I just finished reading By the Light of His Lantern. And, as I sit here in sort of a stunned silence, my mind is lost in admiration of the things I’ve been reading for the past week or two (yes, I’m a slow, but thorough reader). Abe Moss has a hell of a way with words; a hell of a way with detail too. His ability to make his characters—virtually all of them—so alive and real is so profound and so remarkable that I’m in awe of his talent. I thought I was the only one, for example, who was weird enough to ponder the things I observe in different people at different times, the only one to odd enough to wonder what someone is thinking about or motivated by in this situation or that. Mr. Moss is clearly a keen student of life and of people. One of the great differences between he and I, however, is that whereas I can’t begin to articulate how I feel about my observations and thoughts, he is. And man, is he ever.
By the Light of His Lantern isn’t just a horror novel, though. It’s a beautifully-crafted look into the lives of others; into the minds and hearts of people like all of us but in exquisite and sometimes painful detail. Within its pages you’ll find poignant and powerful trauma and emotion, healing and forgiveness, searching and finding, and of course, plenty of horror. This author writes not just what is happening, but what the characters are really feeling and going through, changing what would be just a really good novel and narrative into something far greater than the sum of its parts.
I came to love, hate, feel sorry for and to despise all of the people (and creatures) I encountered within this novel’s pages. I silently cheered them on or found myself hoping for their demise. As time went by and the stories—for there are many within its pages—took their course, I forgave characters I hated initially and began to hope for their happiness and safety. I became deeply invested in their lives...not just interested in what happened to them, but more and more deeply concerned with what befell them and wha they felt about it.
To say this is not what I expected from a horror novel would be an understatement. Oh, the horror is there—in all of its terrible glory, and there are enough scares and creepy turns to satisfy the most jaded horror fan—but I found so much more than I was looking for. And that made all the difference for me. It elevated Mr. Moss’ creations and characters and worlds to an entirely different level. It raised them to a point that they became real and tangible for me. And THAT’S what makes good writing into gorgeous writing for me. And it’s something Mr. Moss does beautifully and with the greatest skill.
So, despite the fact I’ve not touched upon the story contained within this novel at all in my review (there are many other reviews here better than I at that, for sure) I’ve tried to just elaborate on what I FELT and how much I enjoyed myself while reading By the Light of His Lantern. I hope you’ll do yourself a favor and dive into this strange tale and see if it doesn’t do for you what it did for me.
Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required. Learn more
Read instantly on your browser with Kindle Cloud Reader.
Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.
Loading your book clubs
There was a problem loading your book clubs. Please try again.
Not in a club? Learn more
Join or create book clubs
Choose books together
Track your books
Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free.
![By the Light of His Lantern: A Novel by [Abe Moss]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51ZXFenczdL._SY346_.jpg)
Follow the Author
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.
Customers who viewed this item also viewed
Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1
About the author
Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Customer reviews
Top reviews from other countries
Customers who bought this item also bought
Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1
