you wish to email him, you can do so at cwhawes@cwhawes.com.
2 replies to "In the Shadow of the Mountains of Madness"
This sounds like an intriguing read, Rox! Thanks for sharing your thoughts on it. And how awesome to be married to a graphic designer. C.W.’s book cover is stunning!
I agree Jan, thank you for commenting.