I may never again think of the number “three” without a chill. And I could go the rest of my life without seeing another ouroboros.

Dominic Sheldrake’s wife, Lesley, died recently. Their son, Toby, and his family are the only people left in Dominic’s family and he turns to them in his grief. To his dismay, though, they try to get him involved in their church.

Although Dominic is an unbeliever, his dismay is not from it being just any church. Rather, it is the church they are part of. The Church of the Eternal Three would not be recognizable as any Christian variant. Following the teachings of an obscure and mystical figure, it is led by the Le Bon family: grandfather Christian, his daughter Christina, and her son Christopher. Dominic has had a long history with this family. As a child he was pulled into Christian’s sphere, enamored with his teachings. As a father, he rescued his son from a center run by the family. Now, many years later, his son has returned to them as a leader in their church, along with his wife and their 5-year old daughter. Although they claim it is merely a place of meditation, the church’s fascination with the ouroboros icon (a snake consuming its own tail) should be a red flag to almost anyone.

From the Eternal Three to the three Le Bons, from the three members of his son’s family to the “Tremendous Three” as Dominic and two of his friends dubbed themselves many years before, to the Church of the Holy Trinity to which Dominic’s friend Jim still belongs, the number three crops up in the book time and time again. Most of the time it is warning of something bad to come. Even the reunion of the Tremendous Three has an unexpected denouement. (I suppose since this is book three of a trilogy, I might have caught onto the symbolism sooner than I did had I read the two previous books.)

Almost all of the story is told from Dom’s perspective. There are times where we cannot be certain that his perspective reflects reality as it is. There are other times where he perceives a reality that others cannot see. His long association with the Le Bons (who have previously gone by the names “Noble” and “Bloan”) both lets him see them for what they are and blinds him to what they are. He is far from an impartial participant. He despises them, he fears them, he obsesses over them, he worries constantly about the effect they have on his son and daughter-in-law, he especially worries about the effect they may have on his granddaughter Macy. Whether those fears and obsessions are justified…well, read the book.

Ramsey Campbell is probably a very nice person. His book, though, is as creepy as anything I’ve read. The Le Bons are occultists. That makes them potentially dangerous. It may not make them wrong. Someday the end of the world may be successfully predicted, by accident of timing if not through any prescience. As Dominic tries to sort out truth from lies, fact from fiction, reality from myth, accuracy from demagoguery, we get drawn more and more into the world he sees. That world looks very much like our own through a funhouse mirror. Warped, distorted, dangerous, and apocalyptic, it is a world that damages everyone who sees it.

I do think I would have enjoyed this book more had I read the two previous books first. There are enough references back to the events of those books that I was able to follow along, but this really is not a standalone novel. It is inextricably linked to its predecessors, so I would advise potential readers to either start with those first two novels of the trilogy or at least be prepared for certain things to happen and then make sense later because they get explained by pre-Worm events. I suspect the author will not be too displeased with my suggesting that you read all three of the books.

Of the books in this trilogy, I think this one was my favourite. It's eerie throughout, and the tension is felt pretty much nonstop. It has definite Lovecraftian ghoul vibes.

With this third installment the trilogy about the three births of Daoloth comes to its end. Dominic Sheldrake's son has a family of his own, and all three of them are members of a church that awakens familiar memories in Dominic. Intent on finding out what's going on, he feigns wanting to become a member, and his worst fears are confirmed when he meets Christian Noble and his offspring at the church. With the help of his childhood friends Jim and Bobby, Dominic is determined to expose the Nobles' deeds and to save his family. An epic battle ensues with a darkness that not only threatens to devour Dominic's family but all of humankind. While I appreciated the plot and outcome of this last part of the trilogy, I was not as thrilled by the story as expected, or, as a German saying goes: "Die Luft ist raus", meaning something like it has lost its initial appeal, or the subject has become exhausted. While the first part of the book dragged along and made it hard to keep up my attention, the second half delivered the familiar suspense and horror I was expecting, leading to a worthy conclusion and ending.

I have already read the first two books in the Birth Of Daoloth trilogy, so I’ve been a mixture of a horse chomping at the bit, and a kid in a sweet shop, once I knew that Way Of The Worm was coming out. Now, I will say that even if you pick this book up first, you won’t struggle with the ongoing story, although reading the first two books in the trilogy will give you better context and character backstory.

