Hell is hungry.
On the anniversary of the death of a wealthy, eccentric occultist, a party is planned at her now abandoned castle. Thing is, the invitations went far and wide. Pulling in clairvoyants, psychics, mediums and a writer, Lily Lyric. As the date of the celebration comes closer, things get...Weird.
Judith Sonnet lets the reader in on the fact that things will get weird right from the start, sharing that the main influence for the style of the book are the Italian splatter films from masters like Lucio Fulci, Andrea Bianchi, Bruno Mattei, Claudio Fragasso, Joe D'Amato, Michelle Soavi and others. If I were to hone in a little bit further, it feels like it would be right at home as a fourth chapter in Lucio Fulci's Gates of Hell trilogy. If you've seen these you know the drill. Demons, zombies, possession, wild animals, ghosts, pocket universes, time travel - it's all fair game. Logic is a bonus, not a necessity. Anything that would be memorable is welcome, though, plot holes be damned.
With this in mind, expect the shit to hit the fan - frequently and in copious, fragrant amounts. The story starts quick and never slows down, frequently spiraling out of control - but that's the fun part. The characters find themselves in a scenario where the rules keep changing and the consequences of failure are dire. Worse than death. But, similar to the movies that inspired it, while the scenarios are full of terror and grue, the gonzo spirit and free-for-all tone stop it from feeling mean spirited. You'll frequently wince, then chuckle a bit.
So, in the end I had a great time with this book and highly recommend it, but I'm squarely in the target audience, having a love for the same movies that shaped this story. If you prefer "true crime" style books, something that feels like it could/can/does happen - this may not be for you. But if you love a good, old fashioned horror movie with gooey practical effects and colored lighting that seems to come out of nowhere for no reason, then come get some Hell.