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Cardinal Rules
The end of May approaches, and college is done for the spring semester. Professors prepare for their summer courses while students go home to their families for a much-needed break. Everybody except for DJ, who decides to stay behind and reflect on his damaged history with his abusive father and the recent loss of his mother. It wasn't until his very close friend Aurora invites him to go with her for a getaway at her hometown's gay pride party to live it up for the weekend. With reluctance towards the LGBTQ+ community, he decides to go. He invites his sister, Sierra, along with her friends, Greg and Justin to join them for a fun-filled weekend that they would never forget.
At first, DJ has a great time making new friends and getting involved with a community that he was apprehensive about being a part of since he began living fully as his authentic self. His adventures were quickly soiled by a stalker lurking around to torment him. It's not just any old stalker.
It's a cardinal!
One by one, patrons go missing at the hands of the deranged killer. Can DJ save himself and his acquaintances before the masked cardinal takes their lives? Will this pride be canceled from all of the mysterious murders?
Cardinal Rules is a twist between '80s and '90s slasher horror and the LGBTQ+ community, filled with blood, gore, and a little glitter. It's time to put pride back in murder!
At first, DJ has a great time making new friends and getting involved with a community that he was apprehensive about being a part of since he began living fully as his authentic self. His adventures were quickly soiled by a stalker lurking around to torment him. It's not just any old stalker.
It's a cardinal!
One by one, patrons go missing at the hands of the deranged killer. Can DJ save himself and his acquaintances before the masked cardinal takes their lives? Will this pride be canceled from all of the mysterious murders?
Cardinal Rules is a twist between '80s and '90s slasher horror and the LGBTQ+ community, filled with blood, gore, and a little glitter. It's time to put pride back in murder!
- GenresHorror
326 pages, Paperback
First published March 12, 2021
3 people are currently reading
79 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
February 18, 2021
This book is SO FUN to read. I found myself stealing pages while cooking; couldn’t put it down.
Brady Phoenix’s love of 80s/90s style slasher/horror films comes through in a big way with his debut book, “Cardinal Rules”. The story’s main character is DJ, who has some reservations about the LGBTQIA+ community, but decides to go out of town and embrace his true self with friends at a Pride festival. Little does he know that there is a stalker in his midst. Can he and his friends survive the weekend?
I absolutely loved the old school slasher vibes. The banter between characters was catty and realistic and so much fun to read. There are also times when the book got serious about some real issues (namely homophobia and racism). In short, this book has it all. One part was so deliciously outrageous (I won’t spoil it) that I literally messaged the author, “DID THAT REALLY JUST HAPPEN?!” 😂 I have been following Brady for a while because I love horror and he’s such a fun and interesting person. When he started promoting his new book I scoped it out and was sold with his description: “Cardinal Rules is a twist between ‘80s and ‘90s slasher horror and the LGBTQ+ community, filled with blood, gore, and a little glitter.” I mean, enough said. Sold.
Thank you so much to the author for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Can’t wait to see what he comes up with next!
Brady Phoenix’s love of 80s/90s style slasher/horror films comes through in a big way with his debut book, “Cardinal Rules”. The story’s main character is DJ, who has some reservations about the LGBTQIA+ community, but decides to go out of town and embrace his true self with friends at a Pride festival. Little does he know that there is a stalker in his midst. Can he and his friends survive the weekend?
I absolutely loved the old school slasher vibes. The banter between characters was catty and realistic and so much fun to read. There are also times when the book got serious about some real issues (namely homophobia and racism). In short, this book has it all. One part was so deliciously outrageous (I won’t spoil it) that I literally messaged the author, “DID THAT REALLY JUST HAPPEN?!” 😂 I have been following Brady for a while because I love horror and he’s such a fun and interesting person. When he started promoting his new book I scoped it out and was sold with his description: “Cardinal Rules is a twist between ‘80s and ‘90s slasher horror and the LGBTQ+ community, filled with blood, gore, and a little glitter.” I mean, enough said. Sold.
Thank you so much to the author for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Can’t wait to see what he comes up with next!
March 7, 2021
Was a good fast paced read, took me awhile to figure out who the killer was. Really enjoyed the ending. I just don’t know that the motive was convincing as I wished it could have been!!! Would be a good teen slasher movie!