The author writes with a skill that can easily make you feel fear, tension, hopelessness, and a sense of impending doom, and he does all of that in this book. Once I started reading, I was transfixed. There was no way I would be putting this book down before finishing unless I saw Will Smith striding towards me…

The characters are well established and I felt a sense familiarity about joining them again. How Dominic has held onto his sanity is beyond me. He’s clearly made of sterner stuff. I also felt uneasy when reading about Christian Noble and the other members of the cult. I found myself tensing up whenever they did something. It takes some real skill to carry such characters convincingly but the author makes it look effortless.

Overall, I’m actually a little sad that I have finished the trilogy, but think it’s a series I will read again in due course. I’m happy to recommend this book to any reader of horror, with the caveat that you will enjoy it more as part of the trilogy. I gave Way Of The Worm, by Ramsey Campbell, five stars.

The Way of the Worm is the third book in the Three Births of Daoloth trilogy. I am lucky enough to have read the full trilogy and this is a truly stunning conclusion.

Dominic Sheldrake is now retired and his son, Toby is married and has a child. To Dominic's horror Toby and his wife are leaders with the Nobles in the Church of the Eternal Three. Dominic has always made it his business to attempt to keep the world safe from the Noble family's unorthodox religious views throughout the series. The Way Of The Worm shows the reader his final try at thwarting the Noble family once and for all. Ramsey Campbell has definitely written a satisfying end to this trilogy.

I was looking forward to this book after the previous books and I couldn't wait to see what was in store for Dominic this time. The pace is quite slow, but as the story develops the pace begins to speed along with the feelings of horror, dread and the overall creepiness of the story.

Ramsey Campbell has definitely got a new fan of his type of horror stories. I have found this such an absorbing series and the conclusion to this book was fabulous and crammed with cosmic horror. I will be watching out for books from this author from now on. Thanks to the publisher, and Random Things Tours

This trilogy managed to have every entry stand out in its own right. This is a series I could definitely see myself returning to down the road for another spin ... Full review coming to the normal places soon.

An epic, terrifying, and satisfying conclusion of this excellent series, one of the best horror series in this century.
Read it, have fun, and appreciate how well Campbell can write.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

The Three Births of Daoloth trilogy ends with THE WAY OF THE WORM. It was a finale worth waiting for!

Thirty years has passed since we've last seen Dominic Sheldrake. He's given up trying to convince anyone about the Noble family, (now going by the surname of Le Bon), and how dangerous they can be. Dominic's son, wife and granddaughter are still involved with them, even after their project Safe to Sleep was abandoned. Fearing for their lives, Dominic chooses to join them in their new "church," the Church of the Eternal Three. What happens to him there brings back all of his memories and his need to protect his family grows even stronger.The Le Bons are torturing him at every turn, and he turns to his old friends Bobby, (Roberta), and Jim for help. The Tremendous Three ride again! Will they be able to stop the evil Le Bons? Will they be able to save Dominic's family? Most importantly, will they be able to save the world? You'll have to read this to find out.

Sometimes it's hard to pick up the next book in a series months, or even years, after reading the previous one. Not so with Ramsey Campbell! His characters are so vivid and memorable, it's easy to pick up right where you left off.

Another thing that I like about this series is that each book takes place years after the previous one. In this volume, Dominic is an old man, he's a grandfather, and he's dealing with all the things that age brings. I'm not that old yet, (well, I guess technically, I am), but I identified with Dom's aches and pains.

Overall, I found this to be a satisfying way to wrap up this trilogy. As far as I'm concerned, how it happened here was the only way to stay true to the tale, but that's all I can say without spoiling anything. Ramsey Campbell never disappoints and this tale is no exception!

*Thanks to Flame Tree Press for the e-ARC of this tale of cosmic and very real horrors!*

My thanks to Flame Tree Press for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘The Way of the Worm’ by Ramsey Campbell in exchange for an honest review.

This is the third and final volume in Campbell’s excellent The Three Births of Daoloth trilogy. As this is a continuing story told over its three volumes it is best to read them in order. As a result I don’t want to say too much about its plot in order to avoid spoilers for those who have yet to read the two earlier books.

