Ephialtes: A Horror Collection

by Terry M. West, A.J. Carter (Narrator), Paul Burt (Narrator)

Running Time => 5hrs. and 30mins.

©2021 Terry M. West (P)2021 Terry M. West

Audible Audio

First published February 12, 2021

About the author

Terry M. West is an American horror author. His best known works: What Price Gory, Car Nex, Dreg and his Night Things series. He was a finalist for 2 International Horror Guild Awards and he was featured on the TV Guide Sci-Fi hot list for his YA graphic novel series, Confessions of a Teenage Vampire. Terry was born in Texas, lived in New York for two decades and he currently hangs his hat in California.
www.terrymwest.com

Reviews

[Richard Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

The latest book from Terry M. West reprints three previously available novellas into one shiny new package. Featuring creepy opening story, ‘Transfer’, followed up by the disturbing ‘The Devil’s List’ (inspired by a real-life serial killer) and closing with the buddy horror-comedy, ‘The Plumbers’, Ephialtes covers a broad spectrum of sub-genres, but how does each story fare?

Transfer
Howard and Nick work the nightshift at Big Carl’s Video, providing editing and video transfer services for birthdays, wedding and other events. When a mysterious video appears in their queue without explanation they are initially intrigued by its origin, but as things escalate and spiral out of control, their curiosity may be the thing that ultimately damns them. Think ‘The Ring’ meets ‘Sinister’ by way of ‘Clerks’ and you may have an idea what to expect here. It’s the books outright scariest story, featuring cursed videos and an unforgettable monster, but it’s the camaraderie between the older Howard and millennial Nick which elevates this story to something genuinely great.

The Devil’s List
This story opens with a caution regarding content, and it is certainly a justified warning. Tackling some difficult subjects in an unflinching and uncomfortable way, this one was a tough read but never felt exploitative. The story follows Chuck, who had a difficult upbringing with an abusive father and suffered continued bullying due to a facial disfigurement. Now grown up and caring for his elderly grandfather, during a moment of weakness and anger he is possessed by a demon, who uses him to commit horrendous acts of atrocity. The story explores Chuck’s actions, leaving it up to the reader to decide whether he truly is possessed, or if it has been him, and him alone, the whole time. It’s a tough but rewarding read, carefully handled and well-executed.

The Plumbers
After the gut-punch that is ‘The Devil’s List, it was nice to end the book on a more light-hearted note. Set during a pandemic, where a disease known as ‘the crud’ infects people, turning them violent and irrational, the story follows a pair of plumbers sent to a high-profile job in an upmarket neighbourhood that just happens to be in one of the cities infected zones. Part buddy, road-trip comedy and part zombie apocalypse pastiche, this was a very funny story with a lot of heart at its core. The central friendship of Liam and Pierce provides a lot of the humour, but also adds to the tension once things get messy in the final act.

I’m hard-pressed to pick a favourite story from Ephialtes. Each one provides a very different reading experience and I enjoyed each short in very different ways, whether that was being scared (Transfer), appalled (The Devil’s List) or made to laugh out loud (The Plumbers). Each story transcends its core premise by providing likeable and memorable characters to root for or presenting us with a protagonist so unlikeable, that they are equally unforgettable for very different reasons. No matter what your personal taste in horror, there is something for everyone with this book and is a rare collection where every offering is consistently entertaining.


You can read more reviews of new and upcoming horror releases at https://www.myindiemuse.com/richard-m...
I also promote indie horror via Twitter and Instagram - @RickReadsHorror