The Ballad of Black Tom Audiobook By Victor LaValle cover art

The Ballad of Black Tom

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The Ballad of Black Tom

By: Victor LaValle
Narrated by: Kevin R. Free
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People move to New York looking for magic and nothing will convince them it isn't there.

Charles Thomas Tester hustles to put food on the table, keep the roof over his father's head, from Harlem to Flushing Meadows to Red Hook. He knows what magic a suit can cast, the invisibility a guitar case can provide, and the curse written on his black skin that attracts the eye of wealthy white folks and their trained cops. But when he delivers an occult page to a reclusive sorceress in the heart of Queens, Tom opens a door to a deeper realm of magic, and earns the attention of things best left sleeping.

A storm that might swallow the world is building in Brooklyn. Will Black Tom live to see it break?

“LaValle cleverly subverts Lovecraft’s Cthulhu mythos by imbuing a black man with the power to summon the Old Ones, and creates genuine chills with his evocation of the monstrous Sleeping King, an echo of Lovecraft’s Dagon… [The Ballad of Black Tom] has a satisfying slingshot ending.” – Elizabeth Hand for Fantasy & ScienceFiction

"[LaValle] reinvents outmoded literary conventions, particularly the ghettos of genre and ethnicity that long divided serious literature from popular fiction."
--Praise for The Devil in Silver from Elizabeth Hand, author of Radiant Days

 Fantasy Fiction Paranormal Paranormal & Urban Magic Scary

Featured Article: Seek Out the Strange and Supernatural with the 45 Best Paranormal Audiobooks


The folklore of just about every human culture is rife with stories that feature talking animals, shape-shifters, demons, witches, spirits, and more. Whether you arrive seeking horror, thrills, romance, or fantasy, there’s a title here for you. And with a slate of narrators that includes famous actors and award-winning voice artists, it’s impossible to go wrong with any of these picks.

Featured Article Seek Out the Strange and Supernatural with the 45 Best Paranormal Audiobooks
Engaging Storyline • Cosmic Horror Elements • Excellent Storytelling • Lifelike Characters • Vivid Worldbuilding

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great short story. really got the 1920's feel with the attitude of cops in NY. painted a beautiful tapestry of life in Harlem independent of what was going on in other parts of the city.

loved it

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Loved it, from start to finish I was enthralled. Compelling story and great execution by the narrator.

Awesome

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I feel it is rare to see an alternate pov on a lovecraft story. Specially one where the true horror is not on the supernatural but on the day-to-day society. A fantastic narration by Kevin R. Free!

A fantastic recommendation from Quinn's Ideas

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I loved everything about this. The narration pulled me in just as much as the plot did. A great short read for those who love the Lovecraftian lore

Amazing performance

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I've never read much Lovecraft, but now I want to read ALL LaVelle. And I want Kevin R. Free to read ALL the audiobooks!

Kid Cthulhu for the Win

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