I'm going to set this one aside at 28%.

Honestly, I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around what's actually happening in this book.

Lark and Betsy are brother and sister and both are artists. He a famous one and she a recluse who doesn't leave the house. When Lark sets out to deliver one of his sculptures to a mysterious wealthy family he is informed by this man, with video evidence, that they have taken Betsy and unless he can recreate The Insomniak she will not be returned or worse even, killed.

There are long passages discussing art that I'm completely clueless about and which seemed to go on and on but when the narrative shifts to a ghost residing in the hangar where Betsy is brought I was starting to really get into it. However, once we returned to Lark and Betsy's storyline I lost interest again. What Betsy's artwork actually is I'm unable to even comprehend.

Admittedly I'm giving up early so the pay off in the end may be well worth your time if you're a more patient reader than I.

I will say that Andy Marino is an excellent writer, intelligent and creative, and I'm excited to see what kind of story he can spin next. This one just wasn't for me this time around.

Stunningly grotesque and visionary, It Rides a Pale Horse is the case where style over substance (almost) works — the most direct comparison I come up with is a fusion between the movie The Cell with Jennifer Lopez, and the visual work of Junji Ito. If you're interested in fiction taking the unconventional route, and pushing ideas to their utmost limit, you'll find plenty to enjoy here.

On the flip side, I can also foresee readers finding its quirks overwhelming. With things going batshit crazy from the get go, the story can be a little groundless, and this lack of internal logic can result in subsequent events coming across as arbitrary (even if as individual scenes they are beautifully put together). It Rides a Pale Horse is also filled with sarcastic characters, almost to a fault; everyone can blurt out funny comebacks, and everyone has made at least one biting remarks during a traumatizing situation. Sometimes they work as intended, adding levity between moments of horror, while in others I wish I can see the characters behaving less aloof, and more involved emotionally in their situation.

Just like the Tarsem Singh movie mentioned earlier, If you removed the 'packaging' (beautiful writing, inventive gores, commentary on the power of art/artist, etc.), the actual 'plot' of It Rides a Pale Horse is very thin, and leaves some fundamental questions unanswered. While it does add to the overall fever dream atmosphere, I do wish by the end I would have a firmer grasp on what exactly happened in the past 300+ pages.

Even though my overall reading experience wasn't stellar, It Rides a Pale Horse will for sure leave an impression; it has tons of jaw-dropping scenes (inspiring and gross in equal measure), and a concept I rarely come across in horror (the act of art-making = power to summon). I would definitely give it a try if you're already curious — just be open-minded thatt might not be what you're expecting.

One of the most original horror novels I’ve read, It Rides A Pale Horse delivers the goods and more.

Lark is an artist living in upstate NY with his sister Betsy, a painter with strange artistic talents. As Lark is delivering his new sculpture to an unknown buyer, he’s shown a video of his sister being kidnapped. Lark is informed that, in order to save his sister’s life, he must crate a sculpture in three phases based on an 18th century psalter. As he progresses unwillingly with this piece, strange things begin to occur in his town, and the events form the core of the book, leading to an unexpected conclusion.

Well plotted and paced, with characters that are alive and that I cared for, It Rides A Pale Horse is unique, well written and an incredible addition to horror literature.

My thanks to Redhook and to Netgalley for providing an ARC of this fabulous book.

I'm disappointed to say that despite the synopsis sounding amazing, I just could not get into nor did I enjoy It Rides a Pale Horse.

An exciting and original addition to the horror genre. A recommended purchase for collections where the genre is popular

A horror lovers blood soaked dream! 5 stars!! Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Peter Lark, known as Lark to his friends, sells his most recent sculpture to an unknown buyer. He is ecstatic about these funds as it expands his horizons and allows him to continue providing for his sister, Beauty. Betsy is a painter; with her paintings comes the ability to transform reality around her, making her a pariah in the local town. When Lark is contacted by his most recent buyer through an employee of theirs, he is asked to follow instructions from an ancient book detailing horrific sculptures. When Lark declines, the employee shows him pictures of a kidnapped Betsy, only to be released if he accomplishes the three parts of these sculptures. Not having any other option, Lark begins his work, but what will it cost him? His soul? His sister? Or the world?

Man, excellent horror is hard to come by, but horror with a phenomenal plot as well is pretty much unheard of(Sorry, not sorry Stephen King!). Andy Morino has woven both together, stitched up like Frankenstein's monster, tearing it's way through this world. These characters are flawed, but not broken like so many horror mains, and the way Betsy's power manifests is just *chef's kiss*. This is gory, it's gritty, and it great. I couldn't look away as the gore ensued.

Five severed heads....uh...I mean...stars for It Rides a Pale Horse. This is definitely an adult book, so recommended for readers 16+ who can stomach lots of graphic gore. Recommended for those who love stories like Hellraiser.

A new Marino book! Yes! Yes! Yes!
It Rides a Pale Horse by Andy Marino was very much an entertaining read.

I enjoyed The Seven Visitations of Sydney Burgess, so I was extra excited to read new novel from him.

I was completely consumed with every word written on these pages. The writing style was amazing.
The story was twisted and sinister. surprising, intense and compelling.
The characters were betrayed perfectly and I really, really liked this book.
And the ending, completely shocked me!

“I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

Redhook,
Thank you for your generosity and gifting a copy of this approved eARC!

This book is one of my most anticipated releases of this year. I am so overjoyed and grateful that I was granted early access to read it.

While I read a bunch of different genres, horror is my preferred and my favourite.

Off the bat, the writing style is immersive and engaging. I grew up reading Stephen King novels, this book seems to invoke the same flow and feelings from King’s older works. Very atmospheric and immersive.

The characters were fleshed out very well, and each had their own voice and personality. I really enjoyed their development as the plot progressed.

I absolutely cannot wait until I can get my hands on a physical copy.

DNF - The fact that I was not able to finish this book has nothing to do with the quality of the work. I was thrilled to have access to this title but, ultimately, I was not able to immerse myself in the subject matter. I found many of the descriptions to walk in circles, particularly those that dealt with Betsy's special artist's gift. However, I admit that this might have plainly been revealed later in the book. I'm sure this is a wonderful story - based solely on reviews, many people seem to think so - but, it was simply not for me.