An award-winning author, Steve Stred lives in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, with his wife and son.
Known for his novels, ‘Mastodon,’ ‘Churn the Soil,’ and his series ‘Father of Lies’ where he joined a cult on the dark web for four years, his work has been described as haunting, bleak and is frequently set in the woods near where he grew up. He’s been fortunate to appear in numerous anthologies with some truly amazing authors.
His novel ‘Mastodon’ will be translated into Czech and Italian over the next few years.
His novel 'Churn the Soil' won the Best Horror Novel award in the 2024 Indieverse Awards.
His novel 'Mastodon' and his novella' Sacrament' were both nominated for Splatterpunk Awards.
He is represented by Kodie Van Dusen at The Rights Factory and Alec Frankel at Independent Artist Group.
Outside of writing, Steve received his Bachelor Degree in Kinesiology from the University of the Fraser Valley in 2008, and became a Certified Canadian Pedorthist in 2013.
Steve Stred's disturbing trilogy continues with book 2 in the Father of Lies series, and if you thought Ritual was messed up, just wait until you get your meaty hands on this puppy.
Now, as a horror fan and dark fiction author, I'll just say I don't scare often. It's easy to feel like you've seen it all, been there before, especially with a book about cultish practices. But Stred doesn't just walk the line with Communion, he forcibly pulls you over it, and this is the first book in a long time where I felt those heart palpitations and shortened breaths.
For me, the mythos behind Father and his cult were a big part of what made this book work. There was more definition and color on those brushstrokes while still allowing ample questions to keep the reader wondering why, how, and WTF. Stred's hitting his stride here and it shows.
Looking forward to where these dark paths may lead in book 3.
It’s the job of Detective McKay to unravel the mystery of the commune, especially the ritualistic nature of their last meeting, one that ended in blood. Trying to put the pieces together, he stumbles headfirst into a world of monsters and heinous acts, unprepared for the horrific plot that surrounds him.
(WARNING: This review contains minor spoilers.)
Communion focused on the direct aftermath of Ritual, establishing Detective McKay, who was first introduced late in book one, as the central character. His investigation leads him into danger as Stred expands upon his creative and twisted interpretation of biblical lore, namely the entities known as Abaddon and Sheol, as well as the cult involved. I found this follow up to be quite different, more in line with a police procedural and less gratuitous than Brad’s installment, however there were some scenes that still held true to that raw and explicit material I know and love. I definitely liked it, but overall I preferred the first a little more, especially with how a character such as Brad was portrayed – quite brilliantly, if you ask me. McKay was, on the surface, a grizzled man in over his head, likable enough at first, until his views on women became apparent. After that, it was difficult to root for him in any sense, but maybe that was the point – are there really any straight up good guys in a setting like this? “Father”, the despicable figure that’s at the centre of everything, made a return, and I was all for that glimpse into his evil schemes. It’s no secret that I love to hate villains, so when it comes to Stred’s ability to create a terrible person able to sicken me, he certainly does it well.
In conclusion: Communion was a high-speed sequel to its predecessor, featuring more outlandish, violent and sexual themes, this time revolving around the investigation of the events that took place in the first novella. Even though I enjoyed it, I liked the first more, due to that inside look at the cult and their ridiculous beliefs. Stred is out to disgust and shock with this trilogy, and it’s no surprise that he succeeds in doing so. I get the impression the events in Ritual and Communion are leading to something bigger and more nauseating, and I’m excited for the finale.
Notable Quote:
Father had no doubts now. The stars had spoken that evening.
"Communion", Book 2 of the “Father of Lies” Trilogy, picks up where “Ritual” left off. And without being too spoilery, we are dealing with death cults, entities plucked straight from the Bible, and a police investigation that is trying to piece together what is going on. At one point while I was reading Communion I went to Google some of the entities and ritualistic elements that the author, Steve Stred ( @stevestred ) had obviously done his homework on, and then I hesitated to do so, because I wasn’t sure I wanted to invite that sort of evil into my laptop. So I just read the story and went along for the ride. It was quite the enjoyable ride, especially for one so full of gore, sex acts that I hope no partner of mine ever suggests, and ritualistic violence so thoroughly described that it made me cringe and wince. While a bit gratuitous, I don’t believe the violence in the story took away from the overall tale and mythos that Stred has created in his trilogy of novellas, and I’m looking forward to seeing how things conclude for The Father of Lies.
I had the honor of being a beta reader for the next chapter in Steve Stred's Father of Lies trilogy. I *loved* Ritual, the first book; and Communion did not disappoint. It was extreme, blasphemous, mysterious, and f*cked up. Give it a read when it comes out on May 6, 2020!
