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Wickflicker
They've come of age. And now they're coming out from among them.
Is your palm freely passed twixt the wick and the flame?
Do you smoke the briar's fire fueled by faces and names?
On the bridge of your lust, will you pay the small toll?
Would you gain the whole world in exchange for your soul?
-Olde Wickflicker
They were two college freshmen, simply searching for that higher high along life's journey. They found it in the devil's den.
Best friends since childhood, college freshmen Gat O'Malley and Caleb Jackson stumble into a once-in-a-lifetime Finding themselves the life of the party at semester's end, it's up to them to keep the crowd pumped, the ladies intrigued, and the liquor freely flowing.
To keep spirits flying high, Gat and Cay venture into their friend's cellar to retrieve a fresh keg. They soon hit rock bottom when failing to locate any source of light, becoming lost in the endless labyrinth below. Lurking about the shadows, they encounter their friend's eccentric Uncle and begin to realize they're getting more than they bargained for.
By showing them the mystic ways of an ancient, arcane society- the Olde Order- Nicklaus Scratch entices the freshmen with all the power, prestige, and prominence they would dare to dream up at the onslaught of the new age. The world is theirs for the taking. All can be possessed through the Olde Order- the way of the Wickflicker.
Money. Sex. Power.
Each awaits in exchange for something never even seen...
Would you gain the whole world in exchange for your soul?
Is your palm freely passed twixt the wick and the flame?
Do you smoke the briar's fire fueled by faces and names?
On the bridge of your lust, will you pay the small toll?
Would you gain the whole world in exchange for your soul?
-Olde Wickflicker
They were two college freshmen, simply searching for that higher high along life's journey. They found it in the devil's den.
Best friends since childhood, college freshmen Gat O'Malley and Caleb Jackson stumble into a once-in-a-lifetime Finding themselves the life of the party at semester's end, it's up to them to keep the crowd pumped, the ladies intrigued, and the liquor freely flowing.
To keep spirits flying high, Gat and Cay venture into their friend's cellar to retrieve a fresh keg. They soon hit rock bottom when failing to locate any source of light, becoming lost in the endless labyrinth below. Lurking about the shadows, they encounter their friend's eccentric Uncle and begin to realize they're getting more than they bargained for.
By showing them the mystic ways of an ancient, arcane society- the Olde Order- Nicklaus Scratch entices the freshmen with all the power, prestige, and prominence they would dare to dream up at the onslaught of the new age. The world is theirs for the taking. All can be possessed through the Olde Order- the way of the Wickflicker.
Money. Sex. Power.
Each awaits in exchange for something never even seen...
Would you gain the whole world in exchange for your soul?
- GenresChristian Fiction
273 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2011
63 people want to read
About the author
Teric Darken
7 books22 followersFor twenty-five years, Teric Darken has been bleeding the ink from his heart onto paper. His cutting-edge thrillers have become known for their innovative nature: filled with darkness, despair, light and redemption.
2012 ushered in the re-release of KILL FM 100 (Night Shift Edition) with ten additional chapters of thrills and chills - the original version earning a top-three-finalist position in the 2010 Grace Awards thriller genre. His supernatural thriller, Wickflicker, created a stir with its unflinching storyline, also meriting a top-three-finalist position in the 2011 Grace Awards thriller genre. Darken's latest thrill-ride, U-TURN KiLLuR (Death Row Edition), has been reissued with an extra chapter and revamped storyline.
Teric Darken holds a Bachelor of Science degree in religious education. The author resides with his family in the United States and serves his city as a lieutenant on the fire department. More about the author may be found on Facebook, tericdarken.com, or at tericdarken.blogspot.com.
2012 ushered in the re-release of KILL FM 100 (Night Shift Edition) with ten additional chapters of thrills and chills - the original version earning a top-three-finalist position in the 2010 Grace Awards thriller genre. His supernatural thriller, Wickflicker, created a stir with its unflinching storyline, also meriting a top-three-finalist position in the 2011 Grace Awards thriller genre. Darken's latest thrill-ride, U-TURN KiLLuR (Death Row Edition), has been reissued with an extra chapter and revamped storyline.
