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Legend and Lore: In Human Skin is a contemporary fantasy novel in the vein of Jim Butcher and Ben Aaronovitch. It tells the story of Lincoln Sayer, a 20-something nihilistic hedonist who, as a child, witnessed the murder of his abusive father at the hands of an ancient mythical creature. After inheriting a fortune, Sayer attracts the attention of Lore – a secretive organisation which trades such creatures on a sort of black market. With the knowledge that fairy tale creatures are real (though often more dark and disturbing), Sayer finds meaning as he signs up as an employee of Lore. However, not all is as it seems and soon Sayer finds himself drawn into a conflict between good and evil. 

Despite not being a fan of contemporary fantasy (Jim Butcher and Neil Gaiman being the only exceptions), I really enjoyed this book. For a self-published novel without the benefit of an editor, the prose flows well and the characters experience real growth – Sayer’s transformation from a self-absorbed nihilist to a hero with a purpose is executed well, with the exception of perhaps one or two scenes where Sayer retreads his childhood at inopportune times. The world that John Gray has created is fascinating (in particular the origins of the titular Legend and Lore and the mysterious Etherie), and the book answers enough questions whilst leaving enough unanswered to create thirst for a second novel. At times, however, I felt the story was interrupted for an extended piece of worldbuilding. Despite this, the novel soon picks up and at no time did this detract from my enjoyment of the book.

On the whole, a fantastic effort from John Gray and I look forward to the second book. Recommended for fans of contemporary fantasy, and authors such as Jim Butcher, Neil Gaiman, and Ben Aaronovitch.

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Ricky Kyle, Beta Reader for 'In Human Skin.'