Customer Reviews

Sacrifice

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have only read two books by John Everson, Covenant, which was a good, solid horror novel, and Sacrifice, which takes what Everson did in Covenant, and turns it up to 11. More sex, more violence, and frenetic pacing that doesn't let up. Fully developed characters push the horrifying plot forward in a blood drenched, cross country chase that ends...well, I don't want to give anything away.Covenant made me a John Everson fan. Sacrifice made me a fanatic.

Covenant (Leisure Fiction) was a great read, but SACRIFICE was even better. The story picks up a few weeks after COVENANT ends, and Joe Kieran is accompanied by the demon, Malachi, as he tries to put Terrel and the events that happened there behind him. He meets Alex, a teen running from the crazy, religious zealots who were her parents and what happened back home, who has the ability to see and communicate with the dead.

In the meantime, a beautiful but psycho woman named Ariana is brutally murdering people across the country, with a goal of immortality. She has a partner, Jeremy, who's had enough of his cheating wife and gets into the spirit of things, helping Ariana slaughter her victims in a ritual to bring forth the Curburide, which the now-broken covenant with Malachi prevented.

Joe and Alex team up to stop Ariana before she brings the world a terrible fate, but Alex is only beginning to understand her powers and how to use them, so the question is, Will she be prepared when she and Joe meet up with Ariana and Jeremy?

I found Malachi to be a rather fun sort of character, moreso than in COVENANT. Surely he has selfish motivations for helping Joe and Alex (or is he?), but he plays it kind of neutral, so you're never sure if he's going to get them killed or save their lives (and souls).

Like others, I recommend reading COVENANT first, but this one is great on its own. This is my third John Everson book, and they just keep getting better!

I'll be the first to admit I'm a sucker for sequels, especially horror novel sequels. When I love a story, I can't wait to revisit those same characters in even more dangerous situations. However, with Sacrifice, I wasn't that into where the story was taking me. The taking over the world aspect was not as credible as the smaller events that were set up in Covenent. Once the premise in Sacrifice was established, it seemed very familiar ground, one in which the reader was constantly ahead of the characters on the page, which is the opposite of what ideally should happen. I felt the characters were always playing `catch-up' to what I already knew.

There were some effective moments of graphic violence and sex, but strangely, they seemed to slow down Everson's fast pace that was established early on. The flashbacks to Alex's parents also seemed unnecessary as it was already clear what happened to them. I also didn't care for Ted's part in the story and didn't believe for a second that Cindy would allow him to keep The Journal of Broderick Terrel, especially after all the evil things that had happened to her only a few weeks before, not to mention what Ted allows to happen to her later in the story. As time ticked down, there didn't seem to be an urgency with Joe and Alex's character in tracking Ariana down. Even after the fifth murder, they seemed to be more interested in getting drunk, stuffing themselves at hotel restaurants, and painting Alex's nails than stopping the destruction of mankind. The scare factor, also, was an issue for me, with ample opportunities for some potentially frightening moments that just never happened.

The one thing I will say for author John Everson, is that while I enjoyed Covenent more, I did think that, with Sacrifice, he has become a better author. His writing is smoother and more defined, and his level of confidence seems to be that of some of the top horror authors working today. However, I would have preferred for him to explore another story other than the continuing saga of the Terrel cliffs. But I'm still a fan and looking forward to his new novel, The 13th.

This book pissed me off royally. Sacrifice continues the story Everson began in Covenant (also reviewed). Joe Kieran, now possessed by Malachi, the demon haunting the town of Terrel in the first book, teams up with a young, inexperienced witch to stop the beautiful, deadly Ariana from raising the Curburide, the demons Malachi had originally been summoned to stop decades ago.

