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Under the Wicked Moon
An unsuspecting family. Darkness in the desert hills. You can't escape the witches of the Mojave.When Maria Jenkins awakens late one night in her family’s motel room and witnesses her younger brother, Michael, sleepwalking out into the desert moonlight, her family's trip is plunged into a gruesome nightmare.Because the sprawling wasteland outside their door isn’t as lifeless as it seems.Deep in the desert hills of Nevada, a forgotten evil emerges. Beneath their black-hooded robes, cackling under the veil of night, they're on the hunt for new blood—for old rituals—until the perfect, most unsuspecting morsel catches their eye...
323 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 13, 2020
999 people are currently reading
735 people want to read
About the author
Abe Moss
24 books427 followersAbe Moss has been writing horror stories for as long as he can remember, and hopes to never stop. He loves creature-features, psychological horror, supernatural horror, cosmic horror, you name it. With each book he writes, he hopes to try something a little different. The possibilities are endless and that's what he really loves about storytelling. He hopes you'll enjoy his stories, too!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 110 reviews
April 25, 2023
Terrifying and Creepy!
Small backstory:
Maria Jenkins watches her brother Michael wander off one night from a motel that her and her family were staying at so she followed him as he seemed to be in some sort of trance but then Maria is knocked out from some type of force.
Maria wakes up in a some sort of cave and realizes that she has been chained to a wall along with someone else who she thinks is Michael but it is someone totally different. Then the real terror begins as she sees three women across the cave and they are doing some type of ritual, but all she cares about is getting free and finding Michael before things turn really bad!
That is about all I can give on a small backstory without giving away spoilers so if you intrigued then go grab this book!
Thoughts:
This was my first time reading this author and I was impressed with how quick I was pulled into the storyline. The pace of the book is super fast after the 50% mark. There was some world building a little bit in the beginning and then a major twist with some extreme horror but then it smoothed out with some psychological horror keeping the pace and suspense building quickly!
I really liked the main character, Maria as she was the strong and determined type that was not going to back down from any type of situation. The last half of the book I read quick as there was just so much going on that there was no way I was putting down the book!
Looking forward to reading more books by this author as it seems that he has quite a few books out there to pursue. Giving this book five "Wicked Witch Woes" stars!
Small backstory:
Maria Jenkins watches her brother Michael wander off one night from a motel that her and her family were staying at so she followed him as he seemed to be in some sort of trance but then Maria is knocked out from some type of force.
Maria wakes up in a some sort of cave and realizes that she has been chained to a wall along with someone else who she thinks is Michael but it is someone totally different. Then the real terror begins as she sees three women across the cave and they are doing some type of ritual, but all she cares about is getting free and finding Michael before things turn really bad!
That is about all I can give on a small backstory without giving away spoilers so if you intrigued then go grab this book!
Thoughts:
This was my first time reading this author and I was impressed with how quick I was pulled into the storyline. The pace of the book is super fast after the 50% mark. There was some world building a little bit in the beginning and then a major twist with some extreme horror but then it smoothed out with some psychological horror keeping the pace and suspense building quickly!
I really liked the main character, Maria as she was the strong and determined type that was not going to back down from any type of situation. The last half of the book I read quick as there was just so much going on that there was no way I was putting down the book!
Looking forward to reading more books by this author as it seems that he has quite a few books out there to pursue. Giving this book five "Wicked Witch Woes" stars!
March 29, 2022
This book was definitely one of the scariest books I have read about witches. So far! So many books, so little time! Anyways...
Thank you Abe Moss for keeping me away from any desert at night! Especially on a full moon!
Thank you Abe Moss for keeping me away from any desert at night! Especially on a full moon!
August 21, 2020
This book scared the ever-living shit out of me.
September 22, 2022
Halloween 2022 Read #10
"'It’s just coyotes howling,' she said.
“'One of them howled my name. I heard it.'”
Okay--imagine 'Hocus Pocus' but the whole Disney element is out the door. Instead, it's just raw, gruesome, terrifying horror. The siren witches living in a cave in the desert hunting their unsuspecting victims for torture and rituals.
This was so well written. The imagery will stick with me--nightmares! I love witch tales but so many of them, most in fact, fail my expectations. This, however, was everything I wanted. Until Part Two.
The story totally fell apart in the second part. It dragged. The whole thing was about a teenager's life. It was a transition that went on too long and totally pulled me out of the story. It didn't pick back up until about 80% in.
"'It’s just coyotes howling,' she said.
“'One of them howled my name. I heard it.'”
Okay--imagine 'Hocus Pocus' but the whole Disney element is out the door. Instead, it's just raw, gruesome, terrifying horror. The siren witches living in a cave in the desert hunting their unsuspecting victims for torture and rituals.
This was so well written. The imagery will stick with me--nightmares! I love witch tales but so many of them, most in fact, fail my expectations. This, however, was everything I wanted. Until Part Two.
The story totally fell apart in the second part. It dragged. The whole thing was about a teenager's life. It was a transition that went on too long and totally pulled me out of the story. It didn't pick back up until about 80% in.
