The Dead Take the A Train
Richard Kadrey and Cassandra Khaw
Hardcover / Ebook
ISBN: 9781250867025
Tor Nightfire, October 2023, 400 pgs

The Dead Take the A Train is a dark fantasy occult horror from first-time collaborators Richard Kadrey and Cassandra Khaw. The novel follows Julie as she works as a hired gun dealing with the magical underbelly in New York City. When a friend from the past, Sarah, comes into town to stay with her, Julie takes on a job to get back at Sarah’s abusive ex. There’s more going on than Julie or Sarah realizes, placing both women—and a whole lot of other people—in danger.

With Kadrey and Khaw behind the wheel of The Dead Take the A Train, there’s a blend of voices and even genres. Both authors write within the horror and dark fantasy genre but with slightly different styles. Kadrey leaning more toward the mysterious noir side and Khaw who dips into the cosmic horror. There are multiple POV characters throughout the story that allow for the authors to present varying styles without making the book feel hard to follow or place. When in Julie’s chapters, the reader gets a wonderful look behind the curtain of the fictionalized NYC in the book and who the major players are. While in Julie’s ex’s chapters, we’re treated to a comedic corporate horror tale of body possessions and cosmic takeovers.

One of the things I loved about the book was how the authors made sure to let readers know that magic has a price, and while it’s different for everyone, no one is free from losing something to the powers that be. It’s a constant theme throughout the book: the social ladder of magic. Too often Julie is at the bottom, doing the work for those at the top. This dirty work and her own belief in her self-worth keeps her reaching for coke, alcohol, and anything she can to numb the horrors she’s seen and brought about.

Another aspect that made the novel endearing and entertaining was the soft, flirty romance between Julie and Sarah. Kadrey and Khaw balance the cuteness blooming between them with a slow burn ‘will they, won’t they’ element where queerness wasn’t the thing keeping them a part, but each of the characters’ own self-image and internal belief systems interfering. Julie doesn’t believe she’s good enough for anything but cleaning up the mess, and Sarah is beaten down so much the idea that someone like Julie could want her is too out of this world for her to believe.

Along with multiple characters showcasing the wide and diverse magical world in the book, there are also different forms of magic that help give the world a deep and ancient feeling. The authors’ attention to city living and the habits of those that live in a metropolis creates, at times, a textured world, and other times lulls readers into a cozy feeling like snuggling up on a couch after a long day. There’s truly so much to love about The Dead Take the A Train — from the characters, to the setting, to the humor that rolls off the page. Readers who love a good comedic cosmic horror will fall instantly in love with The Dead Take the A Train.