Jason Brant, author of Gehenna and Echoes, has written another winner. The Gate is a bit different from his previous two books. First, it is longer. Second, it isn't about zombies in the old west. There isn't a character who can read your mind and make you do things against your will. The Gate is a horror novel, and it is a good one.
Instead of zombies or characters who can read your mind, there are ghosts, monsters, and creepy places. Did it scare me? No, but I'm not a person who is easily scared. I thrive on horror novels, scary stories, and creepy movies.
Kyle and Brandon are two college guys. They are going to be interns on The Specter Slayers, a reality show about ghosts and haunted houses. They arrive for the filming of the show only to discover that everyone else has been fired, and they are now the crew. This isn't exactly what they had in mind. And the specter slayers don't believe in ghosts.
Soon after their arrival, Katie Upshaw, a famous horror author, pulls in. She is going to be the special guest for the episode. And she knows a lot about this church. So why is she really there?
Where are they? They are at a creepy church located in what seems like the middle of nowhere. What is it about this church? Charles Danvers, after becoming extremely interested in the occult, bought this church. He used to hold meetings there with other like-minded people. On a day in May 1972, eleven people went in, but only one came out – Charles Danvers. He was missing a hand, and he had gone just a bit crazy. No trace of his companions was ever found.
Charles Danvers lost his mind and had been committed to a mental institution. He committed suicide only the week before the filming of this episode and one week before the fortieth anniversary of the disappearances of his friends. Why? Is something going to happen?
Everyone involved encounters a lot more than they bargained for inside the this church. Creatures that seem to be straight from hell are just waiting for their chance to grab hold of whoever enters. What exactly will give them that chance? The name of the book is The Gate, so it is kind of obvious they encounter a gate. But what else do they find? Where does this gate go? And where did these creatures come from? Even more important, can a person escape from these creatures?
Once the setting of the book changes to the supposedly-haunted church and the other world this gate leads to, Jason Brant creates a wonderfully creepy setting. He uses just the right words – slimy, foggy, remote, devoid of life, and others – to give you chills. And his descriptions of the creatures? Well, I wouldn't want to encounter even one of the horrific creatures he describes.
If you like creepy stories, I highly recommend this book. It won't disappoint you. I was given a copy of this book free by the author in exchange for an honest review. If you would like to enjoy a copy of this book yourself, I have provided an Amazon link below. The first link is for a paperback copy, the second link is for a Kindle copy.
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