March 14, 2021
A queer slasher that exudes 80s/90s movie vibes? SIGN! ME! UP!
CARDINAL RULES by Brady Phoenix was everything I needed right now and didn't even know it. Those who know me know that I *LOVE* slasher horror - so much that I started a podcast dedicated to the best and worst slasher movies of the 80s this year! So when I heard about Cardinal Rules I knew I had to have it. And I could not put it down!
You know how so many 80s/90s horror movies set you up with a mysterious background, some main characters, a basic plot outline, and then take place at a summer camp? Well, this one does similar things but then takes place during a PRIDE weekend and some of the hotspots stemming from that. YES! And once the parties start then the body count begins to rise. There are some real fun death scenes in this, too! And a costumed slasher is always fun - like who does not want to read about or see a killer dressed up like a cardinal with razor talons?!
This book begins with a traumatic domestic incident and flashes back to the life/lives impacted by said event throughout the book. You definitely know someone is not being honest but you do not have a clue who is behind these grizzly murders at this weekend Pride celebration. As the story goes on, the past is uncovered more, and even more people start to die, everything starts coming full circle and it definitely sent me!
There are some characters I loved to love... and, well, a few more that I couldn't wait to meet The Cardinal. On a deeper level, this book does explore some of the bullying, racism, shaming, and toxicity within the LGBTQ+ community (so be ready for that). In a community longing for equality and acceptance there sure is a lot of tearing others down. I thought this level of complexity added a whole new meaning behind this book as well and the author was definitely able to execute this effectively.
In the end, I just had such a blast with Cardinal Rules and definitely recommend it! 4 stars! Thanks to the author for a review copy!
CARDINAL RULES by Brady Phoenix was everything I needed right now and didn't even know it. Those who know me know that I *LOVE* slasher horror - so much that I started a podcast dedicated to the best and worst slasher movies of the 80s this year! So when I heard about Cardinal Rules I knew I had to have it. And I could not put it down!
You know how so many 80s/90s horror movies set you up with a mysterious background, some main characters, a basic plot outline, and then take place at a summer camp? Well, this one does similar things but then takes place during a PRIDE weekend and some of the hotspots stemming from that. YES! And once the parties start then the body count begins to rise. There are some real fun death scenes in this, too! And a costumed slasher is always fun - like who does not want to read about or see a killer dressed up like a cardinal with razor talons?!
This book begins with a traumatic domestic incident and flashes back to the life/lives impacted by said event throughout the book. You definitely know someone is not being honest but you do not have a clue who is behind these grizzly murders at this weekend Pride celebration. As the story goes on, the past is uncovered more, and even more people start to die, everything starts coming full circle and it definitely sent me!
There are some characters I loved to love... and, well, a few more that I couldn't wait to meet The Cardinal. On a deeper level, this book does explore some of the bullying, racism, shaming, and toxicity within the LGBTQ+ community (so be ready for that). In a community longing for equality and acceptance there sure is a lot of tearing others down. I thought this level of complexity added a whole new meaning behind this book as well and the author was definitely able to execute this effectively.
In the end, I just had such a blast with Cardinal Rules and definitely recommend it! 4 stars! Thanks to the author for a review copy!
June 24, 2021
I love that there is a slasher novel centered around Pride and starring queer characters and kudos to the author for coming up with a really unique killer. Unfortunately, the quality and quantity of bad tropes and, in my opinion, poor representation (combination of both bad stereotypes and inaccurate reflections of acceptance within the community) made it difficult to read at times.
March 3, 2022
I quite enjoyed this Pride-set slasher. This was a pretty seamless and smooth read. Thus, it's easy for me to be compelled to race through from chapter to chapter. I also appreciate the social commentary on the toxicity that goes on within the LGBTQ+ community coming from a member of that community. It brings authenticity to the affair and brings forth discussions not a lot of people are prepared to have, such as the complexity of tackling the toxicity within the community but also not excusing those from outside using this to discredit the whole.
Aside from the social commentary stuff, the kills were pretty gruesome though I did wish there was more buildup before the kills. Also, I appreciate putting us in the shoes of someone who newly discovered he's part of the LGBTQ+ community, bringing us a non-partisan perspective even if I did question some of the main character's thinking but it's pretty believable when you're still finding yourself out as a youngster.