I refuse to say it finishes the story, however. I don't want to believe John's going to let Kieran's (and Alex') story end with the final chapter of Sacrifice. I guess that's a testament to Everson's skill, really; I want these characters to have happy endings, to score a win that's not bittersweet, and well... I don't want to give the book away, but let's just say the title is apt. Every main character in the book makes a sacrifice of one sort of another. And I'm not pleased about it.

The rapport between Joe and Malachi is amusing at times, the borderline-forbidden relationship between Alex and Joe grows in small, tantalizing doses and Ariana... well, I almost wouldn't mind being sacrificed by her. The book moves along at a fast pace and Everson even manages a couple of twists I didn't quite see coming. He just might be my favorite Leisure author.

Pick up Sacrifice. Pick up Covenant first, if you haven't already (you could get by without it, but you shouldn't). You won't be sorry you did. I have to say, though, that if Everson doesn't have Part Three in the works already, I hope all his beer goes flat for the rest of his life. 9/10.

Sacrifice was a riveting, involving story about a man confronted with an ancient evil and his own sacrifices he had to make to keep the evil spirit at bay. It made me afraid to visit cliffs ever again! John Everson was not afraid to stretch the boundries on the perverse, livid ways the demons forced people to get off, but he kept it tasteful without resorting to pornography. I would recommend this novel to any horror reader. With so many scary novels being silly, this talented new author has blazed the way for more new writers to stretch the politically correct limits and put out fierce stories that really do frighten, whether it's a comfortable fright or not. Since when is horror cozy?

When I read John Everson's first book COVENENT, I thought the story was so well written that it had several back-stories that were incredibly intriguing. Who or what are these Curburide? If they nearly rampaged the earth before, could they come back? The answer - SACRIFICE!

Where COVENENT excelled in suspense, SACRIFICE excelled in everything! This book had wonderfully developed characters. Two unlikely teams racing to the end! Joe and Alex; a reluctant participant and a budding witch with a dark past, thrown together by Malachi, a demon with questionable loyalty. Ariana and Jeremy; A power-hungry, sex-crazed murderess with a surprisingly "bright" past, and a feed-up "everyday-joe" ready to give in to the evil!

Even though this book follows COVENENT, it is a great stand-alone read. Reading COVENENT first will surely enhance the chills that Malachi brings, but SACRIFICE can absolutely hold it's own!

An action-packed, gore-infused, chill-inducing, evil-motivated, character-driven, sex-crazed thrill ride! Cover to cover, one of the BEST horror novels I have ever read.

I cannot wait for Everson's next novel THE 13TH coming in -of course- October!

My first taste of John Everson was his Leisure debut, Covenant. I really dove into that book and loved it so I happily went out and picked up it's sequel Sacrifice. And boy, was I just thrilled at how damn good it was. To be honest I enjoyed the hell out of this book.

This is one of the few books that I've read where I've loved all the characters and was interested in each one. Joe and Alex make a great team. And Malachai always held my attention. You just never know what angle the demon has in mind and he keeps you on your toes. But my favorite duo are the two killers, Ariana and Jeremy. Ariana just has a sense of stlye and confidence that just has you glued to every scene she's in. And with her unlikely partner Jeremy, you just seem to root for the guy no matter what. I thought the plot of this sequel was great, it's fast-paced, driven, and just in your face. It has all the gut wrenching violence and depraved sex that you could want but also a very solid story that comes first and foremost.

In a lot of ways it really outdoes Covenant, which is very rare these days. This book really made me recognize John Everson and made me more aware that he's an author to look out for. I look forward to reading more from him and seeing what else he has to offer to the horror genre.

Look for John Everson's next book, The 13th from Leisure Horror this October.

So I've decided that although it really has nothing to do with me - I'm going to take claim for pushing dear Mr. Everson to write this book (in reality I just want to feel important) but after I read "The Covenant" and wrote my review - I mentioned in my review that I really wanted to know more about what happened for the lighthouse keeper to have summoned the demon in the first place - that it sounded like a really interesting story.

