I was told that Michael Louis Calvillo's As Fate Would Have It was a transgressive piece of horror fiction. That brings out mixed feelings in me already. I have loved some so-called transgressive horror novel, with Poppy Z. Brite's harrowing Exquisite Corpse as a excellent example of how it can be done right. I've also hated some of what I've been told is superlative transgressive horror, like Dennis Cooper's Frisk, which I thought was boring and unreadable. It's probably better to just judge a book for itself, not for what subgenre it may fall into in some people's eyes. 
I started As Fate Would Have It and almost immediately the writing style was irritating to me. I thought it was more than a little bit sloppy and that it badly needed an editor's guiding influence to it bring to a cohesive state. There was more than a little bit of cloying nudge-nudge, wink-wink cuteness to the prose. And the light tone really took away from the dark elements of the story.
And yet I continued to read. If I really don't like a book or story, I quit. I didn't in this case. In fact, I completed As Fate Would Have It in less than a twenty four hour period. That in itself is evidence that this is a compelling novel.
As I read, the story and the characters began to get under my skin. The novel deals with two principle characters. One is a murderous chef who is addicted to the taste of human flesh. The other is a woman who is addicted to heroin. Their paths meet, as fate would have it, and the results are deeply disturbing.
The tone of the book that I had originally felt was superficial built up a sense of security. But the end I no longer felt secure or in any sort of light mood.
As Fate Would Have It has laudatory praise in the forms of a Forward by John Little and an Afterword by Lisa Morton. I can't quite echo their unabashed acclaim of the book. I admire both of these writers and their work and surely they know more about the craft than I do. But I know that, as a reader, I had some problems with it. As Fate Would Have It is one hell of a book. With some work, it could be a genuine masterpiece.
Do I recommend As Fate Would Have It? Hell yes. You will not emerge from this book unaffected. And I certainly plan to look for more of Michael Louis Cavillo's work.
As Fate Would Have It is published by the good folks at Bad Moon Books.
I started As Fate Would Have It and almost immediately the writing style was irritating to me. I thought it was more than a little bit sloppy and that it badly needed an editor's guiding influence to it bring to a cohesive state. There was more than a little bit of cloying nudge-nudge, wink-wink cuteness to the prose. And the light tone really took away from the dark elements of the story.
And yet I continued to read. If I really don't like a book or story, I quit. I didn't in this case. In fact, I completed As Fate Would Have It in less than a twenty four hour period. That in itself is evidence that this is a compelling novel.
As I read, the story and the characters began to get under my skin. The novel deals with two principle characters. One is a murderous chef who is addicted to the taste of human flesh. The other is a woman who is addicted to heroin. Their paths meet, as fate would have it, and the results are deeply disturbing.
The tone of the book that I had originally felt was superficial built up a sense of security. But the end I no longer felt secure or in any sort of light mood.
As Fate Would Have It has laudatory praise in the forms of a Forward by John Little and an Afterword by Lisa Morton. I can't quite echo their unabashed acclaim of the book. I admire both of these writers and their work and surely they know more about the craft than I do. But I know that, as a reader, I had some problems with it. As Fate Would Have It is one hell of a book. With some work, it could be a genuine masterpiece.
Do I recommend As Fate Would Have It? Hell yes. You will not emerge from this book unaffected. And I certainly plan to look for more of Michael Louis Cavillo's work.
As Fate Would Have It is published by the good folks at Bad Moon Books.
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