Book Review for The Rage that Follows by Nathaniel Badertscher
The Rage that Follows, by Nathaniel Badertscher, is a psychological horror detailing the disturbing massacre that blossomed from ignorance.
Joren lived a quiet life with his family. One night, he witnesses a nightmare in which a strange, burnt lady was about to steal his brother, Pedr, away. Soon afterwards, the Order of the Knights of Carthannas come to make sure they are alright, a courtesy from the village nearby. The knights stay for the night, telling joyful stories of their adventures. However, the mirth doesn’t last long when Pedr disappears, saying “She needs me! She needs me!” Blood and nightmares mix with what once was a happy home, as the knights attempt to investigate the young boy’s disappearance. This dark, twisted tale brings back age old horrors hidden beneath rays of daylight, and that sometimes, heroes can’t save anyone from the monsters watching in the dark.
Joren was an innocent child, playing pretend with his siblings and dreaming of becoming a knight, hoping to be the hero everyone respected. My heart went out for him when he realized his heroes weren’t as they appeared. But even so, it was just the beginning of his tragedy, and soon, he’s forced to accept the cruelties lingering near. I couldn’t help but admire him though, that despite everything that’s happened, he still wants to make sure they’re alright. They are his family after all. He’s so different from Captain Thorne, who, even though he is young and inexperienced, doesn’t seem as heroic. His pride doesn’t get his team, who should be a family to him, anywhere, and it hinders them more than helps. Each of the knights carry their own burdens, but at the very least they know what they’re dealing with. It made it even more horrific to see them degraded into little more than slaves for the creature they serve. I had to reread that sorrow over and over again, just to make sure I could actually believe the words right in front of me.
What’s more, the atmosphere was reminiscent of the Gothic horrors that I love so much. Badertscher sets up the story in the perfect setting; the isolated feeling, the mysterious shadow watching over the family, and even the forests hiding the monsters lurking near. It’s something like this that scared me, more so than the actual monster itself. The fact that Joren’s parents didn’t believe him about the dream really drives home the feeling that he’s alone in all of this. If not for the knights who came to help, the family would’ve died long ago, and Joren’s terror would’ve been dragged out.
The story, characters, and the setting complimented one another well. From the parallels between Joren and Thorne, as well as how the characters portrayed, to the atmosphere the story was in, I couldn’t help but compare this book to the movie, The Witch. Even in the ending there was no reprieve, and held no sanctity for anyone, with the ghosts of the knights and the family haunting the survivors. Were they all just empty sacrifices? I’ve absolutely no idea. Thus, I would give this book a rating of a 4.9 out of 5 stars, and would recommend this book to fans of The Rosegiver by Sandy Benitez, and The Witches of Ravencrest by Cross and Thorne.
