Shadow’s Embrace
Shadow’s Embrace
Slaughter Series Book 2
By A.I. Nasser
The Sexton’s musings (spoilers are likely):
Allow me to start out by saying that Nasser is a great story teller. This is an original and well written three part story in which you wish many, if not most, of the characters would be killed by the main bad guy. In the first story the last part of every chapter were journal entries by Jeremiah Carter, in this installment the end of each chapter is the story told by Rachel Adams to her daughter about the history and actions of the Council. This is kinda a cool structure. These small sections of each chapter are choc full off information. Even though they are short they are very poignant. My feelings about these characters are a testament to the quality of the story telling.
Okay Ghoulies, strap in, here we go…
The only two characters that I do not want dead are Alan and Debbie. Alan has tried to solve the problem of Copper Tibet since he was 10. Unfortunately he was missing vital pieces of information that may have helped clamp down on the once innocent, now child murdering Copper Tibet. But the bloody Council kept everything swept under the carpet. These people have murdered multiple families, entire families just to keep the child disappearances under wraps. Unfortunately for them the monster is no longer under their control, the asshole Chairman Cole has been made catatonic by his good buddy Copper. I don’t think for one second that all of this was just to keep their families safe from the monster. This was also about power and control. Once Daniel Cole was taken, which really in my opinion all of the council members should currently be right there with him. This is what they deserve. To exist in their own private hell. It’s them that he wants anyway. They are the descendant children of the people that wrongfully executed him soooo many years ago. If the founding families were all wiped out then I have a feeling that Copper would go away, his vengeance quelled. But no they are too busy saving their own asses.
Now one of these people come to their senses and decide that it is time to find a permanent way to get rid of Copper. This just happens to be Rachael Adams. Instead of trying to do the blood binding again and continuing to kill families she decides that it’s time to stop what’s going on once and for all. Now this proposition may have worked if it weren’t for Fiona Bright the towns current murdering Sheriff who had Michael Cole kidnap the grandson of one of the founding family council members and feed him to a fucking tree. This spooks the council and all they want to do is try and get things back to where they were, killing families. So Rachael gets ousted and of course the crazy grief stricken Grandfather gets voted in as Chairman. Great choice people, pick the man that’s the most desperate and will make rash decisions. Hell they are all just in it to save their own worthless hides anyway so…
Unfortunately for Miss Bright, who thinks she is very very clever with her manipulation of the Council, because they have been covering up everything, and quite frankly not doing a very good job a reporter named David Whelm, who is a master fuck face asshole, not only incites a riot but also incites an innocent man whose daughter was one of Coppers victims, to kill himself, flashes all of their dirty laundry all over the internet. While I really hope he gets what’s coming to him, shit Whelm and everyone else with a lick of power involved in this town that don’t give a shit about what happens to anyone else, I am glad that it’s all being exposed. In fact the bonus content is very important in this regard. Ever wonder what the disappearing doctors story is…well you find out in the bonus. You also learn that now outside authorities are getting involved. How they handle this will be key in my reaction. I’ve always hated law enforcement in horror because there are people that know how to research, they are expert at investigating and could be invaluable in finding a solution more quickly but they are always looking for the so called “rational explanation” and wasting valuable time with their bullshit. I always say follow the evidence even if it is taking you in a direction that you don’t understand. Eventually you will. So those reactions always frustrate me. So we shall see where our detective goes in part three.
Now one other player that I have to mention. Michael Cole….yeah fuck this loser dumb shit asshole! He’s such an entitled, pathetic little bitch! I hope that he stays buried! Oh yeah and someone should tell the Council that their little blood binding bullshit is fucked. Michael has gone bye bye. No blood binding for you assholes. Guess you should have listened to Rachael huh? Dumb shits! I mean the shear fact that they though that he was going to know anything about anything is laughable. Daniel never told Michael shit and Michaels own search of his father’s stuff yielded no information. Not that the pathetic, worthless fuck would know what to do with it if he had found something. This does raise some questions for me though…and really I should have said something during the first book thoughts, how in the hell did Copper know how to evoke the curse? Where did that information come from? And where did the information for the blood binding come from. I mean someone involved had to have been knowledgeable about the occult, and honestly I can’t see any of these people other than maybe Mrs. Carter from back in the day. I mean that bitch was cold! Is cold… That’s not your first impression but once you find out what she is capable of damn!
Moving forward my hopes and dreams for this lovely group of characters is that they all burn in their own hell…I hope that they get trapped by Copper, Alan and Deborah find a way to save all the children and just when they save the last child and they are getting ready to save everyone else they run out of time and they are trapped in limbo hell forever just like Schrödinger’s Cat…neither alive or dead. It’s what they deserve…hell it’s better than what they deserve. So we shall see…I feel like this is the salad course. It’s important to eat your vegetables little Ghoulies even if the bitter, peppery lettuce can be a bit much.
