Dark Shadow of Babylon (Book Review)
Dark Shadow of Babylon is a paranormal/horror book written by Julian Speed. The cover is a clear indication that readers will encounter a series of gruesome events, but there is also a great adventure awaiting. The first chapters look at the origin of the evil that creeps into modern times and Speed adds a nice touch regarding his characters, despite the big time difference. Mystery and suspense only play a moderate part as Speed doesn’t really focus on keeping the reader in the dark, but prefers to create a clear picture in order to promote a sense of enjoyment.
The Roman invasion of Britannia in 61 AD marks the starting point of the story. Two notable characters, namely Frederick and Antonio are introduced along with their fearless commander Proverus. The latter is the source of pain for several Celtic tribes and his last onslaught against the druids seals his fate. A strange entity called Thaddeus comes to warn the druids of their impending death and offers his help in exchange for using their power source. The leader of the druids, Andringael, rejects the offer but allows another druid and a desperate queen with nothing to lose to show him the way. These three end up trapped after destroying the Roman army.
In modern times we see Frederick again, but not as a Roman soldier. Instead he is a college student that unknowingly opens the tomb of Thaddeus along with his professor. This leads to several freakish deaths at the excavation site. The deaths follow Frederic as he returns to the States. Ultimately he is confronted by a gypsy called Eva and he is forced to involve his sister Mira along with his childhood friend Antonio. But this time there is a secret society with a mysterious mission involved in addition to the vindictive spirit causing all the havoc.
Revenge is the order of the day for the dark entities while personal gain fuels the secret society. With the combination of enemies and danger Frederic and his companions face there is an added sense of excitement. There is also no lack of graphical detail regarding the death of the characters. Speed does a great job at elevating the emotions of those who are staring death in the face. He doesn’t need to stretch out the experience for it to be more gruesome. The selected words he uses to describe fatal scenarios are very effective in leaving the reader somewhat unnerved.
Another compliment has to be extended to Speed for his choice of time periods. Whereas most horror writers prefer to stay within this century simply because it’s much easier, Speed was a little more daring. Travelling back so far opens a door for critique even if the book is fictional. He was careful of the speech used by the characters and he described the setting with authority and confidence.
The characters are colorful and exciting, the perfect combination for a good story. Frederic and his sometimes indifferent, playful traits help to bring some lightheartedness to an otherwise dark situation. The overall pace of the book is somewhat slow, but this is neither a good nor a bad thing as it will mostly depend on the preference of the reader. Speed took his time to produce an authentic style which many readers will appreciate.
Reviewed by Damnetha Jules
Damnetha is a staff writer, horror book and movie critic.
7 Upcoming Horror Movies in 2015
Are you wondering about the upcoming horror movies for 2015? Well there are certainly plenty to look forward to and it looks like it’s going to be a good year for movie fans of the horror genre. As another year unfolds, you can certainly expect to see a wide range of movie releases making an appearance in theaters and elsewhere:
The Woman in Black 2: Angel of Death
Expected movie release – January 2, is the sequel to one of the most horrific thrillers of 2012 “The Woman in Black”. The story revolves around a number of children rescued from the war zones of the second world war and relocated to Eel Marsh (an old house on a deserted island) which holds a dark and dangerous secret from which the group quickly finds little hope of escape. The film was directed by Tom Harper and features Hollywood stars Oaklee Pendergast, Jeremy Irvin and Helen McCrory.
REC4 “Apocalypse”
It’s the latest installment in the REC movie franchise – Apocalypse picks up right where it’s predecessor left off. TV reporter Angela (cast by budding star Manuela Velasco) is moved to a floating research facility in an effort to isolate her along with many others as scientists strive to examine and develop a cure for the deadly zombie virus. Unable to contain the threat, the virus quickly spreads throughout the vessel turning it into a floating nightmare that can prove a danger to the rest of the world – perfect for anyone who likes their horror movies with a side dish of gore.
It Follows
Jay (Maika Monroe) is a sweet young girl of 19 looking forward to a romantic encounter with some guy in fall. Instead she finds himself in the middle of an urban legend as a curse is passed on to her that she must quickly make sense of. Shortly after the encounter, a mysterious and dangerous entity begins to haunt and follow her. Ultimately she must make a choice – to pass the horror on to somebody else or try to put an end to it once and for all.
Insidious Chapter 3
The latest and darkest chapter of the popular horror movie franchise – Insidious, the film goes back to the beginning prior to the horrors that befell the Lambert Family.The third chapter offers a glimpse at how everything started involving an innocent girl and that of her family as they try to escape the evil haunting them. If you’ve been a fan of the previous chapters then this movie is certainly something that you can look forward to as it hits the theaters this 5th of June 2015.
Maggie
It’s a horror movie that puts a new twist on the zombie movie genre – Maggie tells the story of a young woman caught in a world consumed by madness because of a horrifying zombie virus. Maggie is inadvertently bitten by one of the monsters as her father tries to rescue her from the chaos. She is brought into the family home in the hopes of recovering from the infection. As her condition deteriorates, the love between father and daughter is put to the test as they hold on to what little hope they have of overcoming the infection and dealing with the consequences.
Poltergeist 2015
The long awaited remake of the classic horror film of the 1980s, the Poltergiest was filmed under the direction of Tobe Hooper and jointly written/produced by legendary film maker Steven Spielberg. As you may already know, this film follows the horrors that unveil in a suburban house located on an ancient Indian cemetery and haunted by malevolent spirit. It’s classic rendition was said to have gained an occult following due to the demise of it’s child actors shortly after the film was produced spawning two more sequels. Anyone with an interest on classic horror films are bound to find this remake to be quite the treat!
Sinister 2
https://youtu.be/ILXOIlWnmSg
Expected release date August 21 of 2015, this terrifying sequel picks off right after the horrifying ending of the previous installment. Shannyn Sossamon plays the part of a protective mom trying to keep her two sons (real twins Dartanian and Robert Sloan) safe from a malevolent evil that has marked them for dead.
Looks like it’s going to be a very scary 2015!
Shepire
The Shepire represents the original bloodline of female vampires. She has been there from the beginning and she will be there when the bloodline ends. Due to her “original” nature, Shepire is very animalistic when it comes to her sexuality. Her traditions hold strong and draining the blood from her victims remains ceremonial.
The ceremony includes releasing all sexual inhibitions. It doesn’t matter if her victims are male or female; if they are able to perform then they will serve her purpose. She drains a different kind of energy from them during this process, leaving them vulnerable and willing. Unlike most vampires, she likes it when they give themselves to her without fear. Their complete surrender makes her feeding frenzy more gratifying.
There are a lucky few who get to join her in immortality, but this rarely happens. She usually doesn’t leave a trace that her victim existed in the first place.
Green Witch Brew
Do not be fooled by the classic apparel and the melodramatic facial expression. The Green Witch has a long history of creating the most horrific plagues, sickness and death. Thanks to her powerful brew she is capable of annihilating countries within a blink of an eye. Her green skin is in fact her connection to Mother Nature and this relation provides her with all the unholy ingredients she needs.
She doesn’t need a reason to strike up a brew and place it in an area where it will easily spread. Simple boredom is enough to get her going. Some believe it is Mother Nature’s way of fighting technology, but others see the Green Witch as the dark side of earth. Unfortunately her methods are never short of great pain and endless torment. Legend has it that those who die due to her brew usually fade away with a smile. The pleasure of not feeling the torture anymore is supposedly wonderful.