Only Ghouls and Horses, by Dan Harris

Hey guys, welcome back to Bookish Beyond.
How have you been?

Today, I’m excited to be reviewing Only Ghouls and Horses, by Dan Harris.
So, if you’ve got your favourite drink to hand and are all settled in, let’s begin.

About

After witnessing a man explode, only to be replaced by some kind of ghoul, Tom finds his world turned upside-down. Before long, he is offered a job at The Unit, an organisation which keeps the world safe from supernatural terrors like the ghoul he encountered.

Years later, Tom has since grown comfortable with his new life, until he is offered his first field assignment. At first, Tom’s training for his new role leaves him feeling uninspired. However, as time goes on, his confidence steadily grows. Soon, Tom finds himself alone, out in the field, face to face with the very beings he’s feared encountering – ghosts. Dozens of them.

Can Tom take on such supernatural beings, or will he suffer the same fate as the man he saw tragically explode?

Characters

For this review, I would like to focus on three key characters – Tom, his partner Neema, and their boss, Taylor.

Firstly, let’s examine Tom. Having worked at The Unit for some time, Tom has come to love his job. He’s gotten used to the comfortable routine, knowing all the ins and outs of his role. However, it is evident as soon as he’s sent out into the field that he is unsure of himself and his abilities as a field agent. At the story’s start, he appears overly cautious, always reasoning through every decision. He was a clever and curious man, a rational and reasonable human being who I quickly came to like. Over time, I watched as he began to gain in confidence, trying new things and taking risks. Overall, he was a likable character who showed a decent amount of growth over time.

Secondly, comes Neema, Tom’s partner in the field. At first glance, Neema appears to be quite a moody and mysterious man, with his mood seeming to shift a lot. He doesn’t seem particularly helpful as a work partner as he leaves Tom to fend for himself while out on his first field assignment. Unfortunately, I didn’t come to warm to him much.

Finally, we get to Taylor, Tom’s boss. Right away, it was clear that Taylor is a warm, friendly and upbeat type of person, definitely someone you would want for a boss. She also appears smart and perceptive, seeing potential in Tom that she feels is being wasted, hence the offer of a new field position. Interactions between Tom and Taylor were always good-natured, demonstrating a good boss-employee relationship.

Positive Aspects

There were a few positive aspects which stood out to me while reading Only Ghouls and Horses.

The first few pages are brimming with action and work to immediately pull you into the story.
The writing style was simple, clear, and deeply evocative in nature.
There was a wonderful sense of mystery to this story, with darkness lurking at every turn.

Overview

Overall, Only Ghouls and Horses was a tense, short, and highly enjoyable read, which included themes of death and the supernatural.

My Rating: 4 stars.
Recommended to: lovers of short tales with dark, supernatural undertones.

Would you like more information?

To learn more about Only Ghouls and Horses, you can visit its Goodreads page, HERE.
Or, to find out more about Dan Harris, simply visit his Amazon Author page, HERE.

As always, thank you for joining me for today’s review.
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Have a wonderful week,
Ellie. xoxo