May 26, 2020
Dark & twisted! An addictive, sinister, horror thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Truly a MUST for your TBR list!
*I received a complimentary ARC of this book in order to read and provide a voluntary, unbiased and honest review, should I choose to do so.
*I received a complimentary ARC of this book in order to read and provide a voluntary, unbiased and honest review, should I choose to do so.
November 9, 2020
I found this hard to put down. The story was interesting, engaging and original. And it was well edited, which is so often not the case. I will be reading more by this author.
December 19, 2020
Humm......Very exciting!!!
Loved it!! I don’t do many reviews but when I read crap from other “claiming to be authors “ and then I come across a really great author with an unusual story then I DO feel the need to do a virtual fist bump for a job well done!!! Awesome!!
Loved it!! I don’t do many reviews but when I read crap from other “claiming to be authors “ and then I come across a really great author with an unusual story then I DO feel the need to do a virtual fist bump for a job well done!!! Awesome!!
February 23, 2021
A not-s-classic story of witches & monsters. The story was compelling & the characters were so haunted I just had to know what happened to them next.
February 13, 2021
This story was very original and imaginative. The opening chapters build the uncomfortable dread and hook the reader instantly. Once the story gets going it doesn't let up, the witches are absolutely terrifying. The author really doesn't hold back, putting his characters through the worst situations and the straight forward writing style allows you to almost feel it. Will definitely check out some more work of Abe Moss.
May 28, 2020
A different telling of evil witches that have been stealing children, teens and even adults for a long time. When Maria Jenkins, her little brother, Michael, and their parents go to visit her grandmother and Grandma's boyfriend, the fiends abduct Michael, which she awakens to find him sleepwalking out into the desert moonlight and unable to awaken her parents from a deep sleep, she goes after him, only to find him snatched. Made unconscious, she regains it in some cave home of the monsters. After her brother's life is drained, another captive helps her escape...
This is like a fairy tale retold in the modern era, and what a young teen grown does to get revenge on the predators that killed her brother.
This is like a fairy tale retold in the modern era, and what a young teen grown does to get revenge on the predators that killed her brother.
January 29, 2021
Brutal Creatures but Sincere Humans
Probably a very small bit of spoilers ahead.
Straight out the gate, the prologue gives us a glimpse into the menace that will be present in this story. After that first glimpse, the story didn't have any action for about the first 24-25%. Then it gets nightmarish and brutal. Once this episode of brutality stops, we get a reprieve that lasts for another good portion of the book until the nightmare picks up again.
Fortunately, the "down time" in the action is a sincere look at the characters, mainly the protagonist. This story really is a coming-of-age episode that happens to deal, at some points, with an ancient horror. The author did a good job of making every character real and sincerely human, even the arguing couple that we never see. So this begs the question: was the ancient horror ever human? Clearly, if so, the long living acts of savagery have diluted their humanity.
Though I didn't like the main character at first, mainly due to her immature reactions to her little brother, it was presented in a way that was realistic to siblings growing up together. It quickly turned into me cheering heavily for her to overcome herself, her demons, and her enemies. Jessup was a good addition and I appreciated his and Maria's strength, even when their weaknesses (natural and artificial) were showing up. The story did a good job of showing how, if even unintentional, some will pervert beauty/love and some will attack it, and some will even use it to destroy itself in some obscene, evil way.
There are a few quotable spots from the author that can be applied to political, social, and intimate concerns. But it is best to just read this individually and without any preconceived notion that there is any message here outside of battling through the darkness and still coming out human. Some folks don't come out alive, some come out monsters. Some come out rivaling Snake Plisken.
"I only write this disturbing filth with the utmost love and sincerity." - Abe Moss
Probably a very small bit of spoilers ahead.
Straight out the gate, the prologue gives us a glimpse into the menace that will be present in this story. After that first glimpse, the story didn't have any action for about the first 24-25%. Then it gets nightmarish and brutal. Once this episode of brutality stops, we get a reprieve that lasts for another good portion of the book until the nightmare picks up again.
Fortunately, the "down time" in the action is a sincere look at the characters, mainly the protagonist. This story really is a coming-of-age episode that happens to deal, at some points, with an ancient horror. The author did a good job of making every character real and sincerely human, even the arguing couple that we never see. So this begs the question: was the ancient horror ever human? Clearly, if so, the long living acts of savagery have diluted their humanity.
Though I didn't like the main character at first, mainly due to her immature reactions to her little brother, it was presented in a way that was realistic to siblings growing up together. It quickly turned into me cheering heavily for her to overcome herself, her demons, and her enemies. Jessup was a good addition and I appreciated his and Maria's strength, even when their weaknesses (natural and artificial) were showing up. The story did a good job of showing how, if even unintentional, some will pervert beauty/love and some will attack it, and some will even use it to destroy itself in some obscene, evil way.
There are a few quotable spots from the author that can be applied to political, social, and intimate concerns. But it is best to just read this individually and without any preconceived notion that there is any message here outside of battling through the darkness and still coming out human. Some folks don't come out alive, some come out monsters. Some come out rivaling Snake Plisken.
