When the old god Nyarlathotep lures Captain ‘Georgi’ Forsythe – special agent for the Ministry of the Arcane — to the Valley of the Kings, the battle for her place in this world begins. Eight thrilling adventures packed into one volume, taking us from ancient Luxor to the Loch Ness of 1932. Conflicting pantheons of myth and legend plunge Captain Georgi into cosmic battles beyond wildest imagining. Will she remain a force for good or be lured into the world of chaos? The choice is hers!
Dark bleatings, my adventurous tribe! I’ve got a nice little collection to talk to you about today. We’ll take it story by story, but overall, I’d call this mild horror/adventure with an excellent strong female lead, supernatural danger, and plenty of action. Each story revolves around Georgi, a special agent for the Ministry of Arcane, and the capers she gets into, always at the hands of gods that want something from her. The stories work on their own merits, but the collection is structured so that this also reads like one complete piece.
Hand of the Nile
Georgi is lured to a tomb and encounters a god called Nyarlathotep, who wants to claim her as his bride. She is not thrilled with this plan and has other ideas…
Our protagonist is immediately established as someone strong of character and will, not easily scared, and a pragmatic problem solver. I love her!
Crawling Chaos in Climping
This time, Georgi’s at a dig site when an unnatural storm rolls in, and she knows that her would-be husband is lurking. This results in a fight in which another being (Nodens) steps in. I won’t spoil the ending but Georgi’s emotional response to it is the equivalent of a shrug, and it cracked me up.
The Decks Below
Because these stories chronologically take us through Georgi’s adventures, I have to hold back quite a lot from here on to avoid spoiling all of them. In this adventure, Georgi battles a sea-dwelling demi-god called Cef.
Tamesis and the God’s Skull
An underground railway is being dug, which disturbs a supernatural entity that warns Georgi that the dig is going too deep and needs to stop. Or else. Georgi does not take to threats kindly.
Penumbria Over Millwall
More scary sea entities in this one! And the return of a character that has turned from foe to friend (we think, at least…).
Below the Plimsoll Line
An old (human) friend calls Georgi for help with what she believes is a haunting.
The Loch Ness Deal
I think my Scottish friends would love this one.
Beneath the British Museum
Georgi finally come face to face with someone that has long deserved to be stabbed by her, but will she best them?!
Overall, I found this a very fun and satisfying read, largely thanks to the joy of following a character that makes smart decisions despite the insane situations that are constantly thrust upon her. It manages to stay light and deliciously frothy, whilst also keeping the stakes high. Lovely!
If you’d like to check out the book or the author, I’ve popped some links below for you:
Bleeeeat!
Happy Goat Horror 
Leave a comment