Teric Darken holds a Bachelor of Science degree in religious education. The author resides with his family in the United States and serves his city as a lieutenant on the fire department. More about the author may be found on Facebook, tericdarken.com, or at tericdarken.blogspot.com.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
August 3, 2011
A unique allegorical tale in the spirit of C.S. Lewis, with the terrifying excitement and atmospheric chill of a dark thriller, Wickflicker is another amazing story by author Teric Darken that will take readers to the depths of darkness before bringing them up to the light.
Best friends Gat O’Malley and Caleb Jackson get taken on more of a wild ride than they bargained for when, seeking a fresh keg for a semester-end party in a friend’s dark cellar, they run into his strange “uncle” Nicklaus Scratch, who offers them the deal of a lifetime in exchange for one small thing – their soul. Yet both Gat, who accepts Scratch’s offer of power, sex and money for that “thing he can’t even see,” and Caleb, who sees through the old “man’s” sinister inducement to join the prestigious Olde Order, find themselves equally entangled in the devil’s frightful web of seduction, where they must struggle with the darkness that threatens to consume them.
An eerie “Screwtape Letters” for the modern generation, Mr. Darken’s Wickflicker is an intensely honest portrait of the temptations faced by every young person – the desire to fit in, to be desirable to and fill desire with the opposite sex, to succeed and, more, to exceed – to own the world free of consequences… Like all of the author’s novels, this is a story at the same time real and gritty, imbued with powerful imagery, yet crafted in lyrical prose and striking symbolism; a fantastic tale of the dark twists and turns in human life that detour, but can’t derail us, if we really seek the truth and light. Strap yourself in for the hellish ride and a final reveal you’ll never see coming in this outstanding work of speculative fiction!
Best friends Gat O’Malley and Caleb Jackson get taken on more of a wild ride than they bargained for when, seeking a fresh keg for a semester-end party in a friend’s dark cellar, they run into his strange “uncle” Nicklaus Scratch, who offers them the deal of a lifetime in exchange for one small thing – their soul. Yet both Gat, who accepts Scratch’s offer of power, sex and money for that “thing he can’t even see,” and Caleb, who sees through the old “man’s” sinister inducement to join the prestigious Olde Order, find themselves equally entangled in the devil’s frightful web of seduction, where they must struggle with the darkness that threatens to consume them.
An eerie “Screwtape Letters” for the modern generation, Mr. Darken’s Wickflicker is an intensely honest portrait of the temptations faced by every young person – the desire to fit in, to be desirable to and fill desire with the opposite sex, to succeed and, more, to exceed – to own the world free of consequences… Like all of the author’s novels, this is a story at the same time real and gritty, imbued with powerful imagery, yet crafted in lyrical prose and striking symbolism; a fantastic tale of the dark twists and turns in human life that detour, but can’t derail us, if we really seek the truth and light. Strap yourself in for the hellish ride and a final reveal you’ll never see coming in this outstanding work of speculative fiction!
October 26, 2011
WICKFLICKER is a no-holds-barred allegory that kept me on the edge of my seat the whole way. I was already a fan of Mr. Darken from his books K - I - L - L FM 100: Music to Die For and the sequel, U-TURN KiLLuR, but this one blows those great stories out of the water.
With a sketchy Satan character steaming up every scene he creeps into, and two feckless college kids looking for a good time, I don't think anyone will read this book and not be changed in some way. For me, it was an entertaining yet frightening "trip" that I will definitely embark upon real soon when I re-read the novel. I am sure to find something new every time.