I can say that ‘The Way of the Worm’ is set thirty years after ‘Born to the Dark’ roughly in the “present day, or something very like it.” The protagonist of the series, Dominic Sheldrake, has now retired from lecturing and lives on his own. His son Toby is married with a small daughter.

The sinister Noble family are more active than ever and openly operates worldwide as the Church of the Eternal Three.

Threes feature prominently throughout the trilogy, including its title, the three key members of the Noble family and the name of their church, as well as Dominic and his childhood friends, Jim and Roberta, who had dubbed themselves the Tremendous Three when they first started looking into Christian Noble.

In ‘The Way of the Worm’ everything builds to a powerful conclusion with Campbell fully embracing the cosmic horror of the Lovecraftian mythos. It was extremely chilling.

Overall, I feel that the three volumes of the Three Births of Daoloth represents Ramsey Campbell’s strength as a horror writer and is a masterpiece of modern horror fiction.

Highly recommended.

Oh my goodness. I have been waiting for this book since I first picked up The Searching Dead. The Way of the Worm is the final book in the Births of Daoloth trilogy and it brought the series to a frightful conclusion of cosmic proportions. In this book, we are once again introduced to Dominic Sheldrake, who is now retired. His son, Toby, is not married with a child. Much to Dominic’s horror, Toby continues to be involved with the Noble family. As a matter of fact, Toby and his wife are now leaders and are working alongside the Nobles in the Church of the Eternal Three. Dominic is a bit obsessed, as he has been since he was a young boy, with Christian Noble and with trying to keep the world safe from the Noble family’s unorthodox religious views. This third book is Dominic’s final attempt to thwart the Noble family and this story definitely brings the series to a satisfying conclusion.
As always, Ramsey Campbell is a true master of horror. He is a legend and his works are always solid. I highly recommend this book to fans of horror, especially Lovecraftian and cosmic horror.

I can't sufficiently reiterate what an outstanding author is Ramsey Campbell. Four Lifetime achievement awards also indicate in what high esteem Mr. Campbell is viewed by fellow Horror authors, publishers, and literary critics and fans.


In his newest novel, THE WAY OF THE WORM, he brings to stunning conclusion of THE THREE BIRTHS OF DAOLOTH Trilogy, invoking an Implacable generational lineage of villains intent on accomplishing the Apocalypse, time travel, and a strongly determined Hero who seems to provide the villains' only opposition. Though against Lovecraftian Cosmic Horror and the upcoming Apocalypse, what can one sole human accomplish?


Although each of the Trilogy can be read as stand-alone Horror, I recommend reading (and rereading) the Series as a consecutive Set:


THE SEARCHING DEAD
BORN TO THE DARK
THE WAY OF THE WORM

Since I never read the previous parts of the series, at places it fell flat but I love the way the author has.made use of the genre cosmic horror. This book has good potential.

I was so happy to be back in this world. The books have followed Dominic Sheldrake at different points in his life, from childhood and adult hood and this book takes place in his older age when his son is grown with a child of his own. I have to say, when Mr Noble surfaced in the book I had to smile and say hello my old friend. Just like the other three books, the mystery and darkness surrounding the Noble family and Sheldrake family is terrifying and glorious. I both loved the ending to the series and was sad to be at the end. By far my favorite set of books by Ramsey Campbell. I will be buying this book when it comes out in physical form so I can have the whole set for my shelves. Would love to re-read these at some point.

Thank you to NetGalley and Flame Tree Press for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Ramsey Campbell is one of my favorite writers. Not just of dark fiction but overall. When I got a copy of The Way of the Worm, book 3 of The Three Books of Daoloth series of Lovecraftian fiction, I could not wait to get started on it. The first two books in the series did not disappoint and I had no doubt that the final chapter would be just as good.



Christian Noble is an old man, almost 100 years old, but that has not diminished his power over the world in the least. In fact, the power he and his family wield is greater than ever. When Dominic Sheldrake’s wife dies, he is appalled to learn that his son has once more come under Noble’s control. Even worse is that he has brought his wife and daughter into the new church Noble has started, The Church of the Eternal Three, and that many of those who were once under the Noble family’s influence are also back in the fold. This time, however, Noble is not just looking to control his flock. This time he has his sights set on the entire world.



