Zek

From the get go, Athan drops you into an uncomfortable situation, just waiting for the right time to pounce and let the carnage begin. A home invasion of any sort is a nightmare, but one on this level of brutality is a full on visit to hell. With a rather short page count, there isn't really ever a break between the violence, only varying levels in the intensity with which it is delivered.

Despite keeping its foot on the gas, somewhere towards the last third, it begins to feel tired. Largely in part due to keeping the main character more of a passive observer rather than an active participant. It becomes little more than a collection of torture vignettes in a vacuum, and I wasn't particularly a fan of the ritualistic aspect that underlines motivation. This is unrelenting but in the end feels a little <i>too</i> devoid of emotion, the ending not doing it many favors in that regard. I don't regret reading it, as it's a breezy and truly nasty read, with some hints of a more solipsistic <i>Martyrs</i>, and sprinkles of Green Room.