The Calamities by Chuck Wendig ~ a Review

by MK French

Mourning Mayne will someday have to take over control of his fiendish family's legacy. Dark magic derived from buying human souls is powerful, and the Maynes are one of the oldest and most influential fiendish families. Mourning's estranged father is demanding his return to the family, and along the way he meets Key, a black-market seller of human souls, and Quinn, an artist who may hold the dark might know the truth behind the fiends. Together, they might find a path out of the shadows.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

August 2026; Del Rey; 979-8217091812
audio, ebook, print (592 pages); horror

This is book one of the Fiends series. Mourning is not a good person, but his family is even worse. He's the sort of man who drinks, does drugs, and has indiscriminate sex so he doesn't have to think, and isn't above lying to get what he wants. It's a rather normal kind of awful man. The rest of his family, however, barter in human souls and have a level of power due to the demonic blood they inherited. His father let him flounder for five years and has forced him back to the home with little explanation. He then disappears, taking the fount of souls that his family possessed. Once he gets over himself, Mourning essentially must take the reins of the family business and find his father as well as all the missing souls. We meet Key, also caught in the midst of the disaster; she normally buys souls, but was present at the slaughter of very high-ranking people. The two, as well as other important fiendish people, have odd dreams about a location that Quinn is drawing repeatedly. It's a place of power but uncertain importance, and right now all sides are scrambling for power and safety. 

As you can probably tell, I'm not fond of Mourning at the beginning of the book. He's a compelling character with some fragments of positive emotions within him, and is far more approachable than his twin siblings or his father. He's thrown into the deep end of this awful situation, as is Key. The two know each other from the past, and figure that Quinn might be the way to stay safe, since all major players in the fiendish world have their artwork. It's a messy situation, but by then we're invested enough to want to know how it ends. We don't know why Mourning's father is gone, what's going on with the souls, what the White Rabbit wants, and if anyone will give any clear answers. 

The horror here isn't just the gore, death, or body horror, though we certainly have lots of it in this one. It's kind of a given in a story that involves demons, bargains for human souls, and visions of universe-defying locations. The demons are complicated things, creatures of will and power and terrible knowledge. So are the people that seek to serve them. Mourning and Key are vastly in over their heads here, and we're along for the horrible yet entertaining ride. Wendig's frightening imagination is on full display here, perfect for horror fans. 

Buy The Calamities at Amazon

Born and raised in New York City, M.K. French started writing stories when very young, dreaming of different worlds and places to visit. She always had an interest in folklore, fairy tales, and the macabre, which has definitely influenced her work. She currently lives in the Midwest with her husband, three young children, and a golden retriever.

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