Fifty years ago, Father Leo Bonaventura, a young exorcist, cast a demon out from a young boy in Central America. The demon, Asmodeus, vowed revenge.

Now the demon has returned, in the same town where Bonaventura is a retired priest nearing the end of his life. At the same time, the possession of a young girl brings together an unlikely group of people, all of whom are linked in their pasts in some way: A group of paranormal investigators, including twin psychics.

#TheWakening @jgfaherty @flametreepress @Zooloo’s Book Tours @zooloo2008 #ZooloosBookTours #blogtour

Robert Lockhart, a defrocked priest with a dark secret that only the twins know. A father whose dead wife was a college girlfriend of Robert’s and once conjured an evil spirit with him through a Ouiji board. Now they must all join forces and help Father Bonaventura rid the town not only of Asmodeus, but also the plague of poltergeists that have followed the demon into our world.

My Review

It’s a long time since I’ve read a book in this genre. It’s like Dennis Wheatley meets Ghostbusters with a bit of The Exorcist thrown in for good measure. Anyone in my age bracket will remember the scene in A Devil Rides Out where the protagonists form a protected circle and fight off a giant tarantula – ‘don’t leave the circle’, finally throwing holy water at it. The film ends with Christopher Lee reciting the final words of the ‘Susamma Ritual’ to cast out the devil. Great stuff!

But in The Wakening, instead of the ‘Goat of Mendes’ ie the devil himself, we have one of his minions, a demon called Asmodeus, except this one has five heads (one of which happens to be a goat), who has returned to get revenge on Father Leo Bonaventura (the priest and exorcist, who originally cast him out) by possessing the body of a young girl and making the townspeople hold orgies, jump off cliffs and kill each other.

Robert Lockhart, a defrocked priest, has conducted numerous unofficial exorcisms, but he has a very dark and sinister past. Together with a group of reality show ghosthunters and twin psychics, Bobby and Father Leo must band together to fight the evil which is gripping the small town of Hastings Mills. But why this town in particular? It appears there are links to a number of other incidents of demonic possession over the years.

And did I mention poltergeists? Lots of them and they seem to be attracted to Asmodeus and enjoy throwing pictures, toys and furniture around.

This is not a book for the squeamish or faint-hearted. It can be quite graphic at times and includes demonic possession, orgies, weeping and gnashing of teeth, extreme violence, sex and nudity. So if that’s just up your street, go for it.

Many thanks to @zooloo2008 for inviting me to be part of this blog tour.

About the Author

A life-long resident of New York’s haunted Hudson Valley, JG Faherty has been a finalist for both the Bram Stoker Award® (THE CURE, GHOSTS OF CORONADO BAY) and ITW Thriller Award (THE BURNING TIME), and he is the author of 8 novels, 11 novellas, and more than 75 short stories. He writes adult and YA horror, science fiction, paranormal romance, and urban fantasy. He grew up enthralled with the horror movies and books of the 50s, 60s, 70s, and 80s, and as a child his favorite playground was a 17^th-century cemetery. Which explains a lot.

Follow him at:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/jgfaherty
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jgfaherty/
Twitter: www.twitter.com/jgfaherty
Website: www.jgfaherty.com

Buy Links:
Amazon UK https://www.amazon.co.uk/Wakening-JG-Faherty/dp/178758593X/
Amazon US https://www.amazon.com/Wakening-JG-Faherty/dp/178758593X