Leanne Olson

by Felix Blackwell, audiobook narrated by Curt Bonnem

Releasing February 14, 2023 from Tantor Audio

In the Devil’s Dreams is a dark, thoughtful set of interconnected stories that examine trauma and the darkness (and kindness) of humanity through a tale of demons, terror, and mythological figures.

The novel begins with a professor returning to his childhood home to find a monster waiting for him. The beast knows him and doesn’t seem inclined to kill him. 

At first, I thought it was a fairly straightforward demon story, but the novel soon switches. The story is told in first person, through different protagonists of the smaller stories within the book. Each of the people we meet have their own monsters and are interconnected.

It’s hard to discuss this book without spoiling it and taking away from the experience of reading it. I don’t even want to say what it’s really about, which is making this an awkward review!

In the Devil’s Dreams for a surreal read at times, and I did find it difficult connecting with the individual characters.  However, I liked Blackwell’s thematic goals and the slow revelations throughout. The slow-building horror worked well and there’s some truly dark imagery in places.  

At the end, I think the story’s point was overexplained a bit (I’d rather figure out the symbolism on my own), but that will vary by reader.  

Narrator Curt Bonnem does a fantastic job with the audibook.  He has a straightforward way of speaking that drew me in immediately, like a storyteller reading in the dark.  He doesn’t overact and he captures both the dark humour of the book (I loved his creature noises) and the heartbreaking aspects of the horror.

I’m going to be thinking about this one for a while, and I love it when I read a book like that.  Although there was some awkwardness, I like that Blackwell took chances. I think the audio version is especially worth checking out and adds to the experience of reading.

🌟🌟🌟🌟

Thank you to NetGalley and Tantor Audio for my review copy of this audiobook.