Sins of the Fathers

I recently finished reading Sins of the Fathers by Sam Chupp. It's based on the World of Darkness game Wraith: the Oblivion. I hadn't planned to read any of the World of Darkness novels; I'd always heard they were terrible. But, I adore this author's other work*, so I tracked it down.

It was very, very worth reading. Knowing a little about Wraith: the Oblivion gave a bit of cachet (Oh! I know what to roll for that!), but you won't miss anything for not knowing about the game. This novel stands alone very well.

I considered claiming that this isn't really horror. Given that the main character, Kirk, is one of the restless dead, the argument doesn't hold. Then add that the book takes place in Atlanta, but mostly in the Atlanta of the show more Shadownlands, the land of the restless dead that is congruent to but not identical to the living world, the horror label really does fit. Sins of the Fathers, though, is more than just horror. As the title implies, it looks at what passes from father to son, and what each generation can choose do with that legacy. Kirk had a pretty crummy life, and no one could be particularly surprised that he was shot over a disagreement with another drug dealer. But even after death, Kirk has choices to make. This being a novel, we get to see, a little, of how those choices touch those that came before and after him.

Mr. Chupp is from Atlanta, and it shows in the great detail of the city. At every point, you have a clear sense of where you are in Atlanta, with a fascinating grasp of the city's history as well. He either managed to find excellent settings for the action of the novel, or wove in fictional ones with enough detail that you're pretty sure you could find the places if you looked for them.

I did get the impression that Sins of the Fathers was published on a tight deadline. It had some awkward turns of phrase and such that a more careful final editing might have changed. But those were very minor in the face of the engaging story and excellent writing.

I do love the characters in this novel. Even the minor characters have depth and reality. The novel had a satisfying ending; it did wrap up the story. But I still want to know what happens next, how these characters carry on, what choices they make. I hope Mr. Chupp will take it as a complement that I'm tempted to write about what may have become of Kirk's baby sister, Anna, or maybe his former probation officer, Jo, or some of the other characters.

*I suppose I should confess that Sam is a dear friend, as well as an outstanding author. Yes, I'm inclined to like his work, but that's as much because his work is very good than being so very fond of him personally. I can prove it - go download his podcast novel Heart of the Hunter at www.heartofthehunter.com. show less