Satan’s Grip by Paul Sherman, reviewed by Ally
ABOUT THE BOOK
Inspired by the black magic novels of Dennis Wheatley. Esther’s eighth birthday. The day that her mother, Charlotte, had been fearing. As a teenager, Charlotte had gotten involved in a satanic cult and had made a promise to Satan that he could have her firstborn child. At the time, she really didn’t believe any of this was true. It was just a silly thing she did to fit in. But now… Can Charlotte save Esther from Satan’s grip? Or is she destined to fulfill that long-ago promise?
MY REVIEW
4 out of 5 stars
From its opening pages, Satan’s Grip tugs its readers in and doesn’t let go. It launches into its tale without hesitation, slowly updating its audience so as to maintain a careful pull of suspense. It gives minimal detail at first so as to establish interest, but slowly builds as we learn more about the characters populating its pages. These characters are fully faceted with understandable motivations and individual personalities. They make informed and unique decisions that help to build their persons.
The plot was also interesting; it’s a fairly conventional concept but is executed very well with enough twists to stoke curiosity. The scarier moments, such as the kidnapping that occurs within the first chapter, are performed well. They keep up tension and suspense, linking the reader with the characters’ feelings. I would highly recommend Satan’s Grip to any reader looking for a well-executed and satisfying horror tale to do with cults, Satan, and a strong female lead.
DISCLAIMER: I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for writing a review. I am not obligated to give a positive review, and all thoughts are my own.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Paul Sherman is a teacher, author and director of Youth Theatre. He has had stories published in various hard copy magazines, but most recently, he has had three fantasy-horror stories (The Jokers of Sarzuz, Daemon Page, and Missed!) published by TWB Press which are available on Amazon, OmniLit, etc. he has also written poetry and plays which have been performed at various locations in the UK, including the Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh. His play ‘Kilmainham Kids’ about the children imprisoned in the gaol in Dublin in the 1850’s is shortly to be published. He is currently working on a collection of short stories ‘Tales out of Herm’ all set at different locations on Herm Island, one of the smaller Channel Islands, but steeped in history and mythology and ripe for short story settings.
ABOUT THE BOOK
Inspired by the black magic novels of Dennis Wheatley. Esther’s eighth birthday. The day that her mother, Charlotte, had been fearing. As a teenager, Charlotte had gotten involved in a satanic cult and had made a promise to Satan that he could have her firstborn child. At the time, she really didn’t believe any of this was true. It was just a silly thing she did to fit in. But now… Can Charlotte save Esther from Satan’s grip? Or is she destined to fulfill that long-ago promise?
MY REVIEW
4 out of 5 stars
From its opening pages, Satan’s Grip tugs its readers in and doesn’t let go. It launches into its tale without hesitation, slowly updating its audience so as to maintain a careful pull of suspense. It gives minimal detail at first so as to establish interest, but slowly builds as we learn more about the characters populating its pages. These characters are fully faceted with understandable motivations and individual personalities. They make informed and unique decisions that help to build their persons.
The plot was also interesting; it’s a fairly conventional concept but is executed very well with enough twists to stoke curiosity. The scarier moments, such as the kidnapping that occurs within the first chapter, are performed well. They keep up tension and suspense, linking the reader with the characters’ feelings. I would highly recommend Satan’s Grip to any reader looking for a well-executed and satisfying horror tale to do with cults, Satan, and a strong female lead.
DISCLAIMER: I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for writing a review. I am not obligated to give a positive review, and all thoughts are my own.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Paul Sherman is a teacher, author and director of Youth Theatre. He has had stories published in various hard copy magazines, but most recently, he has had three fantasy-horror stories (The Jokers of Sarzuz, Daemon Page, and Missed!) published by TWB Press which are available on Amazon, OmniLit, etc. he has also written poetry and plays which have been performed at various locations in the UK, including the Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh. His play ‘Kilmainham Kids’ about the children imprisoned in the gaol in Dublin in the 1850’s is shortly to be published. He is currently working on a collection of short stories ‘Tales out of Herm’ all set at different locations on Herm Island, one of the smaller Channel Islands, but steeped in history and mythology and ripe for short story settings.
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