Dominic is worried that the Noble family has its hooks into his son and his family deeper than ever before and decisive action needs to be taken. Enlisting the help of his old friends Bobby and Jimmy, he quickly moves to discredit the church and the Noble family. When legal action fails, it is time for desperate measure to try to save his family and maybe even the world. The worm approaches and nothing may be able to stop it. This will not deter Dominic, however, who knows that everything he loves is in danger and he is determined to struggle on even when society and even the universe seems to be against him.



All of the intrigue and machinations that Campbell has built in the first two novels comes to a head early in The Way of the Worm. One of the things that I really like about this trilogy is that each novel can be read as a standalone novel and still be very good although the subtext will be missed. Coming off the death of his wife, Dominic is dealt an even harsher blow when he learns of his son’s involvement in the Noble’s new venture. Campbell then builds on this and makes death take center stage in the book. Much like the novel, which is sure to live on in the reader’s mind after the last word is read, death is not necessarily an ending but maybe just a gateway to something different. There are shades of death and that is a theme that Campbell plays with throughout the novel. Is death really the end or just the beginning of a new phase of the existence? This runs through The Way of the Worm and I am not sure that there is ever a true answer. This is one of the things that makes this novel, and the series, so powerful. Campbell is a master of setting up the story and leading the reader on a journey but leaves the true answers between the words for the reader to decipher. There is an old saying that the devil is in the details and Campbell is a master at giving just enough details to let the reader discover the devil for himself.



What is so good about The Way of the Worm and the trilogy overall is that Campbell does not tell a story so much as he leads the reader on a journey of discovery. The Way of the Worm is an outstanding novel on the surface and this book (and the trilogy as a whole) is one of the best Lovecraft-inspired stories I have read in a while. That is just the surface, however, and it is what lies in the depths that make the novel great. There are subtexts and subplots beneath the surface that give the story its true meaning and terror. Campbell understands the darkness of the human mind and knows that nothing is as scary as what each individual can dream up for themselves. In The Way of the Worm, Campbell not only writes a powerful story but also gives the reader the keys to unlock the darkness within. This is what makes Campbell one of the best dark fiction writers in the world today. This novel gets my highest recommendation as one of the best novels I have read in a long time. Pick up the entire trilogy if you have not yet. It is one of the rare trilogies in which each book is even better than the previous one.



I would like to thank Flame Tree Press and NetGalley for this review copy. The Way of the Worm is scheduled to be released on March 29, 2022.

Suitably fitting end to the trilogy, further developing the themes and building on the cosmic horror. With Sheldrake now in his 70s, mourning his wife, and showing a growing paranoia there’s a nice tone of an unreliable narrator - we know what happened in previous books (or do we?) but is his obsession masking what’s really going on…

Between 2016-18 PS Publishing released collector editions of Three Births of Daoloth trilogy and if you wish to purchase any of these hardbacks expect to pay big bucks for the privilege. However, it would have been a literary tragedy for such exceptionally good horror novels to remain so tricky to locate and so the Frame Tree Publishing rereleases over the last couple of years are most welcome. Do not attempt reading the final instalment The Way of the Worm unless you have read its predecessors, they are intrinsically linked together.

Although the combined trilogy as a single piece of horror literature ranks amongst the best horror sequences of the last decade, even though it has an absolutely killer ending, The Way of the Worm fails to match The Searching Dead, which beautifully brought 1950s Liverpool to life. Book one is set in the fifties, the second the eighties and by the time we get to the conclusion the main character Dominic Sheldrake is an elderly man who has recently lost his wife. Dominic is a cantankerous old git who does not get on with anybody, with the exception of his two old school friends Bobbie and Jim and is forever riling his son and family. Considering the whole book revolves around Dominic after a while he tested my patience, but as he was the only narrative on offer and is portrayed fairly similarly as he was in middle age back in Born of the Dark.

I do not want to sound unduly negative because Dominic also had numerous good points and was very loyal towards his friends, but his difficult personality was also strongly connected to the main theme of the trilogy; his obsession with Christian Noble which harks back to when he was in first year at secondary school and a pupil of Noble in The Searching Dead kicking off a weird game of supernatural cat-and-mouse game which spans all three books and a lifetime after he uncovers Noble’s ability to raise and communicate with the dead. The problem is nobody believes him, or cares and the spectre of Nobel is never far away, quietly tormenting him.

