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Sacrifice
Who can save the children from the Woodsman?
Thirty years ago, six high school friends banded together to confront the Woodsman, a murderous specter whose prey was children. None of the friends will ever forget the horror of those weeks…or blood chilling image of the Woodsman.
Now the six have returned to town for a long overdue reunion. Except the Woodsman hasn’t finished with them yet. As a new nightmare unfolds, ripping open old scars and inflicting fresh terror, what will each of them have to sacrifice this time to keep the children safe and the Woodsman at bay?
302 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 3, 2012
69 people are currently reading
300 people want to read
About the author
Russell James
49 books217 followersRussell R. James was raised on Long Island, New York and spent too much time watching Chiller, Kolchak: The Night Stalker, and Dark Shadows, despite his parents’ warnings. Bookshelves full of Stephen King and Edgar Allan Poe didn’t make things better. He graduated from Cornell University and the University of Central Florida.
After a tour flying helicopters with the U.S. Army, he now spins twisted tales best read in daylight.
His wife reads what he writes, rolls her eyes, and says “There is something seriously wrong with you.”
He has published the novels DARK INSPIRATION, SACRIFICE, BLACK MAGIC and DARK VENGEANCE, the compilations OUT OF TIME and TALES FROM BEYOND, as well as numerous short stories. He founded the Minnows Literary Group.
He and his wife share their home in sunny Florida with two cats.
Drop by the website to kill some time with some short stories.
After a tour flying helicopters with the U.S. Army, he now spins twisted tales best read in daylight.
His wife reads what he writes, rolls her eyes, and says “There is something seriously wrong with you.”
He has published the novels DARK INSPIRATION, SACRIFICE, BLACK MAGIC and DARK VENGEANCE, the compilations OUT OF TIME and TALES FROM BEYOND, as well as numerous short stories. He founded the Minnows Literary Group.
He and his wife share their home in sunny Florida with two cats.
Drop by the website to kill some time with some short stories.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
April 9, 2025
The only book that I’ve ever willingly read more than once was Stephen King’s IT. And I’ve also been a fan of all the movies developed off the original story, too. So I consider myself fairly well versed on IT. Now the reason I’m bringing this up is the fact that I had doubts about this book going in, as it sounded very familiar. And as I began reading Sacrifice, it jogged my memory more and more. A group of friends grow up together and are aware of a creature in town that can shapeshift, only seems to attack and be seen by children, etc. They grow up, lose touch, but reassemble thirty years later to go fight this entity and kill it once and for all. None of the members of this squad have children, either. So basically…IT’s plot. And the thing that bothered me most was that The Woodsman even took the form of a turtle at one point and told one of the boys that they’d ‘float.’ Just blatantly ripping off IT in the worst way. I’m fine with someone taking a previous concept and reimagining it, but you should really distance yourself from the original idea, which Russell James failed to do. The book was even modeled in the same past to present day format as IT, using thirty years instead of twenty seven, with the two battles of our main characters versus The Woodsman happening simultaneously. So it was very obvious what was being done here and I didn’t care for it at all. It’s a shame, too, as I loved the quality of the writing and thought the Half Dirty Dozen had some great interactions and dynamics with one another. And those two factors are why I rated this with three stars. The background of the Woodsman with him being more of a ghost than anything else should have been the primary focus of this story, and had a lot to work with to make it unique. However, that was not the case and this just came across like someone trying to replicate the perfection of one of Stephen King’s most famous stories.
October 23, 2017
"Maybe he didn't call us back here for a reunion. He called us back here to kill it. For good this time."
For decades, children have been mysteriously disappearing in the town of Sagebrook. Then, in 1980, six high school seniors discover the reason - a hideous specter known as the Woodsman has been luring the youngsters to their deaths, and he's been doing it since before the turn of the century. Now, thirty years after their first attempt to stop him, the friends must gather together once more to put an end to the horror.
Comparisons to It are inevItable, though I actually enjoyed this one more than the Stephen King classic. The story is an involving page-turner, and the writing doesn't insult your intelligence. Those who like their horror a bit gorier may be disappointed, but this book hit all the right spooky buttons for me.
I'll definitely be checking out some more titles by this author.
For decades, children have been mysteriously disappearing in the town of Sagebrook. Then, in 1980, six high school seniors discover the reason - a hideous specter known as the Woodsman has been luring the youngsters to their deaths, and he's been doing it since before the turn of the century. Now, thirty years after their first attempt to stop him, the friends must gather together once more to put an end to the horror.
Comparisons to It are inevItable, though I actually enjoyed this one more than the Stephen King classic. The story is an involving page-turner, and the writing doesn't insult your intelligence. Those who like their horror a bit gorier may be disappointed, but this book hit all the right spooky buttons for me.
I'll definitely be checking out some more titles by this author.
May 11, 2018
The Woodsman is taking children and the only ones that can see him are the friends in the Half Dirty Dozen. They try to tell their families and their peers about the Woodsman, but no one believes them as they think the friends are just making it up to get attention. The kids are now adults and they decide to have a reunion of sorts to take care of the Woodsman once and for all.
What to say about this book....well here it goes:
This book has a lot of reminders of the book IT by Stephen King as just like in that book, there is a monster killing kids and only kids can see the creature. Except like in the King book instead of the Losers Club there is the Half Dirty Dozen. There is a lot of similarities between the two books as in IT the friends in that book came back after 30 years to defeat the monster and also had become succesful which this book tends to go down that road too.
It is still a pretty good book, but it would have been better if not for so many reminders of the King book. Also the book goes back and forth between the past and the present every few chapters which was kind of annoying as it would have been better to just give a back story on the Woodsman in just a few chapters, then give the story of the friends as adults and their plan of what they are going to do to defeat the creature. It has some creepy parts here and there throughout the book, but nothing that really scared me.
This book would have been more closer to four stars if not for the King reminders, so giving it three stars.
What to say about this book....well here it goes:
This book has a lot of reminders of the book IT by Stephen King as just like in that book, there is a monster killing kids and only kids can see the creature. Except like in the King book instead of the Losers Club there is the Half Dirty Dozen. There is a lot of similarities between the two books as in IT the friends in that book came back after 30 years to defeat the monster and also had become succesful which this book tends to go down that road too.
It is still a pretty good book, but it would have been better if not for so many reminders of the King book. Also the book goes back and forth between the past and the present every few chapters which was kind of annoying as it would have been better to just give a back story on the Woodsman in just a few chapters, then give the story of the friends as adults and their plan of what they are going to do to defeat the creature. It has some creepy parts here and there throughout the book, but nothing that really scared me.
This book would have been more closer to four stars if not for the King reminders, so giving it three stars.
September 20, 2022
Great supernatural novel, with elements of "coming-of-age", and occult themes.
October 29, 2017
As someone who, as a child, grew up in a number of different towns, I have always thought it must be great to stay in one place throughout childhood and have a bunch of friends I have known all my life. The Half Dozen of Sacrifice have been friends all their lives and thirty years ago, they did battle with a fiendish character called the Woodsman who stole and murdered children. In 1980, the friends reunite, only to find that the Woodsman is back. Now they have to finish the job - once and for all - at whatever sacrifice they must make.
Russell James always delivers on tension, suspense, scary horror and great plotlines. His characters.are realistic, likeable and I really cared what happened to them. This is a great read and, if like me, you are already a fan of the author's work, you will find Sacrifice a worthy addition to your collection. If you haven't read any of his work before, this is an excellent place to start.
Russell James always delivers on tension, suspense, scary horror and great plotlines. His characters.are realistic, likeable and I really cared what happened to them. This is a great read and, if like me, you are already a fan of the author's work, you will find Sacrifice a worthy addition to your collection. If you haven't read any of his work before, this is an excellent place to start.
August 14, 2012
Really enjoyed this one. Left me a little sad to be honest, but it was real to life. Lots of scares and great characters in this one. Deals with teens in the 1980's and the present as they return to their small Long Island town to deal with issues (including a wicked ghost) from their past. FEAR the Woodsman!!!! Highly Recommended!!!!
November 19, 2017
4.5. Maybe this isn't for everyone, but for my tastes, this was really well written. It kept my interest all the way through, to the point where I couldn't put it down. I thought each of the six main characters were well developed, and found it interesting to compare them as teens vs. the adults they became; and how the events of one night, years ago, shaped the paths their lives would take.
June 18, 2014
While playing a high school prank before graduation, six friends--dubbed the Dirty Half Dozen--unknowingly become entangled in a centuries old horror known as the Woodsman, a vengeful demonic entity that has been killing innocents in the town of Sagebrook. The Half Dozen attempt to thwart the ghostly demon but their plan ultimately falls short...until 30 years later they're summoned back to Sagebrook to finally put the Woodsman to rest, once and for all...or die trying.
