THE NATURE OF DEMONS

A mysterious event turns much of the population into bloodthirsty monstrosities in Carmicle’s debut horror novel.

Attorney Jacob Freeman, his doctor wife, Rebecca, and their 10-year-old daughter, Micah, find their lives turned upside down when the world seems to go insane overnight. As their neighbors—some transformed into nightmarish creatures—murder each other outside their front door, Jacob feels himself fighting the growing “Darkness” within him as horns begin sprouting from his skull. After getting control of the evil thoughts plaguing him, he and his wife decide to take their daughter and leave their devastated neighborhood in search of other possible survivors. After meeting Judith, a seductive young woman who now has a tail (and some seemingly supernatural abilities), Jacob resolves to manipulate her into joining their group—though his very upset wife disagrees with the decision. The group of four begins “a voyage of discovery, a post-apocalyptic Lewis and Clark charting civilization’s ruins.” Along the way, they meet numerous horrific characters (including the Ghoul and the Pale Gentleman)—some of whom offer to help the travelers while others plot to kill them. Further complicating matters is the intense love/hate relationship between Jacob and Rebecca, and the transformation of Micah, who begins growing wings and becomes the target of a faction of “crazies.” A travelogue through Middle America that is fittingly described as a “carnival of horror,” the unapologetically violent novel does have minor issues: The pacing and intensity lag in places, and the concluding chapters seem inexplicably rushed and disjointed. But the laser-focused worldbuilding, excellent character development, and dynamics between the characters (particularly Jacob, Rebecca, and Micah) more than make up for these shortcomings. The many unresolved plot threads at novel’s end create a solid (albeit not exactly satisfying) foundation for potential sequels.

A gruesome, compelling fusion of post-apocalyptic fiction and supernatural horror.