Book Review: Humane Sacrifice by Felix I.D. Dimaro
Title: Human Sacrifice: The Story of the Aztec Killer
Author: Felix I.D. Dimaro
Release date: April 8, 2023
Since connecting with Felix however many years ago over on Instagram (I’m thinking five years? Maybe six?) I’ve loved seeing how prolific he is with creating new and exciting nightmares. Felix is also not afraid to explore different topics within his stories, which means you’re always going to get something new and he won’t be repeating himself.
I realized it had been a bit since I’d read one of his works, so, while we were chatting, I asked him if there was something of his specifically I should tackle next and he replied with ‘Humane Sacrifice.’ With that, I dove in, ready to deal with whatever horror Dimaro had thrown me into this time.
What I liked: The story follows ‘loser’ Melvin, a forty-year-old man living in his mom’s basement. He suffers from dyslexia, which was never diagnosed and as such has led to a lifetime of his mother shitting on him and calling him all kinds of names.
But Melvin pushes that aside, depending solely on his feline companion, Lucy, a cat he loves more than anything else in the world. When she develops a tumor and the vet lets him know it’s untreatable, Melvin spirals. Not all hope is lost, though. Not when a strange man tells him that there’s a way to save Lucy. And Melvin is willing to do whatever it takes to keep her alive and make her better. Even if that means taking the lives of others to feed Lucy their lifeforce.
It’s an interesting character study from there on out. One of a man who has been constantly pushed down, told he is stupid, told he can’t and that he isn’t able to do, and when he realizes he can make his own decisions and do what needs to be done, this creates an internal battle between good and evil. Between what should be done versus what he actually does.
The ending and the reveal are fantastic. As Melvin continues taking lives and Lucy continues to improve, Melvin himself grows ill and when everything collides and the truth is revealed, it’s a moment of sheer brilliance with how well Dimaro kept those cards close to his chest.
What I didn’t like: The nature of the story makes it so, but it does have some repetitive aspects, simply because Melvin must kill to feed Lucy. So, any tension that should be created by Melvin’s perceived slightness and awkwardness is minimized knowing that he will lash out and choose violence.
Why you should buy this: Dimaro has created a character in Melvin that you’ll both want to yell at but also hug. He’s a great take on the simmering character who you know will explode at some point in time and when his believed cat’s life is on the line, he’s willing to go that extra mile.
This novel is fast-paced, blood-soaked and completely bonkers in the best way possible.
4/5
