"A room without books is like a body without a soul." - Marcus Tullius Cicero

Wednesday 27 March 2013

Conversations in the Abyss by Michael Brookes



Conversations in the Abyss is a supernatural horror-thriller, and is the second instalment in The Third Path trilogy. It centres on the protagonist - the Deathless Man - who having stolen Lazarus’ gift of immortality has been imprisoned within the walls of a monastery and is continuously burned with an invisible fire. He learns that he is the only one who can prevent the upcoming apocalypse by defeating the Antichrist.

Upon reading this novel, I did not realise that it is part of a trilogy, so at times I felt a little lost, as I had not read the first instalment, The Cult of Me. Abyss feels a lot like a filler novel; not much happens and although it is only 150ish pages long, it feels a bit drawn out. There is a lot of explaining rather than action, which I found disengaging. It starts to get interesting towards the end, but then finishes rather abruptly. 

Having said that, Abyss is very well written; Brookes has an almost poetical writing style which is pleasing to read. The novel is innovative and original, incorporating adaptations of Biblical lore - such as the story of Adam and Eve, angels, God and the garden of Eden - into the narrative, with Brookes’ own spin on things. 

Conversations in the Abyss was not a completely enjoyable read for me. I don’t tend to like overtly supernatural novels though, and I had not read The Cult of Me first. Nonetheless, Brookes’ writing talent is admirable and the Biblical backdrop is inventive and interesting. I would recommend starting at the beginning, and checking out The Cult of Me first, as Abyss is a little bit bland and uneventful as a standalone novel. Fans of supernatural literature, especially those with an interest in angels and demons, should check out this trilogy. 

Disclaimer: I was sent a free copy of this novel by the author in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 5/10

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