"I only write this disturbing filth with the utmost love and sincerity." - Abe Moss
March 8, 2020
Spellbinding horror. This isn't your cozy, broomstick-riding fairy tale…
When Maria Jenkins awakens late one night in her family’s motel room and witnesses her younger brother, Michael, sleepwalking out into the desert moonlight, her family trip is plunged into a gruesome nightmare…
…because the sprawling wasteland outside their door isn’t nearly as lifeless as it seems…
Deep in the desert hills of Nevada, a forgotten evil emerges with a lust for sacrifice. Beneath their black-hooded robes, cackling under the veil of night, they're on the hunt for new blood—new blood for old rituals—until the perfect, most unsuspecting morsel catches their eye.
This is a wonderful addition to this thrilling series!
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believeable.
Great suspense and action with that adds so much to the story.
Such a thrilling read that I couldn't put it down.
Can't wait to read more from the author!
Recommend reading.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
When Maria Jenkins awakens late one night in her family’s motel room and witnesses her younger brother, Michael, sleepwalking out into the desert moonlight, her family trip is plunged into a gruesome nightmare…
…because the sprawling wasteland outside their door isn’t nearly as lifeless as it seems…
Deep in the desert hills of Nevada, a forgotten evil emerges with a lust for sacrifice. Beneath their black-hooded robes, cackling under the veil of night, they're on the hunt for new blood—new blood for old rituals—until the perfect, most unsuspecting morsel catches their eye.
This is a wonderful addition to this thrilling series!
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believeable.
Great suspense and action with that adds so much to the story.
Such a thrilling read that I couldn't put it down.
Can't wait to read more from the author!
Recommend reading.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
May 30, 2021
Felt a little... off
I've been reading this author's novels, and I've really liked them, but this one felt off. The plot itself felt lopsided, like the first third was an extended prologue and then the rest was rushed. The other thing is that the love interest's mother is a medium, and she doesn't help them AT ALL. Not a safety charm, not even, "Hey, there's a mangled dead guy following you around," which seems really weird seeing as the ONLY thing we know about her is that she talks to dead people.
If you like horror, I still recommend it, though.
I've been reading this author's novels, and I've really liked them, but this one felt off. The plot itself felt lopsided, like the first third was an extended prologue and then the rest was rushed. The other thing is that the love interest's mother is a medium, and she doesn't help them AT ALL. Not a safety charm, not even, "Hey, there's a mangled dead guy following you around," which seems really weird seeing as the ONLY thing we know about her is that she talks to dead people.
If you like horror, I still recommend it, though.
June 17, 2020
Unusual, Original & Addictive
This was my first time reading a book from this author, and I must say, I was very pleasantly surprised! The story is original, and the main character very well-developed. It’s easy to imagine yourself in her terrifying shoes! I read it in one sitting!! Definitely worth reading for a perfect escape into fantasy. I’m looking forward to reading my next book by Abe Moss. Thanks for sharing your imagination with us!
This was my first time reading a book from this author, and I must say, I was very pleasantly surprised! The story is original, and the main character very well-developed. It’s easy to imagine yourself in her terrifying shoes! I read it in one sitting!! Definitely worth reading for a perfect escape into fantasy. I’m looking forward to reading my next book by Abe Moss. Thanks for sharing your imagination with us!
July 10, 2022
It can be hard sometimes to find books that scare you but this one…sweet sardines, this genuinely scared the living shit out of me. It’s a brilliant horror novel about witches and whilst it didn’t quite disturb my sleep it did have me feeling uneasy at times. The pacing is brilliant and so is the storyline even if as a reader I expected a much different direction than it took, it was still scary as all heck. Definitely now a fan of Abe Moss and will be looking to read more of his works.
April 7, 2020
Amazing combination of cover and title, drew me in with anticipation of a cryptic tale. Author, Abe Moss did not disappoint, Under the Wicked Moon was bewildering, edgy and frightening as malevolent spirits roamed the dessert looking for prey. You just have to get this book and read it. It goes beyond any words I could use to describe it.
An evil goodread that won’t let you go!
An evil goodread that won’t let you go!
June 29, 2021
Abe Moss is an awesome writer
I’ve read almost everyone of Mr. Moss’ books and each one is superb storytelling and great character development. This guy is a true talent; like Stephen King good when King was young and hungry and at his best. I hope that some of Mr. Moss’ books get turned into films because they deserve a wider audience (let’s face it, not everyone is a reader).
I’ve read almost everyone of Mr. Moss’ books and each one is superb storytelling and great character development. This guy is a true talent; like Stephen King good when King was young and hungry and at his best. I hope that some of Mr. Moss’ books get turned into films because they deserve a wider audience (let’s face it, not everyone is a reader).
April 19, 2022
Great!
So, this is the first book of his that I have ever read. I have to say, I loved it!! It was right up my alley! I love supernatural and paranormal stuff!!
So, this is the first book of his that I have ever read. I have to say, I loved it!! It was right up my alley! I love supernatural and paranormal stuff!!
August 13, 2024
Death wasn’t such a foreign concept to her anymore. Neither was grief, nor acceptance, nor letting go. Most of all, sharing herself with those whom she cared for was getting easier. She recalled just how alone she’d felt, and it was so freeing to know it didn’t need to be that way. She had her parents, and likewise they had her. For anything and everything.
