Book Review: "The Eater of Gods" by Dan Franklin (2022)
The Eater of Gods Book Review
Written by Stuart D. Monroe
Published by Cemetery Dance Publications
Written by Dan Franklin
2022, 150 pages, Fiction
Released in Spring 2022
Review:
Many of us dreamed of being archaeologists when we were kids. This is especially true of the Indiana Jones / Tomb Raider generations; it just looked like the coolest thing you could possibly do for a living. As for me? It was not a dream of mine, and Dan Franklin has put together a novella that shows exactly why in stark detail. Maybe it was strange for a kid with an otherwise adventurous imagination to draw the line at Egyptian tombs, but the concept of the ancient curse combined with the sacrilege of violating a sealed tomb just seemed a bad idea to me.
Eater of the Gods is the story of Norman Haas, a grieving widower and decorated professor of Egyptology. His late wife, Clara, spent her life searching for the tomb of Kiya, the lost queen of Akhenaten, a blasphemer who was erased from Egyptian history. Piercing the tomb in war-torn Libya, Norman and his research team are baffled by what they find. Before they have a chance to make sense of their findings, they are sealed into a pitch black world of horror and ancient fury. This is no ordinary tomb, however, and the dead aren’t the only thing Norman will find in the lightless maze of Kiya-Aten.
Dan Franklin debuts with a novella that keeps a brisk pace, peppered with horrifying realizations, deeper darkness, and a heartfelt commentary on grieving that makes Norman one of the more enjoyable protagonists of recent years. He also validates my feelings about being perfectly comfortable leaving the glorified graverobbing to others, if I’m being honest. And I thank him for that!
Seriously, though…Eater of the Gods is an auspicious debut. The horror comes in twists and turns both large and small. It’s also true archaeological horror, providing moments that are more discovery than simple random tragedy. The very premise that the story is founded upon turns on its ear around the halfway mark, and you can feel as a reader that you’re about as lost as Norman is. The end result is a story that screws up your evening in the best way possible.
The supporting cast doesn’t get anywhere near the characterization that Norman does, but that’s okay. This is Norman’s show (even if he doesn’t feel it should be). They’re all solid characters that play their parts well. I was particularly fond of Charlie, the gorgeous and spunky prodigy, as well as the security detail, Sieber (my brain sees him played by Nick Offerman).
That’s part of the issue with this book: Dan Franklin has a bit of George R.R. Martin in him. If you like a character, that’s pretty much a guarantee that you’re about to watch them suffer. He’s quite adept at lining up characters you like and then depriving you of them forevermore. Fair warning.
Eater of the Gods delivers an ending that’s an allegory of the grieving process. It also happens to be quite tender and beautiful, and I was not entirely prepared for that. The mirroring of Norman’s experience with Clara and what is happening to Kiya is a humming current throughout, and the payoff is rather sublime. It’s a strong, subversive finish that’s also sweet and poignant.
I’m still staying away from ancient underground labyrinths…but that’s just me.
Grade:
4.0 out of 5.0 stars
