by Dr. Stuart Knott, Harriet Everend, Jessica Huntley, with Alice Stone and Shantel Brunton
Synopsis:
You’re cordially invited to LaVey House…
The reclusive Howard LaVey has presented writers Frederick Brandis, Aster Callahan, Rhiannon Hughes, and Mikhail Orlov with the opportunity of a lifetime: a chance to spend a week at his ominous estate and collaborate on a horror anthology.
Each of them hopes to get something out of it, ranging from riches to recognition, but egos flare and co-existing becomes a struggle as each writer battles against their own demons and self-doubts.
Soon enough, LaVey House turns out to be much more than they bargained for, and the chance of a lifetime quickly becomes a living nightmare as ancient spirits awaken and torment them at every turn.
Four writers, four stories, but the true horror lies buried within the dark hallways and forgotten secrets of LaVey House just waiting to live again!
The Summoning is an intense horror collaboration from the minds of Dr. Stuart Knott, Harriet Everend, and Jessica Huntley and featuring contributions from Alice Stone, Shantel Brunton, Tom Schnipke, and Daria Lavrenteva.
TRIGGER WARNINGS FOR:
Violence, supernatural horror, depictions of abuse (domestic, physical, and emotional), trauma, suicide, depression, panic attacks, and general terror.
Review:
First off, I must say wow. This book was amazing in so many ways. The one thing that stood out to me the most was how flawlessly so many authors came together to create this story. It flows seamlessly from one person’s POV to another. I was very impressed.
This book follows four individual authors who are invited to LaVey house for a writing retreat. LaVey is a well know publisher and the offer to attend is out of this world. All four authors are horror writers from various backgrounds. Brandis, Rhiannon, Mikhail, and Aster are the four that lead us into the story. I will say I found myself leaning more toward Aster's character over the others. I liked her personality the best and felt it easier for me to relate to her. My second was Brandis with his sweet disposition.
Mikhail, oh Mikhail, he was a great shit pot stirrer for sure in this novel. He was very verbal about how he liked or didn't like things. Everyone was beneath him. I hated him and I loved him too. He created excellent drama for the story on top of the creepy horror instances that occurred.
Rhiannon at first was my favorite with her colorful language but I found myself drawn to Aster later. The things Rhiannon and all the characters struggled with or had experienced at one point in their life was both heartbreaking and terrifying. I understood Rhiannon's character better after she revealed her past. Mikhail's past made me hate him more honestly.
The plot of this novel moved a long easily and kept my attention. I enjoyed the short stories each character was to create and found myself drawn to the story by Brandis, which I will not say what it was to prevent spoilers and Rhiannon's story.
Last, I want to mention how much I love the cover. It fits the story well and is an eye-catching piece of art. This book was a wonderful read and although I don't usually read much horror, I found myself enjoying this book.
Be sure to check it out yourself. I've included the link below to buy it. Also, if you have any horror suggestions drop me a comment.