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BONES OF THE YOPASI by GRAHAM MCNEILL
"Basil's eyes were drawn to the haunting glow of the light, and he felt a momentary pang of jealousy, for the one who dwelt in that strange high house was a man who lived where dreams and reality met, a liminal space between worlds."
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This was a decent step up from the previous book, Ghouls Of The Miskatonic, enough that I'd raise the rating to a 3.5 compared to the first book's 3. Bones Of The Yopasi feels much more engrained in the world of Arkham Horror, and the stakes are raised closer and closer to an end-of-the-world-by-summoned-Old-One scenario, of which will continue in the 3rd book.
The characters are more rounded this time, and Oliver Grayson is a much more likable individual. I liked the exploration of the Dreamlands, and of Kingsport and it's infamous lighthouse. I'm still uncertain as to my view on what was done with the character Silas Marsh. Perhaps I'm not up on the Arkham Horror lore enough, but there is something going on with Silas that I'm not positive was a factor in the rest of his backstory in other mediums. It's creating a confusing plot arc for him that I perhaps need to look around online for, but if that's the case is it really a good idea to force the reader to do homework? Or maybe I'm really missing something there. Unsure.
A couple things I did not like; 1, the use of The Terrible Old Man, from the similarly titled short story. Saying too much is spoiler territory, so I'll say I'm just not a fan of using that character in the way he was used here. And 2, the White Ship. A nod to Lovecraft's other works, and also a nod to earlier stories that inspired him, the White Ship itself is a neat idea, but it just screams convenience. When that scene occurred I think I actually rolled my eyes...
But I'd still recommend, especially for those with an appetite for Lovecraft and Fantasy Flight Games' Arkham Horror universe.
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