A Song Of The Serpent : Requiem

by J.D. Tracey

The sequel to ‘A Reaper's Dream’ and the next official instalment in the ‘A Song of the Serpent’ series.

Years after abandoning what remains of his childhood family, Stephen Oman has struggled to maintain an ideal normal life, as his sexual urges grow stronger each day, he finds no sexual arousal with his wife, Quinn, compelling him to constantly cheat behind his wife's back, knowing if she were ever to find out - it'll destroy their already fragile marriage. With a last attempt at fixing his problems, Stephen attends therapy to delve into his troubled childhood. Though it starts to conjure up his hidden past - the horrific memories he had locked away.
With each session he attends, he finds himself more unstable and in need of a quick release. He drives out of town in search of lust, though he ends up in the middle of an unforeseen, chaotic storm, causing him to crash, however unharmed, but lost on the road near town. Battling through an unrelenting downpour, he finds shelter in an old tavern, where what he discovers inside causes him to make a horrific, unforgivable act of perversion.

Stephen soon realises that suspicions hang over him, as his alibi becomes broken.
How long can he keep his horrific secret...
How long can he maintain his sanity?

148 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 21, 2025

Reviews

[Michelle Shamy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The insight to a broken mind is definitely something else. The hurt, the anger. The regret, and the not caring. I can't imagine what it would be like to live in this state.
So much pain and sorrow.
The book at points was confusing and made it difficult to read. But it really opens your eyes to what some struggle through in their mind.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Soayah Akuo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t usually write reviews, and when I do, they’re never this long, but this book absolutely demanded it from me. I closed the last page and just sat in silence for a while, trying to process what I had just experienced. This isn’t just another dark thriller or horror novel it’s something much more invasive, like a story that crawls under your skin and refuses to leave.

Stephen Oman is not a likable character, and yet, somehow, I found myself rooting for him at times, even as he was destroying his life piece by piece. That’s what shook me most the fact that the writing is so intimate, so brutally honest about his urges, his marriage, and his therapy, that you can’t help but feel like you’re living inside his head. It’s uncomfortable, it’s claustrophobic, and it’s one of the most effective character studies I’ve ever read in horror fiction. The sessions with his therapist especially stand out. They dig deep, not just into Stephen’s past, but into the kind of pain and guilt that feels disturbingly universal. If you’ve ever carried secrets or shame, this book will hit a nerve.

By the time the storm and the tavern came, I was already wound so tight that when the horrific act unfolded, I was genuinely shaken. And yet, I couldn’t stop reading. That’s the brilliance of this book it makes you complicit in Stephen’s fall, and you can’t look away. When I finished, I felt disturbed, but also strangely grateful. It’s been a long time since a book made me feel this conflicted, this human, and this haunted. Five stars is the bare minimum. This deserves more.

[Stacey Keith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I consider myself a fan of dark fiction. I’ve read everything from classic Gothic novels to the most gruesome modern horror, so I thought I was ready for whatever this story was going to throw at me. I was wrong. Nothing prepared me for the storm, the tavern, and the choices Stephen makes once he steps inside. That scene is seared into my memory, and I don’t think I’ll ever be able to shake it.

What impressed me most is how carefully everything is set up. Stephen’s failing marriage, his constant cheating, the therapy sessions where he digs up old trauma all of it lays the groundwork for what happens later. When the horrific act comes, it doesn’t feel cheap or sudden. It feels inevitable. That inevitability is what makes it so powerful and so disturbing. It’s the kind of storytelling that traps you, pulls you deeper into the spiral until you can’t escape. And then it hits you with something so grotesque and unforgettable that you’re left reeling.

The storm itself felt like a character in its own right. The writing was so vivid that I could hear the thunder, feel the rain soaking into Stephen’s skin, and sense the chaos pressing in on him. By the end, I was shaking my head, not just at Stephen, but at how much the book had taken from me emotionally. This isn’t just a horror novel it’s an experience. I walked away scarred, but in the best possible way.

[David James · Rating 5 out of 5]

The latest installment in the A Song of the Serpent series cements its place as one of the boldest explorations of human darkness in recent fiction. The author deftly balances atmospheric storytelling with unflinching character study, crafting a narrative that is both harrowing and hypnotic.

Stephen Oman’s descent is handled with remarkable precision. His fractured marriage, his compulsive betrayals, and his therapy sessions peeling back layers of suppressed trauma all contribute to a slow-burning tension that erupts in shocking fashion. The isolated tavern sequence is particularly memorable a set piece as chilling as it is thematically resonant.

Stylistically, the prose is taut, immersive, and evocative, drawing comparisons to early Thomas Harris and Patricia Highsmith. Yet this novel maintains its own distinct voice: lyrical in its darkness, deeply human at its core.

Dark, provocative, and utterly uncompromising this is psychological fiction at its finest.

[David Jonathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of those rare sequels that doesn’t just match the first book, it elevates the entire series. What struck me most about this story is how hauntingly real it feels. Stephen Oman isn’t a one dimensional character he is deeply flawed, painfully human, and that’s what makes his downward spiral so riveting. His marriage, his therapy, his compulsions every detail is written with precision and honesty, making it easy to sympathize with him even when his choices horrify you. The buildup to the storm and the tavern is paced perfectly, ratcheting up the dread until it feels impossible to turn away. And when the unforgivable act occurs, it lands like a gut punch disturbing yet completely believable in the context of his fractured psyche. This is dark fiction at its finest, and the emotional weight it carries makes it unforgettable.

[Florence James · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author of this series knows exactly how to hook a reader and never let go. From the opening chapters, I was immersed in Stephen Oman’s unraveling world. His therapy sessions stand out as some of the most powerful scenes, pulling us deeper into his broken past while hinting at just how fragile his present really is. The rainstorm is described so vividly I could almost hear the thunder and feel the downpour, and the tavern that follows is the perfect gothic setting for what becomes the book’s most shocking and disturbing moment. The horror lies not only in what Stephen does, but also in the knowledge that he cannot escape the consequences forever. The tension never lets up, and the pacing is excellent balanced between introspection and action. This is the kind of novel that lingers in your mind long after you close it.

[Ivygilstad · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this up thinking I’d just read a few chapters before bed… big mistake. I was up all night, heart pounding, completely hooked on Stephen’s twisted journey. This book gets under your skin in the best (and worst!) way possible.

The therapy scenes feel so real they’re almost uncomfortable, and the storm sequence had me holding my breath. When Stephen finally reaches that tavern… wow. I did NOT see that coming, and I’m still trying to recover.

What I loved most is how human Stephen feels. Yes, he’s deeply flawed, but you can’t stop rooting for him even as he does things you know are unforgivable. By the end, I was questioning how far any of us would go if pushed to the edge.

If you want a psychological thriller that’s dark, addictive, and impossible to forget this is it.

[Lunavera Casen · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are books that entertain, and there are books that consume you. This one consumed me. From the moment Stephen’s marriage troubles are laid bare, you know you’re about to witness a downfall but nothing prepares you for how relentless and claustrophobic that downfall becomes. Every page tightens the noose. Every decision he makes digs him deeper. I wanted to scream at him to stop, to turn back, but of course, he couldn’t. That’s the power of this story it drags you into the inevitability of his ruin. By the final chapters, I was white-knuckled, reading through my fingers, horrified yet completely unable to stop. A phenomenal, devastating read."

[Vynessa Kason · Rating 5 out of 5]

I made the mistake of reading this late at night, and I paid for it. Long after I closed the book, I couldn’t sleep. Every creak in the house sounded like the tavern’s floorboards. Every shadow seemed heavier, thicker. What impressed me most was how the horror didn’t rely on cheap scares, but on atmosphere and psychology. The terror isn’t just in what happens, but in what it awakens in you. This is the kind of book that seeps under your skin, leaving you paranoid and restless. If you want a story that will haunt your nights and invade your dreams, look no further. This is it.

[Breanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

We all have our demons, but Stephen gave into his. His trauma and perversion twist together into something horrifying, showing how the abused can become the abuser. This story blurs the line between reality and hallucination, pulling you into Stephen’s unraveling mind. It’s dark, disturbing, and emotional in a way that stays with you long after finishing. If you’re drawn to psychological horror that digs into the roots of monstrosity, this one delivers.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a look into a broken mind. The way this is written makes you think, makes you wonder whats behind their actions. Is it just the way they are or is there something guiding their hand. I really enjoyed the different look into the life of a deeply troubled person.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Melissa Alekna · Rating 3 out of 5]

What an odd book - the triggers are the triggers but the way in which the book was written was anxiety inducing. I was a little confused reading it but maybe that’s what the writer was going for. It really opened your mind to what happens with the brain and illnesses.