The Way of the Worm can be seen as the endgame as Dominic desperately tries to extricate his family from The Church of the Eternal Three, led by Noble and his family Christina and Christopher (Toph). However, their influence is spreading and when the novel opens we find out that his own son Toby and his daughter-in-law Claudine are highly ranked in the establishment. Even more worrying, his little granddaughter Macy is either dangerously brainwashed or a fully-fledged member of the cult that seems to be able to keep its true intentions shrouded. We only see the inner workings of the church on a couple of occasions in a couple of great sequences where their ability to dream and connect to the world beyond is explored. I would have loved to have found out more about this as the glimpses were outstanding.

What can an elderly man do to stop a cult? He once again turns to his old schoolfriends, Jim and Bobby. They are the only ones he can trust - the only ones who know what he knows because they too have experienced it. Now the reunited ‘Tremendous Three’ as they were known in The Searching Dead are ready to use their media and police contacts to challenge Noble and his clan, whilst freeing his family. The theme of family is core to the novel and the reader feels Dominic’s fear and emotions as he realises how deeply his son is involved with Noble and the wider influence of his organisation with members in the police force and other places of power.

Other highlights include the unrelenting creepiness of the Nobel family and how they increasingly seem to be merging into one entity and the way they seem to view Dominic like he is a spider trapped in their forever gloating web. Probably more so in this final instalment, the spectre of Lovecraft is never far away, particularly in the end sequence. As the plot moves on the levels of dread and creeping menace are heightened as Noble’s influence increases and he begins to widen his targets in some terrific sequences near the end of the book where to the casual observer poor Dominic is ranting like a man possessed. The unique convention of advancing the story 30 years between each book was also very clever and helped keep things fresh, as we are reacquainted to the world and characters with Campbell periodically filling in the blanks with what happened between books. The bleak ending was a great culmination of the sequence, that somehow managed to find the smallest flicker of light amongst the hopelessness and powerlessness that dominated the series. It is up to the reader to decide whether that final bit of ambiguity is real or merely a fool’s errand.

If you have read book one and two then The Way of the Worm is essential reading and the series as a whole ranks amongst Ramsey Campbell’s finest work. It is not shout out loud, violent or action-packed horror, instead its something which is more likely to creep up on you or unsettle your dreams. The very best horror has that knack of getting under your skin and this series does that in spades.

This is the third and final book in the Daoloth Trilogy, available for the first time in paperback from Flame Tree Press. I have read the first two books in this series that follow the lead character, Dominic Sheldrake, across his lifespan. I was really looking forward to the conclusion. Campbell has set up a powerful story arc and lots of slow creeping dread. Sadly, I had a hard time getting into this book. I felt that there was too much repetitive dialogue and the story progressed very slowly for the first half of the book. I found my desire to continue reading wan towards the middle of the book. However, towards the end, things picked up and got really creepy and dreadful. The ending was epic and full of cosmic horror. The first book of this series was exceptional and I also enjoyed the second. So my expectations for this book were high. Overall I think it's worth reading the trilogy, but this is the weakest of the three books. I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I think this is some kind of trilogy, which I didn’t realise when I requested it. It had elements of Campbell’s signature style which I always enjoy, However, it seemed to dive straight into the story without the subtleties and slow pace that usually accompanies his brand of clever, very-British horror- although this can most likely be explained by it being a continuation of sorts. I’m loath to leave a less-than-glowing review for one of my very favourite horror authors although I do accept that while some of his will remain my all-time favourites, others just don’t work for me. The horror topic here felt a bit outdated. I would love to see some new horror from Ramsey Campbell, I thoroughly enjoyed The Wise Friend. Thanks to Netgalley for the arc.

This is a good ending to a good series. I love a mysterious, question-raising, dread-causing horror and this series certainly does deliver on that front. The final chapters were exceptional! Some of the best cosmic horror writing I have ever read, although parts of the middle of the novel did meander a little.

Overall this book wasn't anything special. I am usually a fan of Ramsey Campbell but this title fell a little flat for me.