An abandoned room, bathed in purple light - the only item visible is a wheelchair whose occupant is unaccounted for. Out the window, we see the St. Louis Arch at night, lightning illuminating it. Take the title, Slaves to Gravity, the cover art, two indie horror darlings in Wesley Southard and Somer Canon, and Silver Shamrock publisher Ken McKinley’s word that this story is different than anything your wildest imagination might conjure, and you have all the ingredients for a seriously promising novella.

As is my custom, I really wanted to dive into this one knowing little more than what’s listed in the previous paragraph. From the word go, this is an unconventional book. Charlie Snyder wakes up after an accident to find out she’s lost the use of her legs. With the aid of her husband, she tries to come to terms with the new normal, with limited success. Then Charlie discovers she may have had a few gains along with all the losses she suffered. 

Toward the beginning and into the middle, I couldn’t help but be reminded of Josh Malerman’s A House at the Bottom of a Lake, not because of any plot similarities, but due to the sense of magic and wonder the authors were able to instill throughout. The set up is nothing short of magnificent, and the ominous appearances and forewarnings of the various creatures and the warnings about Charlie’s use of her newfound abilities are well dispersed throughout. If it seems like I’m being intentionally vague here, that’s because I’m being intentionally vague here. Like I mentioned before, this is an unconventional book and the discoveries are best left to the reader.

The dynamic exploring Charlie finding common ground with new friends, a group of people who understand what she’s going through post-accident, adds quite a bit as Charlie finds herself drifting from her husband. There’s a lot of subtext here for those looking for it about treating those with disabilities as people - not talking down to them or acting as though help is needed with every little task when it’s not asked for. Kudos to the authors for making this a focal point at the heart of the book.

While I enjoyed the nature of the ride, the ending - namely the last thirty pages or so didn’t resonate with me. I emphasize the words “with me” here because I believe there will be a lot of readers out there who adore the beginning, and keep that delight throughout. To me, it leaned a little too heavily into fantasy without sufficient warning, effectively pulling a Hancock (Reference included for fans of 2008 dramas masquerading as a superhero movie). As such, I feel good about giving this a 4 star rating, and if Southard and Canon opt to write more in the universe/mythos they’ve designed, I’ll sign up for it.

I was given a copy by the publisher for review consideration.


Rating/review coming soon