A Lower Deep

by Tom Piccirilli

A man known only as the Necromancer and his demonic familiar named "Self" wander the spectral highways of the countryside, incurring the wrath of both heaven and hell -- and facing the curses of the damned. But it's a figure from his past that may drive the Necromancer into a hell even he cannot escape. Jebediah DeLancre, the leader of the Necromancer's old coven, has created a new coven, an evil band determined to use the black arts for their own hideous ends.

The Necromancer is forced to return to his home, a place haunted by memories where years earlier his original coven was destroyed, and where Danielle, the only love of his life, met an awful death. Together with Self, the Necromancer must battle not only his former master, but the members of the new coven and the jealous ghosts of his old one . . . all the while taunted by the possibility that Danielle may return from the dead.

Genres: Horror, Fantasy, Fiction

363 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published October 1, 2001

About the author

Thomas Piccirilli (May 27, 1965 – July 11, 2015) was an American novelist and short story writer.

Piccirilli sold over 150 stories in the mystery, thriller, horror, erotica, and science fiction fields. He was a two-time winner of the International Thriller Writers Award for "Best Paperback Original" (2008, 2010). He was a four-time winner of the Bram Stoker Award. He was also a finalist for the 2009 Edgar Allan Poe Award given by the Mystery Writers of America, a final nominee for the Fantasy Award, and the winner of the first Bram Stoker Award given in the category of "Best Poetry Collection".

Reviews

[Karl]

This is copy 54 of 200 hardcover copies printed and signed an numbered by Tom Piccirilli.

The book is Dark Essentials book Volume 3 Book 3.

The Dust Jacket is by Mike Bohatch.

[Crystal Staley · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Craig · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wow... I rarely admit that I don't understand something that I've read, but this one was just way beyond my range. It's very nicely written, filled with lyrical passages and verbal images, and it may be a really profound and illuminating examination of religion and thought and I-dunno-what-all, but I was completely lost most of the time. It has a nice flavor of some of the works of Roger Zelazny and Gene Wolfe, maybe a bit of R.A. Lafferty, but I'm sure that there was a whole lot there that I just didn't get at all. It does feature a really striking spooky-clown cover.

[William M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

4 AND 1/2 STARS

Tom Piccirilli proves once again that how truly unique he is. There are painters that you can instantly notice even if you were to only see a portion of the picture. The same with brilliant filmmakers. You see thirty seconds of a Martin Scorsese film and you know it's his. Well, the same goes for Tom Piccirilli. I had permanent smile on my face for the entire book, completely engrossed and fascinated with his authentic world of the occult. This might be confusing for some because it is not your standard narrative style, but it is still HIGHLY RECOMMENDED if you want something different.

[Paige Green · Rating 1 out of 5]

When I started reading this book, it made no sense. There were references to unknown things that were left unexplained, and there were several actions that were described as though they were done for obvious reasons, but I had no idea why any of it was going on. I kept waiting for it all to come together at the end, so everything that was so confusing would finally have an explanation, but instead the unexplained things just kept piling up and were never explained. The two things that were explained were explained in such a way that I felt the explanation needed to be explained.

The way he set up characters and scenes, on the other hand, were painfully obvious. For example, he wants you to know that the scene is dangerous, so he gives you line after line of descriptors like how the wine was the color of blood, branches looked like reaching arms, settling timbers sounded like hammer blows, etc. After a little while I was thinking, "OK it's dangerous, got it."

To me it just seemed like he was assuming that the reader was an idiot when it came to literary techniques and a genius when it came to magic and necromancy. I am neither a literary idiot or a magic genius, so I guess that right there will explain why I did not at all enjoy this book.

[Frank · Rating 1 out of 5]

If I could give this a zero star review I would.

[Matt · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5

The Darkness comic series meets Clive Barker in a dark fantasy setting. Sometimes can be a little overly indulgent and wordy at times, but that's a small issue. Piccirilli paints a vivid picture for the most part and moves things along with abstract action sequences and dry wit.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

The cover art for this novel baffles me. It made me think that the story was about a psychotic clown who murders children at birthday parties or something. I only bought the book because I'd previously enjoyed some of the author's other work. Having finally read it, I get why the clown is so significant, but I still have no idea why the publisher selected that particular character/image. To me, the cover is neither appealing nor a helpful indication of what kind of story you're getting. Sure, it's a bold, unconventional choice, but its bold and unconventional simply for the sake of being bold and unconventional. I can see people saying, "That's an interesting cover," but I can't imagine anyone saying, "I really like that cover."
However, there is one one respect in which the cover does feel appropriate: as a harbinger of the weird narrative style Piccirilli employs here--a style that is similarly bold and unconventional in an unappealing way. The man has a lot of talent; he just needs an editor to rein him in sometimes. A LOWER DEEP reminded me--in a really good way--of "occult detective" movies like CONSTANTINE and DR. STRANGE (but with a nastier, Clive Barker-type edge), yet it felt way too pretentious for what is essentially a pulp horror novel. It's also more than a tad sacrilegious--not that I expect Piccirilli fans to dock him points for that.
Despite my little rant, however, I'll readily admit that this is one wildly imaginative novel. Conceptually, I love it, though it let me down in terms of execution. On a final note, I'm glad I read the short story collection PENTACLE prior to this, since having a solid grounding in this mythos undoubtedly boosted my enjoyment.

[Timothy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Eh...I felt like this book should have come with a reference book. There were a lot of references to things I did not understand and a ton of characters who were hard to tell apart. There was a good story in there somewhere, but it was just buried under way too much confusion. If you considering yourself an expert on different religions maybe you'll enjoy this book more than I did.

[Marie Sexton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe closer to 3.5? This is the third (or fourth?) Tom Piccirilli book I've read. Some of them are smooth, easy reads, some (like this one) feel more like absinthe-induced trips down the rabbit hole, but all of them are strangely addictive. I'm piling everything he's written onto my TBR pile.

[Brice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tom Piccirilli writes like leather: smooth, tempting, comfortable and, in the right hands, dangerous.
A LOWER DEEP is just that... dangerous. It's a book teeming with magic. From characters steeped in the dark arts to Piccirilli's fluid, inspiring, tantalizing prose, the book is far too easy to get lost in.
However, that can also be the downfall here as I found myself, at times, having to go back and reread passages because I didn't take it all in the first time reading.... that may be my fault because Piccirilli's writing always demands an environment fully free of distractions.
Regardles,, it's a minor complaint and one that shouldn't prompt anyone to avoid this book.

[Justin Decloux · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tom Piccirilli writes his own spin on HELLBLAZER and it crackles like a great action-horror blockbuster. There's the disgraced hero who's very good at what he does, an army of horrifying creatures, and a lot of sarcastic humour. Piccirilli's decision to soak his story in real-life theology and history may turn some readers off, but I loved every reference to obscure demonic figures and little-discussed religious texts.

It's a shame he didn't do any more Self novels!

[Highweirdness · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is simply not good. I wanted to try this because I had seen that other works were nominated for the Bram Stoker award. Alas, I read halfway and couldn’t tolerate it any longer. My hunch is someone found an early draft of a novella and printed it as is, based on some contractual obligation. Or maybe it was a giant fuck you to the publisher.

There is no set up to the characters. There is no context to what is happening. This is a steady stream of babbledygook. Very not good at all.

[Aurora Dimitre · Rating 5 out of 5]

So here's the thing about me.

If a book is using real pretty words to describe real gross stuff, I will like the book. It will not matter if I double-checked a hundred pages in to make sure that there wasn't a book I missed, because let's be real here, Piccirilli just throws you in and expects you to swim. But I had a lot of fun. Definitely swallowed some water, but we got there eventually.

And it is so pretty.

[Nicholas Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really deserves a much higher rater. Tom is one of few seriously talented writers in horror.

[Signor Mambrino · Rating 1 out of 5]

Did not enjoy this. The Self short stories were better.

[Stefania · Rating 3 out of 5]

da www.sognipensieriparole.com

"Nell'abisso profondo"è il romanzo dell'autore quattro volte vincitore del Bram Stoker Award, Tom Piccirilli, edito dalla Casa Editrice Gargoyle lo scorso 6 settembre.

Ammetto che la bella cover di questo romanzo, unita ad una trama davvero interessante, oltre al ricco curriculum dell'autore (Piccirilli è uno scrittore prolifico: più di 150 opere pubblicate negli Stati Uniti), mi ha dato validi motivi e buone speranze per immergermi nella lettura di questo romanzo.
A lettura conclusa confesso però che non è facile dare una chiara e definitiva valutazione a questo libro.
Se dovessi infatti trovare immediatamente un unico aggettivo con cui descriverlo potrei usare il termine "complicato". Penso infatti che queste pagine richiedano al lettore un grosso sforzo di concentrazione per non perdere l'attenzione durante i numerosi passi in cui l'autore ricorre all'uso di termini tratti dal pensiero ebraico, dall'esoterismo e da concetti islamici ai più sconosciuti.
Potrebbero comunque andare bene anche aggettivi come "disordinato" ed a tratti "delirante", perché più volte ho avuto l'impressione di essermi persa qualche scena o qualche spiegazione di fondamentale importanza per la comprensione della narrazione.
Se quello che i più possono interpretare, a seguito di una lettura superficiale del romanzo, come caos della narrazione o, se la prima impressione a caldo che i più ricaveranno è quella di confusione, solo i più attenti riusciranno a vedere nello scritto di Piccirilli una strategia non banale. Non vi nascondo che il mio primo istinto è stato quello di abbandonare la lettura di questo libro, purtroppo, ma per fortuna ho saputo resistere per trovarmi oggi, a distanza di qualche giorno dall'ultimazione della stessa, in grado si apprezzarlo.
Certo, resta il fatto che non sia una lettura facile e leggera, perché la strategia dell'autore è proprio quella di ricreare un senso di dualismo mistico che si riscontra anche nella doppia personalità del protagonista: il Negromante, con il suo Me, nei panni di un demone dall'umorismo sardonico.