For every teenager, a week spent away from a boyfriend or a girlfriend is the most annoying and inconvenient event ever. For Maria Jenkins, being forced to visit her grandparents in Wellwyn is a horrific thought, as the two live in a trailer park in a very small and remote town. Along with her parents and eight year old brother Mathew, this should e been a routine visit with family but would soon become a nightmare. Consumed over worry for their grandmother who finally hit remission in her cancer, their parents left the two children to their oen devices quite often. At the local grocery store they would meet a gorgeous woman, who would quickly start putting Matthew under her spell and leaving the young child seeking her out at night. When her and her sisters would finally decide to end the car and mouse game, Maria would awake to see him sleepwalking out of the motel and vanishing into the fields behind. Stunned to see him so willingly drawn into a stranger's arms. Trying to stop him, Maria is also drawn into the vortex and finds herself chained to a wall of a cave. Awoken to her brother's scared screams, she's unable to find him but instead would lock eyes with Harvey Sampson. With his legs missing and his body badly beaten down, he still has fight left in him and refuses to let them take him on their terms. Witches with abilities far outside of the human mind, Harvey would attack them and find himself killed off. When she finally came to, she would see her brother suspended upside down, naked, with all the blood drained from him. Willing to do anything to survive, she took Harvey's sacrifice and fled from the cave while the witches were distracted. Hunting her down in their ankle forms, one would pose as the wolf who would horribly scare and disfigure Maria but it turn would lose an eye. Suffering from blood loss and wounds, she would walk miles before stumbling on a stretch of road and finding a good Samaritan who would pick her up. With nobody believing her story, they chalked it all up to a crazed killer who drugged them both, never fully grasping the danger everyone was still left in.
You weren't meant to see that.
Hiltrude, Thalma, Anorra.
“Pale Mother’s heart! Reveal your secrets!”
Fast forwarding a year from the date of the attack and Maria is trying to maintain life as a normal college girl while still baring all the scars from that one night. Very withdrawn into herself, she's not longer the filled to the brim with life girl from before, even when her roommate Dolly tries to pull her from her shell. Convincing her to go to a party at a friend's house, this so where she'll meet the eccentric and shy Jessop Graham. Drawn to his timid nature and soft eyes, Maria finds herself developing first a crush than more real feelings for him after only the first few dates. With her secrets of the path bubbling to the surface,, shell confide the truth to him and become shocked and awed when he would believe her claims without a shred of doubt. Admitting his own mother is a medium to the paranormal, she knows she can trust Jessop against the battle with the witches that is quickly approaching. Drawn back to her grandmother's house, they would confront them and it'll leave Hitrude deceased and Jessop taken by the remaining witches. Lead by Harvey's apparition, she finds the cave again and sees the bay birthed by Talma a year ago is now an eight year old boy. Bred by evil, she hunts the remaining witches down with Jessop and continues the murders until she finally kills the child also. At the guiding hands of Harvey, she goes to the jars in the cave and smashed each one, releasing dozens of damned souls including her mother's childhood friend Sarah who was taken by "Angels". With her parents finally believing her, she finds comfort in Jessop as the two delve into a deeper relationship together now that the nightmare was ending.
Though the creature spoke likewise, and Maria understood her, it felt nothing like speaking to another person. Another human. Whatever this thing was, she wasn’t human. She donned a human disguise, a convincing one, and shed it like a jacket in an instant. She spoke the language, and showed human expression, but the motives and desires behind them were cold. Alien. She smiled upon Maria, and her smile was full of jagged, sallow teeth and malicious intent.
For every teenager, a week spent away from a boyfriend or a girlfriend is the most annoying and inconvenient event ever. For Maria Jenkins, being forced to visit her grandparents in Wellwyn is a horrific thought, as the two live in a trailer park in a very small and remote town. Along with her parents and eight year old brother Mathew, this should e been a routine visit with family but would soon become a nightmare. Consumed over worry for their grandmother who finally hit remission in her cancer, their parents left the two children to their oen devices quite often. At the local grocery store they would meet a gorgeous woman, who would quickly start putting Matthew under her spell and leaving the young child seeking her out at night. When her and her sisters would finally decide to end the car and mouse game, Maria would awake to see him sleepwalking out of the motel and vanishing into the fields behind. Stunned to see him so willingly drawn into a stranger's arms. Trying to stop him, Maria is also drawn into the vortex and finds herself chained to a wall of a cave. Awoken to her brother's scared screams, she's unable to find him but instead would lock eyes with Harvey Sampson. With his legs missing and his body badly beaten down, he still has fight left in him and refuses to let them take him on their terms. Witches with abilities far outside of the human mind, Harvey would attack them and find himself killed off. When she finally came to, she would see her brother suspended upside down, naked, with all the blood drained from him. Willing to do anything to survive, she took Harvey's sacrifice and fled from the cave while the witches were distracted. Hunting her down in their ankle forms, one would pose as the wolf who would horribly scare and disfigure Maria but it turn would lose an eye. Suffering from blood loss and wounds, she would walk miles before stumbling on a stretch of road and finding a good Samaritan who would pick her up. With nobody believing her story, they chalked it all up to a crazed killer who drugged them both, never fully grasping the danger everyone was still left in.
