I'm not going to write a plot-filled review because so many before me have done it so well and because I am very lazy and I think your time would be better spent reading this book of cosmic horror rather than reading my mishmash of words to describe the story.

The Worm and His Kings has a strong lead who you’ll hope finds everything her heart desires. I crossed every finger and toe I possess hoping that Monique would make it through this wild Worm King mind-bending world and come out the other side with everything her heart desires. She’s a fantastic character with a painful history and even though this story tried to break my brain and my heart, I could not stop reading it.

The comparisons to early Clive Barker, particularly his Books of Blood series (have you read 'em?! drop everything if you haven't because you need to read 'em!!), are very apt here. The writing is dense and smart and bloody and sensual and grimy with little surprise smatterings of levity - all those things I loved the most about Barker's early books are here and it made me incredibly happy.