Il Negromante, o Maestro invocatore, viene richiamato con un tranello dal maestro della sua congrega, ormai sciolta, Jebediah deLancre, al fine di ricreare una nuova Coven con streghe e zombie (da questo capite che in parte il romanzo appartiene anche al genere horror), per richiamare sulla terra il Cristo e scatenare l'Armageddon.
Quali siano le motivazioni che spingano quell'essere sadico e crudele di Jebediah a scatenare un tale putiferio, a voi il compito di scoprirle.
Vi posso aggiungere, per non svelare troppi dettagli della trama, che per costringere a collaborare il Negromante, Jebediah si servirà dell'amore ormai perduto del Maestro Invocatore, Danielle.

L'ambientazione, fin dalle prime pagine, cattura l'attenzione del lettore amante dello stile dark, riflettendo ancora, con il gioco di colori e luci, il dualismo di cui vi ho parlato sopra.

Narrato in prima persona dalla bocca del Negromante, provato psicologicamente dal suo passato, non ci presenta un quadro chiaro dell'aspetto di tutti i personaggi, ma di contro, si sofferma a lungo sugli aspetti fisici raccapriccianti di alcuni di loro, e soprattutto su quelli di DeLancre.

«I suoi capelli erano cresciuti indietro, spolverati di bianco, e le labbra si erano cicatrizzate in modo non perfetto. Il labbro superiore era spostato di molto a sinistra, tanto che una parte del canino giallo restava perennemente esposta in un ghigno beffardo.»

Cosa tiene vivo l'interesse del lettore? Sicuramente, io sono stata invogliata a portare a termine la lettura per trovare il senso completo del romanzo, che l'autore fornirà proprio sul finale. Un consiglio: non scoraggiatevi alle prime pagine, verrete ricompensati alla fine.

Discutibili scelte narrative dunque per un romanzo dedicato ad un pubblico attento; una lettura che va meditata a fondo, considerato il fatto che tocca anche un argomento delicato quale quello religioso.
Una lettura che consiglio? Sì, solo però se siete pronti all'horror apocalittico visionario e cercate qualcosa di nuovo ed originale.

[Mike Kazmierczak · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone who has read more of Piccirilli's later works, this novel was significantly different. I'm used to his crime noir or pulp fiction type stories. Something hard hitting and gritty and intense. A LOWER DEEP gives us some of that but puts it into a different environment. Instead of real world, the world is full of sorcery and magic, religion and Satanism, and Armageddon.

The unnamed Necromancer and his familiar Self are forced to confront their old coven leader Jebediah DeLancre who wants to force the premature return of Christ; this would trigger Armageddon. Necromancer is tempted though because Jebediah promises the resurrection of Necromancer's true love. The story takes the character across the world through places such as stopping a witch's coven, a haunted monastery and finally the climax in Jerusalem. Along the way Necromancer must fight with his own ghosts and his own zombie father.

Most of the time I have problems with books centered around magic. There doesn't seem to be much to stop the author from creating whatever magical spells they need. Too few limitations and too few ramifications of those magic spells. This book though didn't fall into that arena. There were some amazing spells being cast but the whole book had a gritty feel that made it more real. It was not as fantastical as it might seem. The book does contain a lot though: Christianity, paganism, witchcraft, multiple demons, zombies, gore, violence, laughs and powerful themes that you'll remember after finishing the book. I probably wouldn't recommend this book as a starting point for Piccirilli's work (try A CHOIR OF ILL CHILDREN or THE COLD SPOT instead) but this would absolutely fall on the highly recommended list.

[Jason · Rating 1 out of 5]

Piccirilli's writing reminds me of "that guy" in your creative writing workshop. & I mean "that guy" you find in your University writing workshop where everyone is there for their major or minor, not your casual "Hey! Let's start a writing workshop!" workshop. He's that guy who's prose is lacking in every way & actually writes out, "Ha ha ha ha!", when a character laughs. The guy who always writes "he said" or "she said" without observing other ways of writing "he answered" or "replied" or "muttered".

In other words, sophomoric.

