Just finished reading Lost Gods (2016) by Brom, a book that reminds you why “dark fantasy” exists as a genre. Its a vivid, unsettling and surprisingly emotional story that drives a hook in your chest and drags you through the underworld, while somehow making you care about every grimy, grotesque detail that hits you along the way.
Brom’s background as an artist is evident every page. His worlds aren't just described; they are painted in the mind full of broken gods, forsaken cities and landscapes that feel alive. The included illustrations only deepen that immersion, giving the whole book a tactile, visual power that’s rare in modern fantasy.
The plot follows a young man’s desperate journey through purgatory to save his wife and unborn child, a straightforward quest, intricately woven with rich mythology and profound moral tension. The line between horror and beauty blurs so completely that one often becomes the other, punctuated by Brom striking a haunting emotional note that lingers well after a chapter ends.
The book has a great, eventful, fast-paced first and third act which might make the slightly slow middle feel out of place in comparison, but thats just nitpicking a novel this visually and thematically ambitious. To convey the experience in terms of cinema, imagine Pan’s Labyrinth’s tragic poetry, Constantine’s hellish grit, What Dreams May Come’s emotional quest and Hellblazer's nonchalance all fused together.
Pick it up if you’re in the mood for a fantasy that’s equal parts brutal and beautiful, with world-building so vivid it feels like a descent into a realm suspended between myth and memory.
8/10
by Zehreelakomdareturns