Psychopomp & Circumstance by Eden Royce is a solid Southern gothic historical horror novella (4.25/5 stars)

Psychopomp & Circumstance by Eden Royce is a solid Southern gothic historical horror novella.

I borrowed the audiobook from my local library and followed along in my physical review copy. The narrator does a great job, especially regarding distinct character voices.

Overall, this is a grief journey. We follow Phee as she accepts the role as pomp and plans the funeral service for her aunt, who had been estranged from her family for about a decade.

While there are some paranormal elements, the book overall was more spooky than scary. The cover design is fantastic, but I went in expecting a bit more spook. The plot is also a bit slow-moving, but on the other hand, I went in expecting that since it’s a Southern gothic.

There were a lot of things about Phee that I really identified with. It’s hard to figure out your own path in life all while other people (e.g. parents) try to tell you their opinions about what you should be doing. I think she does a great job of learning as she goes in planning the funeral service.

I really hope that the author might write future stories in this world. It would be fantastic to catch up with Phee again to see what path she’s created for herself.

I received a complimentary review copy from TorDotCom Pub. All opinions contained herein are my own.

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