Fiiiiinally, I get to breathe. Damn, Jay.
Salvation For the Damned is a fast-paced descent into Hell that blends Dante-esque symbolism with modern horror and a surprising amount of heart. What begins as an ordinary night of video games turns into a nightmare when Logan follows his pup to a strange red light in the woods, only to be dragged into a portal straight to the depths of Hell.
The reader is quickly immersed into Hell’s dark, brutal environment, rife with demons you may be familiar with but also creatures you’ve never imagined. I CAN GUARANTEE YOU THAT!
The story is a relentless gauntlet. An entity named Jack possesses Logan, using his memories, past mistakes, and insecurities against him in an attempt to wear down his resolve and take control of his body to escape Hell. Every confrontation becomes a fucking “boss fight” against creatures only Jay can conjure up in his twisted mind. His descriptions of the demons, spider-creatures, and his reinterpretation of Leviathan are gruesome and beautifully crafted.
(BTW, I have Leviathan in my book The Shimmering as well.)
Despite the constant terror, the novel pauses for introspection. Logan is forced to examine the good he’s done (rather, find the good he’s done) and the kind of person he wants to become. It’s a hellish coming-of-age story, and his internal battles are often as gripping as the physical ones.
For context—and in my case, the occasional reprieve from Logan’s brutal journey—the reader is given his mother Stephanie’s perspective. Her frantic search for Logan brings a raw, human desperation fueled by regret, guilt, and maternal fear. Watching her fight through her own demons while Logan faces literal ones adds emotional weight to the narrative.
Bower’s pacing is relentless, the world-building clever and grotesque, and the action rarely lets up. Fans of infernal horror, possession stories, or fast-moving survival narratives will have a blast with this one.
Bravo, Jay Bower!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️