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The Festering Ones
by
A monster lurking in the mountain.
A mysterious cult seeking a doorway.
An otherworldly evil waiting to be unleashed.
Faith York was a young girl when she saw her father dragged into the ground by a spider-armed woman, never to be seen again. Twenty years later, the events of that day continue to haunt her, and her need for answers has only grown stronger with time. After her ...more
A mysterious cult seeking a doorway.
An otherworldly evil waiting to be unleashed.
Faith York was a young girl when she saw her father dragged into the ground by a spider-armed woman, never to be seen again. Twenty years later, the events of that day continue to haunt her, and her need for answers has only grown stronger with time. After her ...more
Kindle Edition, 109 pages
Published
October 4th 2019
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Start your review of The Festering Ones

Well hello there, S. H. Cooper. What an impressive debut novel.
THE FESTERING ONES, at first blush, sounded like it was going to have too many ideas and not enough pages.
Creature-Feature? Check.
A mysterious cult? Check.
Cosmic Horror? Check.
I was skeptical that such an ambitious plot could be squeezed into less than 200 pages and still manage to strike that necessary balance of character development and pacing.
About 30 pages in, I was hooked. The protagonist, Faith York, is an assured, determine ...more
THE FESTERING ONES, at first blush, sounded like it was going to have too many ideas and not enough pages.
Creature-Feature? Check.
A mysterious cult? Check.
Cosmic Horror? Check.
I was skeptical that such an ambitious plot could be squeezed into less than 200 pages and still manage to strike that necessary balance of character development and pacing.
About 30 pages in, I was hooked. The protagonist, Faith York, is an assured, determine ...more

If you like your horror with creepy many armed lady monsters who jump out of a hidey-hole in the woods and grab a man and drag him down to their lair where he’s never seen or heard from again, you’re going to love this one! I might know a few folks I’d like to lead down that path myself, haha (I, eh, kid?).
Anyhow, if you’re looking to escape our dreadful reality for a little bit this book will help you out. It’s full of adventure and monsters and a main protagonist attempting to make sense of he ...more
Anyhow, if you’re looking to escape our dreadful reality for a little bit this book will help you out. It’s full of adventure and monsters and a main protagonist attempting to make sense of he ...more

May 25, 2020
Graeme Rodaughan
rated it
it was amazing
Recommends it for:
anyone with an abiding love for cosmic horror with determined heroines.
Shelves:
horror,
lovecraftian-cosmic-horror
A Giant Spider Woman Ate My Daddy! "Well, I had to shoot her stone cold dead - anything else didn't make sense."
This ended a little abruptly, but was entertaining and gripping throughout. I'd love to see a sequel, or more (a series please) in the same universe.
Cosmic horror with strong heroines, what's not to love.
Strongly recommended. 5 'cosmic horror,' stars. ...more
This ended a little abruptly, but was entertaining and gripping throughout. I'd love to see a sequel, or more (a series please) in the same universe.
Cosmic horror with strong heroines, what's not to love.
Strongly recommended. 5 'cosmic horror,' stars. ...more

I read The Festering Ones this month in celebration of Women in Horror Month (although every month is WiHM around here). It was such a perfect start to kick off the month.
The novella length is one of my favorite formats for a horror story. One of the complaints I often see regarding novellas is there's not enough time for development. The Festering Ones is a great example of how well a story can be developed in this format if it's done right.
I'm not even sure how to describe The Festering Ones, ...more
The novella length is one of my favorite formats for a horror story. One of the complaints I often see regarding novellas is there's not enough time for development. The Festering Ones is a great example of how well a story can be developed in this format if it's done right.
I'm not even sure how to describe The Festering Ones, ...more

** Edited as review is now live on Kendall Reviews! **
The Festering Ones just came onto my radar and it absolutely was something I snagged because of that outstanding Elderlemon Design cover. Elderlemon continues to create stunning covers and this was another one that snagged my interest and I’m glad I did.
After reading the synopsis, I knew I was in for a fun ride.
If you’ve ever read anyone my reviews or even any of my own releases, you’ll know I have a large spot reserved in my soul for stories ...more
The Festering Ones just came onto my radar and it absolutely was something I snagged because of that outstanding Elderlemon Design cover. Elderlemon continues to create stunning covers and this was another one that snagged my interest and I’m glad I did.
After reading the synopsis, I knew I was in for a fun ride.
If you’ve ever read anyone my reviews or even any of my own releases, you’ll know I have a large spot reserved in my soul for stories ...more

"Reality isn't quite so solid as most would believe."
The Festering Ones was my introduction to SH Cooper's work, and I loved it! This book opens really well, and it drew me in right away. The story is unsettling; I was completely captivated, and dying to know more. There are some great creepy moments, and the wordbuilding was good.
I was so interested in the story that I found myself wishing there was a more information. The ending felt a little incomplete, so I'm hoping that means there's anoth ...more
The Festering Ones was my introduction to SH Cooper's work, and I loved it! This book opens really well, and it drew me in right away. The story is unsettling; I was completely captivated, and dying to know more. There are some great creepy moments, and the wordbuilding was good.
I was so interested in the story that I found myself wishing there was a more information. The ending felt a little incomplete, so I'm hoping that means there's anoth ...more

