Review: Death Cult by Janelle Schiecke
(Audio podcast version available at the bottom of the page.)
Death Cult is a terrifying, splatterpunk, horror novella, and is the second novella by Janelle Schiecke, following her previous release, Ghost Room. Divided into 13 chapters, plus the prologue, Death Cult tells the story of Jason, Eddie, and Carrie who find themselves in a strange town, that will see them battling for their very lives against a malevolent cannibal death cult.
From the very first pages of the prologue, Janelle perfectly sets up the tone for the rest of the story. She puts you right at the heart of the grim action, without giving anything away, Just, merely offering a sample of the gruesome horrors to come. You are immediately immersed within the story, but completely in the dark about what might be to come and how much worse things may get as you journey through it. She just gives you enough to whet your appetite.
Janelle has a great understanding in the use of juxtaposition, which I picked up on straight away, as I am an enthusiastic fan of that type of opposing balance in writing. I really love her use of Language, too. It’s wonderfully descriptive without ever over-selling it to the audience. The author gives you clear imagery, whilst still allowing the reader's mind to build their own images around it. It is easy to get carried away when writing, and I have seen it on several occasions, where the author can try to spell out and describe absolutely everything that they can to you. Fortunately, that is not the case with Death Cult.
The sentences are very well-structured and flow almost organically from one to the next, and this continues throughout the paragraphs, the scenes, the chapters and right through to the climax of the story. It all feels very natural and real. Like gritty and palpable.
Janelle also has a terrific way of conveying the atmosphere of any given scene, whether that be a location, the emotions that any given character may be feeling, the lighter moments and the darker ones. It is quite easy to feel and visualize whichever part of the story you are reading, and you quickly become immersed within that world.
The three main characters are brilliantly crafted. I really enjoyed the camaraderie and the banter between Jason and Eddie, and how their characters evolve together throughout this nightmare of a journey. I loved the sense of hope and carefree attitude of your typical college boys enjoying themselves and wanting nothing more than, parties, beers, and girls. It’s a great contrast to the eventually that terrible things are incoming. Carrie is equally excellent in writing and such a brilliant character. I really don’t want to say too much about her, because I just don’t want to spoil anything, but she is a badass. There are also, of course the ‘side-characters’, and I really like that there is not an over-population of them. Each one is relevant to the flow of the story. They're the smaller cogs but equally important in building the story and moving forward.
The dialogue is on-point, and each character has their own distinctive personality, which shows not only in what they do and how they act, but also in their speech and the way that they communicate with each other. There’s a looming menace in some of the dialogue that truly makes you fear for the main character’s safety… which I appreciated and enjoyed.
There’s not a moment in this novel that feels unnecessary or off-balance. Every character, every interaction and every scene is relevant to the momentum of the story and this all drives it forward without you ever feeling disjointed or irrelevant. Each chapter is a step, without a misplaced footing or a loose tread. So, there’s that.
The audible narration by Edward Baker is truly outstanding. His deep, rich and earthy tones compliment the writing perfectly. It is obvious in his delivery of it, that he fully understands and appreciates the tone of the book. There is an almost symbiotic relationship between the Janelle’s writing and Edward’s reading performance of them. The characters each have their own distinctive voice, and the narration never feels too rushed or too slow. He carries that ominous sense of dread with flawless execution. I don’t know how many times I have downloaded a good book, only to have it ruined by poor narration. I honestly don’t think a better narration could have been achieved.
So, does Death Cult deliver as a horror novella? That’s an easy YES. There is a continuous feeling of trepidation that runs throughout, and each chapter ends with you wanting to continue this journey. There are any factors that add to the uneasiness of the situation the three main characters find themselves in. Everything written is written with purpose and deliberate intent. It is brutal and beautiful – an unrelenting, nerve-shredding, sinistrous, deep cut blood letter to the horrors of old, which sits apart with her own unique twist and take, and hits you right in the jugular.
Death Cult is one of the best additions to the horror genre that I have had the pleasure of reading. Get it… NOW!
Head on over to Amazon and grab yourself a copy by clicking on the link below, and check it out on Audible, too, by clicking HERE. You can also keep up-to-date by heading on over to Janelle’s website, https://www.janelelschiecke.com/ or by following her on X at @J_Schiecke. Thank you.
