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Calling Eldritch Hayes
From the moment he was born with a veil over his face, Eldritch Hayes has had the ability to see spirits--a fact that has defined his life since childhood.
Now, at the age of 41, Eldritch keeps to himself, never venturing far from the safety of home or his job at the hardware store in the small town of Sommerset, South Carolina.
But he is completely unprepared when a strange contractor stops by, bringing more into the Hayes' family-owned business than meets the eye. After years of avoiding any unwanted spiritual encounters, Eldritch finds himself unable to escape the presence of a powerful demonic entity--an entity whose sole purpose is to make his life a living hell, while dredging up the trauma and personal demons of his past.
Still reeling from the loss of his parents and convinced God has abandoned him, Eldritch has no choice but to face this battle alone.
...or does he?
Now, at the age of 41, Eldritch keeps to himself, never venturing far from the safety of home or his job at the hardware store in the small town of Sommerset, South Carolina.
But he is completely unprepared when a strange contractor stops by, bringing more into the Hayes' family-owned business than meets the eye. After years of avoiding any unwanted spiritual encounters, Eldritch finds himself unable to escape the presence of a powerful demonic entity--an entity whose sole purpose is to make his life a living hell, while dredging up the trauma and personal demons of his past.
Still reeling from the loss of his parents and convinced God has abandoned him, Eldritch has no choice but to face this battle alone.
...or does he?
- GenresHorror
398 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 2, 2024
5 people are currently reading
20 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
May 3, 2024
A spooky and yet beautiful story
So, first of all I loved this book! The author has a gift for setting a spooky atmosphere and crafting characters you want to connect with and come to care about. At its heart the story is about a man overcoming his pain, failures, and embrace a gift he believes is a curse.
It’s story that brought smiles, goosebumps, tears, and at the end a resolution that made me cry some serious happy tears. The horror aspects are there throughout the story but so are the human elements and that’s what sucked me through this book in less than 12 hours.
Another thing I appreciate is the author gives clear trigger/content warnings at the beginning of the book. As always please pay attention to these. This story may be rough for people with trauma related to toxic relationships with the church or faith. And with my personal history I am glad I was ready since faith is a key factor the story and to Eldritch’s arc.
One more thing I want to note about this portion of the story is how well the author handles these traumas for Eldritch. The author uses a deft hand presenting these issues and doesn’t make it feel preachy or heavy handed.
Final thoughts? If you’re looking for a well written, beautifully crafted, character driven, supernatural horror story this should be on the top of tbr.
Reviewed by Chris (of Raven and Chris)
So, first of all I loved this book! The author has a gift for setting a spooky atmosphere and crafting characters you want to connect with and come to care about. At its heart the story is about a man overcoming his pain, failures, and embrace a gift he believes is a curse.
It’s story that brought smiles, goosebumps, tears, and at the end a resolution that made me cry some serious happy tears. The horror aspects are there throughout the story but so are the human elements and that’s what sucked me through this book in less than 12 hours.
Another thing I appreciate is the author gives clear trigger/content warnings at the beginning of the book. As always please pay attention to these. This story may be rough for people with trauma related to toxic relationships with the church or faith. And with my personal history I am glad I was ready since faith is a key factor the story and to Eldritch’s arc.
One more thing I want to note about this portion of the story is how well the author handles these traumas for Eldritch. The author uses a deft hand presenting these issues and doesn’t make it feel preachy or heavy handed.
Final thoughts? If you’re looking for a well written, beautifully crafted, character driven, supernatural horror story this should be on the top of tbr.
Reviewed by Chris (of Raven and Chris)
May 2, 2024
What can I say? This book is by far the best Christian novel I have read in a long time. I finished it in a few hours, I couldn’t put it down. The story flows great, you don’t see the twists and turns coming, and the conclusion is amazing.
More than that, this novel addresses in a very cathartic way the pain and suffering that comes from Church Hurt, and the strength of the Gospel in overcoming that hurt. Having dealt with many of the issues Hayes struggles with, I can say that this is an incredible story that needs to be read by every Christian, especially pastors.
I highly recommend this book to all. If the supernatural or thrillers aren’t your cup of tea, get over it for this novel. You need to go read it.
More than that, this novel addresses in a very cathartic way the pain and suffering that comes from Church Hurt, and the strength of the Gospel in overcoming that hurt. Having dealt with many of the issues Hayes struggles with, I can say that this is an incredible story that needs to be read by every Christian, especially pastors.
I highly recommend this book to all. If the supernatural or thrillers aren’t your cup of tea, get over it for this novel. You need to go read it.
June 16, 2024
Eldritch was born with a veil over his face. He's always been able to see ghosts and demons. Life has not been kind to him, but now Eldritch must face his biggest challenge yet. He must face a demon who wants nothing but to torture him.
This book was great. It focuses on religious trauma and overcoming it. I really enjoyed the author's writing and the message within.
This book was great. It focuses on religious trauma and overcoming it. I really enjoyed the author's writing and the message within.
July 4, 2025
Man, it took me far too long to read this book.
It was through no fault of the author, the writing, or the story. All are very good, for the most part. However I, as the reader, made a terrible mistake.
I am not religious. Not even a little bit. And Christianity as whole gives me the ick. So, really, I should not have picked up this book, because no matter how well written it was, there was always going to be that factor that kind of ruined it for me.
Anyway, regardless. I bought it, I read it, and for the most part, I enjoyed it. If I have one complaint, it's that Eldritch seems to have shockingly little agency throughout the entire novel. Now, I know that's the point, that he has to summon up his agency and kick demon ass, but I would have liked to have seen a bit more of the good side of Eldritch, because, overall, without that, it led to a bit more of a predictable ending for me.
The only other thing I would have liked to have gotten was some sort of explanation as to why Eldritch was targeted by the evil demon. It happens, but I'm not quite sure why exactly.
I'm absolutely setting my personal biases aside as, I'm assuming a Christian horror novel has to have some element of reconnecting with God. Again, not my thing, but hey, if it scratches your itch, then I think this would be a really enjoyable novel for you.
It was through no fault of the author, the writing, or the story. All are very good, for the most part. However I, as the reader, made a terrible mistake.
I am not religious. Not even a little bit. And Christianity as whole gives me the ick. So, really, I should not have picked up this book, because no matter how well written it was, there was always going to be that factor that kind of ruined it for me.
Anyway, regardless. I bought it, I read it, and for the most part, I enjoyed it. If I have one complaint, it's that Eldritch seems to have shockingly little agency throughout the entire novel. Now, I know that's the point, that he has to summon up his agency and kick demon ass, but I would have liked to have seen a bit more of the good side of Eldritch, because, overall, without that, it led to a bit more of a predictable ending for me.
The only other thing I would have liked to have gotten was some sort of explanation as to why Eldritch was targeted by the evil demon. It happens, but I'm not quite sure why exactly.
I'm absolutely setting my personal biases aside as, I'm assuming a Christian horror novel has to have some element of reconnecting with God. Again, not my thing, but hey, if it scratches your itch, then I think this would be a really enjoyable novel for you.
June 16, 2024
This is a beautifully written book. On the surface, it appears to be a classic, southern gothic novel with ghosts, demons, and exorcisms. But this story is so much more than that. It’s about opening yourself up to love after loss; rediscovering your faith; and trusting in yourself and your abilities. Tori Lewis is a masterful writer and I look forward to her future works. Run, don’t walk, and snatch this beauty up.
January 3, 2026
Oh my gosh!!! All I can say is EXCELLENT READ!!! I'd not read Tori Lewis before now but am a big big fan! This book kept me up until the middle of the night and I'm old. Lol. I climbed in bed at 9:30pm to begin reading and was upset at 1am when I finally had to turn out my light! I finished it the next day. Spellbinding and has you pulling for the characters throughout! I'm still reeling and can hardly wait for the new book to arrive!! Well worth the read!
June 5, 2024
Wow! Holy cow, this was an emotional roller coaster of a book. This is beautifully written and I love how the religious themes weave through the book, demonstrating how the influence of two men of faith has shaped Eldritch's life.
This is a book I wish I could read again for the first time just to be surprised again.
This is a book I wish I could read again for the first time just to be surprised again.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews