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pbro42's review
3.0
This was definitely a case where the cover (wrongly) influenced my expectations of the book. There’s a reason why the cliche exists, I guess.
The cartoony artwork made me think that this was a dark comedy. But I picked up the book after a Reddit recommendation, (H/T r/horrorlit) and I was happy to be proven wrong.
The content was decidedly NOT humorous, and at times jarringly gruesome. I was expecting religious horror and the slasher subplot was a surprising, yet not unwelcome addition.
Father Crowder is one of the least likable and unsympathetic protagonists I’ve encountered in a long time. Virtually every decision he made was wrong and reinforced his weaknesses. He may have been a shitty priest, but he was an even worse person.
By the end, I was kinda rooting for an ending in which both Malephar and he died horribly.
I found the the majority of the story to be somewhat predictable once the exorcism took place, but the set pieces around the ending at least made the final scene shocking enough to redeem a lot of the rest of the plot.
The author did too good a job of planting the seeds for many of the twists.
As soon as Danny said he was showing someone else the ropes, i suspected he meant Casey (despite the red herring with the new partner.)
And when Steve seemed to hint at his voyeuristic tendencies, it was confirmed long before the big reveal in which the only real surprise who the next victim was.
I was a little disappointed at not getting the full explanation of Danny’s “origin.” And not hearing the reasoning behind his MO made the big reveal less impactful.
The cartoony artwork made me think that this was a dark comedy. But I picked up the book after a Reddit recommendation, (H/T r/horrorlit) and I was happy to be proven wrong.
The content was decidedly NOT humorous, and at times jarringly gruesome. I was expecting religious horror and the slasher subplot was a surprising, yet not unwelcome addition.
Father Crowder is one of the least likable and unsympathetic protagonists I’ve encountered in a long time. Virtually every decision he made was wrong and reinforced his weaknesses. He may have been a shitty priest, but he was an even worse person.
By the end, I was kinda rooting for an ending in which both Malephar and he died horribly.
I found the the majority of the story to be somewhat predictable once the exorcism took place, but the set pieces around the ending at least made the final scene shocking enough to redeem a lot of the rest of the plot.
The author did too good a job of planting the seeds for many of the twists.
As soon as Danny said he was showing someone else the ropes, i suspected he meant Casey (despite the red herring with the new partner.)
And when Steve seemed to hint at his voyeuristic tendencies, it was confirmed long before the big reveal in which the only real surprise who the next victim was.
I was a little disappointed at not getting the full explanation of Danny’s “origin.” And not hearing the reasoning behind his MO made the big reveal less impactful.
theremightbecupcakes's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Murder, Emotional abuse, Religious bigotry, Blood, Death, Sexual assault, and Violence
claudia_is_reading's review
2.0
Uf, this book is such an amalgam of clichés that I could predict which would be the next insult uttered by the demon. And now that I mentioned the demon... why his insults were always inaccurate? Aren't demons privy to our inner thoughts? Why its choice of barbs was always related to homosexuality instead of the true sins of the priest?
Second, I totally despised the protagonist. I can go with grey characters, but Father Jason Crowder is a snivelling, self-absorbed, hypocrite poor excuse for a priest who only excels in self-justification. Ah, he's also good at casuistic, but that goes with the job :/ (view spoiler) If the main character has no redeeming attributes and only dresses his acts as altruistic when they are only fueled by lust... well, it won't get my sympathies.
Add to that that the plot holes could let a herd of elephants pass through them and that the twists were inconsistent and only there for shock value and you'll understand why I don't think highly of this story.
And last, graphic descriptions of sexual violence don't make per se a good horror story.
Sorry, but I won't be reading more books by this author
Second, I totally despised the protagonist. I can go with grey characters, but Father Jason Crowder is a snivelling, self-absorbed, hypocrite poor excuse for a priest who only excels in self-justification. Ah, he's also good at casuistic, but that goes with the job :/ (view spoiler) If the main character has no redeeming attributes and only dresses his acts as altruistic when they are only fueled by lust... well, it won't get my sympathies.
Add to that that the plot holes could let a herd of elephants pass through them and that the twists were inconsistent and only there for shock value and you'll understand why I don't think highly of this story.
And last, graphic descriptions of sexual violence don't make per se a good horror story.