You weren't meant to see that.
Hiltrude, Thalma, Anorra.
“Pale Mother’s heart! Reveal your secrets!”
Fast forwarding a year from the date of the attack and Maria is trying to maintain life as a normal college girl while still baring all the scars from that one night. Very withdrawn into herself, she's not longer the filled to the brim with life girl from before, even when her roommate Dolly tries to pull her from her shell. Convincing her to go to a party at a friend's house, this so where she'll meet the eccentric and shy Jessop Graham. Drawn to his timid nature and soft eyes, Maria finds herself developing first a crush than more real feelings for him after only the first few dates. With her secrets of the path bubbling to the surface,, shell confide the truth to him and become shocked and awed when he would believe her claims without a shred of doubt. Admitting his own mother is a medium to the paranormal, she knows she can trust Jessop against the battle with the witches that is quickly approaching. Drawn back to her grandmother's house, they would confront them and it'll leave Hitrude deceased and Jessop taken by the remaining witches. Lead by Harvey's apparition, she finds the cave again and sees the bay birthed by Talma a year ago is now an eight year old boy. Bred by evil, she hunts the remaining witches down with Jessop and continues the murders until she finally kills the child also. At the guiding hands of Harvey, she goes to the jars in the cave and smashed each one, releasing dozens of damned souls including her mother's childhood friend Sarah who was taken by "Angels". With her parents finally believing her, she finds comfort in Jessop as the two delve into a deeper relationship together now that the nightmare was ending.
Though the creature spoke likewise, and Maria understood her, it felt nothing like speaking to another person. Another human. Whatever this thing was, she wasn’t human. She donned a human disguise, a convincing one, and shed it like a jacket in an instant. She spoke the language, and showed human expression, but the motives and desires behind them were cold. Alien. She smiled upon Maria, and her smile was full of jagged, sallow teeth and malicious intent.
August 30, 2025
The moon wasn’t as gentle as most thought. It offered peace and cruelty in equal measure.
Holy moly, that was so incredibly creepy with a capital, um, eepy! OK, that was admittedly silly AF, but you know what I mean! Do be clear though: Abe Moss' "Under the Wicked Moon" was a fantastic read that literally gave me a severe case of the willies along with what may be lingering but persistent bout of goosebumps, too! And ever since I started it, I've been (w)racking my brain (or is it wrecking? Well, that, too, in many ways…) to try and figure out if I've ever read such a wonderfully witch-centric story by anyone at all not named either William Shakespeare of Sir Terry Pratchett. But damn, the haunting and utter evilness that occupies these pages made for amazing reading, even if last night's fajita-fueled nightmares were EXTRA intense!
They slithered like shadows from the desert hills, cloaked and whispering.
And before we go much further, I have to give Moss credit for one very important aspect, or at least an aspect that is very important to me and my own tastes in horror and beyond. Even though the main few members of this cast - witches and ghosts excluded mind you - are not more than 18 or 19-years-old (or even much younger at their time of demise), never even once did this feel anything like a young adult book, even once we became fully esconced in the freshman reality of Maria's first year in college ("You’re 18. He’s 18. That means you’re both stupid as hell. It’s adorable."). So oodles of kudos given where they are due! Even if Jessup's often sloppy infatuation did have us rolling our eyes (still 2 of those thank goodness) a few times, it all worked out without any discomfort on my curmudgeonly part!
Life goes on, and death goes on with it. Never one without the other.
But back to our story review: "Wicked Moon" builds tension throughout about as well as any book I've read so far in 2025. From the sheer blinding terror of the first part of the book - noting I thought Moss did an outstanding job shaping and forming things up during what he called both the "prologue" or followed by "Part 1" accordingly (then the rest is essentially Part 2 I guess) - where so many decidedly disastrous events befall everyone involved. This just builds then to a final climax that I never expected to be that tense or - pardon the pun - spell-binding! Face it, this was an exciting read! And even with a little bit of that ol' Willy or Terry magick included (3 sisters able to shapechange and create spells for the purposes of all kinds of ill intent! Double, double toil and trouble indeed!), there's never a point where you stop and go "hey wait, this doesn't seem right!" Because in its own cruel, maniacal, and definitely evil way, it does. And how!
Under the glow of the Pale Mother’s light, the wolf shed its fur. The owl shed its feathers.
I also thought the setting was quite well-handled even if the Nevada desert ultimately didn't really define anything of great import if you will. But having that almost alien setting where we could go from (a) a mysterious disappearance on the streets of Las Vegas to (b) a star-filled night with the moon staring down in all its glory was terrific, even if we were all "stuck" together in the middle of nowhere ("There were no borders between civilization and wilderness… The town was the desert.")! I mean, as a father, just imagining seeing your young son - or brother in this case - walking away from the limited depth of some small town into sandy desolation beyond was terrific! And yeah sure, the Witch Cave if you will was pretty damn special, too! If Moss ever wants to write an origin story for this bangin' threesome of hags (another potential cool band name!), then count me in for sure!
