The Devil is Alive and Well

I have often remarked on either this blog or my own that I have very little opportunity each week to get any reading in. I really do like to read, so this fact really crawls under my skin. Lately, however, I have managed to set aside some time, and have had a great experience discovering some new and perhaps, undiscovered writers, much like myself. Last time I told you about the fantastic novel by Richard Jay Parker and this week I would like to tell you about Ania Ahlborn. Once you have read her novel Seed you will never be the same. Do you know why I write this?

It is because in her marvelous new novel Seed, the devil is alive and well.

Consider the following blurb:

Jack Winter has a secret…

He’s spent his entire life running from something no one can see.
After two decades, he’s sure he’s escaped the shadow that haunted his childhood. That is, until his youngest daughter, Charlie, begins to change.

After a sudden highway accident and a flash of soulless eyes, Jack has no choice but to watch his little girl drown in what he’s sure is a family curse.
Jack begins to realize that he never outran the darkness. It’s just been hiding, waiting for the perfect moment to make a reappearance…

But this time, it hasn’t come only for Jack. This time, it wants them all.

The blurb ends with a warning for Stephen King, Joe Hill and Jack Kilborn fans to prepare to meet the devil. And it isn’t wrong. In this novel, you'd better be prepared to meet the devil hanging out in a deserted convenience store in the middle of the night; stopping to offer you a lift on a dark and deserted highway; or catch a sudden movement in the darkened corner of your children's bedroom.

My friends, I like ghost stories, tales of demon possession and very dark whodunits as long as they do not simply take me back over the same hallowed ground that we have all read before. This new novel used elements that we have experienced before, but I am very happy to report that the author was not content to retread the same tired old ground.

There have been debates concerning how far is too far in the horror genre; I will not debate them with you here, nor will I provide you with any examples for fear of spoiling the plot (I've already written too much). However, I will tell you that there are a few moments in this novel where you may find yourself bothered. For myself, I was pleased with Ahlborn taking a few chances and pushing the envelope a bit. And in the case of the plot, what takes place was essential for the story, so I take no issue with it.

Highlights of this novel for me were the author’s use of description, her pacing of the plot and her characters. Young Charlie was very well drawn and will hold your attention. I also thought that things could have easily gone badly with the antagonist, but it didn’t. Ahlborn revealed Seed's darkness just perfectly. Another point that I would like to make are the moments of flashbacks. I have heard many readers take issue with these. However, in this wonderful author's hands, you may find yourself, as I did, feeling not that you were in the middle of a stoppage of plot, but just exactly where you need to be.   

If you are looking for a dark road to travel upon which will eventually end up taking you to a wonderful destination, this is not your book. Sometimes the good guys do not win, and I appreciate that, too, from this author. Seed is dark, fresh, boundary-pushing and well-written. She wrote one-hell of a scare here, and I highly recommend it.