To clarify, this book is an uncorrected proof copy so I will forgive any errors that were contained within.

From the outset, I found the book to be beautifully written. The author has a fantastic turn of phrase and the book is littered with interesting and fresh metaphors. There are two main storylines running through the book, alternating back and forth between the two. One set in France during WW1 and the other detailing pivotal moments in Tacit's past. I must admit that I found the flashbacks a little predictable. I sussed that portion out well before it resolved itself. The main storyline I found to be exciting and interesting, but again I found myself guessing as to the ending. As before, I was little disappointed to find that I had been correct in my musings.

Despite predicting the endings of both timelines, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I look forward to the next installment and I wish Tarn Richardson every success.

( )

This story is suspenseful, dark, and bloody. World War I is raging in France....trench warfare, dying soldiers, brutality. ravaged bodies. It's a time of violence and fear. But something else is lurking....something much more dangerous. A creature that kills brutally and without remorse. When a priest is murdered, the Vatican sends an Inquisitor to investigate. He discovers a conspiracy....a secret so dark that it might just threaten humanity itself.

This story is well-written and amazingly suspenseful. But, it is not for the faint of heart. It's bloody and has moments of extreme violence. A mix of alternate history, monster tale, and a War story, this book pulls no punches. War is hell. Battling a creature with no fear or remorse is violent. And the Catholic church hides secrets of all sorts. If any of those things bother you.....best to pass this one by.

I don't normally review a book more than a year ahead of publication date, but my review copy of this book was set to archive so fast, that I was forced to get it read and reviewed way ahead of schedule. Because the book was already published previously, I went ahead and reviewed it now.

The Damned is the first book in the Darkest Hand Trilogy. I'm very interested where this story is going to go next. This first installation in the trilogy was quite good! I will definitely read the other books in this series.

**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from RedDoor Publishing via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.** ( )

Please note that I received this book via NetGalley. This did not affect my rating or review.

Not much to say about this besides this was not a book for me. It dragged. Endlessly. I stopped and started this thing about a dozen times and finally finished it because I got tired of seeing it on my NetGalley dashboard. It's a horror novel set during World War I that had way too much dialogue. I mean to the point that I went, please shut up. All of you. Also I feel like I have seen this book played out via movies before. I think at one point I started Googling things and then realized it didn't matter cause I just didn't like this book. It also appears to have been updated and re-released every year according to Goodreads which to me was another bad sign that I wish I had known about before clicking on the damn request button. Mental note, in 2020 I am going to research books before getting click happy on NetGalley.

"The Damned" is the first book in "The Darkest Hand" trilogy. Taking place in 1914 in the city of Arras, a priest is murdered. The Catholic Inquisition (I guess they are still a thing at this point, no, I am not looking that up to see if that's true or just literary license) sends one of their inquisitors, Poldek Tacit (seriously that name was hilariously awful) to investigate. While this is going on with Poldek (seriously, that name sucks) trying to investigate, British and German forces are fighting across No Man's Land.

I don't even know what to say here. Poldek is found by the Church after he is found holding on to his mother who was murdered and raped. So yeah, we are still using the rape and death of a woman to "mold" men. Cause if women were not there to develop men what good are we? Can we stop doing this in 2020? I would love it. Thank you.

There's also another character named Sandrine who is trying to get a soldier (British) Henry to leave the area. Yeah it sounds like I just got booted into another book there didn't it? This is the whole freaking book. A lot of stuff happening that doesn't seem connected that drags on forever.

The writing was so so and the flow was awful. It takes too long to get to the whole who are the damned thing and of course I guessed at it because I have read horror books before. I don't mind if books revel in cliches, but at least make it worth my time.

The setting of the book as I said above is during World War I. There was so much information being thrown at me I just wanted to scream at some point. I am not one of those people who love to read endless books or watch movies about World War I or World War II. Also every time I read "No Man's Land" I kept thinking of the Wonder Woman scene depicting that place and then started to wish I was just watching that movie all over again (though the third act is a mess).

I have zero intention of reading books number 2 or 3. ( )

Firstly, I have to say that I think the publishers have done an amazing job with the covers of the books in this trilogy. I know we readers never judge a book by its cover but we still appreciate a thing of beauty and there's something so very eye-catching yet ominous about the beautiful cover of The Damned.

I am a huge fan of historical fiction and I do like a bit of supernatural now and again so The Damned ticked both of these boxes for me. Set during the start of World War I, with flashbacks to the late 19th Century, the main character is a dark, brooding and mysterious Inquisitor named Poldek Tacit. Tacit is sent to Arras to investigate the mysterious death of a priest who is brutally murdered inside his church. Sister Isabella is simultaneously sent to Arras seemingly to assist Tacit, but with the real task of assessing his faith. I loved the pairing of these two characters, they work so well together with Isabella's feminine wiles and Tacit's quick-wittedness.

Tacit is used to dealing with the supernatural so there isn't much that will shock or concern him, but what he encounters in Arras and Fampoux is certainly more than he bargained for. Not only does he have to deal with a huge pack of damned souls, but there is a greater conspiracy afoot; one that plans to undermine the church on the world stage as the cathedral of Notre Dame prepares to host A Mass for Peace. The clock is ticking and time is running out for Tacit and Isabella to prevent what is sure to be irreparable damage to the church.

With the church wielding so much power and conspiracies aplenty, I can see why The Damned would appeal to fans of Dan Brown, but the supernatural element adds something that Stephen King would wish he'd written. It doesn't stray too much into the fantasy genre, merely dipping a toe (or a claw) into the supernatural, but it adds such an imaginative layer to the story that even purists could start to believe in the impossible.

One thing that I did struggle with slightly was the flicking back and forth through time periods over very short chapters. One minute I was reading the story in 1914 and literally one or two minutes later I was back again in 1914 after a brief sojourn to the 1890's. Once I got into the rhythm of the book, it didn't bother me so much but it did take a bit of getting used to and the flashbacks are imperative to understand how and why Tacit got to where he is now.

The Damned is an amazing start to The Darkest Hand Trilogy; although a very satisfyingly fully wrapped up story in its own right, it certainly left me wanting more. Dan Brown meets Stephen King in this gripping and downright scary historical fantasy fiction novel. It's a recommended read from me but if you're not sure whether it's your cup of tea, download the free prequel from Amazon here.

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion. ( )

The Damned is a historical/ fantasy fiction hybrid novel set in France during the First World War. After a savage attack on priest in the small village of Arras, the Catholic Church appoints Poldek Tacit, an alcoholic, rugged Inquisitor to investigate the death. Since the upper echelons inside the church have doubts about Poldek, they appoint Sister Isabella to assist Poldek in his investigation, and for her to report back on his behavior. Early suspicions in the attack point the finger at Hombre Loco aka the Werewolf. Poldek has suspicions that while the attack is ferocious in nature it is also controlled to a single victim, unheard of with Werewolves. Werewolves in their true nature are one of the oldest enemies of the Catholic Church, and since the Catholic Church also created them with brutal rituals, their existence is a protected secret. So if a werewolf is afoot in Arras, Poldek must find it.

I will admit that I was somewhat uncertain where the storyline was going when I first started reading this story. There is a lot at play early on with a war waging on the French front, and a hunt for a possible werewolf at play, but it all comes together in the end. The story is ripe with vivid, descriptive imagery, and a diverse group of characters who range widely across the spectrum. I was a little sad with where our hero ends up at the end of the story, but considering this is a trilogy, it will likely not be the end for him. I would be interested in reading the rest of the books in the series. Thank you Netgalley for the advanced galley. ( )