The Heretic

by Matthew Lutton, Jyl Glenn (Editor)

226 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 13, 2026

Reviews

[Michael Stone · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Heretic is beautifully written, and nests well with the rest of Lutton’s work. If you’ve read 10 drink minimum and The Morningstar Confession you’ll enjoy the tie-ins. As a matter of fact, I would strongly suggest reading The Morningstar Confession first so you can connect the background details and references.

As expected, story is firmly grounded with supernatural and religious motifs. But, the horror comes with the choices of an imperfect human, Dan, as he navigates the pain of impossible choices. He’s constantly sifting through what’s real and whats not as he suffers in an asylum. The ending is absolutely heartbreaking and oh, so, good.

There were times I was truly creeped the fu** out and my heart jumped out of my chest. It was like getting jump scared watching a movie.

The Heretic is psychologically and soul wrenching. The brutality strips away every shred of hope in the reader. When you’ve accepted that no reprieve is coming, a light pierces the darkness. But you’ll soon realize the light was never there to save you. It was the devil all along.

Five: 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

[Amber Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons” ~1 Timothy 4:1

What can I say about this book but… wow. If I’m going to write a review, it usually comes to me while I’m reading the story or immediately after. This one I had to ruminate on. One of the things I loved the most about The Morningstar Confession is that it doesn’t matter if you’re a believer or not. It’s enjoyable just the same, and has the ability to make either side question what they presume to be true. The Morningstar Confession makes you ponder life as a whole, and whether there truly should be sympathy for the devil, while The Heretic scares the actual hell out of you.

The Heretic follows Dan, three years after his chance encounter with Lucifer. He is now trapped inside of an asylum, questioning what happened, and if it’s real or psychosis. There is a fine line between reality and insanity, and Dan is barely hanging on. As things in the asylum progress, Dan begins to wonder if he’s truly in a facility, or if he’s in the bowels of hell itself.

This book is overflowing with pain, hopelessness and dread. Per usual, Lutton utilizes descriptive intellectual prose, while maintaining the grotesque nightmare that Dan is now trapped in. There is definitely a reoccurring theme of Faustian bargains that Lutton likes to use, and also a well placed connection to one of his other works that I won’t mention (I don’t want to give away spoilers so you’ll just have to figure it out for yourself)

Just like the Morningstar Confession was one of my top reads of that year, The Heretic is one of my top reads of this year. These stories inquire as to what makes a person a true saint or sinner. Are the 2 interchangeable? Are we truly the creator of our own destiny? Or is it predetermined by outside forces?

If you want to dive into The Heretic, I definitely recommend reading the Morningstar Confession first. Though they have different tones, they are both phenomenal in their own right.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The Heretic," the sequel to "The Morningstar Confession," follows Dan, a priest, as he is commited to an asylum after his report of an encounter with Lucifer leaves him shattered psyche. Nobody believs him; he is thought to be a poor historian who suffered a mental breakdown, but Dan is convinced the experience was real. In the asylym, he encounters terrifying phenomena that make him question his deteriorating mind, leaving him unable to distinguish reality from hallucination. Deaths begin to accumulate, and Dan has the opportunity to make a bargain. Beware though because all bargains come with a price.

This book packed one hell of a punch. It is dark, bleak, and Between Morningstar Confessions and this one, makes you think about what you believe about God, Satan, and morality. Equal parts terrifying and horrifying, "The Heretic" also explores deeper topics including whether people truly possess free will, whether one's salvation can become a form of damnation, and more.

Definitely a must read, just make sure you read "The Morningstar Confession" first.

[Danielle Yvonne · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE HERETIC
By Matthew Lutton

“She smiled, lips parting like she was tasting the world for the first time. Her head snapped sideways with a wet crack. Wrists and elbows bent the wrong way as she dropped to all fours. Her neck twisted further, chin pointing to the ceiling.”

Damn. This book penetrated my brain in ways I wasn’t expecting. A total mind fuck in every way possible. I was going to wait to post my review until tomorrow when it releases, but I simply can’t wait. I just finished it ten minutes ago and I imagine it’s going to live rent-free in my head for quite some time.

What a freaking story this was. Absolutely amazing. A true descent into madness and religious psychosis. Is it one? Is it both? What’s real? What’s not real?! There are so many questions and twists and turns - I couldn’t click my damn Kindle fast enough to find out what happens next.

You got a priest or almost a priest. Some religious shenanigans AF. Lucifer. Possession. Insanity. Asylum. And an infinite amount of WTF moments. Hard fking recommend to all and an easy five fking stars!!!

[Chris Heinicke · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading The Morningstar Confession, I didn’t think the author could top that incredible title. Boy, was I wrong. Set some time after its predecessor, The Heretic starts with Father Dan in an asylum, where no one believes a word he says. As the bodies pile up and his behaviour and speech become more erratic, he is put through harsher punishments, and constant beatings.
Just when it looks like there is no hope for our protagonist, he makes a deal to get the life he wanted, and everything seems perfect.
Too perfect.
I don’t want to say much more about the plot as this story is a great one to go into blind, but I would recommend reading Morningstar Confession first. Matt’s writing style is brutal, but beautiful at the same time, and he also has a way to paint a scene without using an over abundance of words, and allow the reader to fill it out with their imagination.
This is an easy 5 stars for me, and I found it hard to put down when life got in the way.

[Scott Fowler · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Heretic by Matt Lutton


⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Heretic is a very satisfying continuation of Father Dan's story that picks up immediately after the events of The Morningstar Confession. I loved The Morningstar Confession. Plenty scary. but also philosophical and esoteric in its telling because it made me think. The Heretic on the other hand, is deep. Deep, dark and terrifying. Father Dan is a seriously flawed character. Is he in hell or the depths of insanity? Will Dan ever find redemption? But just when you think there might be a silver lin­ing in this story it throws you a tragic curveball at the end that will leave you questioning everything. I've read it three times now and it still haunts me. This story is going to stay with me for a very long time.

[Tee Dunn · Rating 5 out of 5]

You should read the morning star confessions before reading Heretic. This is nothing like the first book. The book starts with Dan in an Asylum. He's gone mad apparently after seeing Lucifer. I loved Dan in the morningstar confessions and I love him more here. He's human.I think everyone gets broken and Dan certainly gets broken in the sec book..but who's fault is it? Who is Dan gonna blame ? Who's gonna rescue him ? This book really had my mind racing I had to stop a few times. It's a wild ride not in a good way. I think the moral of this story bad things just happen ..and hey watch it you never know who might just save you .. 💓💓💓💓

[Wicked Habit · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a crazy ride. The depictions are spot on- from the mold to the baby starfish. Each lucid dream style torment this entity is throwing at Dan is crazy.
First half is like a fever dream. We know what happened to Dan at the church from The Morningstar Confession (1st book) and now he has woken up in a psych ward. Now a couple years later, he’s not only dealing with brutality from orderlies and a dismissiveness from his doctor and staff - he’s also dealing with seeing and hearing things. He struggles to understand if he’s actually losing his mind or something has followed him here.
A deep look into human nature and how flawed we truly are and how we lie to ourselves everyday.

[Shanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved The Morningstar Confession so had high hopes for this one and Matt didn't disappoint at all. This starts three years after Dan's run in with Lucifer and the poor guy is in an asylum. No one believes him and he's walking a thin line between what's real and what's a hallucination.

This was absolutely bleak and soul crushing but beautifully written. Dan's panic and pain came through in every page. And the ending was heart shattering. This one will stick with me for a long time.

[Ellen TK · Rating 5 out of 5]

“And then something comes along…and it does listen, it does answer.”

This is the sequel to The Morningstar Confessions, and picks up after Dan’s encounter with Lucifer. The Morningstar Confessions left me thinking, and The Heretic left me horrified.

This book was gripping, fast-paced, and full of horrible delights. Is Dan crazy or are demons real? I really enjoyed this read, and I am sad for Dan. Must read TMC before this one or you’ll be lost - both are excellent books.

[Ashley D. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book until it got to the part of them playing house then I got a little bored skimmed over most of that. I found interesting he started seeing things again but talks to 1 shrink and suddenly he is able to ignore it all and that works until he goes into the church. She is possessed and Dan prays? Idk whatever he says and the demon poof disappears and they are able to live happily ever after until.....The ending for poor Dan was brutal.

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Matt Lutton’s The Heretic. And holy shit!! If you liked The Morningstar Confession, you’re going to LOVE The Heretic. This book is a mind fck. Truly. Our buddy, Dan is going THROUGH IT!! What is real? What’s in his head? Does it even matter? Trust no one, even yourself. This book is dreadful in the very best way. I have rarely been so uncomfortable when reading a story. This might be my new favorite book.

[Trish · Rating 5 out of 5]

While I really enjoyed The Morningstar Confession, this sequel is something else - immersive reading at its finest!

You don’t observe Dan’s plight, you experience it - the dread, confusion, bewilderment and panic is palpable. With immensely creepy moments and vivid imagery, this is horror as it should be.

I loved the tie in to 10 Drink Minimum, so yep - go read that too!

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, this was amazing. It was such a good read. I was gripped the whole time. I didn't want this one to end it was creepy and heartbreaking 😧💔 Some parts in the asylum with Rachel reminded me a little bit of Prince of Darkness. Great job, Matt 👏 I really enjoyed the Morningstar Confession, but I have to say I liked this one more

[Mary Call · Rating 5 out of 5]

Matt's writing is always impeccable. Definitely read the Morningstar Confession before this one. This book sucked me in and I finished it in 2 days. The book is pretty heartbreaking so be prepared for that. I also loved the tie in with Matt's other book 10 Drink Minimum.

[Philip O’Dowd 🇮🇪 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow! The anticipation for this was worth the wait. What a follow up! Intriguing from page 1 to the very end. Well done, Mr. Lutton and thank you.

[Jyl Glenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Phenomenal follow up to The Morningstar Confession!

[Syrina Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

This. Book.

I can’t even put into words how fast you need to run and buy this. Matt Lutton hits the NOS button on page 1 and doesn’t let up. It’s full throttle the WHOLE time. I thought the first book was amazing—and it was! But The Heretic takes it to a whole new level. I was up WAY too late on a work night because I couldn’t put it down. I’ve read so many books this year, but this just might take the medal for my favorite!

Hit that preorder button with ZERO hesitation! And keep an eye out for some GREAT Easter eggs Matt dropped into this second part of Dan’s journey!