The Pull

The Demons Within #1

by Len M. Ruth

A supernatural force pulls Casey, a homeless alcoholic, to an abandoned Connecticut mill…

There, he unearths strange shards with occult symbols that devour his soul. Can he find a way to stop the endless cycle of horror and possession, freeing himself from—The Pull

In the rising floodwaters of ancient Sumer, Hili finds a possessed urn and touches its glowing violet glyphs. Bound to its evil, the young merchant woman travels through time, desperately searching for a way to escape—The Pull

When Casey disappears, his twin Kelly suspects it has to do with an inexplicable force drawing him to a ruined building on the river’s edge. But Kelly must face his inner demons before he can save his brother’s soul from—The Pull.

381 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 1, 2022

About the author

Len M. Ruth is the author of horror novels The Pull, Rachael’s Apocalypse Dairy I & II, The Unrecovered, and Tales of the Doomed. His stories were published in the anthology Satan Rides your Daughter, and featured in the Flash Fiction Forum. You can find his novels wherever fine eBooks are sold. Len is part of the LGBTQ community and lives with his partner, Em, and dog Cooper in fabulous Las Vegas, Nevada.

Reviews

[Kris10 · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fantastic read! This is a fast-paced read that sucks you into a fantastical world of horror, darkness, wonder and suspense. While reading, I was reminded of Pan's Labyrinth and the magical yet terrifying world Guillermo del Toro created. The tension in this book is thick as each character slowly expands, exposing their motives, background and weaknesses. I couldn't get enough!! Each character just as complex as the next, all of them trying to free themselves from "The Pull". With this book being equal parts psychological terror and physical horror, this would make an epic movie!!

I received an advanced copy of this novel from StoryOrigin and this review is honest and my own.

[Devora Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a delightful page-turner! I couldn't wait to read about Hili and the brothers as they figured out how to defeat the evil spirit. Ruth's prose hit me with action and continued to pull me in with characters layered with depth and believable conflict.

For those who like horror, The Pull is just the right mix of blood, terror, and excitement.

[David Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect story for the Halloween season or if you need a bit of horror in your life.

I recently got an offer for an Advance Reader Copy of The Pull by Len M. Ruth from StoryOrigin. Having read The Unrecovered and Rachael’s Apocalypse Diary Volumes 1 & 2, I figure I was familiar with Mr. Ruth’s writing, so I accepted the offer without reading the book’s description. To be honest I’m glad I didn’t read the description because it made this story even better not knowing what was coming.

The Pull was a quantum leap apart from my previous reading from this author, no apocalypse in the normal sense, but the potential for an apocalypse from demonic influence made it even mor interesting. The author’s use of multiple timelines and multiple points of view not only made the story interesting but created a much richer tale overall. I’m not sure how to compare The Pull to the previous stories I have read, or maybe no comparison is necessary the more I think about this story it stands out as not only as an excellent story, but the thought-provoking nature of the story is very compelling. This is my honest review based on reading the Advance Reader Copy of The Pull provided by StoryOrigin and the author.

[Robin Ginther-Venneri · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recently read Len M. Ruth's novel, The Pull, which was an exciting adventure. The book is full of supernatural entities, time travel, horror, and suspense, and it follows the journeys of Casey, a homeless alcoholic, and Hili, a young merchant woman from ancient Sumer, as they battle against The Pull and their inner demons. The real-life settings and historical events described in the story are incredibly vivid, and they make the narrative come to life. Len M. Ruth has done an excellent job blending suspense, horror, demons, and time travel in this mesmerizing book that will keep you hooked until the end.

Check Your Triggers 😊

[Lia's Haunted Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

This gripping horror novel masterfully blends supernatural elements, time travel, and human struggles. The story follows Casey, a homeless alcoholic haunted by his past, and Hili. Their backstories add depth and make their battle against the pull even more compelling.

The vivid world-building and intricate plot kept me hooked. The blend of actual historical events with supernatural horror made the narrative immersive. Themes of family, substance abuse, and redemption were thought-provoking. Despite some pacing issues, the suspense and horror were perfectly balanced.

[Maureen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic horror novel! It's got time travel, a demon, spirits, loss, hope, mystery - just everything. It's pretty dang scary, too!
These characters are so real & the world building is so complete, I felt like I was standing inside this story. The fear is so visceral and haunting! I read this in 2 days because I didn't want to put it down (but eventually did have to sleep)!
I highly recommend it!

[Tony · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well I have to preface this review with these words. It’s not my genre normally. I do say that to admit it won’t be a glowing statement. To me it was a bit drawn out. The storyline was engrossing enough to make me finish it. However where normally a book might take me two days to read this was a week long read. With those words spoken. The writing was good. Th premise is entertaining. I will give this my honest opinion that for most it will be a great read.

[Billie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful addition to this thrilling series!
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believable.
Great suspense and action with wonderful world building that adds so much to the story.
Such a thrilling read that I couldn't put it down.
Can't wait to read more of these.
Recommend reading.

I read a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.

[Laurie Robertson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although I don't normally read much in the way of horror or supernatural novels this one took me on an interesting journey through multiple centuries. It has two distinct heroes who are totally unrelated in both time and background but through circumstance come together in a battle against evil.
An entertaining and thoughtfully constructed novel designed to give you that chill.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant

At first I wasn't sure if this book was for me, even considered ditching it. However, I am extremely stubborn and pushed on. It didn't take long to really pull my in. Stories inside stories, beside stories with threads drawing them together until you start seeing the pattern.
Intense, tragic and more than a little creepy, it's a brilliant story

[DLB2572 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining Story

This is definitely one entertaing story. It had me hooked nearly from the start. I couldn't wait to see what would come next. I'm anxious to see what more will happen in this series.

I received an ARC and this is my unbiased opinion

[Terry M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pulls you in from the start. Very descriptive with an intricate storyline. I liked the way everything intertwined and finally reached a crescendo at the end. Highly Recommended. I received a copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Scott Roche · Rating 4 out of 5]

Len has created some great characters to populate his story. At its heart, it's about two brothers trying to save their kinship. There are some very touching moments as well as ones that will keep you on the edge of your seat. My only issue is that the pacing is a little slow.

[Diana H · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow wow wow wow. Len is an AMAZING story teller. I was absolutely blown away by this book. There were so many names and locations and time jumping...yet, I was able to keep up and be so entertained by the constant action that it wasn't hard to follow at all. My heart was pounding through this book!

[Michelle Barkley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow!! So amazing. New author to me, but loved this new book, (to me). Demons that we all encounter, that we all deal with.

[Penda Mbodhj · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was so great !!!! I loved it !!! Its so going on my favorite reads list. The Storyline was great !!! I don't even know what to say .Read it .

[Caryn Larsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Again Len Ruth did an outstanding job on this story. He told several different stories and brought them all together to make a remarkable story. The history was very interesting and worked well. The way he pulled everything together in the end was great.