[Book Review] The Worm and His Kings by Hailey Piper

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The Worm and His Kings by Hailey Piper is an intense and fast-paced cosmic horror tale that centers around the desperation of all of the characters involved.

This novella has such a dark and dreary atmosphere, when turning the final page, it will leave readers looking forward to feeling the sun on their face again as soon as possible.

Let’s dive in!

My Thoughts on The Worm and His Kings by Hailey Piper

I didn’t know what to expect when picking this one up… and my gosh was it a wild and tense ride!

When the book begins, we meet our main character, Monique, who is living on the street after life handed her quite a rough hand. To make matters worse, her girlfriend has been taken by a creature of nightmares that stalks the city.

When the creature passes Monique one night in a tunnel, she jumps at the chance to follow it to see if it will lead her to her girlfriend, Donna.

Monique is willing to go to the ends of the earth, but will her desperation to find the one she loves cloud her judgement?

Right from the first chapter, I already felt a bit of dread. This dark mood didn’t lighten until the very end. I also felt very claustrophobic throughout just thinking about the tunnels and the underground locations thanks to the amazing settings vividly created by Hailey Piper.

The main character of this tale, Monique, really stood out to me. She was so brave and strong from the start. As the story continued, and the readers are give bits and pieces of her backstory very gradually, I couldn’t help but love her even more.

I was in awe of her determination and how strong she was even though she had been through some terrible horrors, and continued to face new ones. On top of that, she was also starving and still healing from major physical and emotional trauma! I kept my fingers crossed that she would have her happy ending…

But in the darkness of the underground, there’s only so much that determination can do for a person.

My Favorite Passages from The Worm and His Kings

A golden lighter flickered alive in the pool of darkness and cast a glow over Corene’s face. Fiery reflections stirred in her hazel eyes. “Scared?” she asked. Monique glared. Wasn’t it obvious? 

Hesitation was getting her nowhere. She closed her eyes, slid from the edge, and let the ground swallow her whole. 

Two of the creatures crawled down the walls, their thin gowns draped over backward-bent legs. Drooping hoods shrouded their faces. Unlike the Gray Maiden, their arms stretched bare from their trunks, the flesh dotted with feather-like bristles. They crept across stone in rigid, jerking movements, their talons scraping sparks in the air. At every flash, wild amber eyes shone in the dark. 

Faith is a tapestry of impossible questions with unimaginable answers.

“Sometimes we have to break down to see things in new ways.“

“We’d tear the universe apart for the people we love, but sometimes we forget to love ourselves.” 

My Final Thoughts on The Worm and His Kings

The story had grit, it had suspense, it certainly had plenty of horrors, and it also had a lot of love.

The pacing of the novella is very quick and it will leave your head spinning (in a good way of course!). If you enjoy cosmic horror, you gotta pick this one up!

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Thanks for reading!