The Cain Consequence

by Sal Cangemi

In "The Great Secession," reality has gone unbelievably haywire!

Stu's dog has changed, his favorite cookie brand vanishes, and TV shows become completely different overnight.
To crack the case, Stu teams up with a bitter, former child star, a witch whose spells misfire more often than not, and an entrepreneur cursed with epic lousy luck. Can they get along long enough to stop the madness?

Meanwhile, occultist Barclay Cain stirs up trouble with his own motley crew of weirdos.

Get ready for a wild ride through the Lands – filled with haunted toilets, crazed soccer moms, and magic brothels. It's a showdown of bullets vs. magic, where even winning might not fix the cracked reality.

Join Stu and his gang in a quest in which wicked hilarity meets mayhem, and normalcy takes a back seat to the absurd. Who knew saving the world could be so crazy?

341 pages, Paperback

Published April 10, 2024

About the author

Sal Cangemi is the author of several successful books for both adult and younger audiences. His work has been described as horror, speculative, satire, and comedy. A New York native, Sal is working hard on his next novel. You can visit him online at www.salcangemi.com

Reviews

[Carl Bluesy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was gifted this e-book in exchange for an honest review.

In a world altered by the abilities of one man, an unlikely partnership will have to work together to save the world from other destruction by the mad men that ordered the world in the first place.

This should have been a fun journey across a very unique land, but unfortunately I was unable to become invested in this story. The pacing seem to go from one event to the next without really lingering on the moment to fully experience what was going on.

There is far too much telling and not nearly enough showing here, and the book suffered for it. This left me uninvested in the characters as I wasn’t given enough to become fully invested in the main cast, and too many of the side characters were just clichés of the land they lived in. The lands themselves were very cliché of what they were represented.

The lands were a very interesting idea, but I feel like there wasn’t enough depth put into them. I think the author had a really good idea with this book, but need to keep working on his writing skills in order to pull off the story that this could’ve been. I hope the author continues to grow as a writer, and that his next book is much better off for it.

It feels like the author put a lot of work into this, but he just not quite there yet. I hope he keeps trying because I really want to see this guy succeed. He has great ideas, he just needs experience and practice to be the author that I know he can be.

[MikeLikesBooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

What the heck did I just read? This new novel is classified as Horror but it’s definitely more Bizarro Fiction. The way the author’s mind works is fascinating. I’d love to have lunch with the guy just to chat with him and see his mind in action. I loved it and think this will be one that I will go back to and read again. There are so many triggers. Nothing is sacred. This is not for the easily offended. Stu, Rex and the gang go from land to land like 80s land, porn land and haunted land, etc. Having lived my 20s in the 1980s, I loved all the references. I was laughing my butt off. People do seem to be in a constant state of nakedness in this book and body parts can be descriptive. My ADHD was having a wild ride. Speaking of rides, one line stands out in this book. Rex, the alpha male, asks if somebody wanted to ride "Willy, the one-eyed wonder worm"… OMG! I've never heard "it" called that before. This was a fun book to get lost in. it was so bizarre that it was mind boggling to see things play out in this dystopian America tale. i liked how the author wrapped up things realizing that we need to stop putting ourselves in different camps and hating each other based on what we believe. No wonder Barclay Cain did what he did.

I want to thank Hellbound Books for a copy of the eBook. This review is voluntary and solely my opinion.

[Mattie B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

After occultist Barclay Cain loses his famous actress wife, he tries to bring her back from the dead. By failing in this spell, he causes a rift in reality changing time as we know it. Tv shows are different, certain brands don’t exist anymore, even Stu’s dog is different! Stu and an unlikely crew made up of a washed up tv star, a witch who can’t cast a good spell to save her life, and an entrepreneur with lousy business ideas, set off in search of Cain in order to stop the madness occurring around them.

This was a wild ride! I was cackling with how funny and weirdly nostalgic this was. I loved revisiting defining pop culture moments of the decades throughout this adventure. Each land that appeared in this was so radically stereotypical, but that added so much depth to the setting and the characters that came from that particular place. I loved the found family aspect of this book with the quirky group we followed. While extreme in their personalities, I loved watching them come together as a tight knit friend group towards the end. This was filled with dimension hopping, comedy, brutality, and found family. ‼️This book ain’t for everyone and I would advise you to check trigger and content warnings‼️ If you love movies like Shaun of the Dead or Zombieland, this will be the book for you!

