The Black Hunger

Pullen debuts with a decades-spanning, culture-intertwining work of gripping queer gothic horror. In 1921, John Sackville, the son of an earl, recounts his tale of loss and despair from within the confines of an asylum. His life story moves from turn-of-the-century England to colonial India, where John relocates with his longtime lover/manservant, Garrett, before eventually winding back to recount how, in 1870s Scotland, a woman is presumed mad for her bizarre theories about her husband’s death. Connecting these threads is the Dhaumri Karoti, an ancient and supposedly eradicated Buddhist sect who, according to legend, consume human flesh. The stakes are astronomically high, both because of the death cult and the risk involved in a queer relationship in British society. Frustratingly, the character of Garrett exists more to fulfill the lover archetype than as a fully drawn person. Still, the tension, drama, and depth of historical detail will keep readers glued to the page. With echoes of such classics as Bram Stoker’s Dracula and Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, this is an ambitious and largely successful endeavor. Agent: Natasha Mihell, Rights Factory. (Oct.)