Recommended, 5-Stars
Ellen C. Maze
Author of Christian Thrillers, including Vampire bestseller, THE JUDGING
With a sketchy Satan character steaming up every scene he creeps into, and two feckless college kids looking for a good time, I don't think anyone will read this book and not be changed in some way. For me, it was an entertaining yet frightening "trip" that I will definitely embark upon real soon when I re-read the novel. I am sure to find something new every time.
Recommended, 5-Stars
Ellen C. Maze
Author of Christian Thrillers, including Vampire bestseller, THE JUDGING
August 17, 2011
I loved this book. Mr. Darken wove a wicked tale with an ending I never saw coming! Great message, great book. I highly recommend it to anyone wanting a tale about good and evil, with a storyline that most anyone can relate to. Well Done!
September 1, 2011
Remember cuddling on the couch on Friday nights watching horror flicks with the one you love? Do you recall the thrill of the chase and the shivers of fear when the evil adversary had the good guy down, certain to end all hope forever? This is Wickflicker. If you have fond memories, long ago or recent, of this type of horrific thriller, you should read Wickflicker. It is the Friday Night Horror Flick, with a twist in perspective. As others have noted here, it is written from a biblical perspective.
Not for the squeamish and certainly not for children. Suspend you disbelief and put the popcorn on and enjoy the show. Does the good guy win? Well, yes and no. Prepare to have your assumptions broken down. No, you simply must read it to see how it turns out!
Not for the squeamish and certainly not for children. Suspend you disbelief and put the popcorn on and enjoy the show. Does the good guy win? Well, yes and no. Prepare to have your assumptions broken down. No, you simply must read it to see how it turns out!
September 8, 2011
An Awesome thriller that is a must read. I wasn't a thriller fan but I am now. I am a definate fan of Teric Darken. Wickflicker is riveting and will keep you reading. You won't be able to put it down.
Want to read
August 28, 2011I love this storyline.....
May 3, 2012
In a style reminiscent of Charles Williams and old-fashioned Christian horror, author Teric Darken tells thoroughly modern stories of that thoroughly ancient battle for the human soul. A slightly formal, carefully reasoned, first-person narration gives the story immediacy and rapidly creates a very believable college-age protagonist. Rebelling against his father’s fame, taking risks with sex drugs and alcohol but never quite losing his way, young Caleb and his lifelong friend Gat go from experimenting with a Ouija board to standing in front of what might be the devil himself to make a deal.
The friends part ways, each to his own temptation. The thrill of the chase, the excitement of the lure and the horror of the monstrous maze ensue. While one protagonist passes his hand through flickering flame and accepts the coin, the other strives to resist. While one ignores all that stands in his way, the other tries to save. And while one falls, the other still might redeem him.
Caleb is the son of Kill FM 100’s Cart-man, from the author’s previous work, and there’s just as vibrant a modern musical soundtrack to this tale. A dark horror story with tireless moral undertones, and a starkly genuine portrait of modern temptation, this is definitely “edgy Christian fiction.” The characters and horrors may seem a touch predictable at times and the telling a bit slow, but there’s a movie-like feel to the sights and sounds, and a truly intriguing sting at the end of the tale. Plus there’s music and the Cart-man in cameo.
Disclosure: I was lucky enough to get a copy of this novel when it was offered free.
The friends part ways, each to his own temptation. The thrill of the chase, the excitement of the lure and the horror of the monstrous maze ensue. While one protagonist passes his hand through flickering flame and accepts the coin, the other strives to resist. While one ignores all that stands in his way, the other tries to save. And while one falls, the other still might redeem him.
Caleb is the son of Kill FM 100’s Cart-man, from the author’s previous work, and there’s just as vibrant a modern musical soundtrack to this tale. A dark horror story with tireless moral undertones, and a starkly genuine portrait of modern temptation, this is definitely “edgy Christian fiction.” The characters and horrors may seem a touch predictable at times and the telling a bit slow, but there’s a movie-like feel to the sights and sounds, and a truly intriguing sting at the end of the tale. Plus there’s music and the Cart-man in cameo.
