Devourer of Souls by Kevin Lucia

Ragnarok Publications, 2014

ISBN-13: 978-0990390923

Availability: paperback

There are strange, unexplainable things occurring in and around the Adirondack town of Clifton Heights. Four men know the real stories– Chris, the sheriff; Gavin, a writer and teacher; Fitzy, a doctor; and Father Ward. Chris and Father Ward meet at a diner to discuss the latest stories written in a special journal that has chronicled all of the weird happenings.

In “S?ph?n” we are introduced to Jake, a young boy abused by his alcoholic father, a Vietnam veteran with PTSD and many scars. Mr. Trung, a Vietnamese immigrant who sells blueberries to the town, has a dark history with Jake and his family which revolves around an ancient game that, for Jake, had very real consequences. Jake is determined to set things right, and he asks his friend Nate for help. Things go horribly wrong, and Nate runs off, leaving Jake behind. Jake went missing, and now, years later, Nate must finish the game that Jake started.

“The Man in Yellow” takes place in a nearby town that has been abandoned for years, after a fire in the church killed everyone who lived there. A charismatic preacher dressed entirely in yellow arrives in town, claiming to be a healer. Two boys who are both disabled– Stuart and Bobby– are the key to the preacher’s success, but it has nothing to do with saving souls. Stuart realizes that there is something very wrong, and attempts to stop the preacher before he can complete his plans.

There isn’t much the four men can do about the bizarre happenings in their town, but they collect the stories and agree that there is definitely something supernatural at work here.

Devourer of Souls is two novellas connected with a wrap-around story, a style Lucia used in his prior collection, Things Slip Through. The tales are chilling, disturbing, and creepy without being weighed down by blood and guts, which allows for some fantastic storytelling. The characters are believable, and you grow to care about them, making the cruelty of their fates hit you like a punch to the gut. The writing is so compelling and well-done that I read Devourer of Souls in one sitting– I couldn’t put it down. I thoroughly enjoyed the book, and highly recommend it. I also encourage you to pick up Things Slip Through so you can completely immerse yourself in the town of Clifton Heights. Highly recommended.

Contains: some adult language

Reviewed by Colleen Wanglund