This Thing Of Darkness by Allan Batchelder

​This had a very cheesy look to it. It made me expect something along the lines of Will Shakespeare, the Monster Slayer. I’ve never heard of the author, the official description of the book was minimalistic and the cover is…well, kinda corny, isn’t it?
Which is to say, there was absolutely nothing to prepare me for how good of a read this turned out to be and how much fun.
So, what’s a man to do in the early 1600s when he gets tired of it all…the fame, the creditors, the married life? Why, set off for a new world, of course. With an illegitimate son by a black prostitute in tow, no less. At the very least, it’ll be an adventure.
Along the way, Will acquires a companion named Margaret, a very large and strong man leading life as a woman.
The unusual, by local standards anyway, trio arrives in Jamestown and proceeds to set up a life, only to find it threatened on several ends…by angry locals, Powhatans Natives and a strange carnivorous creature that stalks the land. That’s like Jack Reacher amounts of crap, too much to deal with for an aging and tired bard and yet…to the occasion he shall rise.
This is that story. Well told. With terrifically engaging characters rendered with warmth and surprising realism, where descending into caricatures would have been so easy. With vivid descriptions and humorous banter and bookboombastic action scenes. Such a good story. Way to make colonial America exciting. This book was tons of fun. Recommended. Thanks Netgalley.