It was horrendous and bloodcurdling and necessary. She couldn’t do it. She had to do it.
Finally how everything is brought together with literally the entire history of this family being ultimately explained in a way that Maria's story is finally believed was quite satisfying, particularly as so much of her pain is simply because "Nobody believes. Not anymore…" I mean, you can't exactly fault the police for doubting a story about witches, ghosts, and various wildlife attacks but we could really feel Maria's, well, conundrum at knowing the truth and her on-going suffering months after these events were supposedly behind her. So, if you're like me and you want your skin crawling away and hiding in a safe cupboard for a few days, you should check this one out for sure!
Holy moly, that was so incredibly creepy with a capital, um, eepy! OK, that was admittedly silly AF, but you know what I mean! Do be clear though: Abe Moss' "Under the Wicked Moon" was a fantastic read that literally gave me a severe case of the willies along with what may be lingering but persistent bout of goosebumps, too! And ever since I started it, I've been (w)racking my brain (or is it wrecking? Well, that, too, in many ways…) to try and figure out if I've ever read such a wonderfully witch-centric story by anyone at all not named either William Shakespeare of Sir Terry Pratchett. But damn, the haunting and utter evilness that occupies these pages made for amazing reading, even if last night's fajita-fueled nightmares were EXTRA intense!
They slithered like shadows from the desert hills, cloaked and whispering.
And before we go much further, I have to give Moss credit for one very important aspect, or at least an aspect that is very important to me and my own tastes in horror and beyond. Even though the main few members of this cast - witches and ghosts excluded mind you - are not more than 18 or 19-years-old (or even much younger at their time of demise), never even once did this feel anything like a young adult book, even once we became fully esconced in the freshman reality of Maria's first year in college ("You’re 18. He’s 18. That means you’re both stupid as hell. It’s adorable."). So oodles of kudos given where they are due! Even if Jessup's often sloppy infatuation did have us rolling our eyes (still 2 of those thank goodness) a few times, it all worked out without any discomfort on my curmudgeonly part!
Life goes on, and death goes on with it. Never one without the other.
But back to our story review: "Wicked Moon" builds tension throughout about as well as any book I've read so far in 2025. From the sheer blinding terror of the first part of the book - noting I thought Moss did an outstanding job shaping and forming things up during what he called both the "prologue" or followed by "Part 1" accordingly (then the rest is essentially Part 2 I guess) - where so many decidedly disastrous events befall everyone involved. This just builds then to a final climax that I never expected to be that tense or - pardon the pun - spell-binding! Face it, this was an exciting read! And even with a little bit of that ol' Willy or Terry magick included (3 sisters able to shapechange and create spells for the purposes of all kinds of ill intent! Double, double toil and trouble indeed!), there's never a point where you stop and go "hey wait, this doesn't seem right!" Because in its own cruel, maniacal, and definitely evil way, it does. And how!
Under the glow of the Pale Mother’s light, the wolf shed its fur. The owl shed its feathers.
I also thought the setting was quite well-handled even if the Nevada desert ultimately didn't really define anything of great import if you will. But having that almost alien setting where we could go from (a) a mysterious disappearance on the streets of Las Vegas to (b) a star-filled night with the moon staring down in all its glory was terrific, even if we were all "stuck" together in the middle of nowhere ("There were no borders between civilization and wilderness… The town was the desert.")! I mean, as a father, just imagining seeing your young son - or brother in this case - walking away from the limited depth of some small town into sandy desolation beyond was terrific! And yeah sure, the Witch Cave if you will was pretty damn special, too! If Moss ever wants to write an origin story for this bangin' threesome of hags (another potential cool band name!), then count me in for sure!
It was horrendous and bloodcurdling and necessary. She couldn’t do it. She had to do it.
Finally how everything is brought together with literally the entire history of this family being ultimately explained in a way that Maria's story is finally believed was quite satisfying, particularly as so much of her pain is simply because "Nobody believes. Not anymore…" I mean, you can't exactly fault the police for doubting a story about witches, ghosts, and various wildlife attacks but we could really feel Maria's, well, conundrum at knowing the truth and her on-going suffering months after these events were supposedly behind her. So, if you're like me and you want your skin crawling away and hiding in a safe cupboard for a few days, you should check this one out for sure!
June 30, 2022
Enjoyed this book!
A very worthwhile read! I really love how Moss's books are all so unpredictable! I have now read all but 2 of his books & while there are common threads every story is so unique & quite entertaining! As soon as I finish 1 I'm looking for the next! Typically I can spend MONTHS reading 1 book- a few pages here & there..... Moss's stories make you excited to get back to it & not want to put it down! Very descriptive without going overboard, good flow, surprises that make you (((gasp! NO WAY!!))) lol and again very unique, like- you're NOT going to see what's coming! You might think you do, but you'll be wrong- in a good way!
My review was supposed to be for this specific book so- I enjoyed the story from beginning to end. It was scary in a real and supernatural way. Was very pleased with the ending. I highly recommend this book and any Abe Moss book you can get your hands on!!!!