Sorry, but I won't be reading more books by this author
tyoung2058's review
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Creepy twist to demon possessions
hamo_02's review
3.0
Really enjoyed the first “book” or half of it but as soon as the 2nd part kicked in it lost its mojo
paperbackstash's review
3.0
An excellent follow-up to the novella, it was hard to put down. I would have rated it higher, but I didn't like the last chapter at all and it bugged me. Despite being a horror novel, there are just ways evil shouldn't win, and I have a soft spot for the priests Sutherland and Patterson. I'll have to doublecheck the spelling of both names (awful memory). Very different than the first book and in some ways better. Full review to come.
sillylilsith's review
3.0
“Who needs a policeman when you have a priest?”
•
Read for a disturbing exorcism story with a truly gruesome finale
•
I don’t read stories about possessions often because they freak me out and give me nightmares, but I heard such good things about Janz’s Exorcist Falls that I wanted to give it a read.
The copy I received is split into two parts: Exorcist Road and Exorcist Falls. Exorcist Road is the novella that Janz wrote first and it was truly excellent. It gave strong The Exorcism vibes, but still felt like its own story. I read it in one sitting because it was so intense, I couldn’t put it down! The ending was shocking and I could not wait to dive into Exorcist Falls.
After part one ends, we pick up right where we left off in part two and dive right back into the craziness. Unfortunately after a wild opening, the pacing becomes a lil inconsistent. But the biggest flaw is in the characters. The evil characters are written pretty perfectly, but the rest I struggled with. Especially the females and the main character. Both parts of the book share the same narrator, Father James Crowder, and he is hard to root for. He’s creepy and whiny and off putting. Maybe this was done of purpose? Either way I did not like him at all. He really took away from my favorite part of demonic possession stories, which is the spiritual hero. We got glimpses of the spiritual hero in Father Sutherland and Father Patterson (two of the best characters overall), but they were very much used as side characters. The women in the story are either victims or eye candy with no in between (not even the nuns are safe). This would be more of a let down if they played larger roles and if not for the fact that none of the characters were ones you could really connect with anyway.
Overall, I did like the way that Exorcist Falls played out. Lots of twists and turns and some of the action scenes were pretty epic. The ending didn’t totally sit right with me, but I’d be lying if I said it didn’t have me shook! If you’re into demonic possession horror stories then I’d recommend you try this one, but if you aren’t sure or haven’t read one before then I’d probably skip it.
•
Read for a disturbing exorcism story with a truly gruesome finale
•
I don’t read stories about possessions often because they freak me out and give me nightmares, but I heard such good things about Janz’s Exorcist Falls that I wanted to give it a read.
The copy I received is split into two parts: Exorcist Road and Exorcist Falls. Exorcist Road is the novella that Janz wrote first and it was truly excellent. It gave strong The Exorcism vibes, but still felt like its own story. I read it in one sitting because it was so intense, I couldn’t put it down! The ending was shocking and I could not wait to dive into Exorcist Falls.
After part one ends, we pick up right where we left off in part two and dive right back into the craziness. Unfortunately after a wild opening, the pacing becomes a lil inconsistent. But the biggest flaw is in the characters. The evil characters are written pretty perfectly, but the rest I struggled with. Especially the females and the main character. Both parts of the book share the same narrator, Father James Crowder, and he is hard to root for. He’s creepy and whiny and off putting. Maybe this was done of purpose? Either way I did not like him at all. He really took away from my favorite part of demonic possession stories, which is the spiritual hero. We got glimpses of the spiritual hero in Father Sutherland and Father Patterson (two of the best characters overall), but they were very much used as side characters. The women in the story are either victims or eye candy with no in between (not even the nuns are safe). This would be more of a let down if they played larger roles and if not for the fact that none of the characters were ones you could really connect with anyway.
Overall, I did like the way that Exorcist Falls played out. Lots of twists and turns and some of the action scenes were pretty epic. The ending didn’t totally sit right with me, but I’d be lying if I said it didn’t have me shook! If you’re into demonic possession horror stories then I’d recommend you try this one, but if you aren’t sure or haven’t read one before then I’d probably skip it.
enchantressreads's review
4.5
4.5 stars rounded up for Goodreads!
Exorcist Falls contains the novella “Exorcist Road” and the follow up novel “Exorcist Falls.” Exorcist Falls is a straight connection to Exorcist Road, and I’m glad there was an extension because after finishing Road, I really wanted more!
