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Rating: In the dark mists of Edinburgh, where darkness wraps the streets like a funeral shroud, emerges the latest enigmatic novel by Ivo Torello, entitled Le Creature della Follia. A title that resonates in the soul, evoking an atmosphere even more somber than that of Master Lovecraft. In this dark masterpiece, the Recluse of Providence remains in the shadows, never invoked in its pages, as Torello steers away from the simple role of an imitator, instead letting himself be imbued with the influences of English literati from the 19th century, such as Stevenson and Peacock.
Torello's literary genius molds a personal universe imbued with magical references, where science and the occult meld sinisterly, all suspended in a historical setting that drips with mystery and decay. Unlike some contemporaries with heavier ink, his prose stands out with elegance, weaving enveloping plots that ensnare the reader.
Le Creature della Follia positions itself as the successor to Predatori dall'Abisso but can be explored on its own, without necessarily having immersed oneself in the pages of the previous chapter. Once again, the protagonists are Professor Thaddeus Walkley and Julius Milton, immersed in an event wrapped in the cold of 1897, where sinister towers rise against a sky as gray as ash.
The heart of the story revolves around the exhibition "Iside Svelata" by the mysterious Valentin Morleu, whose sculptures become the obsession of Professor Walkley, representing ancestral symbols that whisper the primordial truths of the cosmos. Meanwhile, Julius Milton is tormented by recurring nightmares, as the city is shrouded in unexplained phenomena foreshadowing an imminent apocalypse.
To solve the enigma, Walkley surrounds himself with allies, including Mrs. Minerva Russell and the policeman Rufus Begbie, also consulting the self-proclaimed Italian sorceress Serafina Lupinacci. The quest will ultimately guide him to Prague, where the Grimoire von Wranau will reveal arcane truths. In the end, the creatures of madness emerge from an alternate space-time dimension, a realm that relentlessly presses against the bounds of our everyday reality.
Particularly evocative is the description of Julius Milton's dreams, a pinnacle of the work. The dream world plays a crucial role in the plot, creating a hypnotic atmosphere that is one of the most compelling aspects. The excursions into Milton's dreams, amidst deserted squares, enigmatic sculptures, and endless stairs leading to unfathomable abysses, evoke powerful and ineffable images.
Le Creature della Follia reveals itself as a delightful read, capable of confirming the indisputable qualities of Ivo Torello. In this dark journey, the reader is destined to get lost, trapped in the magic and mysteries skillfully woven by the author, among the dark mists of a nameless place shrouded in perpetual darkness.
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