The Lebo Coven [Hardcover]

Stephen Mark Rainey (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 9, 2004

Barry Riggs returns to his hometown in search of his brother, Matt, who has mysteriously disappeared. His house has been ransacked - and branded by the strange word "LEBO," painted in blood on the bedroom wall. Despite having mixed feelings about his brother, Barry decides to do some detective work of his own. Along the way, Barry meets a young woman named Jennifer Brand, whom he had once treated with contempt because she suffered from a repulsive, crippling affliction. After some awkward moments, the two become friends, and together they begin to unravel the mystery.

Stephen Mark Rainey is well known as editor of the acclaimed Deathrealm magazine, which ran from 1987 to 1997 and won numerous best magazine awards. Currently a resident of Greensboro, North Carolina, Mark lived in Chicago for several years during the 1980s and still considers the Windy City his second home. (20021201)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A young man battles dark forces overwhelming his home, family and friends in this formulaic supernatural thriller. When Barry Riggs returns to Aikens Mill, his Virginia hometown, he finds his family house ransacked and the word LEBO scrawled in blood on its walls. His estranged younger brother, Matt, is missing, and the locals suspect it's the work of Ren, a drifter and supposed Satanist whom Matt rented rooms to. By luck, Barry reconnects with old acquaintance Jennifer Brand, whose recent delvings into the Kabbalah help them discover that the house is a locus for an evil far worse than the satanic. Though Rainey gives his horrors an original cosmic twist, he depends heavily on large dollops of arcane occult lore, which drop thuddingly into conversations and make the characters speaking it all sound alike. A few twists and a well-executed climax raise this novel above more routine horror fare.
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Review

"From a darkly humorous tale of the power of words (Death and the Librarian) to a never-before-published response to events of September 11 (Ilion), Friesner's 12 stories illustrate the author's acutely sensitive vision of wonder in the everyday world... Known primarily for his 'Star Wars' novels... Zahn's short stories also deliver strong plots and memorable characters... Zebrowski's many novels (e.g. Macrolife) mark him as a visionary as well as a master of hard sf. The ten short stories collected in In the Distance provide a benchmark of his creativity... the author expands his concept of the human condition to embrace the stars. Part of Five Star's continuing commitment to showcasing the short fiction of the genre's most prominent author's, these three volumes belong in most libraries where short sf is popular."
-- Library Journal (December 2002) (Library Journal 20020615)

"...Part of Five Star's continuing commitment to showcasing the short fiction of the genre's most prominent authors, these three volumes (Death and the Librarian and Other Stories/ Star Song and Other Stories/ In the Distance, and Ahead in Time) belong in most libraries where short sf is popular."
-- Library Journal (December 2002) (Library Journal 20040601)

"Four more titles in Five Star's new series (God Is an Iron and Other Stories/ Generation Gap and Other Stories/ The Lady Vanishes and Other Oddities of Nature/ Suppose They Gave a Peace and Other Stories) of short fiction by noteworthy sf authors offer a variety of tales that illustrate the depth and staying power of the genre...Most of the stories in these volumes have only appeared in periodicals. Libraries wishing to augment their sf or short fiction collections should consider any of them."
-- Library Journal (June 2002) (Library Journal )

"A few twists and a well-executed climax raise this novel above more routine horror fare."
-- Publisher's Weekly (June 2004) (Publisher's Weekly )

"If readers are looking for a chilling horror thriller, with strong paranormal elements, then The Lebo Coven by Stephen Mark Rainey will satisfy...This story is a chilling thriller, bound to keep readers on the edges of their seats, gasping in shock many times over...If readers are looking for a compelling read, that will entice them in, making them eager to see how the story will end, then read this one. It?s well written, with a strong plot and stronger characters. It is sure to tempt even the most particular of horror aficionados. The Lebo Coven is well worth the time to read it."
-- Kelley A. Hartsell (September 2004)

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 271 pages
• Publisher: Five Star; 1st edition (July 9, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1594142270
• ISBN-13: 978-1594142277
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.9 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,394,680 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Formulaic but entertaining, August 22, 2004

By 

RPerry - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Lebo Coven (Hardcover)

The Lebo Coven has many of the stereotypical horror elements... spooky events in a small town, sympathetic protagonists, and a purely evil villain...but Rainey's writing is fun to read and often compelling. I identified with the skepticism of Barry, the main character, as events slowly unfold, finally convincing him of the realtity of supernatural forces. The question of what has happened to Matt, his brother, leads to some unexpected and satisfying twists. The Lebo Coven has the quality of a decent horror movie...long on suspense but not on gore. In fact, this book has alot more suspense and mystery than gross-out horror, which is good if you're looking for enjoyable characters in a creepy setting without alot of blood and guts (except for one very disgusting murder scene).

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Dark Occult Fiction, October 13, 2006

By 

S. Sommerville "Author of A Russian Prostitut... (Raleigh, NC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Lebo Coven (Hardcover)

This Stephen Mark Rainey novel is certainly not lacking in atmosphere. Rainey expertly creates a sort of claustrophobic, helpless feel in this here tale of a man who is revisiting his hometown only to find his brother's house ransacked and unoccupied. Strange messages, written in blood appear on the walls, certain people in the town seem a bit...weird. That is about all you should know before going into this.

The only thing that I found a bit annoying was the dialougue from one of the characters who, to me, overexplained things and sounded a bit too much like an encyclopedia. That minor distraction did not ruin the read, but kept it from being in the realm of excellence, instead making it mearly a "very good" read.

I reccomend this book to anyone who is into dark, occult horror fiction. The writing is smooth for the most part and the main characters come off as believeable. The atmosphere and suspense will not let you down, either.

Just my 2 cents...

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The LEBO Coven, September 11, 2006

By 

Jack Kincaid (Southeast US) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Lebo Coven (Hardcover)

Stephen Mark Rainey is the real deal. The darkness in his work is rivaled only by its heart and soul, which makes the Lovecraftian vibes all the more interesting and refreshing. Rainey has a voice all his own and it pulls you in. It takes hold. It speaks to the spirit. It has power. The characters live, breathe, feel. His soul has a voice in his fiction, which is unmistakable and agreeable. The narrative angles are human and often tragic--as horror of the best vintage is.

Though The LEBO Coven is not without its conventions, the writing tackles them from a fresh angle and does it with admirable energy. The occult mechanics of the story engine are heavy at times, but do not bog down the momentum. The action is well-done, and the twists and jarring surprises will keep you turning the pages to the end.