Book Snapshot
- Author – S. J. Shank
- Genre – Dark Fantasy
- Length – 338 pages
- Publisher – Self Published, July 2025
- Vibe – Unique, dark, humorous, folklore
- My Rating – ⭐⭐⭐⭐
A unique and entrancing book, strange and beguiling in its telling
What It’s About
Jeppo loathes his hometown and he can scarcely tolerate the townsfolk. Mostly, he despises his life as a gravedigger. He went to the Academy in the south, after all. He was never meant to take up his father’s shovel.
When a wicked sorcerer arrives at his gate demanding the bones of the local saint, Jeppo has no objection in principle. But he fears the wrath of the night hag, to whom he has been selling corpses for years.
Jeppo must choose the lesser of two evils, and do so quickly. The spiraling feud threatens to spill innocent blood … and worse still, his darkest secrets.
The Review
Initial Impressions
The Knave of Graves is a hard book to define, with unique really being the key word. We follow gravedigger and charm/talisman-maker Jeppo as he navigates a lonely existence in a small town society that generally doesn’t treat him particularly well. He’s morally grey but is good enough at heart to still make us want him to be successful and for us to sympathise with him as we wonder how his moral compass might develop.
When he’s manipulated by a powerful sorcerer, it isn’t hard to hate his adversary and thus side with Jeppo further.
Highlights
Kuumasta, the night hag, is a really interesting addition to this story and the world the author has built bubbling beneath the surface is really enticing.
The juxtaposition between the plot taking place in a small town with a limited number of locations and a much wider world suggested with snippets here and there is intriguing as are the naming conventions.
There is also a fair amount of dark humour which gives this book a unique voice and adds to it being memorable and different. We roll our eyes at Jeppo at times and can’t help laugh or wince at his behaviour. People often find relatable self-depreciation particularly funny and I think readers may see a little more of themselves in Jeppo than they care to admit in public.
Considerations
I must point out that it is a high stakes but small scale story and readers who prefer their stories to be expansive may feel hamstrung by not being able to experience the exploration of some of the world further. The book is dripping in folklore and dark intrigue and I would have liked to know and see more of the culture and beliefs the author has obviously taken the time to think about, especially the night hag.
However, this does keep the story focused and on a clear path. The pacing is generally good though a little inconsistent; I found despite its shorter length it doesn’t always have a page turner feel, with some chapters forcing you to read on further and others being easier to put down for next time.
This is fine and these slower sections allow the story to meander forward and build up the stakes, with the author ensuring everything is important to the whole.
Final Thoughts
Overall, this was a really strong read that I would certainly recommend to anyone who enjoys dark fantasy, gothic vibes and a grubby, morally grey protagonist with great dashings of humour and folklore.
The Knave of Graves is a shining example of why self publishing is so important. While this book won’t appeal to the masses, it was a really interesting, unique read I’m incredibly glad I had exposure to and was able to enjoy, which perhaps I never would without the world of self published books. Hats off to the author for creating something that didn’t try to cling onto the coat tails of popular series and wrote something totally from his bright imagination.
A big thankyou to the author S. J. Shank for an e copy in return for an honest review!
Spells and Spaceships 