THE UNHELD: A NOVEL by Luke Larkin (Hyperion Avenue, expected date of publication August 26, 2026) Hardcover, 336 pages. ISBN #978136817210
Synopsis on the Goodreads website . . . . .
Startling monsters and occult oddities abound in this chilling horror Western as a girl journeys across the haunted Montana Territory to rescue her father from an otherworldly creature.
Charlie’s life is a lonely one. While other twelve-year-olds are in school, she spends her days skinning the animals her mercurial father hunts in the woods just outside their cabin. And the woods and its twisted creatures—an owl with four wings, a boar with two heads, a fox with gills—are becoming stranger by the day.
One night, a nightmarish beast appears and drags Charlie’s father into the wilderness. To find him, she enlists the aid of two unlikely allies also in search of the beast: an Englishman with a connection to a mysterious occult society and a Northern Cheyenne policeman exiled for a crime he didn’t commit. Yet as the trio prepare for the confrontation with the beast, Charlie must decide if her father, a brusque man who has always withheld his affection, is ultimately worth saving.
With its blend of Western grit and supernatural menace, The Unheld is an unsettling and atmospheric horror novel about loneliness, human connection, and how we find each other in a world that seems designed to alienate. With this assured debut, Luke Larkin marks his arrival in the genre and proves the American frontier still harbors untapped stories in its shadows.
My FIVE-STAR review on the Goodreads website . . . . .
I received a digital advanced review copy from NetGalley without obligation to write a review
THE UNHELD is a deft blend of historical American West, supernatural themes, magical realism, secret societies, and the weird western genres. As a debut novel, it is exceptional, and near perfect. Luke Larkin is a writer to watch. The characterization is rich and intriguing, and the storyline is not without well-detailed emotional moments.
The story is told from three different points-of-view from main character Charlie (a 12-year old girl living with an introverted and selfish father), and secondary characters Theodore (a member of a society dedicated to exploring and containing weird occurrences) and Patton (a Cheyenne police officer exiled from his family). They come together as all three are searching for a lost family member or lover - - all who were allegedly spirited away by a monstrous threat that manifests with severely mutated wildlife in the Montana wilderness of the 1800's. Larkin has the ability to vividly capture the emotions and mindset of these characters and memorably conveys that to the reader.
The story contains one of the most unique and disturbing monsters in horror fiction, and very symbolic. I can't say more without spoiling things.
At its core THE UNHELD is a rich depiction of loneliness and the importance of family and friends connections throughout life.
If there is any limitation to the novel, it's that Larkin offers no explanation as to the origins of the monster and why it picked this particular area of the American West to manifest. It also surprised me that none of the characters even speculated or discussed this. However, it did not ruin my reading enjoyment or appreciation for this excellent work of fiction.
