She Who Rules The Dead: Maria Abrams
Reviewed By Steve Stred
Holy wow!
Weirdpunk Books has really been delivering some of the best reads over the last few years. For some reason, I’d kind of missed the news regarding ‘She Who Rules the Dead’ arriving. I’d seen it shared on Twitter etc, but I thought it wasn’t out until fall and lo and behold, to my surprise, this already came out back in April.
But, having read this now, holy wow. This was an unexpected novella that really knocked me for a loop.
What I liked: ‘She Who Rules the Dead’ is a brutal read. It picks up with a woman bound and restrained in the back seat while the guy she met at the bar is driving. From there, Abrams recounts some horrific events, how these two met and how little the man, Henry, actually knows about what he’s gotten himself into.
This one takes a few twists and turns which makes reviewing it tough. The kidnapped character really has some fascinating ‘things’ that surround her and her backstory. The other characters that are involved also offer a unique narrative and how they ultimately are involved in the ending was perfect.
Abrams left this with the potential for more and I for one would love to see further entries in this fascinating world.
What I didn’t like: The character of Henry discusses the ‘why’ of his actions but I would’ve loved to see more, especially regarding the end goal or the final aspect. I can’t say much more, but that was a very intriguing plot point.
Why you should buy this: This novella hums along and Abrams deftly crafts a story that really knocked my socks off. ‘She Who Rules the Dead’ starts at 100mph and never slows down, speeding up and adding bits and bites to the story that really amped it up even more.
This was a phenomenal read and one I hope more people discover.
She Who Rules The Dead
Henry has received a message: he needs to sacrifice five people to the demon that’s been talking to him in his nightmares. He already has four, and number five, Claire, is currently bound in the back of his van.
Too bad Claire isn’t exactly human.
You can buy She Who Rules The Dead from Amazon UK & Amazon US
Steve Stred
Steve Stred is the author of a number of novels, novellas and collections. He has appeared in anthologies with some of Horror’s heaviest hitters.
He lives in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada with his wife, son and their dog OJ.
You can follow Steve on Twitter @stevestred
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You can visit Steve’s Official website here
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