27/09/19 | By Bill Halpin
Categories:
Articles

It's here. THE CULT OF EDEN from America's hottest new horror writer will terrify you...


The Cult of Eden explores the vulnerability of callow faith and the unseen forces in our world that prey on it. I aim to scare readers in two distinct ways. First, the monsters within the pages aren’t hiding in a remote cabin or on a spaceship, they’re real people living among you. You could pass by them on big city streets or small-town supermarkets.

They could be as near as an outstretched arm and they aren’t passive. They’re constantly observing, actively searching for people like you. All they need is to see you smile, or buy coffee for the stranger behind you in line, or hold the door open for a stronger and now they want to take that away from you.That’s the second danger and what makes the ancient Cult of Eden unlike any other. They don’t just want to kill you, they want to change you first. There’s a fate worse than death and that’s losing your way—losing who you are—and for many people, that’s losing their faith, whatever religion or belief system that may be.

The Edens are committed, even if it means they end up in hell, they don’t care—they are, in a certain way, spiritual kamikazes. Readers will discover that there may be a supernatural element involved, but when it comes to these occult extremists, it doesn’t matter that we believe demons are real or not, but whether they do.

Keep in mind, however, by no means is this story entirely introspective, I want to engage the reader and get their pulse racing. The Cult of Eden combines the slow burn and savagery of Scott Smith’s The Ruins with the subtlety and lore of The Exorcist. Not without humorous reprieves, it is ultimately the story of a family’s love in the face of adversity. You’ll find a story told through multiple viewpoints, taking you from the Amazon rainforest to a massive Eden parish beneath New York City.

Bill Halpin was born and raised in Orlando, Florida, where the seeds of horror were planted at an early age. As a kid, he stayed up into the night with his Grandpa to watch all the monster movies Blockbuster and late-night television had to offer. To this day his love for all that is scary has never left him. After graduating from the University of Central Florida, he moved on to New York City and earned a degree in Optometry from SUNY. Now, he practices in Saratoga Springs, NY and writes in between his appointments. He has been blessed with a beautiful wife, Ali, and their daughter, Finley. Outside of horror, he enjoys Muay Thai, crane machines, beer, escape rooms, the Marvel universe, and in-depth board games. The Cult of Eden is his debut novel.

I thoroughly enjoyed this, The premise is good, Halpin has taken an existing topic, turned it upside down and inside out and mutilated into something refreshingly terrifying and brutal. Horror fiction is such a subjective genre, It is difficult to please all fans but most fans will find something here, something chilling and deeply disturbing. If you are looking for a satisfying autumn chiller then this will not only keep you morbidly glued to each page but it will have burrowed into your mind long after you have finished. Great read, a must for Horror fans and as vivid as a movie which I expect this will be one day. 5 stars. Mary Lynn Petersburg





Categories:

0 comments on this article

This thread has been closed from taking new comments.