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: novellas are probably my favorite format for storytelling. There’s something about being given enough to want more, but not enough to leave you feeling totally sick of the world built by the writer, that really gets to me and keeps me coming back to these short gems for more.
When I saw the cover for The Festering Ones, I knew I wanted to own it – the cover is super cool, and I wasn’t surprised to find that it was made by Kealan Patrick Burke of Elderle ...more
When I saw the cover for The Festering Ones, I knew I wanted to own it – the cover is super cool, and I wasn’t surprised to find that it was made by Kealan Patrick Burke of Elderle ...more

3.5 stars, rounded up for Goodreads. Review coming to KendallReviews.com soon ...
"I really hope Cooper decides to develop upon this world she’s introduced here, because a full epic could be extremely satisfying." ...more
"I really hope Cooper decides to develop upon this world she’s introduced here, because a full epic could be extremely satisfying." ...more

Earlier this week, one of my Twitter friends was reading this book and it reminded me that I had it on my Paperwhite.
Today, I decided to get started and couldn't put it down!
When Faith York was a little girl, she watched a spider-armed woman drag her father into the ground. She hasn't been able to forget what happened, it's been haunting her most of her life but she's managed to stop talking about it because no one ever believed her.
Twenty years later, after her mother dies and she goes through ...more
Today, I decided to get started and couldn't put it down!
When Faith York was a little girl, she watched a spider-armed woman drag her father into the ground. She hasn't been able to forget what happened, it's been haunting her most of her life but she's managed to stop talking about it because no one ever believed her.
Twenty years later, after her mother dies and she goes through ...more

In S. H. Cooper’s debut novella, The Festering Ones, we learn the tragic tale of Faith York. After years of begging, a young Faith is finally allowed to accompany her father on his annual hunting trip. What begins as a wonderful bonding experience quickly turns sour when her father is attacked by an impossible looking creature. He is never seen again. Years later, Faith returns to her home town in the wake of her mother’s death and stumbles upon a collection of research that her mother had been
...more

I enjoy Cooper’s writing. I’ve been reading and being creeped out by her tales of terror and woe for years. When I heard that she was releasing a new novella, I jumped at the chance to get an ARC. I received this ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.
In The Festering Ones, main character Faith, witnesses a monstrous tragedy in the woods. Her entire childhood she’s told that what she saw wasn’t possible, that she was crazy. Now an adult, her search for the truth will lead her down a rabbit hole ...more
In The Festering Ones, main character Faith, witnesses a monstrous tragedy in the woods. Her entire childhood she’s told that what she saw wasn’t possible, that she was crazy. Now an adult, her search for the truth will lead her down a rabbit hole ...more

I absolutely loved this story. S.H. Cooper is one heck of a storyteller - The Festering Ones delivers on the promise of its title and blurb. We have a creepy, horrifying inciting incident, convincing fallout, then a catalyst for our protagonist to finally solve the mystery of what happened to her father. We've got so many fascinating horror elements here, woven together seamlessly into a tale that flies off the pages. I don't want to give anything away, because the world that's slowly revealed i
...more

What to say about this novella....
While I was reading this, I was thinking that after the initial "happening" that it's pretty slow, BUT I wanted to turn the page. I think after the first encounter happens, there is a build up with each step until the big find. There is a "WTH" ending, but I find that happens often in horror. The daughters are descriptively creepy. The anticipation of what will happen next will keep you reading. The idea of the story is quite chilling. A story worthy of any horr ...more
While I was reading this, I was thinking that after the initial "happening" that it's pretty slow, BUT I wanted to turn the page. I think after the first encounter happens, there is a build up with each step until the big find. There is a "WTH" ending, but I find that happens often in horror. The daughters are descriptively creepy. The anticipation of what will happen next will keep you reading. The idea of the story is quite chilling. A story worthy of any horr ...more

‘A monster lurking in the mountain. A mysterious cult seeking a doorway. An otherworldly evil waiting to be unleashed...With reality becoming more blurred by the day and the thousand eyes of an alien deity fixed on her, Faith [York] must decide if the dark secrets of White Crow Mountain are really worth losing herself over.’
The Festering Ones is the first book that I have read by S.H. Cooper, and I had a blast reading it. I can’t wait to read more of her work. If you like Occult fiction, th ...more
The Festering Ones is the first book that I have read by S.H. Cooper, and I had a blast reading it. I can’t wait to read more of her work. If you like Occult fiction, th ...more

Really cool little horror novella. I would def like to check out some more of this author's work. I loved the cult aspect and there were some really creepy moments. The Daughters are amazing. I wish there was more from this world though, just seems like there is so much more to explore and I'd love to go for that ride.
...more

The festering ones by S.H Cooper is a damn fine novella.
Faith has spent her childhood being told that the disappearance of her father caused her to hallucinate the actual events of it. Eventually, she gives up on tell others her story and tries to move on, until the passing of her mother reveals that at least someone else believed her. She decides to find out what really happened.
I had a blast reading this book. I love creature features and I love cult stuff, and this blender elements of both. T ...more
Faith has spent her childhood being told that the disappearance of her father caused her to hallucinate the actual events of it. Eventually, she gives up on tell others her story and tries to move on, until the passing of her mother reveals that at least someone else believed her. She decides to find out what really happened.
I had a blast reading this book. I love creature features and I love cult stuff, and this blender elements of both. T ...more

Superbly entertaining monster/cult novella. For me, a lot of times, a novella doesn't have great character development and plot. Due to format, it would seem novellas sometimes lack in one of the other, but this one felt to be a great mix between backstory, characters and the main plot. It felt longer, deeper than it was. I am not normally a big fan of monster horror, I know, I know - How can you be a horror fan but not really dig monsters? Anyways, what I am trying to say is that the creature p
...more

This was such an incredible book! It had me gripped from beginning to end, invested in all the characters, and, honestly, it was hard to put down. I found myself reading 3-4 chapters a night just because I HAD to see what was going to happen next. The characters themselves are relatable, and have tons of personality; they don't fall flat as other characters would in such a dramatic and traumatic story. If you're a fan of horror, twists, and turns, or just a good ol' supernatural mystery, I canno
...more

If you are seeking a quick and fast-paced slice of cosmic horror, then S.H. Cooper’s The Festering Ones could be the novella to dip your nose into for a couple of hours. This tight story crams much into its 135 pages and gets off the ground running with an outstanding opening sentence:
The first time I saw it was the last time I saw my father.
You can read Tony's full review at Horror DNA by clicking here. ...more
The first time I saw it was the last time I saw my father.
You can read Tony's full review at Horror DNA by clicking here. ...more

S.H. Cooper is one of my favorite authors of any genre. When The Festering Ones was announced, I was beyond excited. And it did not disappoint! From start to finish, this story was an adventure full of rich characters and creepy lore that drew me in from the first paragraph. Definitely pick this one up if you like adventure with your horror!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

From the first few pages, I was captivated by this frightening idea of evil entering our world. I did want to clarify that evangelical and what is presented in this book are opposite ends of the spectrum of religion. Having said that, this story held me through to the end and it was a fantastic end, with room for more story! I am glad too because I will definitely read it.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

For me this has big Lovecraft vibes and I love it.
I couldn't stop turning the page.
Little known fact Originally titled The Ungodly Mountains. Which I think sets the sence better.
If you love horror, you'll love S.H.Cooper ...more
I couldn't stop turning the page.
Little known fact Originally titled The Ungodly Mountains. Which I think sets the sence better.
If you love horror, you'll love S.H.Cooper ...more

The Festering Ones by S.H. Cooper begins with nine year old, Faith, accompanying her father to their family's cabin in the woods for a hunting trip. What is meant to be a bonding experience between father and daughter quickly becomes a traumatic, life-changing tragedy. Faith discovers a forearm and hand sticking out from underneath the ground on their trail. Concerned with what they'd found, Faith's father tells his daughter to stand back while he investigates. It's at this point, their worlds a
...more

If you are seeking a quick and fast-paced slice of cosmic horror, then SH Cooper’s The Festering Ones is well worth a couple of hours of your time. The story is narrated by Faith York who is reflecting upon the final time she saw her father alive and the psychological impact this terrifying incident had upon her; shadowing her entire childhood and well into her twenties. Her life has been littered with a host of psychologists, therapists and a pile of medication to dull the pain. This ordeal occ
...more

S.H. Cooper’s novella The Festering Ones is a short piece of cosmic horror that’s a lot of fun. Young Faith went on a hunting trip with her father, only to see him pulled beneath the ground by a monster. No one believed her of course, or so she thought–when she went through her dead mother’s things years later, she found research notes that indicated her mother did believe her. Those notes lead her to a mysterious cult called The Gathered, as well as two other women who are missing loved ones: J
...more

This was my introduction to the lovely author, S.H. Cooper. I have now read multiple of their books and have grown to look forward to their new releases. With that said, I very much enjoyed The Festering Ones.
The Festering Ones is a story that somehow has the ability to suck you into the scene being painted. The first thing I need to mention is how solid character development is. I can't harp enough on how poor character development really pulls me out of the story. If I can't sympathize with t ...more
The Festering Ones is a story that somehow has the ability to suck you into the scene being painted. The first thing I need to mention is how solid character development is. I can't harp enough on how poor character development really pulls me out of the story. If I can't sympathize with t ...more
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