Scan barcode
hauntedantiqueshop's review against another edition
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.0
Fully went into this thinking it was a sequel to Hellbound Heart when really, it’s got one character (Pinhead and he sucks ass in this book) from the book and then it’s all about Harry D’Amour. Whom is he? No clue, idk that man. I finished it but I hated every second of it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Murder, Physical abuse, Violence, and Torture
Moderate: Ableism, Alcohol, and Self harm
Minor: Rape and Sexual content
pkpoppies's review against another edition
5.0
As a huge Hellraiser fan perhaps I am biased in my praise of Barker’s recent works, but I thoroughly enjoyed this. His writing style is fluid and artistic and pleasing to read. The characters, admittedly, were nothing extraordinarily exciting but the descriptions of mortality, hell, and the afterlife were beautiful in accompaniment with his style.
leirben's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual violence, War, Rape, Gore, Torture, and Violence
lancemama's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Violence, Body horror, Torture, Injury/Injury detail, War, Murder, Slavery, Gun violence, Death, Sexual violence, Cursing, Fatphobia, Gore, Kidnapping, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Excrement and Vomit
Minor: Police brutality, Animal cruelty, and Animal death
beastreader's review against another edition
4.0
I have seen several of the HellRaiser movies, however this is the first book that I have actually read about the famed Pinhead. I can remember watching some of the movies and being scared but fascinated at the same time. So I was looking forward to reading this book. Well it did have the horror and gore that I was expecting from this book. I was fascinated by everything happening in this story. I would be lost in the moment reading and have to tear myself away to attend to real life. I could read this book and sleep just fine with no nightmares. Don't know if this is a good thing or that I am a little sick and twisted like Mr. Barker and enjoy reading this stuff. Either way, I did enjoy reading this book.
I just was a little disappointed that there was not a big battle between Pinhead and Detective D'Amour. They did interact but not on the level and high intensity that I was hoping and looking forward towards. Although the depths of Hell and the details that Mr. Barker wrote about this world did make up some for what was lacking. I now plan to go back and re-watch the movies and check out all of the prior novels.
I just was a little disappointed that there was not a big battle between Pinhead and Detective D'Amour. They did interact but not on the level and high intensity that I was hoping and looking forward towards. Although the depths of Hell and the details that Mr. Barker wrote about this world did make up some for what was lacking. I now plan to go back and re-watch the movies and check out all of the prior novels.
nuclearranter's review against another edition
4.0
I, like many others, had been waiting for this book for a long time. Thankfully, Clive Barker's return to adult horror is a fast paced, thrilling adventure directly into Hell itself. Bringing together probably his two most famous characters, Harry D'Amour and The Hell Priest (aka Pinhead) and providing resolutions to both their stories is both satisfying and bittersweet. I'd highly recommend this one, as I would almost anything Barker has written.
johnbreeden's review against another edition
4.0
In this novel, the Cenobite, Pinhead, is amassing power to achieve a grand, if impossible, goal. In his progress to overtake the powers of Hell, he chooses a chronicler, a witness, to write the gospels of his triumph. The task is forced on Harry D'Amour, a detective who has been touched by the otherworldly most of his life. What follows are Harry & his friends' struggles to save a friend taken by the Cenobite. Pinhead's goal is a lofty one, however, and may not be within his reach.
I am generally not a fan of gory horror. This novel, while having some references to the body horror so closely tied to Hellraiser, spends more time on developing the psychological horror for the characters. I appreciate the way that Barker has toyed with some of the elements that have come up in the movies, ones which he personally dislikes. At the same time, I was surprised by two things with the resolution.
Lucifer's escape: I feel that this was a call for some future book to come. What path will the fallen angel take? Can he escape from punishment? I am surprised that after 5 years, no rumor of a follow-up has surfaced. I think one could do well.
Pinhead's death: As much as Lucifer's escape sets up a call for a sequel, Pinhead's death seems to firmly slam the door on any future use of the Cenobites. I am surprised that Barker would so readily close that avenue for future exploration.
I can only say that I enjoyed this even more than I expected to.
Spoiler
I am generally not a fan of gory horror. This novel, while having some references to the body horror so closely tied to Hellraiser, spends more time on developing the psychological horror for the characters. I appreciate the way that Barker has toyed with some of the elements that have come up in the movies, ones which he personally dislikes. At the same time, I was surprised by two things with the resolution.
Lucifer's escape: I feel that this was a call for some future book to come. What path will the fallen angel take? Can he escape from punishment? I am surprised that after 5 years, no rumor of a follow-up has surfaced. I think one could do well.
Pinhead's death: As much as Lucifer's escape sets up a call for a sequel, Pinhead's death seems to firmly slam the door on any future use of the Cenobites. I am surprised that Barker would so readily close that avenue for future exploration.
I can only say that I enjoyed this even more than I expected to.
rachelbohlen's review against another edition
4.0
How do I even begin to review this book? If you're thinking about reading The Scarlet Gospels, you're probably already a Clive Barker fan. If you're not, run, don't walk, to Wikipedia to get an idea of what you're in for. If you've read Barker before, you know what to expect: gore, gore, violence, scary scenes that you can't read before bed, alternate universes, and delightfully horrific characters. I can promise you that all of that is here. The Scarlet Gospels follows the return of two of Barker's iconic characters: Pinhead (but please don't call him that to his face) and Harry D'Amour. What follows is an adventure into and through Hell. If you're a fan of Barker's other works, you will enjoy this novel. The reason why I give this 4 stars instead of 5 is because I think that exploring too much of Pinhead's background takes away some of the horror from his character. The scariest thing is always the unknown, and a huge part of the appeal of his initial appearance in Hellbound Heart is that we DON'T know details about him--just that he's a crazy demon who likes to torture people. For me, this book "humanized" Pinhead in a way that I didn't really want. That being said, the book was still fantastic, and I think it's a must-read for fans of horror.
rpcroke's review against another edition
3.0
This is a real solid read, just a bit imbalanced in my opinion. Pinhead seemed like two different characters as the story wore on. And hell wasn't all that hellish toward the end.
Yet it was a fun read with a great pace. The protagonist was fun and I was definitely rooting for him. I would say this is worth reading but it's tamer than you may expect.
Yet it was a fun read with a great pace. The protagonist was fun and I was definitely rooting for him. I would say this is worth reading but it's tamer than you may expect.