Title: Annihilation (Gehenna Book 2)
Author: Kaylin McFarren
Publisher: Creative Edge Printing, LLC
ISBN: 978-1685640569
Pages: 523
Genre: Occult Fiction/Dark Fantasy
Reviewed by: Anthony Avina
Hollywood Book Reviews
Something which has fascinated humanity since the dawn of time has been the concept of “monsters.” From the fictional monsters that soared the skies during the days of King Arthur’s Camelot to the more human monsters which make the nightly news with tales of unexplainable horror, monsters have proven to come from many different directions and walks of life over the planet’s history. As Friedrich Nietzsche once said, “Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you.”
In author Kaylin McFarren’s Annihilation, the second book in the author’s Gehenna series, the terrors of Hell come back in full force. After Lucifer’s defeat, his daughter Lucinda begins her own bloody reign as ruler of Hell, seeking to gain infinite power and begin a war with Heaven. Caught in the mad ruler’s plot is Crighton and his family, including his “soulmate” Ariel and his daughter Samara. Soon the brewing war tears the family apart, and soon Samara discovers just how cruel the underworld can be after Lucifer returns in a body all-too familiar to her, and as forces all around her conspire to take him down once more, she finds herself in a deadly plot with little hope of escape.
The author did a fantastic job of ramping up the horror and the chilling actions of the demonic forces set against Crighton and his family in this sequel. The thing that should be noted her for readers is there are some very mature themes explored in this narrative, including some trigger warnings of abuse which cannot be ignored. Yet all of this is shown within the context of the deepest bowels of Hell, and also does an important job of exploring the worst of humanity as well; covering themes of brutality against women, loss of a child, sexism within our world, and even how we are often the architects of our own monsters in this world.
This is the perfect read for fans of occult fiction, dark fantasy, horror, and mature thrillers. The imagery and tone of the narrative is vivid to say the least, and the author did a great job of drawing the reader in with captivating character developments and rich mythology built into the narrative. The author found a great way of balancing out these narrative developments with the important themes which reflect our own issues in society right now, allowing readers to feel both entertained yet enlightened all at once.
Thought-provoking, chilling, and engaging, author Kaylin McFarren’s Annihilation is a must-read horror and occult dark fantasy novel of 2022! The shocking twists and turns in the narrative and the eventual rise of Samara as a main protagonist leads to some of the biggest twists in the novel, especially the shocking final pages of this sequel. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!