Disclosure: I was lucky enough to get a copy of this novel when it was offered free.
October 19, 2011
Teric Darken has done it again! I have been a fan of his for a while now since Kill FM 100! With Wickflicker, Darken has done what few writers are able to ever do--TOP THEIR LAST offering!
Wickflicker is dark with a barely visible light out of the underground maze of darkness! It tells an awesome account of two young guys' struggle between choosing good and evil. As one discovers, the rewards for choosing evil are so tempting as they feed his fleshly id desires, but veil the harsh consequences that come much later. While the other thinks that choosing the "good" has promise of greater rewards, but not always visible so quickly.
While this novel is a blatant horror story, it digs MUCH deeper underneath your psyche than simple scare tactics--how would we choose given an unlimited potential--to me THAT is scary.
Wickflicker is now one of my all-time favorite novels!
By Pete Turner Author of the Top 10 Customer-Ranked Occult Horror novel on Amazon Kindle, Whisper A Scream and Whisper From The Woods (coming soon).
Wickflicker is dark with a barely visible light out of the underground maze of darkness! It tells an awesome account of two young guys' struggle between choosing good and evil. As one discovers, the rewards for choosing evil are so tempting as they feed his fleshly id desires, but veil the harsh consequences that come much later. While the other thinks that choosing the "good" has promise of greater rewards, but not always visible so quickly.
While this novel is a blatant horror story, it digs MUCH deeper underneath your psyche than simple scare tactics--how would we choose given an unlimited potential--to me THAT is scary.
Wickflicker is now one of my all-time favorite novels!
By Pete Turner Author of the Top 10 Customer-Ranked Occult Horror novel on Amazon Kindle, Whisper A Scream and Whisper From The Woods (coming soon).
October 5, 2015
I read it because I wanted to see why people liked it so much... I found it to be attention-grabbing horror… Five stars!
June 14, 2012
"The Devil and Tom Walker" is a great short story by Washington Irving, the writer who gave us the idea of the headless horseman in another great short story "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow." As I read Wickflicker, I smiled as I remembered the story of Tom Walker and how he grabbed Ol' Scratch's offer to leave his humdrum life to live a life high-on-the-hog. Of course, the deal was he had that power to live a greedy, self-centered life only as long as Scratch allowed him to. Caleb Jackson, the son of Carter, Cart-Man, Jackson (the DJ from another of Darken's novels), is a young man also affronted with the challenge of choosing between two paths. Cay is living for himself, doing what he wants to do more than his father, the locally-famous DJ, wishes he would do. For many years, he tried to walk the fine line between good and evil. But once he became a teenager, he chose the darker, self-centered, path.
I like Wickflicker's multiple points of view as well as Darken's penchant for internal monologues. I also like his use of imagery, especially as he focuses on death and decay (black) and punishment (yellow and orange). Another reviewer commented that Wickflicker is "edgy Christian fiction," and I can't agree more. Because of more than a few scenes where the characters are discussing sexual acts, I cannot recommend Wickflicker for teenagers.
But I highly recommend Wickflicker for the 20-somethings who are "walking the fence," pretending that they can live their own lives as they see fit but somehow hoping that God will not be angry with them for not following him.
I like Wickflicker's multiple points of view as well as Darken's penchant for internal monologues. I also like his use of imagery, especially as he focuses on death and decay (black) and punishment (yellow and orange). Another reviewer commented that Wickflicker is "edgy Christian fiction," and I can't agree more. Because of more than a few scenes where the characters are discussing sexual acts, I cannot recommend Wickflicker for teenagers.
But I highly recommend Wickflicker for the 20-somethings who are "walking the fence," pretending that they can live their own lives as they see fit but somehow hoping that God will not be angry with them for not following him.
October 2, 2011
Darken at his best!!! This one should send shivers up your back and make you think more thN twice about what is gain and what is loss! Cost is not the same as value!!,
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews