The Rental: A Cosmic Horror Tetralogy

The Rental is a weird, cosmic horror tetralogy that had me locked in from the start with the content warning stating, “reading is not recommended for those sensitive to visceral descriptions of human deconstruction and the loss of sanity,” and it didn’t let me down.

There were multiple sections in this collection that left me feeling unsettled and almost panicked. In the first story, ’MAX’ there was a sense that the characters were pushing up against the boundaries of their minds, trying not to remember an event lest something horrendous happen. Lemos does a great job here, as when the characters got close to recalling the event I felt a sense of panic rise up.

‘The Foundation’ is where I really started to feel unsettled. show more Lemos incorporates the effects of the comet into the bodily experiences of the characters, showing their descent into insanity. This unsettled feeling was especially pronounced when imagining experiencing these sensations yourself, e.g., the sensation of teeth vibrating in your gums.

By far my favourite was ‘The Grinder’. This ravenous hotel and its inhabitants evoked a slowly rising feeling of dread and the body horror in this one was great.

The writing style reminded me of Lovecraft in parts, although some of the dialogue felt confusing to me. Ultimately I really enjoyed this tetralogy and look forward to seeking out the author’s other works.

I received an eARC from LibraryThing and I am voluntarily leaving this review. show less