Thank you Hellbound Publishing for sending me a digital copy to review! All opinions are my own.

[K.D. Villanueva · Rating 4 out of 5]

First of all, let me start out by saying thank you to Hellbound Books for reaching out to me to review this book. On that note, the review below is my own opinion of the book and is in no way influenced by the publishing company nor the author.

🔹️🔹️🔹️🔹️🔹️🔹️🔹️🔹️

To start off, this book reminded me of the Twilight Zone right off the bat. Not sure if that was an influence for the author, but I liked that it had a mixture of science & superstition. Throw in the concepts of the characters living in different dimensions & realities, & I really had to question my sanity most of the time. I nearly lost count of how many different lands I read through, almost all of them were stereotypical but interesting nonetheless. For me, the insults & stereotypes were funny, but not everyone enjoys dark humor. I suggest readers to look into the trigger warnings before reading.

Right from the beginning, I fell in love with the character, Rex. He had such a carefree, "I don't give a f*ck" attitude that I admired. Even if he was such a d*ck most of the time, he made me laugh every time he would say something outlandish. Or when his inner thoughts were unhinged, like:
"Rex Dolan woke with a trifecta: A hangover, having to take a shit, and in the 80s."
But despite his difficult personality, he secretly cared for his "friends."

Friends that were just ordinary people who came together to put the world back to normal. In doing so, these strangers became like a family to one another. I found the Found Family aspect heartwarming, specifically when it came to Bubby & Julia. He became like a father figure to her & tbh she truly needed that in her life.

Overall, the story was good. However, there were some parts where I felt like I struggled trying to get through, only because of the way it was poorly written. Almost childish in some ways. Also, towards the end of the book, the chapters got unbearably long & made the story drag a bit at the end. I wasn't a big fan of the ending either. Sure, it was unexpected but I feel like it could have been better.

[Bo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sal Cangemi's The Cain Consequence takes you on an unpredictable journey through a reality shattered by a failed resurrection spell. The story kicks off with occultist Barclay Cain, devastated by the loss of his famous actress wife, attempting to bring her back from the dead. Instead of reuniting with his beloved, he tears a rift, altering time and space in bizarre and chaotic ways.

The ripple effects of Cain's botched spell are felt immediately. TV shows morph into something unrecognizable, certain brands vanish from existence, and even Stu's dog undergoes a strange transformation. Amidst this upheaval, Stu emerges as an unlikely hero, forming a motley crew to track down Cain and restore order. His team includes a washed-up TV star clinging to past glories, a witch whose spells often backfire, and an entrepreneur notorious for his lousy business ideas. Together, they embark on a quest that is as heartwarming as it is hilarious. These characters are hilarious and really help make this novel great.

Cangemi blends humor and nostalgia, crafting a story that had me dying while reminding me of pop culture moments from the past 20 years. Each new land area they encounter is a caricature of a particular era. Despite their starkly different personalities and frequent clashes, they form a tight-knit group by the end of their journey. Their growth from reluctant allies to a bonded family is both heartwarming and satisfying. The Cain Consequence is a whirlwind of dimension-hopping adventures, blending comedy, brutality, and heartfelt moments. However, it's important to note that this book isn't for everyone. Its quirky style and sometimes intense themes may not appeal to all readers.

This read was a lot of fun and totally out there for a horror read from different planes. For fans of irreverent, genre-blending stories this is right up your alley. Sal Cangemi has crafted a wild ride that keeps you laughing, cringing, and eagerly turning pages until the very end.

[Veronica Skaggs · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to Hellbound Books Publishing group for this book in return for a review!

This book has so much potential, and it’s such a FUN concept. However, this was one of the biggest let downs of the year for me, and the delivery just wasn’t there. It’s a satirical book for sure, but the satire is literally just dick jokes. Take these away, and you have half the book left.

So okay, fine, the humor wasn’t for me. The rest of the writing is entirely dialogue based, where nothing really happens and the plot changes just like the universe and Lands they are in.

In concept, a world where the Lands were created and the world around you is ever changing, so you are on a mission with an oddball group of people to settle the mess, sounds like a great book. The adventure was sloppy and had way too many plot holes and would just jump to weird things. The penis jokes? A whole lot about Porn Land. A whole scene with flying pricks. It was crude just to be crude and give shock value with no substance. There’s also (tw) two rape/SA scenes that served no purpose. It added nothing and was done to the only two female characters. Definitely not a fan of how any of the women in this book were written, and especially not the men.

I think if this book focused a little more on details instead of shoving every thought onto the pages, it easily would have been a 4+ star read for me. The first 50-100 pages had me thinking of interesting of a TV series this could be. The plot just disappears at the end however, and the (seemingly) main perspective and character Stu is barely an actor throughout.

I did learn that this genre, however you would describe it, is incredibly fun. I’ll be reading more books like this and just hoping the plot has more solid roots and the writing is less dialogue, show-not-tell, based.

[Sarah DeRosa · Rating 5 out of 5]

For context, it is pertinent to my review that my audience knows I am not one that is interested in sci-fi or dystopian works. Although I remain open minded, I struggle to conceptualize ideas the skate on the brink of realism and beyond. However, after the completion of reading this work, I will confidently state it is one of my favorites across all genres. THAT is how good Cangemi's writing was.
It was easy for me, a person that struggles to imagine outside the realm of perceived possibility, to understand the vast innerworkings of parallel universes. If you have interests in strange phenomena or the Mandala effect give this one a go. You will not regret it.
Not only was the writing fluid, action packed, and beyond creative; It was emotional. There were parts where I laughed aloud as I read, felt a need to cry and pull my loved ones close, and was pushed to a point of legitimate anger for the actions of a character. Although it is advertised to be satirical, I experienced a wide range of emotions.
I will end simply by saying I cannot emphasize the unique conceptualization packed within this novel enough. It is thought provoking and explores several issues on both a societal and individual level. I wholeheartedly applaud the skills and talents of Sal Cangemi for writing what I perceive is a true masterpiece.

[Sue · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars
Humour meets the otherworldly in The Cain Consequence.
As a concept, The Cain Consequence is the phenomenon where large groups of people misremeber the same given thing in the same way. (Not to be confused with our Mandela Effect.)
Thank you to Hellbound Books for my ebook for review!
The Consequence is named for Barclay Cain, a famous occultist who tried to bring his wife back from the dead, and inadvertently shifted elements of reality.
TV actor Rex Dolan, witch Julia, plus Bubby and Stu (eventually known as The Malevolent Four) are in search of Haunted Land and Barclay himself.
The Lands are many, ie. Church Land, 80s Land (mayor Tiffany Gibson), Motivational Speaker Land, Senior Citizen and Millenial Lands, PC Land, Porn Land (treasurer Woody Hardon), TV Land, Vegan Land (formerly Texas, eek).
Author Sal Cangemi has gone all out on this book.
It's a quick, manic, nasty, and action-packed read, and I very much enjoyed all the pop culture nods. I'll admit I didn't always know what was happening, but it really didn't matter. It also wraps up with a great ending.
The Cain Consequence was full of entertainment, and I recommend it for something completely different.

[Owen · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was gifted a free e-book by Hellbound Books in exchange for an honest review.

1.5 ⭐ (at a push)

I was thinking about this, a lot, last night at work. And the less I wanted to shit on this book, because this is more books than I've ever written, but the more irritated I got that I spent nine days on this.

On the positives: I liked the overall concept, some of the 'lands' - in their sadly under formed state, and there were a handful of funny moments.

But basically I dislike most of everything else.

Not one character was particularly interesting, and we could have probably skipped all the chapters meeting them - showing me the teams, pre-build, would have been about the same.
I was intrigued for a bit, but I mostly lost interest in the goings on around 65-70% of the way through. The pacing was mostly terrible.
The biggest disappointment was that the story seemed really unstable. Just bounded around at seemingly random. I'd have liked to settled into the events, maybe experience one or two, at least.

Sorry, Sal.

[Yara · Rating 4 out of 5]

God this was a weird and fucked up book.
Freaking loved it.