The Ritual

This is a very interesting book. Half survival story, half something I'd rather not reveal, it is one of the most visceral and brutal “pure horror” books I've read in years. I like the transition between the distinct halves of the story, but many people didn't—it is definitely a disorienting stylistic choice, but I admire the attempt to do something original. There are nods to Lovecraft and Machen, echoes of ancient, pagan evil, and the pace is unrelenting. But make no mistake—this is dark, dark, dark, and not for horror dilettantes.