Exorcist Road jumps right into the fray when Father Jason Crowder is contacted by Policeman Danny Hartman to come quickly to his brother’s house, where his nephew Casey is attacking his parents, even his little sister. In true Janz fashion, there is also another issue—The Sweet Sixteen Killer is roaming Chicago. Danny’s partner believes Casey may be the Sweet Sixteen Killer, but Danny himself believes Casey is possessed by a demon. Unfortunately or fortunately, Danny is right.
The nudges to the Exorcist are amazing without being theft. I laughed at one point when one of the characters says, “that sounds like that movie!” But it is not like the Exorcist... not at all. The similarities to the Exorcist are only the story that’s told. The real story goes so much further.
Exorcist Falls starts off 2 days after the events of Exorcist Road. We follow Jason as he navigates the world post-Exorcist Road. I do not want to fully review this book as it would spoil Road, but it was an action packed sequel. Janz has a perfect way of writing books that have a lot going on in them without being overwhelming. I’m a person who tends to feel like I’m studying for a test if there’s too much information, but I enjoyed and even retained a lot of the information from this book!
I’m giving this book 4.5 stars, which is a great rating, but I’m taking off .5 stars because I felt there was a bit of a disconnect between the two parts. However, I really enjoyed the way both parts were written individually.
Exorcist Falls contains the novella “Exorcist Road” and the follow up novel “Exorcist Falls.” Exorcist Falls is a straight connection to Exorcist Road, and I’m glad there was an extension because after finishing Road, I really wanted more!
Exorcist Road jumps right into the fray when Father Jason Crowder is contacted by Policeman Danny Hartman to come quickly to his brother’s house, where his nephew Casey is attacking his parents, even his little sister. In true Janz fashion, there is also another issue—The Sweet Sixteen Killer is roaming Chicago. Danny’s partner believes Casey may be the Sweet Sixteen Killer, but Danny himself believes Casey is possessed by a demon. Unfortunately or fortunately, Danny is right.
The nudges to the Exorcist are amazing without being theft. I laughed at one point when one of the characters says, “that sounds like that movie!” But it is not like the Exorcist... not at all. The similarities to the Exorcist are only the story that’s told. The real story goes so much further.
Exorcist Falls starts off 2 days after the events of Exorcist Road. We follow Jason as he navigates the world post-Exorcist Road. I do not want to fully review this book as it would spoil Road, but it was an action packed sequel. Janz has a perfect way of writing books that have a lot going on in them without being overwhelming. I’m a person who tends to feel like I’m studying for a test if there’s too much information, but I enjoyed and even retained a lot of the information from this book!
I’m giving this book 4.5 stars, which is a great rating, but I’m taking off .5 stars because I felt there was a bit of a disconnect between the two parts. However, I really enjoyed the way both parts were written individually.
quilly14's review
4.0
This volume is comprised of the novella "Exorcist Road," as well as a sequel novel, Exorcist Falls.
In "Exorcist Road," Father Jason Crowder is called out of bed to aid in the exorcism of a young boy. Compounding the terrible circumstance, there is a killer on the loose that kills young girls. He's called the Sweet Sixteen Killer by the press.
It's hard to say much about the transition between "Exorcist Road" and Exorcist Falls without giving away a big plot point. But in the second story, Father Crowder has some information about who the Sweet Sixteen Killer is, but can't do anything about it.
Those synopses aren't great, but I'm in a rush tonight.
Father Crowder is a fascinating character. He isn't the best priest. Or even that great a guy. But he's trying. And seeing that effort in the face of unimaginable terrors is at the heart of this book. Also, tremendous violence.
For readers who don't mind moral ambiguity or blood-letting.
In "Exorcist Road," Father Jason Crowder is called out of bed to aid in the exorcism of a young boy. Compounding the terrible circumstance, there is a killer on the loose that kills young girls. He's called the Sweet Sixteen Killer by the press.
It's hard to say much about the transition between "Exorcist Road" and Exorcist Falls without giving away a big plot point. But in the second story, Father Crowder has some information about who the Sweet Sixteen Killer is, but can't do anything about it.
Those synopses aren't great, but I'm in a rush tonight.
Father Crowder is a fascinating character. He isn't the best priest. Or even that great a guy. But he's trying. And seeing that effort in the face of unimaginable terrors is at the heart of this book. Also, tremendous violence.
For readers who don't mind moral ambiguity or blood-letting.