With To Carry a Body to Its Resting Place, C.S. Humble opens the Peregrine Estate Trilogy with a haunting, elegiac novel that blends dark fantasy, Southern Gothic sensibilities, and emotionally resonant family drama into something truly special. Humble, best known for his genre-bending work in horror and speculative fiction, proves here that he is equally adept at crafting a literary tale steeped in loss, legacy, and the painful gravity of unfinished business.

The novel follows Ashley Sutliff, a washed-up gambler reluctantly pulled back to his family’s rural home in the Little Kansas Barony when word arrives that his estranged father is dying. Two years away haven’t dulled the bitterness or mended the fractures between Ashley and his brothers, Willow and Ellery. But what begins as a reluctant homecoming soon transforms into something stranger and more mythic: a call to fulfill a mysterious obligation made to the enigmatic Peregrine Estate—a place as eerie as it is powerful, tied to a fragile peace between rival werewolf packs.

Yes, there are werewolves—but To Carry a Body to Its Resting Place is not your typical supernatural tale. Humble uses the supernatural as an emotional lens, not just a plot device. The wolves, the estate, and the looming threat of war all serve as metaphors for the deeper battles the Sutliff brothers must face: grief, resentment, the weight of promises, and the aching distance between who we were and who we could’ve been.

Humble’s prose is rich, melancholic, and immersive. He writes with the kind of quiet, poetic precision that calls to mind authors like William Gay or Jesmyn Ward—crafting a sense of place so vivid you can almost feel the dust cling to your boots. Every sentence hums with the ache of longing and the sting of regret.

But what elevates this novel beyond genre or setting is its emotional truth. Ashley’s journey is one of reckoning—not just with the debts his father left behind, but with the unspoken things that define every family: silence, sacrifice, resentment, and, eventually, reconciliation. The sibling dynamics are especially poignant, with Willow’s steadfastness and Ellery’s emotional fragility contrasting beautifully against Ashley’s reluctant, burdened heart.

I loved the original trilogy in this world and I am on course to love these prequels too.
Good the character-building and lore wrapped in the world is so well done.
It starts off as a story about family and in the end is a war with lycanthropes, but it all works!
Read these! I know horror and western sound weird but these are amazing!

I really don't know what I expected going into this, but this book suckerpunched me multiple times throughout my read. Between the journey of grief and the supernatural elements, this was absolutely incredible.

This story is simply stunning.

Brothers Ashley, Willow and Ellery reunite before their dying father, to learn of a promise their father made - a debt owed to the mysterious Peregrine Estate, to help prevent a war.

I feel like I could both talk about this novella forever, and also not know if I can accurately convey how much I enjoyed it - I fell head over heels in love reading this. You when when you are just completely consumed by a story?

It is so beautifully written. It’s rich and poetic and vivid and atmospheric and full of deep emotion and connection between family and kin. The characters were wonderfully written and I felt I instantly knew them, making it all the more heartbreaking, and this being a Western set in 1845 was perfect.

This is supernatural, and it does have that wonder and mythology that come along with it - but it is equally just as real, in that it almost doesn’t feel supernatural at all.

And within all of this, it is devastatingly sad, and considering it’s a novella so not many pages, I cried a few times.

I had not heard of these books, or this author before, and WOW, I am so glad I have discovered this world and that there are other books for me to experience, as this is book 1 in the Peregrine Estate Prequel Trilogy and Book 4 in the Amid The Vastness Of All Else Saga.

I could have just read this continuously without ever stopping.

"Only for a piece, only for a time..."
"Only for a piece of my life will I be without you and you without me. Only for a time will we be apart"
Absolutely killed me off that line.

Beautiful.

I received an eARC of this book, the first of The Peregrine Estate and fourth in Amid the Vastness of All Else, through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Firstly, C. S. Humble is one of my favorite authors. Before this, I'd read three of his other books, giving all of them 5 stars each. There is something about his writing that pulls you in, an intimacy with his characters that I don't see often. It's the characters that matter, not their circumstances or their views or their journey, but who they are, the people they love, and how they grow.

To Carry a Body to Its Resting Place is, at its most basic, a story of three brothers who, as siblings usually are, at odds with each other and where they stand in the hierarchy of the family. The eldest and most troublesome, the middle dutiful son, and the 'baby'. It's a story of their being forced to come together in a strange and abnormal situation with strange and abnormal people. But it is much more than that.

Humble's writing isn't something I can really explain by comparing it to other authors or their works or describing it with my background in English literature. It's not in the words or their format. It's not in the pacing or the world. It's in the spaces between, the emotions that surround them. And it sounds quite philosophical, but it's the best possible way I could explain it.

The story pulls you in. This world of the strange and supernatural intrigues you. I want to know everything there is to know about all the ins and outs and customs and traditions of the Brohms and McKennys and their kin.

I have only one negative thing...but it's not really negative. I wish this book was twice as long. But I come from a chunky-fantasy-reading background. I love the slow-burn world building, the politicking and inner monologues. But I mostly just want more time with these characters and the worlds they live in. And I can't wait to dive right into San Antonio Mission.

I love a good urban fantasy, especially if it has themes of family, loyalty, grief, This book has loads of that plus is in a historic setting. I loved the main characters, their voice seemed authentic and the sibling dynamic was fun to follow. Overall, I highly recommend this and I would definitely read more from the author

To Carry a Body to Its Resting Place is yet another powerful and unforgettable piece from C.S. Humble, and I loved every word of it. As the first entry in a prequel trilogy to The Light Sublime series, it sets the tone perfectly. It is gritty, mythic, and emotionally resonant. Humble continues to prove he’s one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary horror and dark fiction.

This story carries all the hallmarks of what I love about his writing: lyrical prose that never tips into excess, characters that feel fully alive, and an emotional core that sneaks up on you and hits hard. For such a short work, it evokes such strong feeling—grief, awe, dread, even beauty—all without ever losing its momentum or focus. Humble’s economy of language is something rare, every line is doing something meaningful.

The western horror atmosphere is spot on. The entire vibe is dusty, ghost-haunted, and quietly epic. If you're a fan of Joe R. Lansdale’s blend of horror and western grit, or if The Dark Tower series by Stephen King left a mark on you, this book will feel like familiar terrain but with a fresh and poetic voice all its own. It’s violent and strange and sacred all at once.

I’m beyond excited that this is just the beginning of a new trilogy. Humble is crafting something ambitious and deeply human across these interconnected works, and I’ll follow wherever he takes us next. I’ll continue to be a huge supporter of his writing for as long as he keeps telling stories because no one else tells them quite like this.

C S Humble's "To Carry A Body To It's Resting Place.
"The goodbyes we say live with us forever"
I came into this story with disappointment from the last book I read so my expectation was decidedly low. So imagine my surprise at discovering a masterpiece, a gem, a beauty of a book. The story is great and the writing is beautiful. From the return of the prodigal son, the death in the family, the grief, the family infighting, the reconciliations to that lethal encounter with werewolves - the story is woven beautifully together.
I love that there is no regurgitation of tired werewolf tropes here and before the encounter with the beasts one is kept engrossed as the themes of family, death and grief are explored.
I love this book and I will be reading it again.
I will be waiting for the next installment.

I received this book as an arc through NetGalley. I have always loved C.S. Humble’s storytelling and was excited to get a chance to read this even though its book number 4 and I have yet to read any others in this series. I felt like I got transported to another world and barely scratched the surface of what lay beneath. Needless to say, I’m hooked and will need to finish the series.

I first heard about this book when another author that I loved was raving about it, so when the opportunity to read an advanced copy became available, I snagged it.

The story follows Ashley Sutliffe as he is dragged back home by his younger brother, Willow, to say his goodbyes to his dying father. Family secrets quickly surface and Ashley, Willow, and Ellery, the youngest brother, soon find themselves in the midst of a turf war between two families of monsters.

This was such a hauntingly heartfelt horror novel. C.S. Humble masterfully weaves together raw emotion and supernatural dread, but it’s the bond between the three brothers that truly lingers. Their relationship feels so authentic—it broke me in the best way. Humble has crafted an eerie world that hums with menace, but it’s his lyrical, biting prose that steals the show. He doesn’t just tell a story—he immerses us in it.

If you love a horror story with soul, grit, and a touch of the supernatural, don’t sleep on this one. It’s bleak, beautiful, and absolutely unforgettable.

The goodbyes we say live with us forever

This is the fourth book on the Amid the Vastness of All Else Saga, the first one, the Peregrine Estate Trilogy, and my first book by C.S. Humble, and to be honest with you. I am completely obsessed with it.

"Only for a piece of my life will I be without you and you without me. Only for a time will we be apart"

This was athmospheric, poetic, extremely well written, and impacting for being a novella, a horror book with a grip on your heart. Grief & horror delicately balanced into a ballard of pain and promise.

We follow the story of Ahsley, a man lost to gamble, who has been hunted to by his baby brother to come home to say goodbye to his dying parent. Soon, we learn that the Sutliff family has a promise to fulfill and is up to the brothers to keep that promise.

I loved the dynamic between the brothers, a love-hate relationship, where the grudges and heartfelt moments are shared, and when we learn a well-kept family secret and promise. We navigate grief, grudges, and a threat. This was so good!!!

I crave more from this storyline and the character of Ashley. So, I did what any level minded human does and preprder the entirety of the saga because I must consume it.

I would love to thank NetGalley, Shortwave Publishing, and C.S. Humble for the opportunity to read and review this masterpiece of horror grief and my newest obsession.

5 Stars – A Masterwork of Western Horror and Character-Driven Fantasy

C.S. Humble’s The Peregrine Estate Trilogy is nothing short of breathtaking. Expanding on the world first introduced in The Massacre at Yellow Hill, these prequels deepen the mythology, widen the scope, and—most importantly—bring even more unforgettable characters to life.

Whether it’s the emotional gut-punch of To Carry a Body to Its Resting Place, the harrowing, history-rooted action of San Antonio Mission, or the tragic romance at the heart of The Baroness of the Eastern Seaboard, every entry hits hard. Humble’s prose is vivid, lyrical, and deeply human, blending western grit, cosmic horror, and epic fantasy with a level of character work rarely seen in genre fiction.

This isn’t just horror or fantasy—it’s an emotionally rich saga that makes you feel. Humble is, without question, one of the finest writers working today. These stories broke my heart in the best way possible, and I can’t recommend them enough.

A paranormal thriller about werewolves that will also make me cry?! Yes please.

C.S's writing brought me into the story in a way that was so captivating I could hear the sound of boats on the river and feel wind through my hair. I don't typically love 'wild west' stories, but WOW, there is always an exception eh?

A majority of this book focuses on the strained relationship of three brothers as they are told about their parents hidden past and the debt (in the form of duty) that they have inherited. There is no way you can convince me that these three brother's didn't actually exist at some point. They're so well written and CS does an amazing job of making us love them through their flaws.

I read a lot of genre fiction and am used to certain beats being hit at certain points through the book. I'd say this book leans more into LitFic and that adds a layer to the story I wasn't ready for, and loved.

This is my first C.S Humble book but it absolutely won't be my last. I'm going to go back and read the first trilogy in this universe, then absolutely continue with this series.

What to expect
🐺 Flawed adult brothers trying their best
🐺 Dangerous werewolves
🐺 Steamboat rides
🐺 Mom being a badass
🐺 Your hear being ripped out, both by a beast and by CS Humble
🐺 Gorgeous writing

This book is best read while playing poker at a saloon, keep your gun close.

I am so excited that C.S. Humble has written these prequels. I’ve been longing for more of this Wild West of a world that he’s created since finishing the first trilogy.

Getting to know Ashley Sutliff better and diving into his backstory was so much fun. Jam packed full of adventure and heartbreak, this story is, from start to finish, an incredible prequel. Ashley’s bond with his brothers is so strong and I loved getting to see them interact and bicker as brothers do, but also seeing them fight the way only family will for each other was so special.

I’m already looking forward to the next book and am so happy these stories exist!

Atmospheric, intriguing and heartbreaking.

The Sutcliff brothers are easy to follow and very easy to care about.

Willow is sent by his mother to collect his older brother Ashleigh and bring him home to say goodbye to their father. Ashleigh did a lot of damage when he left and now he has to face his dying father, his mother and his youngest brother Ellery. As his father is dying, he finds out about a promise his father made years before that he is expecting Ashleigh to uphold. He learns of a world of werewolves and territory wars and pack lines. With Willow and Ellery, they head to Little Kansas to help prevent a supernatural war.

The setup for the rest of the trilogy was done very well, this book is well-paced and spot on in length. Every interaction felt important or relevant, and I'm really invested in the brothers and their story. I've not read anything by C.S Humble before but I'm eager to read more after this! I haven't read That Light Sublime trilogy as I didn't realise until I was already reading that some of the other characters are from that series. Honestly speaking, I don't think you need to have read the original trilogy to understand this at all. I loved how this was a fantasy in a western setting, not a usual pick for me, but the characters kept me reading! I really fell in love with them.

Thank you to Shortwave publishing for providing this book for review consideration via Netgalley! All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.

To Carry a Body to Its Resting Place is grief horror at its absolute best. In a western setting, we follow brothers mourning the recent death of their father while they set out to deliver on a promise he made before he died-- to help a secret organization fight a supernatural threat.

I've said it before and I'll say it a million more times, C.S. Humble is the best living writer working today. Between his ability to deliver the sights, sounds, smells, and FEEL of a place, and his acumen for drawing characters that make you both believe in humanity and grieve for its shortfalls, I challenge any reader to find a contemporary equal.