An Enjoyable Book That Surprised Me
4 out of 5 stars
The description of this book doesn’t do it justice. It’s a bizarre mashup of a bunch of genres including mystery, thriller, horror, and adventure. I only mention this because from the looks of it, it’s just a horror book, but it’s really so much more that I wasn’t expecting.
I haven’t been to church in quite some time and I would consider myself to be an atheist – but I was raised Catholic and I’ll tell you what. Reading about things that you were warned about for your entire childhood is… disconcerting. It’s one of those feelings where even 10+ years since the last time I stepped foot in a church (not for a wedding) yet I still have Catholic guilt for things. It’s that same uneasy feeling.
The only major thing that bothered me was Hyde’s, what I’ll call, “forced romance”. The romance or at least pre-romance scenes in this book were a struggle to get through. They were written in a really awkward and forced way and honestly they didn’t really add to the story. If he’d not written any of their thoughts about each other (oh, I don’t like her, but she is pretty) and left it open for the reader to interpret – I’d be that more people would have them together than not. But writing out their inner monologues when the other was talking just made it awkward.
The storytelling, outside of what I mentioned was good. It took a little bit to get into it but once the story picks up – it’s a race to the finish. Hyde’s description of the Devil’s Bible and the Antichrist(s) were chilling and I thought really helped this book shine. It was an enjoyable story that surprised me.
The narration by Gary Bennett is great. His performance was just that – a performance (but without feeling like an audio drama either). He helped bring an interesting and intriguing book and make it great.
Book Description:
When a horribly disfigured woman breaks into the underground depository of the Stockholm National Library in Sweden and tears out pages of satanic spells hidden deep inside the Codex Gigas – The Devil’s Bible – teams of investigators quickly realize that there is more to this than meets the eye. Meanwhile, in the Czech Republic, Colonel Cameron Skull is investigating the ravaged remains of the cemetery outside the infamous, and now touristy, Church of Bones. But when a manlike creature appears and Colonel Skull realizes the danger, it’s too late. It is then that he sees Iris for the first time, and they both quickly realize that they are connected way beyond just a physical attraction.
Predictions are starting to come true and the clock is ticking. The Book of Revelations, Nostradamus, and the Dead Sea Scrolls have all warned of this moment, and now it is upon us. The coming of the Antichrist.
The Devil's Bible by Justin Hyde
Narrator: Gary Bennett
Length: 8 hrs and 44 mins
Series: Cameron Skull #1
Published by Self Published on September 28th 2019
Genres: Horror, Suspense
Format: Audiobook
Buy from Audible
Also by this author: The Angel of Meridian
Also in this series: The Angel of Meridian
- No Rules of Engagement by Tracey Richardson (Narrated by Joana Garcia) - September 28, 2023
- Love at First Set by Jennifer Dugan (Narrated Narrated by Lori Prince) - September 26, 2023
- New and Notable Audiobook Releases for the Week of September 23rd on Brian’s Book Blog - September 23, 2023
