Amulet of Doom

Chamber of Horrors #1

by Bruce Coville

Can Marilyn discover how to tame the demons within the amulet before they destroy her?

Marilyn's glamorous, mysterious aunt dies of a heart attack brought on by sheer terror. Did the ancient Egyptian amulet she had been wearing have something to do with it? Soon Marilyn realizes that the dark forces that killed her aunt are threatening her, too-items are rearranged in her room; she finds herself in odd places without knowing how she got there...

Marilyn comes to realize that she must find out how to tame the evil spirits that are bound to the amulet or die. Is that really her aunt speaking to her from the spirit world? Will she ever be strong enough to destroy the amulet and release the terrible demons?

Genres: Young Adult, Horror, Fantasy, Fiction, Paranormal, Supernatural, Childrens

156 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1985

About the author

Bruce Coville was born in Syracuse, New York, in 1950. His family lived in farm territory, about twenty miles north of Syracuse. Bruce grew up around the corner from his grandparents' dairy farm, where he spent a great deal of time as a child, dodging cows and chores to the best of his ability. As a young reader he loved Mary Poppins and Dr. Dolittle, and still has fond memories of rising ahead of the rest of his family so he could huddle in a chair and read THE VOYAGES OF DR. DOLITTLE. He also read lots of things that people consider junk (Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys, Tom Swift, and zillions of comic books). His only real regret is the time he spent watching television, when he could have been reading instead. (A mind is a terrible thing to waste!)

His first book, THE FOOLISH GIANT, was published in 1978. It was illustrated by his wife, Katherine, whom he had married in 1969. This was followed in 1979 by SARAH'S UNICORN, also illustrated by Katherine. After a long period of working separately, the Covilles began collaborating again with SPACE BRAT and GOBLINS IN THE CASTLE, both published in 1992.

Before getting published Bruce earned his living as a toymaker, a gravedigger, a cookware salesman, an assembly line worker, and finally as an elementary school teacher (second and fourth grades). He left teaching in 1981 to devote himself to becoming a full time writer - though it took another five years to achieve that goal!)

Bruce has published over 100 books, which have appeared in over a dozen countries around the world and sold more than sixteen million copies. Among his most popular titles are MY TEACHER IS AN ALIEN, INTO THE LAND OF THE UNICORNS, and THE MONSTER'S RING. In 2001 he founded Full Cast Audio, an audiobook company dedicated to creating unabridged, full cast recordings of the best in children's and young adult literature.

Reviews

[Shelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I was a kid, I distinctly remember my experiences reading books written by authors like Christopher Pike and R.L. Stine's Fear Street. Thrillers made to scare teenagers; like horror movies, they were all very formulaic. Some horrific images stick in my mind even todday (like a girl waking up in her bunk at summer camp finding herself covered in leeches, bleh!) but plot? Characters? I can't recall any of those.

When I learned my favorite childhood author, Bruce Coville, wrote some thrillers of his own aimed at teenagers, I assumed they would be the same and I put off reading them. (I have to say, the cliche titles like "Chamber of Horrors" and "Amulet of Doom" didn't do anything to convince me otherwise.) I only found this book last week in a cheap auction and picked it up on a whim.

I was so, so wrong. I owe Mr. Coville an apology. This book is so much more than a cheap thrill made to give a couple hours of chills to teenagers! This book was filled with horror, yes, and chilling images and ideas. It was also filled with great emotion, pathos, a twisting story with multiple layers and depths, and no easy answers. As the main character is faced with a life-or-death decision at the end, I honestly could not say what I would choose if I was in her place.

Could you kill someone that has caused the deaths of so many other people? Could you trust in a being's inherit goodness with no real evidence that is has any?

There are the formulaic pieces of teenage thrillers here. There's the cliche 'crazy aunt' character, the boy-next-door love interest (of course), the old cursed jewelery item, the cat with otherworldly abilities. And of course the chilling scenes! I don't think I could ever quite get over the image of sneaking into a funeral parlor at night and having the body of a loved one falling on you.... -shudder- But the point is, this book does not present them in the old, cliche formulas. This book is an adventure that makes you feel, makes you hope, and makes you think.

I can't wait to read the rest in the series.

[Pop Bop · Rating 3 out of 5]

Coville For A Slightly Older Crowd

Coville books are like a box of Cracker-Jack; you're never exactly sure what sort of prize you'll get. He's written over a hundred books - many of which are well known, (especially the "My Teacher..." books, the Magic Shop books, the "Enchanted Files", "The A.I Gang", and so on). The books seem aimed at early Middle Grade to the mid-Teen readers, but vary widely in tone and content. Sometimes they are simple and almost childish, and sometimes they can deliver a really good story and a good scare. That's not a criticism, but more like a mild heads up.

A while ago, browsing for Kindle freebies, I found a number of Coville books that were straight out free or at least free through kindleunlimited. I grabbed and read them all. Books like "The Ghost in the Third Row" were entry level, mild, easy to digest tales for young readers maybe just moving beyond chapter books. The A. I. Gang featured young teen scientists solving sciencey/action mystery/conspiracies, and skewed older. So, depending on your reader you can end up too young or too old with lots of his books.

Which brings us to "Amulet of Doom". The almost jokey title suggests that this may just be an enchanted jewelry story for a young reader. I don't think so. This is a cursed jewelry story, the curse is nasty, SPOILER, the demon at the center of things is complexly nasty and scary, and the sense of suspense and peril is palpable. People die, (nastily), in this story, which definitely knocks us out of the cutesy category.

We have a solid heroine, a funny best friend, a strange Aunt, a boy crush, nightmares, curses, and prophecies, which all seem to be staples of mid-level horror. But there's just more blood, terror, moaning, stabbing and beady-eyed evil for the story to just be a light-hearted lark. The upshot is that this was really a bracing, fast-paced, entertaining, and honestly scary read for an older horror fan. Good.

(Please note that I found this book while browsing Amazon Kindle freebies. I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)

[BRANDON · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bruce Coville is a master of backstory and exposition. He can do so much with 150 pages, oftentimes more than other authors can do with 300. Amulet of Doom starts as your typical demon-possessed trinket and spirals out into an epic tale of star-crossed lovers, the fraught relationship between a father and son, and how one man's ambition can lead to the downfall of not only his family but his entire species. Really, it's impressive how concisely Coville can produce such a profound narrative.

[Dan C · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't like this one unfortunately. Found it for cheap at Half Price Books, so that was cool. But I suppose the unclear amulet mechanics and backstory bugged me. It was all over the place- Egyptian, Indian, Eastern-religion... what? Zenobia wasn't as cool as she was made to seem. The world wasn't that immersive either. Just ho-hum and not that engaging.

[Kim]

Not interested. Enjoyed the first one I read, Eyes of the Tarot, much better.

[Daisy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I hadn't read this title as a kid, but this circa 1985 teenybopper horror title by Mr. Coville took me right back to middle school! Great good fun.

[Bell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been reading this book since I first held it in my hand. First grade, seven years old. it probably wasn't meant for me at that age. But I don't think I got it anyways. I just really liked the aunt. But every year I read it, I like it more and more. And it makes more and more sense. I connect different things every time. It's simply magical.

[Jennifer Risley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my favorite book for years. I was 12 when i read it, and didn't send it to the second place spot until I read George RR Martin. This story was one of then that I have never stopped thinking about. I think even adults should read to get an idea of a great story line and amazing characters. Thank you Bruce for a truely great story

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a BIG Bruce Coville fan. If I could be like any writer, it would be him. This story was fun. It teeters between the middle grade "Wow! Look at this new, amazing world" view and the young adult "How do I belong in this world?" and it worked fairly well. Minimal character building was necessary to have this story be full. Aunt Zenobia was a hoot!

[Caitlin]

Amulet of Doom (Chamber of Horrors) by Bruce Coville (1996)

[Mell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another read from my teen years, now packed off into a box. Amazing I never had many nightmares, given the spooky stuff I read.

[fureshiiness · Rating 3 out of 5]

reminiscent of old fantasy games like Diablo or DOD.