A very worthwhile read! I really love how Moss's books are all so unpredictable! I have now read all but 2 of his books & while there are common threads every story is so unique & quite entertaining! As soon as I finish 1 I'm looking for the next! Typically I can spend MONTHS reading 1 book- a few pages here & there..... Moss's stories make you excited to get back to it & not want to put it down! Very descriptive without going overboard, good flow, surprises that make you (((gasp! NO WAY!!))) lol and again very unique, like- you're NOT going to see what's coming! You might think you do, but you'll be wrong- in a good way!
My review was supposed to be for this specific book so- I enjoyed the story from beginning to end. It was scary in a real and supernatural way. Was very pleased with the ending. I highly recommend this book and any Abe Moss book you can get your hands on!!!!
May 23, 2020
Excellent Book
I am glad I chose to read this book by Abe Moss and plan to read more. A scary tale of witches and revenge. Maria is confronted with this horror and escapes but her little brother does not. The emotional scars she carries from her night of horror are worse than the physical scars. No one believes her tale and she continues on but not really living until she meets a sweet young man. Of course the witches are not done with Maria and want revenge. The story line was a fascinating journey of Maria finding the her inner strength and will to live. I highly recommend this book! I simply could not put it down. It was a well written horror tale and a story of battling your inner demons to become the strong person you were meant to be! Get the book!
I am glad I chose to read this book by Abe Moss and plan to read more. A scary tale of witches and revenge. Maria is confronted with this horror and escapes but her little brother does not. The emotional scars she carries from her night of horror are worse than the physical scars. No one believes her tale and she continues on but not really living until she meets a sweet young man. Of course the witches are not done with Maria and want revenge. The story line was a fascinating journey of Maria finding the her inner strength and will to live. I highly recommend this book! I simply could not put it down. It was a well written horror tale and a story of battling your inner demons to become the strong person you were meant to be! Get the book!
June 16, 2020
A new raw type of horror
I’m a diehard audible listener of Stephen King, Peter Straub, Joe Hill and much of Dean Koontz. Wanting to read again, I got a hold of this novel and Whoa!, was taken aback at first. Abe Moss writes a much more raw brand of horror that once you get into, really rocks! The main characters take their beatings, as they would if this was really happening, and the witches are anything but our glamorous, not at all like Sabrina or our other TV renditions. I really enjoyed this as I got the feel that if this happened out here in the desert where I live, this might be how It would go down. I’m going to check out more of Abe Moss’s work and see what else I find in those dark corners.
I’m a diehard audible listener of Stephen King, Peter Straub, Joe Hill and much of Dean Koontz. Wanting to read again, I got a hold of this novel and Whoa!, was taken aback at first. Abe Moss writes a much more raw brand of horror that once you get into, really rocks! The main characters take their beatings, as they would if this was really happening, and the witches are anything but our glamorous, not at all like Sabrina or our other TV renditions. I really enjoyed this as I got the feel that if this happened out here in the desert where I live, this might be how It would go down. I’m going to check out more of Abe Moss’s work and see what else I find in those dark corners.
November 18, 2020
Witch horror
This was a different and strange book but not bad, the main caracter, Maria goes through a terrible incident with her brother on a holiday trip to her grandmother, i will not reveal to much of the story but i can tell you as much as evil witches are involved and her life will never be the same as she have to fight for her life several times agains these horrible creatures. The novel have several layers and dose a good job describing the mental and physical horror a young woman must go through over a period a little over a year. Had i known the main villain was witches i wouldn't have bought the book as i hate the subject but the book aint bad and well written and if your into supernatural horror this is your cup of tea
This was a different and strange book but not bad, the main caracter, Maria goes through a terrible incident with her brother on a holiday trip to her grandmother, i will not reveal to much of the story but i can tell you as much as evil witches are involved and her life will never be the same as she have to fight for her life several times agains these horrible creatures. The novel have several layers and dose a good job describing the mental and physical horror a young woman must go through over a period a little over a year. Had i known the main villain was witches i wouldn't have bought the book as i hate the subject but the book aint bad and well written and if your into supernatural horror this is your cup of tea
March 14, 2023
NEVADA -- This book is part of my challenge to read a horror novel set in every state, and I chose it to represent Nevada.
A teenaged girl and her family are visiting grandma in a small town on the edge of the Nevada desert. Shortly after arriving, Maria's younger brother is lured out into the desert and Maria follows him. What follows is a horrific encounter with a trio of witches that only Maria survives. The rest of the story deals with Maria's confrontation with those same witches one year later.
In general, the overall plot is great, horrifically creepy enough to set anyone's teeth on edge. But, for me, the character development is lacking. Maria seems very flat and detached most of the time, and I never felt any sort of depth from her. And events move at a rather choppy pace, often leaving me scratching my head as to why Maria or one or two of the other characters made the choices they did.
Bottom line, it's a fun read if you're in the mood for some easy scares that don't require (or inspire) any deep thinking. It will scratch the horror itch for sure. Just know when you're reading it that you're not going to have deep feelings for the characters and be okay with some wacky behaviors and decisions.
A teenaged girl and her family are visiting grandma in a small town on the edge of the Nevada desert. Shortly after arriving, Maria's younger brother is lured out into the desert and Maria follows him. What follows is a horrific encounter with a trio of witches that only Maria survives. The rest of the story deals with Maria's confrontation with those same witches one year later.
In general, the overall plot is great, horrifically creepy enough to set anyone's teeth on edge. But, for me, the character development is lacking. Maria seems very flat and detached most of the time, and I never felt any sort of depth from her. And events move at a rather choppy pace, often leaving me scratching my head as to why Maria or one or two of the other characters made the choices they did.
Bottom line, it's a fun read if you're in the mood for some easy scares that don't require (or inspire) any deep thinking. It will scratch the horror itch for sure. Just know when you're reading it that you're not going to have deep feelings for the characters and be okay with some wacky behaviors and decisions.
Read
April 9, 2020Wicked is right...
Not much for witches,the mean evil kind, but this was a pretty good read. We have Maria, a high school student, her little brother Michael & her parents on a trip to visit her grandmother. Maria did not believe in witches, she does now. Michael has been abducted & Maria has been captured too.
What follows are disfiguring injuries & the loss of her brother.
Her biggest fear will be the unbelievable force that does not believe her. She knows they are real & they will be coming for her.
Kudos to the author. Nice characters, credible storyline, a little brutal but all in all, a very good book. Will check for more! 😁
Not much for witches,the mean evil kind, but this was a pretty good read. We have Maria, a high school student, her little brother Michael & her parents on a trip to visit her grandmother. Maria did not believe in witches, she does now. Michael has been abducted & Maria has been captured too.
What follows are disfiguring injuries & the loss of her brother.
Her biggest fear will be the unbelievable force that does not believe her. She knows they are real & they will be coming for her.
Kudos to the author. Nice characters, credible storyline, a little brutal but all in all, a very good book. Will check for more! 😁
May 25, 2024
Abe Moss delivers the scares, the gore and an original nightmare of a story. Maria is a pretty typical 17 year old. Tolerating her parents, annoyed by her little brother, Maria goes for a family visit to her grandparents in the desert and her life changes forever. Her brother goes missing and Maria looks for him and finds horror, pain and scars, both psychological and physical. Haunted by a gross and bloody encounter, Maria escaped but was hunted by her supernatural tormentors. And she is in fight for her life. This was well written, with strong characters, believable emotions and motives and some really enjoyable horrible physical torture. Moss delivers delightful horror.
March 11, 2020
A Brilliant Horror Masterpiece
Abe Moss is perhaps the newest entry in the expansive lexicon of horror writers I follow on Amazon, but he is certainly not the least among them.
This having been the third books I've read, I must say, that Abe Moss never fails to deliver.
If you like horror, you most definitely need to read this book. Just try not to get too terribly upset when Mr. Moss starts pulling on your heartstrings like a mad violinist.
If you're not reading Abe Moss... what are you waiting for?!?!?
Abe Moss is perhaps the newest entry in the expansive lexicon of horror writers I follow on Amazon, but he is certainly not the least among them.
This having been the third books I've read, I must say, that Abe Moss never fails to deliver.
If you like horror, you most definitely need to read this book. Just try not to get too terribly upset when Mr. Moss starts pulling on your heartstrings like a mad violinist.
If you're not reading Abe Moss... what are you waiting for?!?!?
September 25, 2020
It's a Ride and a Half!
Well if you like spooky stories, you'll love this. This story may take a few pages to suck you in, but honey once the hook is set you are pulled along at a break neck speed. Be warned that this is one of those books that once read you will never forget it. I have a feeling I'll still be thinking of this book 5 - 10 years from now. It's that good and memorable. I also have a sneaking suspicion that Abe Moss has a hell of alot more stories in him and I can't wait.
Well if you like spooky stories, you'll love this. This story may take a few pages to suck you in, but honey once the hook is set you are pulled along at a break neck speed. Be warned that this is one of those books that once read you will never forget it. I have a feeling I'll still be thinking of this book 5 - 10 years from now. It's that good and memorable. I also have a sneaking suspicion that Abe Moss has a hell of alot more stories in him and I can't wait.
October 3, 2020
A really great read to kick off October. 4.5/5 stars.
This ended up being a lot darker than I had anticipated, given the way the novel opens and the dynamics between the characters. I was expecting the standard fairytale story of a coven of witches that steal children, but the story was a lot more emotionally-brutal than I thought it would be.
I appreciate that the story was wrapped up cleanly with no hint of a sequel. Under a Wicked Moon does everything right — no need to mar that with an unnecessary follow up.
Without a doubt the best “witch” horror I have read to date.
This ended up being a lot darker than I had anticipated, given the way the novel opens and the dynamics between the characters. I was expecting the standard fairytale story of a coven of witches that steal children, but the story was a lot more emotionally-brutal than I thought it would be.
I appreciate that the story was wrapped up cleanly with no hint of a sequel. Under a Wicked Moon does everything right — no need to mar that with an unnecessary follow up.
Without a doubt the best “witch” horror I have read to date.
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