Chapelwood by Cherie Priest

As a lifelong horror fan, I was totally intrigued by the concept behind Chapelwood by Cherie Priest. I had to read the description twice. Did it really say "Lizzie Borden’s continuing war against the cosmic horrors threatening humanity"? I was totally sucked in, and what a fun ride it was.

From the back of the book:

From Cherie Priest, the award-winning author of Maplecroft, comes a new tale of Lizzie Borden’s continuing war against the cosmic horrors threatening humanity…

Birmingham, Alabama is infested with malevolence. Prejudice and hatred have consumed the minds and hearts of its populace. A murderer, unimaginatively named “Harry the Hacker” by the press, has been carving up citizens with a hatchet. And from the church known as Chapelwood, an unholy gospel is being spread by a sect that worships dark gods from beyond the heavens.  

This darkness calls to Lizzie Borden. It is reminiscent of an evil she had dared hoped was extinguished. The parishioners of Chapelwood plan to sacrifice a young woman to summon beings never meant to share reality with humanity. An apocalypse will follow in their wake which will scorch the earth of all life.

Unless she stops it…

My thoughts:

This is the second part in The Borden Dispatches but I jumped in here and it is free standing. I didn't feel at a disadvantage for not having read the first part, other than I knew I missed a special book and will want to hunt it down. The voice is as unique as the concept, as it told from various points of view in a journal, or letter style. What I found particularly impressive was how each character was given and maintained their own voice and writing style that made them stand out.

I really liked the mixing of elements with the KKK and the whole creepy church Lovecraftian thing that was going on. The setting is awesome, I don't think I have ever seen Birmingham, Alabama done quite so creepy. Creepy is a good word for how this read made me feel. It has the subtle horror tone that is perfect for late nights and rainy days. 

The pacing builds tension perfectly and I am not going to give away any thing fun, it's not my style, but you must grab a copy of this because when Lizzie has the ax it is magical to read. 

Make sure you visit Cherie Priest's Website to stay up to date on new releases and news. You can purchase this great title as well as many others in all genres at Penguin. You can also connect with them on Facebook and Twitter.

Disclosure: I may receive products in exchange for an honest review. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I personally believe will be good for my readers.