One thing I have learned in the last few years of reading, that first impressions of a novel are not always accurate. Sometimes a second impression can give a novel a better chance of being read than the initial impression. This is the case for The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor LaValle.

For a while, I’ve been wanting to read Victor LaValle, and I bought The Ballad of Black Tom as an eBook about a year ago. I started reading it, and I did not get a good first impression. I stopped reading the book and almost removed it from my Kobo account. However, I kept the novella in my Kobo eBook library, and I’m glad that I gave this novella another chance.

The Ballad of Black Tom tells the story of Charles Thomas Tester, aka Tommy. He is a hustler living in the late 1890s New York City. Tommy discovers an unusual book in his home in Harlem. He removes the last page of the book, and that act takes him into a dark world where race and the occult collide head-on.

Tommy is hired by Robert Suydam, a rich and unusual man, to play at his house in Queens, only to be confronted by Detective Malone, a police officer looking into Suydam. He makes it to Suydam’s home to perform at his party and learns more about Suydam’s connection to the occult. Detective Malone makes his way to the eccentric man’s home and barely survives an attack by Black Tom.

LaValle seems to write a story in response to H. P. Lovecraft’s The Horror at Red Hook. H.P. Lovecraft’s legacy is debated within the horror genre, and some authors have sought to update his innovative tales for contemporary audiences. However, as I read the novel, the theme of revenge came to mind, and the story felt one-dimensional. LaValle writes well and can tell a story, but I could not fully embrace Tommy as the main character. I felt Detective Malone was a more interesting character, and I could have read an entire story from his perspective as well.

Fantasy enthusiasts should read The Ballad of Black Tom, as it has been highly praised within the genre. I do want to read more of LaValle’s work, and I’m glad that my first impression did not write off this talented writer.