Aside from the social commentary stuff, the kills were pretty gruesome though I did wish there was more buildup before the kills. Also, I appreciate putting us in the shoes of someone who newly discovered he's part of the LGBTQ+ community, bringing us a non-partisan perspective even if I did question some of the main character's thinking but it's pretty believable when you're still finding yourself out as a youngster.
July 22, 2021
Cardinal Rules has the best intentions. A gory 80s/90s throwback set at a Pride celebration, commenting on issues facing the LGBTQ+ community. The premise lured me in, and I wanted to love it.
There were parts of Cardinal Rules that were problematic for me, that served as hurdles to my enjoyment. However, I appreciate how challenging it is to write a book, particularly one with ties back into your personal life, and how involved self-publishing is, so I want to make my comments from a place of constructive criticism. I could see the merit in Brady Phoenix's ideas and intentions, but I think the execution could use some refinement in the future.
I struggled with some of the grammar. The narration oscillates through tenses in the same scene, often the same paragraph. Every time it switches from past tense to present and back with no apparently purpose, it jars me and takes me out of the story. Much of the prose is also clunky. Phrases and sentences have more words and modifiers than are necessary. Phoenix does more "telling" than showing in his scenes. These could be stylistic preferences, but I feel the emotional impact he is trying to elicit would be better achieved with description rather than flat summary. The novel could have benefitted from a deeper edit to tighten the consistency and style and some restructuring to present the same scenes in more immersive language.
Phoenix uses Cardinal Rules to make a lot of social commentary, which ultimately is horror's underlying purpose. He approaches the rejection and ostracization LGBTQ+ people experience with their families and society as a whole but also the racism and other discrimination within the community itself. He makes great points that I absolutely agree with, but he comes at them so heavy handed. Rather than presenting the situation and persuading his readers to his side, he again flat-out tells them how to think. The protagonist, DJ, is so condescending and judgy that he spends the entire novel on various soapboxes, preaching or whining. It makes it difficult to empathize with his character and want him to survive the story. If the dialog was more natural and the interactions painted more organically, I think the reader would get where Phoenix wants on their own.
The 80/90s slasher framework is super predictable and ultra cliché, but that is exactly what it should be. It follows the formula you have come to know and love because the divergence is the setting and cast of characters. The right tropes pop up when you expect them to, and you smile as you roll your eyes at the corny lines. It is that kind of movie... er... book.
There were parts of Cardinal Rules that were problematic for me, that served as hurdles to my enjoyment. However, I appreciate how challenging it is to write a book, particularly one with ties back into your personal life, and how involved self-publishing is, so I want to make my comments from a place of constructive criticism. I could see the merit in Brady Phoenix's ideas and intentions, but I think the execution could use some refinement in the future.
I struggled with some of the grammar. The narration oscillates through tenses in the same scene, often the same paragraph. Every time it switches from past tense to present and back with no apparently purpose, it jars me and takes me out of the story. Much of the prose is also clunky. Phrases and sentences have more words and modifiers than are necessary. Phoenix does more "telling" than showing in his scenes. These could be stylistic preferences, but I feel the emotional impact he is trying to elicit would be better achieved with description rather than flat summary. The novel could have benefitted from a deeper edit to tighten the consistency and style and some restructuring to present the same scenes in more immersive language.
Phoenix uses Cardinal Rules to make a lot of social commentary, which ultimately is horror's underlying purpose. He approaches the rejection and ostracization LGBTQ+ people experience with their families and society as a whole but also the racism and other discrimination within the community itself. He makes great points that I absolutely agree with, but he comes at them so heavy handed. Rather than presenting the situation and persuading his readers to his side, he again flat-out tells them how to think. The protagonist, DJ, is so condescending and judgy that he spends the entire novel on various soapboxes, preaching or whining. It makes it difficult to empathize with his character and want him to survive the story. If the dialog was more natural and the interactions painted more organically, I think the reader would get where Phoenix wants on their own.
The 80/90s slasher framework is super predictable and ultra cliché, but that is exactly what it should be. It follows the formula you have come to know and love because the divergence is the setting and cast of characters. The right tropes pop up when you expect them to, and you smile as you roll your eyes at the corny lines. It is that kind of movie... er... book.
March 5, 2021
I was given this book for an honest review.
I absolutely loved reading this book! There is a predictability that is very prominent in 80s and 90s slasher movies. It was no surprise who the killer was. The motive was what surprised me. It was full of flashbacks that helped explain why the killer became so deadly. I also liked that the point of view was in multiple characters, so the showing vs. telling was okay for me. If it had too much showing, I would think that it would take the reader out of viewing it from an outside perspective. The characterization was interesting that there are gay characters that are placed in the story as caricatures like we see in horror movies (jock, nerd, slut, minority, drug user). I thought that the extremes of the characters worked for the story to make the horror labels evident. As a reader, I felt like I was watching a cheesy horror movie without turning on the tv! It also doesn’t take itself too seriously like horror normally doesn’t, and neither should the readers!
The book highlighted many issues that are relatable like racism, LGBT discrimination, child abuse, etc. and I loved how the author twisted those issues from an LGBT perspective.
There may be an opportunity or two that could be better like the pacing, but I’m giving it five stars because it is a new story with paying homage to the horror stories that we all have grown to love, and including characters that are not straight or white. There were no loose ends which is great! Horror needs to be celebrated with people that aren’t who we have grown up seeing majority of the time. Gay people and people of color can be a final girl/guy and be looked at as a strong character too!
I can’t wait to see what is next from the author!
Congratulations.
I absolutely loved reading this book! There is a predictability that is very prominent in 80s and 90s slasher movies. It was no surprise who the killer was. The motive was what surprised me. It was full of flashbacks that helped explain why the killer became so deadly. I also liked that the point of view was in multiple characters, so the showing vs. telling was okay for me. If it had too much showing, I would think that it would take the reader out of viewing it from an outside perspective. The characterization was interesting that there are gay characters that are placed in the story as caricatures like we see in horror movies (jock, nerd, slut, minority, drug user). I thought that the extremes of the characters worked for the story to make the horror labels evident. As a reader, I felt like I was watching a cheesy horror movie without turning on the tv! It also doesn’t take itself too seriously like horror normally doesn’t, and neither should the readers!
The book highlighted many issues that are relatable like racism, LGBT discrimination, child abuse, etc. and I loved how the author twisted those issues from an LGBT perspective.
There may be an opportunity or two that could be better like the pacing, but I’m giving it five stars because it is a new story with paying homage to the horror stories that we all have grown to love, and including characters that are not straight or white. There were no loose ends which is great! Horror needs to be celebrated with people that aren’t who we have grown up seeing majority of the time. Gay people and people of color can be a final girl/guy and be looked at as a strong character too!
I can’t wait to see what is next from the author!
Congratulations.
April 17, 2021
Brady Phoenix’s debut, “Cardinal Rules”, is a love letter to slasher films of the 80s and 90s, while also blending in some very real world problems. Phoenix is a powerful voice for the LGBTQ community, bringing awareness to the issues the community unfortunately faces daily. He does this, however, by inserting the topic flawlessly into a genre most people are familiar and comfortable with - a slasher.
Quick plot: DJ is talked into going to a pride parade with friends, and soon finds himself stalked by a hooded and masked maniac looking to slice up everyone in sight. It is strongly reminiscent of a 90s slasher with its characters and wit. It’s gory, suspenseful, and will keep you on your toes with an ominous backstory and super creepy villain (I could picture this killer on a big screen). I thought I had the villain picked out from the moment a certain character was first mentioned...but, there was a situation with an axe that closed the door on that theory.
If you like a good mystery, throwback slasher story (I appreciated the nods to Urban Legend and I Know What You Did Last Summer), grab a copy of “Cardinal Rules.”
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 27, 2021
I don't normally choose a horror novel but this one was a who done it that I just couldn't figure out. Held my interest to the very end!
October 13, 2025
I really enjoyed this book!
I thought the characters were well developed even the killers. I'm still learning about the LGBTQ community, but I really appreciated the insight into that world.
I thought the characters were well developed even the killers. I'm still learning about the LGBTQ community, but I really appreciated the insight into that world.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews