Book Review: ‘The Arcane Gamble of Harvey Walters’ by Rosemary Jones
Over the past year, Aconyte has released a series within the Arkham Horror series, The Drowned City. The last two books have chronicled different events that seem unrelated but are all related to the reawakening of the Ancient One, an eldrich being so terrifying that people hesitate to even say its true name. Professor Harvey Walters has been running all around Arkham with his garbage man, Lefty Googe, trying to stop the coming apocalypse, but time is running out. Will Harvey be able to save Arkham, not to mention the world? Or has the end finally arrived? Find out in the conclusion of Arkham Horror’s The Drowned City series: The Arcane Gamble of Harvey Walters by Rosemary Jones.
[Note: While I am reviewing this novel independently and honestly, it should be noted that it has been provided to me by Aconyte for the purpose of this review. Warning: My review contains some spoilers!]
Trouble on every side in this Arkham Horror story
In the first two books of The Drowned City series, a dangerous cult was trying to raise their sleeping god to take over the world. The cult was thwarted, but once some things are put in motion, it can be difficult to stop them. The Ancient One is restless, and there are others looking to put his power to their own uses.
Luckily, there are people working against them too. Harvey Walters feels like he’s spent his whole life working up to something like this. And Lefty Googe might be out of his league, but he’s determined to go down swinging (he’d much prefer to survive). Even the Drowned Rats, a notorious bootlegging gang, is working hard to protect their city and the people who live there.
Complicating matters is that it’s not just an esoteric threat that our heroes are fighting against. As they try to stop the Palmer triplets from awakening the Ancient One and destroying the world, they also have to contend with the rising river and a flooded town.
It won’t do any good to stop the supernatural threat if a natural one destroys Arkham anyway. So Lefty drives Harvey around town in his garbage truck, getting residents to physical safety while Harvey works on a plan for their ultimate safety. But the more Harvey finds out, the more dire the situation looks. Harvey holds out hope that they can save Arkham, but he’s pretty sure the cost will be higher than anyone wants to pay.
A different approach to storytelling provides a deeper story
All the Arkham books have been loosely connected up until now. There are some recurring characters, locations, and problems. Reading the collections is fun because you get to enjoy many different stories. The world feels big and real at the same time because of the small connections that fill out the world.
The Drowned City is the first to take one event and stretch it out over multiple books. Each book concentrates on a different “hero,” but the main characters continue over the whole run, and they’re working to first identify, then fight, and ultimately vanquish one huge problem. That problem has several different faces that need to be addressed, and each book takes on a different aspect.
In The Arcane Gamble of Harvey Walters, we face the Palmer sisters head-on. They’ve appeared in the other Drowned City books but as odd, and even somewhat helpful, characters. In The Arcane Gamble of Harvey Walters they drop this facade completely and we see them as the last human threat menacing Arkham. They want to take advantage of the Ancient One’s powers to reshape the world to their liking, but like most villains they overestimate themselves and underestimate what they seek to control.
But their hubris works to Harvey’s advantage. While the sisters are formidable foes, they’re not invincible. They can’t imagine a world where they don’t get what they want. So when Harvey refuses to roll over and let them have their way, they’re not fully prepared for it. They think they are, but they underestimate Harvey.
The Arcane Gamble of Harvey Walters is a great conclusion to an exciting adventure
I love the Arkham Horror series. Horror has always been a favorite genre of mine, but what makes this series special is the characters. Each character is richly crafted. There aren’t really any two-dimensional characters, which is surprising with the vast quantity of characters that the series has developed. Being able to see the same characters over and over in different situations and interacting with different people really helps to give layers to them, making them feel like real people living in a real town (fighting real monsters).
I love reading each book because even if it’s a new main character, I never know who might pop up in a supporting role. Checking in on all my friends is fun and exciting, and the monsters are always thrilling.
My rating for this book: 9/10
Check out The Arcane Gamble of Harvey Walters today and discover this fantastic world for yourself.
Also check out Book Review: The Tides of Innsmouth by Jonathan Green an Arkham Horror Investigators Gamebook
