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Next After Lucifer #1
Next, After Lucifer
Evil never dies. It may sleep for centuries, and then awaken to bring horror into the lives of modern people who have never dreamed that the supernatural might be real.
NEXT, AFTER LUCIFER takes place in a quiet rural village in France. There, in the year 1307, a medieval knight--a renegade Templar named Guilhem de Courdeval--was burned at the stake for practicing magic, offering sacrifices to the demon Belial by ruthless murdering and drinking the victims' blood in vampire rituals. After his execution, his evil spirit was sealed in a hidden underground spring, and trapped there for almost 700 years.
But when a wealthy American couple arrives to rent a nearby luxury villa, the sacred spring is tapped to fill their swimming pool--with no one realizing that the vampire Courdeval is now released, and free to ply his evil magic again.
His first agenda is to possess a human body, through sinister, supernatural seduction--a tightening vise of horror that brings tragedy, death, and spine-chilling fear to the local French villagers and the Americans alike.
NEXT, AFTER LUCIFER takes place in a quiet rural village in France. There, in the year 1307, a medieval knight--a renegade Templar named Guilhem de Courdeval--was burned at the stake for practicing magic, offering sacrifices to the demon Belial by ruthless murdering and drinking the victims' blood in vampire rituals. After his execution, his evil spirit was sealed in a hidden underground spring, and trapped there for almost 700 years.
But when a wealthy American couple arrives to rent a nearby luxury villa, the sacred spring is tapped to fill their swimming pool--with no one realizing that the vampire Courdeval is now released, and free to ply his evil magic again.
His first agenda is to possess a human body, through sinister, supernatural seduction--a tightening vise of horror that brings tragedy, death, and spine-chilling fear to the local French villagers and the Americans alike.
- GenresHorror
272 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published June 1, 1987
4 people are currently reading
174 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
January 31, 2018
I really liked those well paced horror story on a evil knights templar. The setting in France, the discovery of the hidden well. The acting characters were extremely well carved out. Reading the book was like watching a quite scary movie. I also liked the ending. An extremely tense and captivating book. A clear recommendation. 80s horror at its best!
July 11, 2019
Next After Lucifer is literary horror from the 80s. You remember literary horror? The plots may not have always made sense. You weren’t always happy with the endings. They had a bad habit of being anti-climactic. But, damn, the ride was always rewarding. This was an era when editors weren’t an option. If you got published, your shit may not have been the greatest story out there, but there weren’t going to be typos on every page. Horror was king in the 80s. Everyone was trying to find the next Stephen King or pump out the next Exorcist. So, solid literary writers, that couldn’t make a living in their crowded genre, gave horror a go. Chances are, Daniel Rhodes was one of the aforementioned herd. I had never heard of him before, but what the hell? I’ll give it a go.
The book falls right in the meaty curve of what I previously defined. Next After Lucifer follows an English couple, Professor John McTell and his wife Linden, that vacation in a rural French village near the ocean. Up on a hill is the old ruins of middle-aged castle rumored to be home to a Knight Templar, Guilhelm de Courdeval, who was burned at the stake for conjuring up a little demonic naughtiness. Professor McTell, always the curious, academic type, hikes up to the ruin and happens upon Courdeval’s evil book of sorcery with a little help of the recently released occultist’s soul. As you can imagine, John brings the book back and, as he’s slowly unlocking it’s secrets, becomes an unknowing pawn in the sorcerer’s evil plan. I liked Next After Lucifer. It’s got that nice, slow burn you’d expect from 80s horror. The characters are interesting, yet sometimes they can blur together and you have to stop and think who this person is. Don’t expect lots of non-stop action and gore. This is all about a slow build of atmosphere, character development, and dread. Recommended for fans of Charles L. Grant, J.N. Williamson and fans of other similar 80s horror writers, as well as occult/demonic possession/Knight Templar horror mish-mash.
3 1/2 Don’t Drink The Demon Waters out of 5
You can also follow my reviews at the following links:
https://intothemacabre.com
http://intothemacabre.booklikes.com
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/5...
The book falls right in the meaty curve of what I previously defined. Next After Lucifer follows an English couple, Professor John McTell and his wife Linden, that vacation in a rural French village near the ocean. Up on a hill is the old ruins of middle-aged castle rumored to be home to a Knight Templar, Guilhelm de Courdeval, who was burned at the stake for conjuring up a little demonic naughtiness. Professor McTell, always the curious, academic type, hikes up to the ruin and happens upon Courdeval’s evil book of sorcery with a little help of the recently released occultist’s soul. As you can imagine, John brings the book back and, as he’s slowly unlocking it’s secrets, becomes an unknowing pawn in the sorcerer’s evil plan. I liked Next After Lucifer. It’s got that nice, slow burn you’d expect from 80s horror. The characters are interesting, yet sometimes they can blur together and you have to stop and think who this person is. Don’t expect lots of non-stop action and gore. This is all about a slow build of atmosphere, character development, and dread. Recommended for fans of Charles L. Grant, J.N. Williamson and fans of other similar 80s horror writers, as well as occult/demonic possession/Knight Templar horror mish-mash.
3 1/2 Don’t Drink The Demon Waters out of 5
You can also follow my reviews at the following links:
https://intothemacabre.com
http://intothemacabre.booklikes.com
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/5...
December 29, 2016
Evil never truly dies. It may sleep for centuries, only to reawaken when innocent souls least expect it. Yet, once such malevolence has made its mark - permeating the lives of modern people and filling their hearts with abject fear - it is always difficult to fully eradicate its touch; even among people who have never dreamed that the supernatural might actually exist.
While on sabbatical somewhere in the south of France - in the beautifully remote village of Saint-Bertrand - medieval history professor John McTell and his new wife Linden have recently rented a secluded villa. The newlyweds have decided to spend the next several months together seeing the sights and settling into their fledgling marriage. Professor McTell is initially drawn to the village of Saint-Bertrand because of its charming scenery and its historical significance.
He also finds himself oddly fascinated by the tales of local lore: most especially by the legend of Guilhem de Courdeval - a renegade Knight Templar, allegedly burned at the stake in 1307 for heresy and dark sorcery. While it is certainly an intriguing story, John finds himself strangely captivated by the dark sorcerer himself. Determined to learn more about Guilhem de Courdeval, the professor sets out to investigate the crumbling ruins of the knight's fortress.
According to the fantastic stories told by superstitious villagers, the sorcerer's malevolent soul has apparently remained imprisoned within carved and blessed stone for centuries. As skeptical of these stories as he may be, John still feels compelled to investigate them anyway. Unfortunately, his investigations will not only threaten his very soul, but could also potentially unleash a diabolically evil presence - to again stalk the land and claim its next victim.
In my opinion, this was a very intriguing book to read. I was utterly captivated by the story, and it definitely held my attention all the way through. I found that there was always something happening in the plot, the pace never slowed or became bogged down in any way. I would certainly give this book an A+!
Daniel Rhodes is actually a pseudonym for prolific thriller author Neil McMahon; and was used for the four horror novels that he published in the late 1980s. I actually had the pleasure of reading Mr. Rhodes' second published novel Adversary about twenty years ago. Both books have since been put back on my bookshelf and I think that I will keep them to read again later.
While on sabbatical somewhere in the south of France - in the beautifully remote village of Saint-Bertrand - medieval history professor John McTell and his new wife Linden have recently rented a secluded villa. The newlyweds have decided to spend the next several months together seeing the sights and settling into their fledgling marriage. Professor McTell is initially drawn to the village of Saint-Bertrand because of its charming scenery and its historical significance.
He also finds himself oddly fascinated by the tales of local lore: most especially by the legend of Guilhem de Courdeval - a renegade Knight Templar, allegedly burned at the stake in 1307 for heresy and dark sorcery. While it is certainly an intriguing story, John finds himself strangely captivated by the dark sorcerer himself. Determined to learn more about Guilhem de Courdeval, the professor sets out to investigate the crumbling ruins of the knight's fortress.
According to the fantastic stories told by superstitious villagers, the sorcerer's malevolent soul has apparently remained imprisoned within carved and blessed stone for centuries. As skeptical of these stories as he may be, John still feels compelled to investigate them anyway. Unfortunately, his investigations will not only threaten his very soul, but could also potentially unleash a diabolically evil presence - to again stalk the land and claim its next victim.
In my opinion, this was a very intriguing book to read. I was utterly captivated by the story, and it definitely held my attention all the way through. I found that there was always something happening in the plot, the pace never slowed or became bogged down in any way. I would certainly give this book an A+!
Daniel Rhodes is actually a pseudonym for prolific thriller author Neil McMahon; and was used for the four horror novels that he published in the late 1980s. I actually had the pleasure of reading Mr. Rhodes' second published novel Adversary about twenty years ago. Both books have since been put back on my bookshelf and I think that I will keep them to read again later.
May 31, 2011
I picked this book up because the writer cited M.R. James as an influence. With definite echoes of 'Count Magnus' (alluded to in the acknowledgments), Rhodes weaves together a story in which perhaps none of the individual elements are totally original, but which does justice to its source material. A strong sense of atmosphere, rich characterisation, excellent pacing. Better still, a horror novel with a serious, measured conception of evil and a glimpse at an elemental battle between that evil and its counterpart. This is mainly subtle stuff, very much in the Jamesian 'corner of the retina' mould and Rhodes is able handle the more gruesome aspects in a subdued manner that actually increases its impact.
June 28, 2014
-Un mal terrible y prisionero durante años, queda libre… vaya, qué cosas pasan…-
Género. Narrativa fantástica.
Lo que nos cuenta. Mientras se cava un pozo para surtir de agua la residencia de la Costa Azul que han alquilado el profesor John McTell y su esposa Linden, una mansión construida a los pies de una montaña rematada por un antiguo castillo, se libera algo arcano y malvado, relacionado con unos templarios sacrílegos para más señas.
¿Quiere saber más del libro, sin spoilers? Visite:
http://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com/...
Género. Narrativa fantástica.
Lo que nos cuenta. Mientras se cava un pozo para surtir de agua la residencia de la Costa Azul que han alquilado el profesor John McTell y su esposa Linden, una mansión construida a los pies de una montaña rematada por un antiguo castillo, se libera algo arcano y malvado, relacionado con unos templarios sacrílegos para más señas.
¿Quiere saber más del libro, sin spoilers? Visite:
http://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com/...
May 20, 2024
Hoy toca que malik haga corajes. Aquí les dejo mi opinión más amplia de esta novela :
https://youtu.be/atrAhQcJBLw?si=v-5kK...
https://youtu.be/atrAhQcJBLw?si=v-5kK...
July 8, 2021
For as much as Daniel Rhodes' black magic thriller Next, After Lucifer discusses good and evil being in constant combat with each other, it certainly manages to avoid framing issues in clear cut black and white ways. This is most noticeable in terms of the characters, who may be pawns in this eternal struggle, but never reach either end of the spectrum of morality. The protagonist means well but admits he has never loved his wife and would rather spend his time in gloomy isolation than with his inebriated in-laws. And the hard drinking and lustful local curé only takes action when the situation becomes dire.
But the ambiguity is also apparent in the storytelling, which rests somewhere between the scholarly focus of M.R. James and the interminably dark atmosphere of Ramsey Campbell, and creates something that never quite settles. For at its core, the story is a basic one about an ancient terror unleashed on unsuspecting moderns, but it doesn't follow the usual rhythms. The minor characters don't die off in convenient ways. And the narrative pieces only fit together well enough to keep readers intrigued, never well enough to elicit fully where the story is going. It is this unpredictability that so works to the story's advantage and causes some real horror when things finally do get bloody.
For as well thought out as most of the characters are, Rhodes does fall back on the psychic visionary too handily. She doesn't reveal everything or solve all the problems, but her presence lies a little too close to commonplace horror tropes. I also might have found the ending disappointing if I didn't already know there was a sequel that picks up where this book leaves off.
The back cover of the book describes this as a "fast-moving tale of horror," but it is anything but. Really, it's more of a slow-burning psychological thriller with a focus on character and history.
But the ambiguity is also apparent in the storytelling, which rests somewhere between the scholarly focus of M.R. James and the interminably dark atmosphere of Ramsey Campbell, and creates something that never quite settles. For at its core, the story is a basic one about an ancient terror unleashed on unsuspecting moderns, but it doesn't follow the usual rhythms. The minor characters don't die off in convenient ways. And the narrative pieces only fit together well enough to keep readers intrigued, never well enough to elicit fully where the story is going. It is this unpredictability that so works to the story's advantage and causes some real horror when things finally do get bloody.
For as well thought out as most of the characters are, Rhodes does fall back on the psychic visionary too handily. She doesn't reveal everything or solve all the problems, but her presence lies a little too close to commonplace horror tropes. I also might have found the ending disappointing if I didn't already know there was a sequel that picks up where this book leaves off.
The back cover of the book describes this as a "fast-moving tale of horror," but it is anything but. Really, it's more of a slow-burning psychological thriller with a focus on character and history.
November 27, 2019
La Tumba De Lucifer.- Neil McMahon (Bajo seudónimo
Daniel Rhodes).
.
"El diablo nunca duerme, sino que camina sobre la tierra de muchas guisas, buscando almas. Los sacerdotes te dirán una cosa, los profesores otra, pero esto ha sido cierto desde el principio de los tiempos y seguirá siéndolo hasta el final."
El Mal se libera en la Costa Azul francesa, cuando de forma accidental se abre la tumba de un Templario ejecutado en la época de la Inquisición. Un escritor, su esposa, el Padre del pueblo, el Doctor y su esposa gitana entre otros personajes van a sufrir las consecuencias de este ser que de a poco va influyendo en el comportamiento del escritor a través de un Grimorio encontrado en la sepultura del líder sectario.
Sin ser una maravilla, este no clásico del terror ochentoso tiene suficientes ingredientes como para poder recomendarlo a gente ,incluido este humilde servidor, que guste de este tipo de lecturas. Un punto a favor es que no hay tantas historias de terror que transcurran en Francia (o por lo menos no he leído muchas); otro punto es el trasfondo histórico de los templarios, hay todo un capítulo muy interesante dedicado a la historia de los mismos.
Momentos gores, el bien contra el mal, pinceladas de erotismo por aquí y por allá, ambientación gótica y una narrativa cuidada.
Si hay algún cinéfilo por acá, les cuento que me hizo acordar (sin ser exactamente igual) a algunas películas del español Paul Naschy.
🤘🤘🤘
Daniel Rhodes).
.
"El diablo nunca duerme, sino que camina sobre la tierra de muchas guisas, buscando almas. Los sacerdotes te dirán una cosa, los profesores otra, pero esto ha sido cierto desde el principio de los tiempos y seguirá siéndolo hasta el final."
El Mal se libera en la Costa Azul francesa, cuando de forma accidental se abre la tumba de un Templario ejecutado en la época de la Inquisición. Un escritor, su esposa, el Padre del pueblo, el Doctor y su esposa gitana entre otros personajes van a sufrir las consecuencias de este ser que de a poco va influyendo en el comportamiento del escritor a través de un Grimorio encontrado en la sepultura del líder sectario.
Sin ser una maravilla, este no clásico del terror ochentoso tiene suficientes ingredientes como para poder recomendarlo a gente ,incluido este humilde servidor, que guste de este tipo de lecturas. Un punto a favor es que no hay tantas historias de terror que transcurran en Francia (o por lo menos no he leído muchas); otro punto es el trasfondo histórico de los templarios, hay todo un capítulo muy interesante dedicado a la historia de los mismos.
Momentos gores, el bien contra el mal, pinceladas de erotismo por aquí y por allá, ambientación gótica y una narrativa cuidada.
Si hay algún cinéfilo por acá, les cuento que me hizo acordar (sin ser exactamente igual) a algunas películas del español Paul Naschy.
🤘🤘🤘
November 1, 2017
This was entertaining in parts but it was kind of boring in others. It kind of reminded me of a Hammer film, except French. Good concept and the writing was fine, just slow.
February 8, 2014
Should have been a short story. Written in 1987.
The Prologue was good. Henri Taillou douses successfully for water and unearths a stone with some Latin writing on it. Despite premonitions, he excavates it, brings water to fill the pool in a house so he can rent it. His not-too-bright son is the only witness.
Father Etien Boudrie has kept the local church for 23 years, where there is also a stone with some Latin writing on it, having to do with the ruins on the hill / mountain up behind the town, belonging to the Templers of Montsevrain. He also has premonitions, which, being a drunk, he ignores.
The Americans who rent the house have bad dreams, which they also ignore. There are some mildly interesting sidelines: one of the Americans is a medievalist; there is an ancient book; there is a local girl whose parentage is questionable.
They receive visitors, finally, and things come to a head, the visitors leave, unnerved, by chapter 13. A horror(?) is let loose upon the world. And there are only 18 chapters.
The Prologue was good. Henri Taillou douses successfully for water and unearths a stone with some Latin writing on it. Despite premonitions, he excavates it, brings water to fill the pool in a house so he can rent it. His not-too-bright son is the only witness.
Father Etien Boudrie has kept the local church for 23 years, where there is also a stone with some Latin writing on it, having to do with the ruins on the hill / mountain up behind the town, belonging to the Templers of Montsevrain. He also has premonitions, which, being a drunk, he ignores.
The Americans who rent the house have bad dreams, which they also ignore. There are some mildly interesting sidelines: one of the Americans is a medievalist; there is an ancient book; there is a local girl whose parentage is questionable.
They receive visitors, finally, and things come to a head, the visitors leave, unnerved, by chapter 13. A horror(?) is let loose upon the world. And there are only 18 chapters.
November 22, 2016
Un terror muy clásico y simple. Sin pretensiones y narración correcta. Se lee muy brevemente al tener pocas páginas, es aquí te pillo y aquí te mato.
La historia: una pareja se muda a un pueblo para su tranquilidad esperada que no encontrada. En el hay un ser recientemente despertado, que dará por saco a los habitantes y en especial a estos novios. Las escenas no son terroríficas, y realmente tiene poco de terror. No hay sangre, no hay sustos, no hay ambientación. Ideal para iniciarse en el género.
La historia: una pareja se muda a un pueblo para su tranquilidad esperada que no encontrada. En el hay un ser recientemente despertado, que dará por saco a los habitantes y en especial a estos novios. Las escenas no son terroríficas, y realmente tiene poco de terror. No hay sangre, no hay sustos, no hay ambientación. Ideal para iniciarse en el género.
August 9, 2011
Un muy buen libro del cual guardo un grato recuerdo, especialmente del inicio y el final.
June 7, 2017
Next, After Lucifer 3/5 Stars
I felt this book had a lot of potential. The story was really interesting, and well planned out. The big downside was the ending. It was very rushed, and most of the big events happened off camera so to speak. I'd be interested in reading more from this author in the future!
I felt this book had a lot of potential. The story was really interesting, and well planned out. The big downside was the ending. It was very rushed, and most of the big events happened off camera so to speak. I'd be interested in reading more from this author in the future!
Want to read
May 26, 2024I am sorry to leave a comment here under reviews for a book that I have not read yet but I wanted to assign a date for this book and the date set functionality of the website currently seems to be broken. If they get this working I will use this and delete this review.
06-03-2012
06-03-2012
March 1, 2018
A thick slice of 80s horror boom mass market fiction. Sexy, saucy, Monty Jamesy!
Review:
http://jayrothermel.blogspot.com/2018...
Review:
http://jayrothermel.blogspot.com/2018...
July 30, 2018
Una novela bastante pobre donde los sucesos se desarrollan en las últimas 30 páginas. Las primeras 240 son una introducción a la nada misma.
PUNTUACIÓN: 4
PUNTUACIÓN: 4
February 26, 2025
This book felt like a desperate attempt to be scary. But half the time I had no idea what was happening. How can I be scared if I don't know what tf is happening?
September 4, 2014
Este libro no ofrece absolutamente nada nuevo al género del horror: ya saben, una vieja maldición que pesa sobre un lugar, descubrimientos accidentales, posesiones demoníacas, la lucha del bien contra el mal, etcétera... sin embargo resulta bastante entretenido.
Básicamente el libro trata acerca de un brujo templario que fue enterrado cerca de su fortaleza, pero que antes de morir, a través de sus artes negras, había conquistado el poder sobre la vida eterna. Entonces, varios siglos después un par de obreros abren por accidente la tumba, liberando el poder del maléfico brujo para buscar una nueva víctima en la que encarnarse a través de blasfémicos ritos y de este modo, poder seguir sembrando la maldad sobre la humanidad. Así de simple. Sin embargo el autor se las arregla para que al menos tres tercios del libro sean lo suficientemente atractivos como para mantenerse interesados en la historia. El problema es que el final en lo personal me pareció muy anticlimático, no lo voy a narrar, pero en resumen se trata de un final concebido expresamente para justificar una segunda parte. La cual no creo que vaya a leer. Además creo que el autor está bastante contenido en algunas descripciones, ahí donde Barker o King no desvían el ojo el si lo hace, y tampoco tiene la capacidad evocadora de un Lovecraft, que sin decirte casi nada, podía decirte mucho...
Sirve para entretenerse un rato, pero nada más, sin mayor compromiso o pretensiones.
Básicamente el libro trata acerca de un brujo templario que fue enterrado cerca de su fortaleza, pero que antes de morir, a través de sus artes negras, había conquistado el poder sobre la vida eterna. Entonces, varios siglos después un par de obreros abren por accidente la tumba, liberando el poder del maléfico brujo para buscar una nueva víctima en la que encarnarse a través de blasfémicos ritos y de este modo, poder seguir sembrando la maldad sobre la humanidad. Así de simple. Sin embargo el autor se las arregla para que al menos tres tercios del libro sean lo suficientemente atractivos como para mantenerse interesados en la historia. El problema es que el final en lo personal me pareció muy anticlimático, no lo voy a narrar, pero en resumen se trata de un final concebido expresamente para justificar una segunda parte. La cual no creo que vaya a leer. Además creo que el autor está bastante contenido en algunas descripciones, ahí donde Barker o King no desvían el ojo el si lo hace, y tampoco tiene la capacidad evocadora de un Lovecraft, que sin decirte casi nada, podía decirte mucho...
Sirve para entretenerse un rato, pero nada más, sin mayor compromiso o pretensiones.
October 9, 2019
After that novel about the code pulled the Templars out of obscurity and made them a mainstream sensation, every talentless author in the world tried to write about them. About a year after the onslaught began, I became sure I would never again be able to enjoy another book in which the Knight Templars were mentioned. Then came Neil McMahon's reprint of his 1987 novel Next, After Lucifer and I had to eat my words.
You can read Gabino's full review at Horror DNA by clicking here.
You can read Gabino's full review at Horror DNA by clicking here.
March 19, 2016
This is not a deep book but there certainly is suspense. It's a page-turner. I'm not so sure, though, that a kiss would make it all go away . . .
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews