My introduction to Brian Asman’s work was the fantastic Man, Fuck This House. That book blew me away; something that doesn’t happen often with a new-to-me author. They way he took the haunted house trope and completely made something new out of it is impressive as hell, and I knew from my first read of him that it was definitely not going to be the last. So, naturally I jumped on the opportunity to review his latest, Our Black Hearts Beast as One.

Fair warning, if you are expecting something in the vein of Man, Fuck this House, don’t. This is completely different, and that’s what you want sometimes.

At its very core, Our Black Hearts Beat as One is about love. What you do for it, and the lengths you would go to not let it go. And how much heartbreak sucks.

After his girlfriend Kara breaks up with him, Mike spirals down into depression. He spends his time trudging through life, wandering the city streets trying to find a purpose. Eventually, after some very strange encounters, a mysterious woman offers him a way to get back the love he’s lost. He just needs to do three simple things. But we all know, it’s never that easy.

I really dug this book, and I’ve been thinking about it a lot since I finished it a few weeks ago. It’s tough trying to articulate what about the novella makes it so thought-provoking. Rich with mythology and thick with atmosphere, Our Black Hearts Beat as One pulls you into a world of heartache and loss, and as much as you want to leave, you’re compelled to stick around to see the end of the road with Mike. And it’s well worth the journey.

There are quite a few characters coming and going in the novella, but my favorite, hands down, is Evangeline. The book is engrossing before she turns up, and after, it goes to another level. Cynical, angry, and with no time for Mike’s bullshit, Evangeline is a reluctant helper on Mike’s journey to mend his heart. I need a book with her starring as the main character.

With Our Black Hearts Beat as One, Asman shows he’s quite capable of writing the horror of grief and loss as much as balls-to-the-wall funny and ridiculous (in the best ways). This is one of my favorite things in a writer, because you never know what you’re going to get. You only know you won’t be disappointed.