He's the guy who can come up with an interesting premise but executes it poorly--every time. A Lower Deep is one of these premises & it falls flat. Very flat. It reads like a excerpt of some larger work which the reader is not allowed to be part of--leaving the blanks to filled by someone else who isn't going to do it because they don't want to.

Piccirilli's character development happened somewhere off page & wasn't included in this anemic structured novel & it reads as such. The omission of development is glaring not only in character but in plot as well. It doesn't know if it wants to be an urban fantasy, horror or thriller novel & if it is an attempt at Bizarro Fiction, I've read better. How it got past an editor I'll never know because that can be the only explanation for how it went to press.

It's crap.

Plain & simple.

If you read it, it's your own damn fault.

[Crookedhouseofbooks · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have previously read A Choir Of Ill Children and had really liked it. This book, however, baffled me.

The story centers around a witch/necromancer that has separated from his mostly dead/destroyed coven. He has a familiar that he calls "Self" and the familiar is a very interesting and fun character. The coven is able to bring back the dead and enslave them. One such slave is the main character's father, who has been marked with incantations to appear as a harlequin-type clown (thus the cover of the book). So, there are definitely interesting concepts going on in the book but beyond what I have pointed out, there's little else worth noting.

I feel strongly about two things:

One, that this was written more like a sequel and there should be a first book that describes and introduces us to the characters and coven. The reader is basically thrown into the midst of this magical realm and is expected to pick up on everything without an introduction. Nothing really ever made much sense to me. I think that if I had had a stronger grasp on the whos and whats, I would have enjoyed the story.

Two, I have a strong feeling that if this were instead a graphic novel, it would have been okay to plunge in with such little introduction. It kinda reminded me of stories such as Constantine, with a hero that has magical powers, fighting the forces of evil in order to stop Armageddon. It just didn't function well as a novel.

[Chris Youngblood · Rating 2 out of 5]

I find myself caught in a strange love/hate relationship with this book. On the one hand, I felt the necromancer's skills and abilities, as well as the description of how magic worked within the story was highly entertaining and effective.

On the other hand, A Lower Deep is rife with references that make no sense, and are never fully explained. What, for instance, is the significance of the protagonist's familiar telling him "There is no wind" during one segment of the book? Is it something biblical in reference that someone more familiar with Christianity and the Rapture myth would understand? Some instances are more easily understood or assumed, while others remain unclear and obtuse to the point of causing issue with the flow of the tale.

I found the plot to be quite entertaining and inventive, and the necromancer's desire to prevent the coven from bringing about the end of the world was a new take on an old theme. Perhaps with a little polish and shine, and some more time, Mr. Piccirilli could have made this an outstanding and smoothly-flowing story.

[Arthur · Rating 5 out of 5]

With easy to understand reference into an occult world understanding from the mind of Piccirilli’s and his story of necromancy follows a certain passion from this point of view of Necromancer and his duplicated friend only known to be named Self. The two travel like homer’s odyssey or Dante’s Comedy through a world fallen into dishevel and paradox. Religion mixed with the seeking to bring back the earth and bring back the once crowned saviour. It’s funny how confusing much of this story seems at first that it pales with the abrupt ending. Yet more so was it in earnest interesting and entertaining. Action, violence, spells and death marred description and dialogue which through Piccirilli’s talents is not shoddiest in efforts at all. Well written and surprised by my understanding of everything Piccirilli uses to fulfill the story to climax ending.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had some cool magic and demonology in it, but most of it just didn't make sense. As one other reviewer said I am kind of in a love/hate relationship with it. The biblical references and the magic and the demons and darkness was so compelling, but much of the time i found myself completely lost. There was so much backstory I feel I missed half the plot. I thought there might be a prequel to this but it seems not- we just come into a half-finished story. I kept shaking my head about to give up on it then it started to get really cool, then just as I really began to enjoy it, it got incomprehensible again. Hard to rate it, really. I don't know if I will read anything else by this author, even though I have five or six of his other books on kindle.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a delicious and head-spinning read. Piccirilli throws his narrator and the story into the deeps of a conflict involving various demons and cults. Sometimes I had no idea what exactly was happening and just had to run with the lean prose and fill in the blanks. About half-way I realized that this leeway made the story even more fun. What does "Self" look like? How does a spell work? I can't tell you, but man did I have some crazy pyrotechnics playing through my mind. I liked this book so much, I tracked down an out-of-print paperback copy for another go at it.

[Sally Bisbee · Rating 2 out of 5]

I got this book because it had a 5-star rating on the B&N nook site. I was really disappointed in it. I'm not sure why it got all those great reviews. Oh well, live and learn and to each his own and all those other trite sayings.

:-)

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

The creepy cover says it all! Nouveau gothic horror.

[Brett]

Horror

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sadly there will be no more tales from Piccirilli, but this one was a surreal journey in to his fertile mind.