A More Ancient Evil

by Ryan Hoyt

There is a realm more wretched than Hell.
Its gates have been opened in the basement of a sorority.

A group of sorority sisters gather in their dark cellar to break their boredom. Sophomore Wynette Strode pulls out an antique conjuring book, and the girls set to work.

They draw the chalk circle, light the candles, and chant the unfamiliar words.

Then come the footsteps.
And the possession of one of their own.

Desperate for help, Wynette and the other girls turn to parapsychology professor John Walter and his clairvoyant wife Judith for help. The professor invites his top student Arnie to assist with the exorcism, but Arnie soon realizes this is no ordinary demonic possession.

This is a more ancient evil.

Can Arnie and the Walters save the sorority from the grasp of something sinister before they are dragged into a fate worse than Hell?

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Perfect for fans who love Grady Hendrix, Nick Roberts, William Peter Blatty, Stephen King, Joe Hill, Ben Farthing, Stephen Graham Jones, Boris Bacic, Mike Flanagan, and Paul Tremblay

123 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 4, 2025

About the author

Ryan Hoyt is a San Francisco Bay Area native currently residing near Sacramento, CA. His love for creepy and fantastic stories was nurtured early on by his mother, who let him watch the TV miniseries adaptation of Stephen King’s It at six years old.

Since 2021, Ryan has published several fantasy and horror books through his publisher, Machete & Quill Press. Sign up for his newsletter at MacheteAndQuill.com to get exclusive news and more!

Reviews

[Milt Theo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a gripping novella set in the world of Hoyt's fictional small town of Raventree Hollow, though it's only tangentially related to it, and can be read completely on its own. In fact, it's a prequel story to a forthcoming novel of Hoyt's, which will draw on the same characters and make ample use of the events trasnspiring in "A More Ancient Evil".

This makes perfect sense, since said events demand proper closure, and the novella definitely whets one's appetite with its spooky supernatural happenings: set in a university campus in the late 1960s, it goes from sorority girls playing with a tome full of spells, horrific diagrams, and incantations for summoning cosmic horrors, to a bizarre exorcism performed by a couple of paranormal investigators and parapsychology professors based on the notorious Warrens (of the movie "The Conjuring" fame!). The book has plenty of plot and atmosphere, great pacing, and allows time for the characters to grow on the reader.

I totally recommend checking it out: it's exciting, entertaining, and easily convinces you to keep up with the main characters and their journey into terror!

[Trish · Rating 4 out of 5]

An ancient book of the occult holds connections that can’t be broken. An inebriated exorcist and his wife are out their depth. Arnie knows more… he is from Raventree Hollow after all.

There was one section that took me out of story and a little bit of timeline confusion, but not enough to stop me devouring this in one sitting.

There are some fabulous Easter eggs for fans and a real taster of what is to come in the forthcoming Exorcism of Raventree Hollow which I cannot wait for!

Releases 4 Aug.

[Don Anelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Overall, this was an incredibly fun novella with a lot to like about it. The engaging storyline about how the book comes into her possession and what leads the girls to try performing the ritual that sets everything in motion is a fun way to get started, as this allows the group to undergo their exploration into their background and different personalities. Creating a fun introduction to the sorority and what they’re like when they hang out together, from the different backgrounds and purposes for being there to the way they think through what’s going on, inviting in the demonic activity that takes place after performing the ritual. It creates a fun setup that offers a great starting point for the haunting action within.

That is quite chilling as well, once it gets going and the girls are aware that something’s in the house with them. The setup here is quite impressive, transitioning from the haunted house tropes of hearing something that shouldn’t be there, aided by the fantastic descriptions of sights, sounds, and smells present in the house, to create a thrilling atmosphere. As it starts getting darker, including the idea that a figure is haunting the girls, morphing into the trials and tribulations involving how she’s getting haunted and targeted within the house in a series of strong encounters that highlight how interconnected the experience is against the figures that get involved trying to sanitize the house against the entity within. This is all quite enjoyable, making for a great time overall.

4.5/5

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A More Ancient Evil tells the story of a sorority in the 1960s and what happens when they conjure an entity they can’t control. While at an estate sale, college sophomore Wynette stumbles upon an old book full of unfamiliar spells. Her mother insists on buying it for her, saying it will be fun to look at with her sisters when she gets back to school. On a boring Friday night when no one really wants to go out, the young women decide to head down to the basement and try one of the spells. But what starts as something fun and a bit silly soon takes a sinister turn none of them were prepared for. When a sister becomes possessed, they call on a professor of parapsychology, who arrives with his psychic wife and best student, Arnie. Soon, Arnie realizes this is not an ordinary demon they are dealing with. He’s no stranger to the macabre, as he’s seen his share of odd and frightening things in his hometown of Raventree Hollow. As the three set out to battle this evil, the stakes become increasingly higher, leaving everyone in danger.

This was fantastic! I loved the connections to Raventree Hollow and the short story, Butterscotch. While it’s not necessary to have read either, I think it definitely helps create a more robust picture of the characters and some of the things mentioned in this story.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the author for providing a review copy.

First thing, let me say that, when I started A More Ancient Evil, I wasn't aware that it was part of a planned duology until I read the author's note. The story itself was great, but it seemed to end kind of quickly. Now everything makes a whole lot more sense. Think of this as a prequel novelette to the next book. Armed with this knowledge, I am eager to see how the story wraps up. Because it was so short, I didn't connect with any of the characters, but I'm excited to see where the story goes. 3.5 stars

[Kat M · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this as a opening chapter in the More Ancient Evil series, it uses the possession elements perfectly and had that overall feel that I wanted in this type of book. The characters were so well done and I cared about what was happening to these characters. Ryan Hoyt wrote this so well and left me wanting to read more in this world. The plot was what I was looking for and was written in a way that worked in this universe and with the characters.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Amanda Wagner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bravo Ryan Hoyt! This novella was so good! What could go wrong with an ancient book, bored sorority sisters, and a dark candle lit basement ? This book has the scary creepy factor that I thoroughly enjoy! I cant wait to read The Raventree Hollow Series!

[Jason M · Rating 5 out of 5]

A quick and fast paced Occult Horror novella.

Great storyline, very entertaining.

[Tiffany · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The devil may be among them right now, and they don't know any better".

A More Ancient Evil takes place in the same world as Hoyt's Raventree Hollow series, and it was really cool to see the Easter eggs throughout this story that tied it back to that little town. The first half of the story follows Wynette, a sorority girl having trouble fitting in with her sisterhood. Her well meaning mother finds a cool creepy book at an estate sale and gets it for Wynette to take back with her as a bonding experience for her and her sorority sisters. They wind up getting more than they bargained for when one of Wynette's sorority sisters gets possessed by a force far greater than anyone could have imagined. The first half was a little slower going, but that constant undercurrent of absolute dread and anticipation that I'm starting to associate with many of Hoyt's horror books was front and center the whole time, along with that "younger days" nostalgia. The second half definitely spins a far more creepy and sinister tale as John and Judith Walter, along with Arnie, work to rid the demon from the possessed girl before it's too late. If you enjoy small town horror, classic possession, and glimpses into hell, this is the novelette you need!

[Josette Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

When one finds an ancient text at an estate sale, there should be an automatic red flag to pass on the purchase. I realize that mom had bought the book out of curiosity but little did she know that the book was already on a mission to find its appropriate owner. When the girls who used the book for entertainment brought out some sort of entity they did not realize what may have come with the incantations. As the reader, I too, thought bringing in paranormal experts would be a good idea. Then we meet the paranormal experts. Right away John has some issues.he does not want to believe Arnie may have the correct answer so he ignores the warning signs. And even as things continued to deteriorate, John wanted to continue with the exorcism. I could feel Arnie’s helplessness as he tried to convince John something else besides a demon was within Melinda. This was a great prequel to the original book.

[Josette Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

When one finds an ancient text at an estate sale, there should be an automatic red flag to pass on the purchase. I realize that mom had bought the book out of curiosity but little did she know that the book was already on a mission to find its appropriate owner. When the girls who used the book for entertainment brought out some sort of entity they did not realize what may have come with the incantations. As the reader, I too, thought bringing in paranormal experts would be a good idea. Then we meet the paranormal experts. Right away John has some issues.he does not want to believe Arnie may have the correct answer so he ignores the warning signs. And even as things continued to deteriorate, John wanted to continue with the exorcism. I could feel Arnie’s helplessness as he tried to convince John something else besides a demon was within Melinda. This was a great prequel to the original book.

[Leighah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't enjoy this as much as I thought I would. I loved the idea of the soriorty girls getting mixed up in occult, and it going horribly wrong. It gives that classic "college kids doing stupid things" feel to it. Unfortunately, the second half of the story lost my attention at times, but that may have been because of my strong dislike for one of the main characters (John).

[Marylou Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is it! My first 5-star in 2 years. I have been on a search for it this summer, so thank you Mr Hoyt! This novella is a good old-fashioned possession story that leaves you wanting more. I was sucked in early and it captivated my attention the entire time! The reader is taken on the journey of a college student returning to sorority life (that she hates) after a break from school. Her mother is calling the shots for Wynette or is she?

The ancient tome from a creepy estate sale her mom insists she take back to school for fun starts off the story. About half way through we meet Arnie, another student at the college. He is helping the paranormal team battle what Wynette's 'friends' have conjured. They are fools. We learn a little about Arnie through this tale that gives the reader insight that he is a bigger character than an assistant. There are references to a previous book that I assume he is a, if not the main, character. You keep wanting him to come in and save the day from the bumbling couple. He doesn't. The demon issue is resolved, at least for now.

I also very much enjoyed the "A Note From the Author" at the end of the book that explains his process of how the novella came to be. This novella is continued in a book coming out late 2025 early 2026 according to the publisher's website. I will be continuing to read this series as I really want to know more about Arnie and Wynette. Until then, I will definitely be checking out Mr Hoyt's previous works.

Excellent read!

[Drew Moyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Holy Hell, this book was actually pretty scary. Ryan’s original take on the occult and possessions was a creepy and satisfying read. The story follows Wynette whose mother (of all people) buys her an occult book of witchcraft as a going to college present. What could possibly go wrong?

Wynette and her sorority sisters get bored. Since it’s the 60’s and cell phones and TikTok haven’t been invented yet, they decide to have a good old fashioned seance using Wynette’s new book. In the basement. With candles. As expected, one of the girls, Melinda, gets possessed and it’s up to a fellow named Arnie and his Parapsychology teacher to expel the demon. Only, it’s not a demon. No, this is something else entirely.

This was such a fresh take on the whole “possessed girl” trope. I loved the fact that the exorcists here were so unequipped and unprepared to deal with what was going on. The story really went to places I wasn’t anticipating and had some genuinely creepy scenes. The only negative for me was that I was really getting attached to Wynette’s character. She didn’t disappear entirely, but she wasn’t featured as much in the second half when I really wanted to see more of her. Still, that didn’t stop me from really liking this novella and I’m interested to see where this story goes.

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

A More Ancient Evil by Ryan Hoyt has such a fun and creepy premise: sorority girls in the 1960s who accidentally unleash an ancient evil. I enjoyed the writing style, and the scenes with the possessed character were especially vivid and chilling.

Because it’s a short story, I didn’t feel like I had much time to really get to know the characters, and I was left with some unanswered questions. That said, I think this might have been intentional since there’s a sequel coming, and I’m curious to see how things develop.

Overall, it’s an interesting, atmospheric read with a cool concept, and I’m looking forward to seeing where the story goes next.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Elizabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book has some potential, but it fell short for me. At times it became repetitive, and some of the characters were just annoying. I really wanted to like this book, but it left me disappointed.

[Emily Haynes · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bored group accidentally unleash a terrifying entity. It is very old and evil.