A great second part to the trilogy. This one tells the story of the detective we meet at the end of the first part. We follow him as he tries to solve the case of the cults mass suicide and gets dragged further into the world of a religious diety and its followers. Again, this book pulls no punches in its brutality. I'm currently reading the 3rd in the series and can't wait to see how it ends.
Before we dive into COMMUNION, the new book from author Steve Stred, you must be made aware that this is Book 2 of the Father of Lies Trilogy.It is strongly recommended that you read Book 1 RITUAL before you start on COMMUNION. Be warned that Book 1 is a very intense read and does contain graphic and disturbing scenes that may offend more delicate readers.
So go ahead and read Book 1............I'll wait here for you......................................
Ok, your back and you have finished RITUAL.
What have we learned so far.
Cults...bad
The Father...bad
Demons....bad
Bum play...ouch,,very bad.
This will always be as spoiler free as possible.
COMMUNION continues the story 1 week after the events of RITUAL and centers around Det. McKay and his investigation into the mass deaths at the cults compound. McKay is quickly dragged into the world of the mysterious Father and what he was trying to accomplish, and what horrible events await in the future. Can he survive and solve the mystery surrounding the cult or will he be just another pawn in a much larger and terrifying game.
The first thing you will notice when diving into COMMUNION is the difference in the writing style from Book 1. Were RITUAL was in your face horror gruesome acts, COMMUNION is more in the vain of a Police procedural. We follow McKay as he uncovers secrets and becomes entangled in the world of The Father and his plans for reaching the Black Heavens. The blood and gore are still here, but presented in a way that fits into his new narrative style. McKay is drawn deeper and deeper into this dark world and we as readers are dragged along, learning more and more back story on The Father, his past and his lofty ambitions.
The breakneck pace of the story is constant and races you along from page one until you hit the final word. Though this installment is not as raw and downright cringe inducing as Book 1, it still packs a wallop and at times will make you squirm in your seat. As always the author is a master at creating characters that we believe and can connect with and care about. McKay is your hard-boiled. ready for retirement cop thrust into something he has never dealt with before, and the inclusion of a strong fem-fatale character strengthens the overall crime-noir/police procedural feel.
This is a one sitting read. You will not want to put it down once you start.
Also extra kudos to the author for handling aspects of a Police investigation and just normal Police procedure correctly. Being a retired officer, it is always nice to see these events handled realistically and not the over-exaggerated way we see on tv and movies.
I highly recommend COMMUNION and it's predecessor RITUAL. It will be exciting to see were the author brings the story next and what awaits us as we follow The Father into the dark places.
Communion by Steve Stred is the second book of an ongoing trilogy – book one was Ritual (which we reviewed here) and the second book starts pretty much where book one finished. This proposed trilogy of books by Stred is dark, brooding and graphic as hell, with Stred giving us a slice after slice of the macabre and despicable – force feeding us until we burst from his offering as our rotten guts lay at our feet in a noisome rankness.
Book one Ritual – was pretty hard hitting, both in Stred’s prose and subject matter and at times I really wanted to look away but Stred seemed to have forced me to read it. I felt his bony hand clasped against the back of my head and I couldn’t move from the ensuing violence (both mentally and physically). Communion is on the same level, but with added depth both in the story and characters – filthy, macabre and horrific!
Communion sets off at breakneck speed and this is in part due to the book taking place literally straight after where book one leaves us. There is no need for Stred to slow down his prose with a backstory, as if you’re reading this then I’d guess you’d have read the original book (but just in case the main protagonist does recall some of the incidents – but this does nothing to the pacing).
And it’s this breakneck speed that takes us to where Stred wants us to be, at the edge of our seats and at his mercy – we are his plaything and he shakes us about like a ragdoll as we are forcefully directed through this most brilliant offering – delving deeper into the mythology / occult goings on of the first book with Stred also revealing clues which further the story as we go – which Stred reveals in almost Hitchcockian style. Stred also deftly segways us at the stories conclusion into what will be the third book of this dark and unforgettable trilogy.
To go into this book in too much detail would spoil it for those out there that haven’t discovered it yet, but I’d say start with Ritual and then commune with Communion – it will scare you, terrify you, and abuse both your body and mind. A brave and distinct voice – Stred is unafraid of heading into the darkness and reporting to us how dark the human condition is…
Wow! This one picks up a week after the events of Ritual with Detective McKay looking into said ritual of the first book. He is visited by a woman with information pertaining to this and meets with her in the small hours of the morning only to be attacked with a rusty nail and a punch to the nose. This is merely the tip of the iceberg as the Detective is drawn into events that have been percolating from further and longer than he can comprehend.
Stred's sequel builds upon the original and makes the mystery even more compelling. I raced through this one dying to find out what was going to happen next. As with the first, Stred has built things up for the trilogy finale, which I hope to see sooner rather than later.
Book two of the FATHER OF LIES trilogy picks up almost immediately after the first book ends. The events of RITUAL are being investigated by Detective Marvin McKay. After a mysterious stranger shows up with a clue that could crack the case wide open, McKay has no choice but to follow the baleful breadcrumbs into the darkness...
I enjoyed this entry a little more than RITUAL. This novella answered a lot of the questions I had after reading the first one. We learn more about Father's plans and the cast got a little larger. And while this middle book felt like it focussed on moving the story forward by building the world out, that doesn't mean Stred wasn't able to fit in some creepy and very gross scenes. This volume has the content warning in front too. Though I had a better idea of what I was in for this time, there is sill plenty of ickiness and uncomfortable scenes, so keep that in mind.
The way this book ends makes me want to read book three immediately! I have to know!
Thanks to Richard Martin for putting this read-along together.
Steve Stred’s Ritual was a brutal novella with violence, otherworldly cults (kvlts?), and some questionable antics by a supposed holy man. It was pretty graphic and gross; which means it was great.
Communion is the next instalment in the trilogy and promised to be just as deranged and disgusting. Well it certainly is both of those things.
If you haven’t read Ritual yet then there may be a few spoilers in this here review. There, that’s the warning.
At the end of the first book there was a brutal and bloody mass killing of a group of cult worshippers that dumfounded the police. This story picks up with the immediate aftermath of this as the cops try to make sense of what went on.
Detective McKay is the guy taking the reins. After his partner hangs himself immediately after witnessing the crime scene, McKay is on his own in tackling the case. He’s visited by a mysterious woman who promises he will soon find what he’s looking for, and she does this in such a creepy way you’d forgive the detective for just retiring there and then.
But this guy’s a professional. After being assaulted by the woman right there in the cop shop she seems to disappear, leaving a strange package for the detective.
What’s inside this package? you ask. Come on, I’m not going to tell you that, but the items are involved heavily in the cult’s practices and history, and are not for the faint of heart.
There’s a return of Father; the depraved, evil leader of this group, who definitely hasn’t decided to go all chilled and kind after his previous antics.
McKay enlists the help of a specialist in the workings of ancient deities and beliefs and before he knows what’s hit him, he’s in much further than he would have liked.
I can’t really say much more but this story followed on perfectly from the first, and left a nice teaser for the next tale.
Death, sex, torture, monstrous beasts, sacrifice; if you’ve answered ‘yes’ to all of these then you should be checking out Communion right about now!
I remember reading Ritual at its release and thinking it had a different vibe from Steve's other work I'd read. Though he's proven time and again he has the ability to go dark, Ritual was more graphic and gratitious. Though I'm not usually up for that kind of horror, I enjoyed the novella and slight deviation for Steve. In my review, I remember saying it would be good for Steve to expand upon the world he'd painted in that story; he announced it would be a trilogy soon after!
Communion is book two in the Father of Lies series, and a separate path from Ritual, in the sense that you follow a detective instead. This change of POV - as well as the consistent flow - worked wonders for the sequel. Not only is Communion a quick and easy read, it's fun (despite being just as, if not more, depraved than Ritual). I thoroughly enjoyed the graphic ride and set up, and eagetly await the final book in the novella series. I sure hope when all is said and done, Steve releases the collection altogether in one full book, complete with bonus features (hint-hint, Steve!).
Communion by Steve Stred is the second installment in the extreme horror trilogy, Father of Lies. This time, we follow the detective, McKay, the man that was called in at the end of book one, as he learns more about this brutal case. I also picked this one up as part of Rick’s Read Along. After getting through the first installment in the series, Ritual, I had to see what happened next.
Content Warnings: Extreme body horror, sexual violence, cult content, suicide, and more.
Phew, what a story. This certainly has me on the edge of my seat! I’m so antsy to see what happens next, I’m going to dive right in to the third installment as soon as I finish my notes here.
Communion is another must-read for fans of extreme horror, but make sure you start with Ritual.
A demonic beast of a story that continues on the dark brutal path of twisted faith. With a simple, yet detailed, writing the author nails the violence & utter madness straight to the reader's frontal lobe. "Don't ever hesitate to read his holy words, but think twice before attending Mass with Father Stred" - old Sheol saying
This one was pretty decent. It's written in, and I read it with a break neck speed. I didn't much care for Ritual. But this one made it worth reading the Beginning. And now I'm looking forward to the Conclusion.