The Black Hunger by Nicholas Pullen

Book Review

Sarah Deeming

Lord John Dalwood is a scholar studying ancient civilisations and is fascinated with Buddhism. When his studies uncover a branch of Buddhism known as the Black Helmets, Dalwood becomes obsessed, taking a position in the India Services to continue his studies in the local temples. He also takes with him his manservant and lover, Garrett Benson, and enters a glorious era of love and education. But it is not to last. He discovers the Black Helmets are real, a destructive off-shoot of Buddhism with a warped understanding of its teachings and bent on destroying the world, and they are readying for their next attempt. Dalwood is blackmailed into travelling deeper into India and infiltrating their temple to steal a precious artefact that will stop all their plans.

The Black Hunger is an ambitious debut novel about an evil religious organisation working in the shadows to overtake the world. The story is told in three parts, each one taking us further and further into the past so we can see how the events in Dalwood’s timeline were set in motion over thirty years ago. While Dalwood’s section is told as the final confession of a dying man, the other two sections are told in journal entries and letters, which reminds me of Bram Stoker’s Dracula.

I found this story problematic for a number of reasons. The first is the pacing. Dalwood’s initial section is long, spanning many years and covering everything from his too-idyllic childhood, discovering he is gay, his education and his adult employment. It was slow and ponderous and left me wondering why I needed all this background information. However, when we reach the other sections, they are much quicker, darker, and much more enjoyable, particularly Dr Samuel Abravanel’s sections with journals and letters between him and another character, which hint at a conspiracy to steal a woman’s wealth.

Secondly, the book is about an evil sect of Buddhism, but toward the end, the antagonist, a Russian aristocrat called Count Vorontzoof, lists off a group of demons who have already agreed to be part of their plan and includes figures from other religions. This was the first time different religions had been mentioned in this way, and it brought me out of the story. It felt like a group of names thrown in at the end of the story to increase the character’s peril without any substance. Especially considering how much trouble Dalwood was in without it.

There are parts of this book that make for uncomfortable reading, especially around British views of anyone and anything that is different to themselves. The second section is a series of letters and journal entries by Dr Samuel Abravanel, a Jewish psychiatrist. He faces prejudice throughout his section due to his religion, and while it is difficult reading, it does feel authentic, just as the negativity Dalwood faces for being gay. Although times have changed, we should not gloss over the bits of the past we don’t like. I appreciated that Pullen didn’t shy away from representing these views.

Although there are parts that definitely need work on, such as pacing, I felt this was a strong debut novel of good versus evil and the power of love, and I will definitely read other works from this author.