Terminal Island

by Walter Greatshell

As a child, Henry Cadmus lived on Catalina Island, a scenic vacationland off the Southern California coast. But Henry's experiences were far from idyllic. Today, even though Henry has seen firsthand the horrors of war, the ghastly images that haunt his dreams are ones he associates with his childhood… and the island: a snarling pig-man holding a cleaver; a jackal-headed woman on a high balcony, dripping blood; strange occult rituals… and worse. If it was up to Henry, he would avoid the island entirely.

But Henry is returning to Catalina Island. At his wife Ruby’s insistence, Henry, Ruby, and their infant daughter are coming to Avalon, so that Henry can face his fears, exorcise his demons, and reconcile with the one he dreads most… his mother.

From Walter Greatshell, author of Xombies comes Terminal Island, a novel of cosmic horror.

Genres: Horror, Fiction

290 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 1, 2012

About the author

Walter Greatshell here. I am the author of XOMBIES (Berkley, 2004), which was re-released as XOMBIES: APOCALYPSE BLUES (2009), and followed by the sequels XOMBIES: APOCALYPTICON (2010), and XOMBIES: APOCALYPSO (2011). I am also author of the novels MAD SKILLS, ENORMITY (published under the pen name W.G. Marshall), and TERMINAL ISLAND. My short stories have appeared in the anthologies THE LIVING DEAD 2, TALES OF JACK THE RIPPER, and CTHULHU FHTAGN! My most recent works are the essay collection SPECIAL FEATURES: SHORT TAKES ON POP CULTURE FROM ANDROIDS TO ZOMBIES and the WWII saga SAFARI MINE: AN AFRICAN ODYSSEY 1928-1937.

Reviews

[mark monday]

In my teens and early 20s, I spent many pleasant weekends on Santa Catalina Island, or just plain Catalina, as it's more usually known. Little did I know that its residents include "a snarling pig-man holding a cleaver; a jackal-headed woman on a high balcony, dripping blood" lurking about. Can't believe I overlooked them, but that's what too much booze, sun, and water will do to the young. Now that I'm much older, I can't wait to go back and make some new friends!

[Stefani Robinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was…strange, there really is no other word for it. I have postponed writing this review for a few days to find a better word to describe it but I can’t find one. Parts of this story had me clutching my ereader in a death grip with fear for the characters. Parts of this story just left me scratching my head as I thought “Wait, what?” The basic premise is that Henry lived the life of a wanderer when he was growing up, his mother moving him from place to place with regularity. When his mother decided to move him to Catalina Island he fell in love with the place. Shortly after, however, he begs his mother to leave and she complies. Now that he is married and has a child, his mother has dropped off the map. They were never close, but now he hears that she has moved to Catalina Island and is returning his letters. His wife, Ruby, suggests that they go find his mother and sort this out. Henry is overcome with apprehension at returning to the place of his childhood nightmares but agrees.

This novel jumps between Henry’s perspective of the island in the present and flashbacks of his time on the island as a child. This is very disconcerting and pulls the reader out of their comfort zone, I thought this was a very good tactic. This is supposed to be a horror type novel, I shouldn’t have a comfort zone! And with this novel I never did and I liked it. While reading, you are never quite sure what is real and what isn’t. Henry has memories of the girls at his school chasing him down and trying to kill him and stumbling into a butcher shop where the butcher is wearing the head of a pig and brandishing a cleaver. He has dreams about nearly drowning and finding himself face to face with a monster that lived under the ocean and tried to hold him underwater. Part of me wanted these things to be real because the descriptions were fascinating.

The writing of this book and the plot were all very good. The pacing was also good but it got a big slow at the end. As the pieces of this story began to unravel I found myself growing more intrigued with this story than I was at the beginning. But I have to admit I wasn’t thrilled with everything. There was a large section of time when I kept thinking to myself “Wait, is X in on this or not? And if they are, how long has this been going on?” Then there is a part when Henry is trying to protect his daughter, who was just yelling and calling for him,but as soon as he picks her up she attacks him. The ending of that part was just weird and it didn’t feel genuine to me. Similarly the occult ritual that takes place was very long and I started to skim it to get to the interesting parts. I was still not totally aware at the end what was real and what wasn’t and that annoyed me.

Also at the end it just started to get cheesy. For example, this line: “They killed the sheriff. But they did not kill the deputy.” I swear to God that’s actually in there. That was so corny and dumb it just pulled me right out of the story. When we reached the ending I was so ready for it to just be over that I started skimming again. Because of that, there was never a big monumental moment of “Oh my God!” about the ending. It was just over.

This was a good book in its entirety. It was intriguing and entertaining but I felt like the unraveling of the mystery could have been done better. And the ending was pretty lengthy and it started to drag which effected my enjoyment of the conclusion of the plot. If you are a big fan of mysteries and horror novels then this is one that you should give a read. But if you are not deeply interested in these genres then I would suggest you give this one a miss.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest and thoughtful review. Thank you Night Shade Books!

Find this and other great reviews at Stefani's World of Words

[Justin Steele · Rating 2 out of 5]

In the few months that the Arkham Digest has been around, many of the reviews posted have been positive. Terminal Island by Walter Greatshell is a book I was very eager to read, but unfortunately I am unable to give it a glowing recommendation. I will say that I did not hate the book. I did like it, but I did not love it, and at times I felt that the weaknesses outweighed the strengths.


The premise of the novel is promising; Henry Cadmus returns to an island he temporarily resided on as a child, in search of his estranged mother. The return is not easy, because his time spent on the island as a young boy is riddled with creepy, disturbing moments. A tourist island after tourist season, full of residents who all seem to belong to a Pagan-esque cult is a setting that I can totally dig. The premise is not a bad one either, and it’s the execution that I found the novel to be lacking.


None of the characters seemed to have much depth, and some seemed downright artificial (Ruby I’m looking at you). Henry is the only exception, and the only character that seems to have any dimension. On one level this helps to add to Henry’s sense of being alone on the island, as he is the only character that seems “real”, but mostly it just makes the story less engaging. When the plot threads come together it leads to a conclusion that just seems contrived, and by then it’s hard to really care about any of the characters anyway.


Despite these shortcomings, there are things I thought Greatshell did that worked very well. All of the chapters featuring young Henry stood out to me as the better parts of the book. Young Henry is treated to scene after scene of surreal horror, and I found some these to be the most tense, memorable scenes in the book. Later in the book there is a scene where a drugged Henry watches a psychadelic stage play that remains burned in my memory. Also, I enjoyed the concept as a whole, and was frequently reminded of The Wicker Man, which is a movie I'm quite fond of.


Overall the book was a quick read. Although I found myself to be disappointed, I would still say this book is worth a look, but will be more enjoyable without bringing along expectations. I do plan to keep an eye on the author to see what he does next, as I think there is a lot of potential there.

Originally appeared on my blog, The Arkham Digest.

[Bob Fingerman · Rating 5 out of 5]

With only the ridiculous `60s Tommy Kirk romp "Catalina Caper" (as so hilariously mocked on Mystery Science Theater 3000) as my point of reference for California's Santa Catalina Island, I was ill-prepared for this brilliantly grim chronicle of dark goings on in Avalon. Protagonist Henry Cadmus's mostly estranged mother has stopped responding to his letters so, prompted by his amateur documentarian wife, they and their toddler, Moxie, make a family "vacation" back to the isle of his fraught childhood. The flashback scenes are particularly visceral and vivid, laced with a deeper personal resonance than some of Greatshell's other excellent books. As the cliché goes, this time it's personal. And you can feel that in these painful and frightening passages. The mystery of Henry's past collides with his equally dramatic present as all the pieces fall into place. I don't want to spoil anything, but shades of "The Wicker Man" can be felt in this palpably atmospheric novel. "Terminal Island" is a propulsive, queasy, thoroughly engrossing read. Highly recommended.

[Katy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Info: Genre: Horror
Reading Level: Adult
Recommended for: Those interested in ancient cults, who like their horror horrific
Trigger Warnings: killing, murder, rape, human sacrifice, cannibalism
Animal Abuse: Many horrible things are done to animals in this book, including dogs, a cat, a lamb, fish, bison, boars, etc. I can't put detail without making spoilers, so just be aware

My Thoughts: This was a really twisted story, bringing in such disparate elements as the Eleusian mysteries, the ancient cult of the Horned God, the Bacchanalia, and all the myriad ways that a person can become trapped in their own destiny no matter how hard they try to break free. Henry is the only character that is really developed—we really don't learn much about anyone else, seeing things just from Henry's perspective.

Oddly enough, this is the second book in a row that I read written I present tense, which is an unusual choice. It worked, though. There were some word choice errors in this book, though, including using the term gloaming to describe dawn (gloaming refers only to dusk/twilight) and “reign” used when “rein” was needed. Otherwise it wasn't too badly edited for a galley.

If you like your horror really horrific, and if you are interested in ancient mystery cults, definitely check out this weird little story.

Disclosure: I received an e-galley from Night Shade Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Synopsis: Henry Cadmus grew up on Catalina Island, a scenic vacationland off the Southern California coast. But Henry's experiences were far from idyllic. Today, even though Henry has seen firsthand the horrors of war, the ghastly images that haunt his dreams is one he associates with his childhood... and the island: a snarling pig-man holding a cleaver; a jackal-headed woman on a high balcony, dripping blood; strange occult rituals... and worse. If it was up to Henry, he would avoid the island entirely. 

But Henry is returning to Catalina Island. At his wife Ruby's insistence, Henry, Ruby, and their infant daughter are coming to Avalon, so that Henry can face his fears, exorcise his demons, and reconcile with the one he fears most... his mother.

[Brett Talley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the pleasure of receiving an early copy of this book, and I enjoyed it so much that I gave it an endorsement. I'll begin this review by saying what I said there--"A psychedelic descent into madness and cultural insanity, Greatshell has given us a tale of ancient gods and nameless cults that practice their rites not in some wasted land far away, but right in our backyard. This book never slows down until the high energy climax."

How to describe this book? A man decides to reconnect with his mother. Insanity ensues. Yep, that's about all one can say without giving anything away. The book takes place on Catalina Island, and it is my impression that the description of the place is pretty accurate. For those who don't know, Catalina Island is only a few miles off the coast of Los Angeles (I imagine folks from the area will find this book to be quite a trip.) Choosing to place the madness of the narrative so close to civilization is a brilliant choice by Greatshell.

I'm being vague--more so than I like in a review--so let me just say this. If you enjoy mysteries, if you like to have your mind blown, if you like to never know what is real and what is imagined, and if you like a touch of the Lovecraftian in your fiction, check out this book. I think you'll enjoy it.

[Horror DNA · Rating 2 out of 5]

Terminal Island has annoying flashes of both talent and potential. Unfortunately, it's also full of convoluted plots, unsympathetic characters, jumbled imagery, and a lack of cohesion. Henry Cadmus, the protagonist of the story, comes back to an island he briefly lived on when he was a child to find his mother, who moved back there and has not been heard from since. Henry has cloudy memories of his time there in his youth, and struggles with recovered memories while dealing with the mystery of his disappeared mother. He knows something bad happened to him there, but he can't quite remember what it was.

You can read Michel's full review at Horror DNA by clicking here.

[Courtney Glass · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. This book was so interesting! The book takes place in an interesting location. There’s a good mystery going on and a connection to occult activity, with some weird ass rituals. The end made me feel a bit unsure of what was real and what was not, but when drugs are involved I suppose that could also be the experience of the protagonist. Overall I really enjoyed the audiobook of Terminal Island and I will likely reread it one day to seek better understanding.

[Karen · Rating 1 out of 5]

Run! Run as far away from this ridiculous and horrible book as you can!

[Sandie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The memories of a childhood worse than his wartime experiences preys on the mind of Henry Cadmus who grew up on Catalina Island, a picturesque paradise 26 miles off the coast of Southern California. Henry is now middle aged and married to Ruby, an unorthodox woman with a definite dark side. At Ruby’s persistent urging, she, Henry and their young daughter return to the island so that Henry can confront his inner demons as well as his confront his aged mother who for some reason has returned to the island after many years away. (the fear/love/hate relationship of this duo is reminiscent of the Nick Nolte and Kate Nelligan characters in Prince of Tides).

As the exploration of Henry’s life jumps back and forth in time the reader begins to wonder just how much of Henry’s experiences and recollections are grounded in reality and how much is the work of an overactive imagination. Henry’s thoughts, feelings, and sensations, while sometimes plausible, lacked a certain authenticity as did the pagan ritual scenes which were more hokey than frightening.

As the story gathered a little momentum, much of the narrative became riveting while at the same time the underlying cheesiness factor and the less than rousing ending made what could have been a five star reading experience a mere 3 1/2.

[Drake Llywelyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Greatshell's Terminal Island is a bizarre trip through madness, reality, hallucination, and the uncertain space between those two things. As a young boy, Henry is yanked away from his life on Catalina Island off the coast of California. He and his mother become transients and never put down any roots. All grown up, Henry returns to the island to sort out the confusion of his past. What ensues is far from a comforting family reunion.

This is an intriguing novel that keeps you guessing but not lost in chaos. Read carefully because the narrative jumps back and forth in time. Henry's past and present are carefully woven together and help create a growing sense of of unbalanced distress as the novel progresses. Dark, evil dreams of death and monsters hint at Lovecraft in a few places.Through the first two-thirds of the book, Greatshell skillfully walks the tightrope of reality and unreality quite well.

There are two major weakness of this novel however. First are the occult rituals. They just felt cheap. When in doubt, let's throw in some mumbling rituals. The ending was also weak. It just kept going and going and never hit that intense peak of fear I was expecting. It was an entertaining if not entirely compelling read.

[Majanka · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book Review originally published here: http://www.iheartreading.net/mini-rev...

Terminal Island isn’t bad, but it’s not remarkably good either. It’s a mediocre read. Some parts were great, other parts made me scratch my head because I was confused what was going on. It feelsl ike the author wanted to topple too much in one book.

[David Marshall · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this starts wonderfully and, overall, the plot is beautifully constructed. I lost some of my interest towards the end.

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