~THE CULT OF EDEN – Review~

Posted on November 16, 2020 by dkhundt

~BLACKTHORN BOOK TOURS~

~About~

Newlywed Will Battese finds himself homesick and overwhelmed after following his ambitious wife, Shannon, to New York City. When a surprise pregnancy shreds their already meager budget, Will drops out of college and settles for work at a low-end diner. There, a small act of kindness draws the attention of Victor Degas, a man with an unsettling presence and deformed eyes. Unbeknownst to Will, Degas belongs to an ancient, sophisticated cult known as the Edens and believes Will to be the key to gaining otherworldly power. As the sun sets on Good Friday, Degas orchestrates a home invasion in which Will and his baby boy, Gideon, are kidnapped, leaving Shannon to join forces with an unreliable agent from the Roman Catholic Church. While Will struggles to save other innocents from the Eden parish below the city, Shannon discovers that the cult plans to use her family for an unimaginable demonic ritual, and that the Vatican may let it happen. With no one to trust but themselves, Shannon and Will must fight not only to survive, but to keep their humanity intact. THE CULT OF EDEN is the first volume in The Unrisen saga.

~My Thoughts~

That. Was. Intense! I just finished reading THE CULT OF EDEN in the wee hours of the morn, and let’s just say I am Wide Awake!

I strongly advise not reading an Occult Horror novel such as this before going to bed.

Number One, the writing will suck you in until you find yourself justifying the lack of much-needed sleep with the mantra of ‘Just one more page.’ ‘Just one more chapter.’ ‘Sleep is overrated anyway, right?‘

Number Two, you soon find yourself in a gut-wrenching moment in the book (and there are many) where you realize you may never sleep again.

After reading my above comment, you might be thinking I didn’t like the book, and you would be wrong. There are some intense and violent scenes within, but there’s more at the novel’s heart than just gore. Halpin created protagonists I genuinely care about and can’t help but root for throughout.

Okay, to be honest, I couldn’t stand Shannon, who comes across as selfish and rude more times than not. However, towards the end, she has some redeemable qualities, kind of.

THE CULT OF EDEN is Book One Of The Unrisen, a novel that will keep you guessing throughout, and one I Highly Recommend!

About the Author

Bill Halpin was born and raised in Orlando, Florida, where he grew up on the horror genre. After graduating from the University of Central Florida, Bill moved on to New York City and earned a degree in Optometry from SUNY. Now, he lives and practices in Saratoga Springs, NY and writes in between his appointments. The Cult of Eden is his debut novel.