And here it is! Like magic, I opened up The Sacrifice and there, my request was granted! We pick up following our poor bedraggled reporter who is now in mental posession of the fun filled demon who used to haunt ye old cliff in Terrel. But our darling demon isn't content with a joyride across the country - he's just GOT to get Joe involved in saving the world again, with the help of a teenage runaway who has the ability to chat with the dead they are off on a whirl wind adventure to chase down a catsuit wearing serial killer and prevent the carburide from taking over the planet.

Where the Covenant was a dark and brooding, creepy, eerie book - Sacrifice is an in your face action packed gorefest. The reader flips back and forth from the good guys to the bad guys and back again - hoping for something to stall the bad guys, and praying for the good guys to pick up the pace, and always the reader wonders - what part does Malechi have to play in this?

From the opening scene the reader is grabbed by the throat and drug along with their heart pounding from beginning to end. An excellent read - I highly recommend it, but be sure to read "The Covenant" first!

Bram Stoker Award Winner John Everson has followed up "Covenant" with a tale that's just as riveting. Everson spins a great story, and it's impossible to escape the whirlwind. Filled to the brim with sex, violence, and - well - sex with violence, "Sacrifice" is a guilty pleasure, the kind of novel we're all afraid our parents will discover we've been reading late at night, under the covers with the flashlight on.

Since reporter Joe Kiernan outmaneuvered the sadistic demon Malachi by binding him, the small town of Terrell has been quiet. Freed from a pact Malachi held over the townspeople for centuries, Terrel's Peak has become nothing more than what it is: the ruins of an old lighthouse, and an underground geode full of sparkling - and harmless - crystals. Joe Kienan, however, is hardly the swaggering hero. Chained to a sarcastic - and untrustworthy - demonic servant, Joe is forced to leave loved ones behind in Terrel as he travels to parts unknown to determine his future.

All is not well, however. Centuries ago, lighthouse keeper Broderick Terrel made his original pact with Malachi to defeat a race of sadistic and bloodthirsty demons known as the Curburide. The Curburide are back, and this time they have a Caller - a mysterious, sensuous young woman leaving a trail of mutilated bodies in her wake. If she completes her Calling, the Curburide will be granted full access to the world. They will release every degradation known to man - and many more - as they feed off human flesh and spirit.

Standing in their way is a reluctant Joe Kienan, who once again finds himself in the midst of a supernatural maelstrom. He's not alone; thanks to Malachi's manipulations, he's joined by a young girl named Alex...but can he trust her? Her parents have been brutally murdered, she's wanted for questioning, and she can see spirits, talk to them...even harness their power. Worse, Joe feels himself drawing near to this vulnerable, attractive girl, reminding him all too well of what he left behind in Terrel...a town the Curburide will be drawn to, once more.

Everson is in full form. The action is quick, brutal, and visceral. In many ways, "Sacrifice" is like that "slasher flick" we know we shouldn't enjoy but do anyway. The attraction here, however, is his ability to draw complicated, conflicted characters. Joe Kienan is the epitome of the "weary hero", saddled with a responsibility he neither asked for, nor wants. Alex is a young girl coming to grips with who she really is, trying to recover from years of abuse at the hands of fanatical parents. Even Malachi gets the makeover treatment, so that readers suspect by the novel's end there's more to this demon than it's sadistic whims and brittle sarcasm. Anyway you slice it, "Sacrifice" is a horror novel with hidden depths.

Here's another great horror novel from John Everson with SACRIFICE. Even though it is a sequel to COVENANT, it can be read as a stand alone novel and it is worth it. Everson will chill your bones and, at times, titillate your main bone. Great characters a person can relate to are always maintained in Everson's fiction. The action is constant with a supernatural twist and well developed main male and female characters. It's sexy, gory, suspenseful, thrilling and more. After reading this novel check out some more Everson such as COVENANT, CAGE OF BONES, FAILURE and SINS & NEEDLES.