Russell does a nice job layering the chills and suspense, in between flashing back and forth between then and now. The writing is solid, flows well, but my only criticism would be of the way the main characters are presented early in the book. With a half dozen (no pun) main ones I found it hard to follow who was who, mainly because they didn't make any remarkable impressions. As the novel went on, they became easier to discern.
For those fans of beach-read horror that isn't overly gory, this one is worth reading!
Russell does a nice job layering the chills and suspense, in between flashing back and forth between then and now. The writing is solid, flows well, but my only criticism would be of the way the main characters are presented early in the book. With a half dozen (no pun) main ones I found it hard to follow who was who, mainly because they didn't make any remarkable impressions. As the novel went on, they became easier to discern.
For those fans of beach-read horror that isn't overly gory, this one is worth reading!
September 15, 2012
At turns nostalgic, tragic and downright creepy, Sacrifice is a real page turner! The Woodsman is one of the most terrifying bad guys you'll ever not want to meet.
January 4, 2018
James is one of my favorite horror authors and Sacrifice doesn't disappoint. James' prose comes across in a nice "campfire voice," luring the reader in with subtlety and relatable characters. But when you're least expecting it, a spark of horror erupts, dragging the reader closer to the flame. At times, James' story of six boys dealing with the town's supernatural bogey-man is a little too derivative of King's IT. And honestly, I had a bit of trouble keeping the teenage versions of the protagonists separate from one another. But once the tale shifts into modern day, that's no longer the case, and James' characterization is deft as usual. Suspense, thrills, horror, and a strong sense of nostalgia (I suspect parts of this are lifted from James' own high school years) permeate the book. Highly recommended.
October 23, 2018
I really enjoyed this novel. I can see where this work mirrors Stephen King 'IT' to a large degree but Mr. James made it shorter and still emotional and action packed for me. Nice job!
August 31, 2012
I had never been one for chick-lit or even mainstream novels because I can’t stand sentimentality. This is a quirky personality trait of mine that makes me love hard science-fiction and horror, categories that are traditionally considered “manly fiction”.
Russell James’s new novel “Sacrifice” really delivers on the “manly fiction” level, but he also manages to elevate it beyond just a slash/gore tome. His brilliant and deft writing imbues his characters with personalities that make you love them, even Bob who is in most ways a classic failure, and root for them.
James takes an unlikely group of high school buddies on a horrific adventure that tests their inner strength and bonds of friendship. Without giving too much away, I want to say that he was highly successful in showing the dissolution of friendship that is at once understandable and bittersweet. He also shows that a bunch of teen goofballs could be called on to do what’s good for the whole over the good of the one or the few.
While one part of the ending was what I had expected to happen, James delighted me with a climax and resolution that surprised me and made me teary-eyed without degenerating into sentimentality. The last chapter, in particular, gave me tremendous satisfaction in a way that I rarely experienced in all the books I’ve read. You know the clichéd scene of a girl clutching a romance novel to her bosom with a satisfied sigh at the end? That was pretty much me when I was done with the last chapter (subbing in my iPhone Kindle App for a physical book).
Russell James has grown in leaps and bounds just from his first to second novel. I can’t wait to see what’s in store for us with his third book.
Side note: as I mentioned, I read the Kindle edition of this book, and there are some places where words are in red instead of black. While this was a bit distracting, once I figured out that the author or publisher wasn’t trying to send the reader some secret message via differently colored words, the red lettering didn’t detract from the story as a whole.
Russell James’s new novel “Sacrifice” really delivers on the “manly fiction” level, but he also manages to elevate it beyond just a slash/gore tome. His brilliant and deft writing imbues his characters with personalities that make you love them, even Bob who is in most ways a classic failure, and root for them.
James takes an unlikely group of high school buddies on a horrific adventure that tests their inner strength and bonds of friendship. Without giving too much away, I want to say that he was highly successful in showing the dissolution of friendship that is at once understandable and bittersweet. He also shows that a bunch of teen goofballs could be called on to do what’s good for the whole over the good of the one or the few.
While one part of the ending was what I had expected to happen, James delighted me with a climax and resolution that surprised me and made me teary-eyed without degenerating into sentimentality. The last chapter, in particular, gave me tremendous satisfaction in a way that I rarely experienced in all the books I’ve read. You know the clichéd scene of a girl clutching a romance novel to her bosom with a satisfied sigh at the end? That was pretty much me when I was done with the last chapter (subbing in my iPhone Kindle App for a physical book).
Russell James has grown in leaps and bounds just from his first to second novel. I can’t wait to see what’s in store for us with his third book.
Side note: as I mentioned, I read the Kindle edition of this book, and there are some places where words are in red instead of black. While this was a bit distracting, once I figured out that the author or publisher wasn’t trying to send the reader some secret message via differently colored words, the red lettering didn’t detract from the story as a whole.
February 6, 2020
Think Stranger Things meets Freddie Krueger and you have Sacrifice. The story flips between the past and the present with the vast majority of the story is in the past despite the book's summary. About 3/4 through the book I was wondering if the story was ever going to go anywhere in the present timeline or if there was going to be a sequel instead.
The characters as teens had a Stranger Things/Goonies kind of vibe which I enjoyed, but as adults they're just broken and depressing. It was hard to read all the way through in one setting because the shift back to the present was such a change in tone.
Overall not a bad read but not my favorite. Not a great ending so it lost some points from me. I think a better ending could've redeemed the adult version of the characters for me. Also the copy I read had multiple typos.
The characters as teens had a Stranger Things/Goonies kind of vibe which I enjoyed, but as adults they're just broken and depressing. It was hard to read all the way through in one setting because the shift back to the present was such a change in tone.
Overall not a bad read but not my favorite. Not a great ending so it lost some points from me. I think a better ending could've redeemed the adult version of the characters for me. Also the copy I read had multiple typos.
December 3, 2017
Sacrifice
The story wasn't too bad. Bit of a sense of deja vu that made it hard to fully enjoy it.
Six odd friends battle a ghost in their school days, local children turning up dead in a cycle every few years...things go wrong and they never see each other for thirty years.
As adults, the friend who stayed behind calls them back ' to finally kill it one last time'...the weak link friend commits suicide.
There are so many little pieces that feel lifted from IT, it spoiled the story , (the most obvious was an invitation ' to float'). Maybe if you haven't read IT once a year or so for 20 odd years, this would be more enjoyable.
The story wasn't too bad. Bit of a sense of deja vu that made it hard to fully enjoy it.
Six odd friends battle a ghost in their school days, local children turning up dead in a cycle every few years...things go wrong and they never see each other for thirty years.
As adults, the friend who stayed behind calls them back ' to finally kill it one last time'...the weak link friend commits suicide.
There are so many little pieces that feel lifted from IT, it spoiled the story , (the most obvious was an invitation ' to float'). Maybe if you haven't read IT once a year or so for 20 odd years, this would be more enjoyable.
February 3, 2014
Really enjoyed this one. The characters were well developed and it was interesting seeing them as kids and again as adults - how they'd changed and how they were the same. The novel was fast-paced and well written. If you enjoy horror, I'd recommend this one!
December 9, 2012
The suspense keeps the pages turning until the very end. A great mystery/ghost story if you can track down a copy.
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July 19, 2013Just added to our library, Sacrifice is a suspenseful novel that blends horror and supernatural elements into a page-turner that will be hard to put down.
May 23, 2017
This book was very suspenseful and kept me guessing the whole way through.
May 1, 2023
Very pleasantly surprised. The depth of characters and intriguing story had me turning pages looking forward to the next twist. Short chapters made it an easy read. Keeping this author on my reading radar.
March 26, 2023
Very "It" like but not to its detriment. A fun creepy story and great pacing made this a good read.
February 4, 2025
this had so much potential but I’m still left with questions
April 17, 2025
Is this not IT?
August 25, 2013
I really enjoyed Sacrifice. I enjoyed being taken to the past to see where the characters start out in their encounters with each other and the Woodsman, along with the characters in the present day and how they have changed from the events in their past, as they come back together. It's a fast tempo story with great character moments.
March 14, 2013
This started out a lot like Stephen King's It with a monster killing children every few decades with a big sacrafice at the end and a group of kids trying to put a stop to it. Sacrafice eventually took its own turns but it was not as original as I would have liked it to be.
August 18, 2022
Excellent book!!!
December 3, 2012
To come...
February 1, 2016
Entertaining!
A fun read. Didn't however understand what the dirty half dozen had in common regarding their friendships. Also a bit challenging keeping six main characters straight.
A fun read. Didn't however understand what the dirty half dozen had in common regarding their friendships. Also a bit challenging keeping six main characters straight.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews