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The Devil and The Deep
Step into 'The Devil and The Deep,' a spine-tingling journey through the darkest of fantasy and the most terrifying of horrors.Seventeen years after a harrowing exorcism, echoes of evil begin to resurface in the coastal town of Port Gaynor. Soon the tranquility of life begins to unravel, and the thin veil between sanity and madness blurs. A blood-soaked prophecy is unleashed and the residents once again find themselves caught in an ungodly web.Christian Francis will drag you kicking and screaming through a world of demons, cults and Old Gods, promising a thrilling, violent, and bizarre ride for anyone who dares to turn its pages.This novel also contains four bonus short stories of the strange and scary.
240 pages, Hardcover
Published February 26, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
March 26, 2024
"The waves, with a serene calm, wrapped around her figure, like serpentine tendrils eager to embrace their new malevolent guest."
4.25 stars
I started reading this book on March 16 and just finished. The reason it took me that long is not that the book was big, 150 pages for the main story and 60 pages for the short stories, or that it was slow-pace, but the fact that I was freaked out.
As a person who would never ever WATCH horror, I enjoy reading it all because, well, I like to scare myself. And even though I have read a number of great horror books, the only writer who managed to scare me was Stephen King. Until this book.
The Devil in the Deep is an homage to the 80s style of horror stories. The writing technique is even the same, that is to say, the alteration of POVs in the same chapter and the cinematic description of events. While this style may not be the cup of tea for many, it personally resonates with me, evoking the experience of 'reading a film' through its descriptive prowess.
The author manages to bring forth a conflict as old as time itself - Evil and Religion - with a blend of both Western and Middle Eastern references. Ancient gods like the Syrian Dagan and Canaanites Baal and names like Petra.
In the once tranquil town of Port Gaynor, the echoes of a chilling exorcism still haunt the present. The deceptive calm masks a lurking malevolence, as if the very air breathes malice, threatening to fracture the cover of peace. The townsfolk, caught in a web of escalating terror, confront a reality where nightmares walk the streets, and the line between the real and the unreal becomes indistinguishably dangerous. An ominous being is risen ensnaring the innocent and the wary alike in a twisted tale of demonic forces, secretive cults, and forgotten gods, all vying for control of a town that has become a cradle of the supernatural.
I did find the ending a bit anticlimactic and to be honest, wanted more struggle, but it was satisfying promising the rise of an anti-god.
Also, and I am not one to use this for lowering the rating especially since I know this is an indie book, but this does need heavy editing.
For example, one page used the linking word "as" 7 times, and one paragraph alone had it 5 times
Other than that, I enjoyed the story that scared me and made me reconsider living in a seaside town.
follow me on TT for more rec
4.25 stars
I started reading this book on March 16 and just finished. The reason it took me that long is not that the book was big, 150 pages for the main story and 60 pages for the short stories, or that it was slow-pace, but the fact that I was freaked out.
As a person who would never ever WATCH horror, I enjoy reading it all because, well, I like to scare myself. And even though I have read a number of great horror books, the only writer who managed to scare me was Stephen King. Until this book.
The Devil in the Deep is an homage to the 80s style of horror stories. The writing technique is even the same, that is to say, the alteration of POVs in the same chapter and the cinematic description of events. While this style may not be the cup of tea for many, it personally resonates with me, evoking the experience of 'reading a film' through its descriptive prowess.
The author manages to bring forth a conflict as old as time itself - Evil and Religion - with a blend of both Western and Middle Eastern references. Ancient gods like the Syrian Dagan and Canaanites Baal and names like Petra.
In the once tranquil town of Port Gaynor, the echoes of a chilling exorcism still haunt the present. The deceptive calm masks a lurking malevolence, as if the very air breathes malice, threatening to fracture the cover of peace. The townsfolk, caught in a web of escalating terror, confront a reality where nightmares walk the streets, and the line between the real and the unreal becomes indistinguishably dangerous. An ominous being is risen ensnaring the innocent and the wary alike in a twisted tale of demonic forces, secretive cults, and forgotten gods, all vying for control of a town that has become a cradle of the supernatural.
I did find the ending a bit anticlimactic and to be honest, wanted more struggle, but it was satisfying promising the rise of an anti-god.
Also, and I am not one to use this for lowering the rating especially since I know this is an indie book, but this does need heavy editing.
For example, one page used the linking word "as" 7 times, and one paragraph alone had it 5 times
Other than that, I enjoyed the story that scared me and made me reconsider living in a seaside town.
follow me on TT for more rec
February 25, 2024
Reminiscent of horror stories from the 70s and 80s, The Devil and the Deep has all the ingredients for a creepy good time. There are demons, undead, possessions, cults, plus plenty of mystery, and I will take all of that, please and thank you.
The story starts with a prologue. It’s 1975 in the small coastal town of Port Gaynor and Father Michael is attempting to perform what should be a run-of-the-mill exorcism. Except it’s not, because of course it isn’t. This exorcism off the walls bonkers and it’s probably the most awesome opening to any book I’ve read in recent memory. The story continues 17 years later, the exorcism long forgotten by all except for one person, when an ancient evil reawakens and every citizen of Port Gaynor unwittingly becomes a part of a grand plan beyond their wildest imagination.
I found the characters very easy to connect with and I even found myself sympathizing and connecting with someone I absolutely didn’t expect and that was really fun. I love when a book surprises me and this one was full of surprises. Sometimes when I’m reading a book I have to stop and wonder how the hell the author came up with the thing I just read. I did this multiple times while reading The Devil and the Deep and it was extremely satisfying. Something else I found satisfying was that every time I had a question, I had some time to develop my own theory, but then it was answered. Sometimes I like when books leave a lot to the imagination but this wasn’t one I wanted that from and I’m glad that it delivered what I wanted.
The Devil and the Deep takes up about 75% of the book and then there are a few extra short stories. The Thing in the Bay is a heartbreaking story that follows one woman as humanity is driven to madness by an unknown force. The Ghosts of Powick Bridge is a moving and poetic tale of the ghost of a man who died in a war and is haunted by a song. E and the Night Before Christmas is the story of a cloaked figure with a scythe who brings chaos and horrifying creatures to a small town on Christmas Eve. This one was my favorite, it had a really great twist. The last is Eleven Twisted Christmas Songs: horror parodies of familiar songs you’ll easily recognize and want to sing along to in your head. These short stories weren’t really necessary but they did add to the overall theme of madness and they were fun bonus reads.
The book opens with a stylistic warning: Christian Francis believes in the use of creative voice in fiction. There are ‘rules’ that are often forced opon writers and Francis doesn’t subscribe to them. He does things his own way. He uses commas to signify a breath within sentences, for example. This warning basically says that if you’re bothered by his lack of rule-following, this book isn’t for you. I knew I wouldn’t have a problem so I read on! I did notice that Francis didn’t follow the typical ‘rules,’ but there wasn’t anything that stood out too much and it wasn’t out of control or distracting, so even if you’re a person who cares about that stuff, I honestly don’t think you’d be put off.
I received an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The story starts with a prologue. It’s 1975 in the small coastal town of Port Gaynor and Father Michael is attempting to perform what should be a run-of-the-mill exorcism. Except it’s not, because of course it isn’t. This exorcism off the walls bonkers and it’s probably the most awesome opening to any book I’ve read in recent memory. The story continues 17 years later, the exorcism long forgotten by all except for one person, when an ancient evil reawakens and every citizen of Port Gaynor unwittingly becomes a part of a grand plan beyond their wildest imagination.
I found the characters very easy to connect with and I even found myself sympathizing and connecting with someone I absolutely didn’t expect and that was really fun. I love when a book surprises me and this one was full of surprises. Sometimes when I’m reading a book I have to stop and wonder how the hell the author came up with the thing I just read. I did this multiple times while reading The Devil and the Deep and it was extremely satisfying. Something else I found satisfying was that every time I had a question, I had some time to develop my own theory, but then it was answered. Sometimes I like when books leave a lot to the imagination but this wasn’t one I wanted that from and I’m glad that it delivered what I wanted.
The Devil and the Deep takes up about 75% of the book and then there are a few extra short stories. The Thing in the Bay is a heartbreaking story that follows one woman as humanity is driven to madness by an unknown force. The Ghosts of Powick Bridge is a moving and poetic tale of the ghost of a man who died in a war and is haunted by a song. E and the Night Before Christmas is the story of a cloaked figure with a scythe who brings chaos and horrifying creatures to a small town on Christmas Eve. This one was my favorite, it had a really great twist. The last is Eleven Twisted Christmas Songs: horror parodies of familiar songs you’ll easily recognize and want to sing along to in your head. These short stories weren’t really necessary but they did add to the overall theme of madness and they were fun bonus reads.
The book opens with a stylistic warning: Christian Francis believes in the use of creative voice in fiction. There are ‘rules’ that are often forced opon writers and Francis doesn’t subscribe to them. He does things his own way. He uses commas to signify a breath within sentences, for example. This warning basically says that if you’re bothered by his lack of rule-following, this book isn’t for you. I knew I wouldn’t have a problem so I read on! I did notice that Francis didn’t follow the typical ‘rules,’ but there wasn’t anything that stood out too much and it wasn’t out of control or distracting, so even if you’re a person who cares about that stuff, I honestly don’t think you’d be put off.
I received an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
February 29, 2024
The book starts with a priest, Michael, being called to perform an exorcism on a little girl. For some reason the exorcism fails, and Michael ends up killing the girl.
Nearly 20 years later, locals now know Michael as Mike the drunk. We find out that he has hallucinations of the girl, and the only thing that keeps the hallucinations at bay the is alcohol.
Unfortunately this is around where the book loses me. The plot takes quite an unexpected turn, from the eerie Exorcist-like plot in a small town to zombie-like creatures and sea monsters/gods. It felt like two different stories to me, and I struggled to see where they connected. I kept reading, hoping that the end would be worth it, but to me it wasn’t too far off from an “and then they woke up” type of ending. Everything felt a bit meaningless, like there was an easy solution all along.
Other than that, I thought that certain aspects of the story needed more explanation, while some things were over-explained. For example, we never got any answers about the entity that possessed the girl, what the mist was, why some people weren’t affected, why the god chose this place and these people etc.
All in all I did enjoy the beginning of the book, but wasn’t fully prepared for where the story went. A sub plot I really enjoyed was the chapter about how they kept possessed people in an underground bunker in the Vatican, running tests on them and what not. That could’ve been a main plot on its own, it adds another layer of eeriness to the average possession-storyline and would be a great plot in a paranormal horror.
Thank you to the author and BooksGoSocial for this ARC!
Nearly 20 years later, locals now know Michael as Mike the drunk. We find out that he has hallucinations of the girl, and the only thing that keeps the hallucinations at bay the is alcohol.
Unfortunately this is around where the book loses me. The plot takes quite an unexpected turn, from the eerie Exorcist-like plot in a small town to zombie-like creatures and sea monsters/gods. It felt like two different stories to me, and I struggled to see where they connected. I kept reading, hoping that the end would be worth it, but to me it wasn’t too far off from an “and then they woke up” type of ending. Everything felt a bit meaningless, like there was an easy solution all along.
Other than that, I thought that certain aspects of the story needed more explanation, while some things were over-explained. For example, we never got any answers about the entity that possessed the girl, what the mist was, why some people weren’t affected, why the god chose this place and these people etc.
All in all I did enjoy the beginning of the book, but wasn’t fully prepared for where the story went. A sub plot I really enjoyed was the chapter about how they kept possessed people in an underground bunker in the Vatican, running tests on them and what not. That could’ve been a main plot on its own, it adds another layer of eeriness to the average possession-storyline and would be a great plot in a paranormal horror.
Thank you to the author and BooksGoSocial for this ARC!
March 28, 2024
An enthralling fast-paced page turner for all horror enthusiasts indeed!
'The Devil And The Deep and other tales' by Christian Francis published by Echo Publishing is a horror anthology consisting of five nail gripping tales namely 'The Devil And The Deep','The Thing In The Bay','The Ghosts of Powick Bridge','E and The Night Before Christmas' and lastly 'Eleven Twisted Christmas Songs.'
All tales shake readers to the core however the titular tale, 'The Devil And The Deep' takes the gong.
The titular tale opens with a botched exorcism of a young girl, Petra in an 'Old Chapel' in Port Gaynor. The ordained priest,Father Michael Nadasdy is at his wits end as he finds himself cornered by a powerful dark entity that had spiritually consumed Petra's whole being and every other human life form in the chapel. This occurrence causes the priest to panick and runs out of the chapel,only to do the unthinkable by massaccaring the possessed beings by gunning them all down with his pistol.
Seventeen years later,the town seems to have forgotten all,but the remnants of the events still linger in the priests conscious although he has assumed a new title from 'Father Michael Nadasdy to 'Mike the drunk',with alcohol being his new abode.
My main concern is the stylistic warning at the beginning of the anthology,of which I must say, is quite commendable. However the many grammatic errors throughout the ARC seems to be betraying the author
I rate this book a three out of five stars and I recommend it to all readers!
thank you NetGalley,Thank you Echo Publishing and lots of love to the author
'The Devil And The Deep and other tales' by Christian Francis published by Echo Publishing is a horror anthology consisting of five nail gripping tales namely 'The Devil And The Deep','The Thing In The Bay','The Ghosts of Powick Bridge','E and The Night Before Christmas' and lastly 'Eleven Twisted Christmas Songs.'
All tales shake readers to the core however the titular tale, 'The Devil And The Deep' takes the gong.
The titular tale opens with a botched exorcism of a young girl, Petra in an 'Old Chapel' in Port Gaynor. The ordained priest,Father Michael Nadasdy is at his wits end as he finds himself cornered by a powerful dark entity that had spiritually consumed Petra's whole being and every other human life form in the chapel. This occurrence causes the priest to panick and runs out of the chapel,only to do the unthinkable by massaccaring the possessed beings by gunning them all down with his pistol.
Seventeen years later,the town seems to have forgotten all,but the remnants of the events still linger in the priests conscious although he has assumed a new title from 'Father Michael Nadasdy to 'Mike the drunk',with alcohol being his new abode.
My main concern is the stylistic warning at the beginning of the anthology,of which I must say, is quite commendable. However the many grammatic errors throughout the ARC seems to be betraying the author
I rate this book a three out of five stars and I recommend it to all readers!
thank you NetGalley,Thank you Echo Publishing and lots of love to the author
February 26, 2024
2.5 stars rounded to 3, though I should have rounded it down. The main story (there are some uninteresting short stories included as well) has a lot of potential, but the writing is a mess. I had no trouble with the author's grammatical preferences (I'm still not sure why he had to stress the issue so hard, perhaps I'm missing something); my problem lies with the writing: no sense of pacing, innumerable flashbacks that should have been placed linearly in the story, and a plot that in the end made no sense to me. The "pulp" atmosphere and the B-movie vibes are quite strong, though they cannot redeem the writing faults. What made me round the stars up is the premise: I hadn't seen before anyone trying to combine demonic possession with Lovecraftian cosmic horror, reducing the first to the second. Unfortunately, the story went more towards a creature feature than genuine cosmic horror, but the originality of the premise should not be ignored.
February 15, 2024
I don't think I've ever read something in the realm of demons and exorcism-gone-wrong, but I really did enjoy the beginning and the initial climax. I was genuinely getting pretty spooked out reading this last night, which is a first for me when reading horror/thriller! I rate this 4 stars due to the ending falling short for me. The little girl Petra throwing a tantrum because she wasn't Baal just felt very comical in my opinion, and didn't meet up with how creepy the book was in the beginning and middle. Also not understanding why Emmett wasn't affected by anything that happened in the past that reoccurred didn't make sense to me either, but that could just be me.
All in all, I'd definitely recommend this book to other horror/thriller lovers, but I know that the ending would fall flat for them as well.
All in all, I'd definitely recommend this book to other horror/thriller lovers, but I know that the ending would fall flat for them as well.
March 5, 2024
What an absolutel joy of a book to read! I found myself looking forward to reading this book whenever I wasn't reading this book. I welcomed insomnia, so that I could read a few more pages.
The story unfolds with a botched exorcism on a small, possessed girl many years before. Fast forward to the present day and a sleepy seaside town as all hell, literally, breaks loose. Our unlikley protaganist, the priest (now a drunk) has to step up as the demon returns, as do others and demon infighting and zombified villagers and all manner of shenanigans unfold - escalating to a behemoth of untold size rising from the deep as the military get involved.
And absolute roller coaster ghost train ride of sheer fun and thrills and surprises throughout. I wish every horror book was this good.
Five stars and I wish I could give more. Thank you Christian Francis and thank you NetGalley!
The story unfolds with a botched exorcism on a small, possessed girl many years before. Fast forward to the present day and a sleepy seaside town as all hell, literally, breaks loose. Our unlikley protaganist, the priest (now a drunk) has to step up as the demon returns, as do others and demon infighting and zombified villagers and all manner of shenanigans unfold - escalating to a behemoth of untold size rising from the deep as the military get involved.
And absolute roller coaster ghost train ride of sheer fun and thrills and surprises throughout. I wish every horror book was this good.
Five stars and I wish I could give more. Thank you Christian Francis and thank you NetGalley!
October 2, 2024
I knew from the opening I was going to enjoy reading this - and I wasn't disappointed. Francis has a unique gift for perfectly recreating the feel of a classic horror movie, and I enjoyed this from start to finish. You get drawn in by the vivid, emotionally charged imagery. I felt like I had stepped right into one of the 80s era horror flicks I loved as a teen. This isn't your typical horror novel, I'd push it more towards pulp horror (not a bad thing). The story moves along at a good pace, and keeps the chills coming in waves. I will warn you - it can get graphic with the gore and violence. The POV jumps around a bit, but it's not jarring, is easy to follow, and fits in with the 80s horror movie vibe.
February 15, 2024
A single-author collection, THE DEVIL AND THE DEEP includes a novella, three short stories, and a set of Christmas song-poetry. Somewhat Lovecraftian [Dagon] and somewhat Early Middle Eastern Mythology [Baal], also mixed in are the Vatican, a devoted Catholic priest, and an ecumenical open-minded priest, in a coastal town on the Pacific. A failed exorcism incites the near-return of an old god [Dagon].
The author demonstrates an individually creative approach to punctuation which proved a little disconcerting.
The author demonstrates an individually creative approach to punctuation which proved a little disconcerting.
February 27, 2024
A creepy, tense story that makes you look over your shoulder a few times while you're reading it! With demonic possession, a town with a bloodthirsty past, and a drunken ex-priest who has a debt to pay, this is a quick, entertaining, scary read. If you like good old-fashioned horror and gore, you'll love this. Recommended.
June 17, 2024
"Until I saw that the dark comforts while the light just burns."
This was a fun read. No character was safe and unlikely heros were born...well created ...
This was a fun read. No character was safe and unlikely heros were born...well created ...
July 11, 2024
One long story & several shorts, this was a satisfying collective of 80’s horror-esque elements. Very well written & detailed as well as beautifully written prose. Quick fun horror read for sure
July 29, 2024
F***ing Excellent!
I love this book. It has everything you need for a horror. There is the gore which is marvellous, the characters and their back stories with the usual micro storytelling, and the way everything knits together is brilliant.
This book was basically an extended version of The Sacrifice of Anton Stacey. That story leant itself to a bigger setting and I feel Christian addressed this here by giving a longer form story.
Also I have to say I greatly enjoyed the extra short stories particularly the prequel tale to The Dead Woods.
Overall this book is masterfully crafted and executed brilliantly well!
I love this book. It has everything you need for a horror. There is the gore which is marvellous, the characters and their back stories with the usual micro storytelling, and the way everything knits together is brilliant.
This book was basically an extended version of The Sacrifice of Anton Stacey. That story leant itself to a bigger setting and I feel Christian addressed this here by giving a longer form story.
Also I have to say I greatly enjoyed the extra short stories particularly the prequel tale to The Dead Woods.
Overall this book is masterfully crafted and executed brilliantly well!
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews