osstockton's review
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
pbanditp's review
4.0
This was either the beginning of righteous retribution, or the moment his soul was damned.”
FAITHLESS by Hunter Shea drops on October 19th. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Father Raul is a priest with a good parish and a great family. Everything was wonderful, until it wasn’t. Life steers off course in the blink of an eye and beliefs change. What kind of God would allow such things to happen?Raul renounces his priesthood and moves in to his aunts abandoned home where he used to spend summers as a child. Something follows him.
Raul spirals down into despair fuels by grief, guilt and alcohol. He just wants to die. He starts hearing noises-hallucinations that sound like his wife and children- are they a blessing or a curse?
It is hard not to give any spoilers but Raul is a true human. He makes realistic choices after what happened to him as well as when the tense, and creepy paranormal kicks in.
With the help of a childhood friend, will Raul face his demons? find the guilty party? and get revenge?
More importantly-should he?
Will he find a way to be with his family again?
Good choice for those that love the paranormal, religious questions, and cults.
Thanks to NetGalley and Flame Tree Press for a copy of the eARC for an honest review
FAITHLESS by Hunter Shea drops on October 19th. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Father Raul is a priest with a good parish and a great family. Everything was wonderful, until it wasn’t. Life steers off course in the blink of an eye and beliefs change. What kind of God would allow such things to happen?Raul renounces his priesthood and moves in to his aunts abandoned home where he used to spend summers as a child. Something follows him.
Raul spirals down into despair fuels by grief, guilt and alcohol. He just wants to die. He starts hearing noises-hallucinations that sound like his wife and children- are they a blessing or a curse?
It is hard not to give any spoilers but Raul is a true human. He makes realistic choices after what happened to him as well as when the tense, and creepy paranormal kicks in.
With the help of a childhood friend, will Raul face his demons? find the guilty party? and get revenge?
More importantly-should he?
Will he find a way to be with his family again?
Good choice for those that love the paranormal, religious questions, and cults.
Thanks to NetGalley and Flame Tree Press for a copy of the eARC for an honest review
2ndchance_chad's review
5.0
I received a copy of Faithless from NetGalley in 2021. Once again I had a small backlog of ARC's from last year that I've been working through. This was another one of those pleasant surprises! This was my first Hunter Shea read and I really enjoyed it. I could tell from the beginning it wasn't my usual style but I'm starting to feel my tastes are expanding a bit since last year. By the half way mark of this one I was hooked and reading whenever I got the chance. The few twists and turns along the way kept things interesting and I even got goosebumps a few times when reading. I really felt the author nailed the ending of this one! I even enjoyed the very end that had a feel like a movie clip that comes back on after the credits roll of a film. I found myself feeling for the main character, growing attached to some of the supporting characters and constantly guessing who is going to do what next!?
vanquishingvolumes's review
3.0
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to read this as a digital ARC!
A man with a troubled youth becomes a priest, defying the odds and marrying a beautiful woman with whom he has 2 incredible children. One day when Raoul is on his way home and on the phone with his family, he is horrified to hear them all murdered as he helplessly tried to get home during a storm. What transpires after is a man giving up on his faith and spiraling into grief, alcoholism, and despondency. But when he begins to hear voices in his deceased aunt’s home (where he plans to die), are those voices his inner demons mad at him for not protecting his family or are they the ghosts of his family, murdered before their time? The tension ratchets up as Raoul’s childhood friend, Felix, begins to dig into the past and uncover sinister inklings of darkness many years before.
Was the murder random, or was it destined to always happen?
The ending of the book (including a few of the reveals) felt a bit rushed to me, as some of the motivations and past history are never fully explained. However this was a well paced, solid murder mystery with elements of creepiness.
A man with a troubled youth becomes a priest, defying the odds and marrying a beautiful woman with whom he has 2 incredible children. One day when Raoul is on his way home and on the phone with his family, he is horrified to hear them all murdered as he helplessly tried to get home during a storm. What transpires after is a man giving up on his faith and spiraling into grief, alcoholism, and despondency. But when he begins to hear voices in his deceased aunt’s home (where he plans to die), are those voices his inner demons mad at him for not protecting his family or are they the ghosts of his family, murdered before their time? The tension ratchets up as Raoul’s childhood friend, Felix, begins to dig into the past and uncover sinister inklings of darkness many years before.
Was the murder random, or was it destined to always happen?
The ending of the book (including a few of the reveals) felt a bit rushed to me, as some of the motivations and past history are never fully explained. However this was a well paced, solid murder mystery with elements of creepiness.
ksteigert's review
4.0
Father Raul Figeuroa is driving home, talking to his wife on the phone, when intruders break into his home and murders her and their two children. There is no physical evidence and no leads as to who could have commited the crime or why. Raul loses his faith, and moves into his late Aunt's farmhouse to drink himself into a stupor. Soon he starts hearing strange noises, and even the voices of his late family calling to him. When an old friend from his past turns up, things start getting stranger and stranger.
What a thrill ride this book was! It kept me guessing up to the very last moment. Each time I thought I understood what was going on, I was led in a different direction. I was kept on the edge of my seat throughout the reading of this book. I'd definitely recommend it for those who enjoy a creepy book!
Check out my review on the 3 Book Girls podcast at www.3bookgirls.com
Thanks to Flame Tree Press for sending me an eARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review
What a thrill ride this book was! It kept me guessing up to the very last moment. Each time I thought I understood what was going on, I was led in a different direction. I was kept on the edge of my seat throughout the reading of this book. I'd definitely recommend it for those who enjoy a creepy book!
Check out my review on the 3 Book Girls podcast at www.3bookgirls.com
Thanks to Flame Tree Press for sending me an eARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review
_treatyoshelves_'s review
4.0
This book was tense from the very beginning!! Our main character, Father Raul Figueroa, hears his family being brutally murdered over the phone, and is too late to save them by the time he gets home. He moves house, gets caught up in a mess of alcoholism and drugs, and then he starts hearing his family trying to talk to him.. and they aren’t happy.
I was completely hooked with this book and read it basically in one sitting! I love a paranormal book and this is such a dark story that it ticked all the boxes for me!
It had absolutely everything I wanted in a paranormal book - exorcisms, hauntings, satanic cults, and a very sinister twist at the end!
I didn’t love Raul, but I don’t think he was meant to be particularly likeable. Obviously he gets a sympathy vote because of his tragic loss, but he’s a very flawed character and there is a lot to unpack!
If you love dark paranormal cultist thrillers, this is definitely for you!
I was completely hooked with this book and read it basically in one sitting! I love a paranormal book and this is such a dark story that it ticked all the boxes for me!
It had absolutely everything I wanted in a paranormal book - exorcisms, hauntings, satanic cults, and a very sinister twist at the end!
I didn’t love Raul, but I don’t think he was meant to be particularly likeable. Obviously he gets a sympathy vote because of his tragic loss, but he’s a very flawed character and there is a lot to unpack!
If you love dark paranormal cultist thrillers, this is definitely for you!
catsluvcoffee's review
3.0
Shea has a knack for producing raw, emotionally driven horror with imperfect, broken characters. His novel Creature broke my heart with its flawed characters and poignant storytelling and Faithless is no different.
Faithless starts with anxiety-fueled adrenaline as Father Raul Figeuroa drives home one rainy night only to hear his family cry out as they are attacked and killed. He makes it home minutes too late. The police have no leads and the loss sends Raul reeling. He retreats to his late aunt's farm where he spent time growing up, truly hoping to drink himself stupid. And he does.
After the first few pages, Faithless loses its momentum but I wouldn't expect any novel to hold such a frenetic pace. It's a slow burn as we cycle through the anguish and heartbreak that Raul experiences, even as he tries to drown his sorrows. Shea has created this character that your heart can't help but bleed for as he mourns his family. The loss is so profound that his faith, which has carried him for so long, suddenly can't be maintained. It's a thought that any person grieving might think: Why does God let these things happen? Only Raul's loss has completely ripped away his faith and in turn, his sense of self. It's heartbreaking and raw and Shea leaves us drifting away completely with Raul, unsure of his faith and his sanity.
Strange things start happening in the house. He hears the voice of his wife coming through the vents and the laughter and footsteps of his children overhead. Is it just the grief or is he truly haunted by the restless spirits of his family? The appearance of his old friend Felix can't even shock Raul out of his stupor, though Felix offers what the police can't—a possible unmasking and potential retribution. Felix at least breaths some life into the story during a long period of drinking, pill-popping, and wallowing. He leaves the farm to go find answers and it's a much-needed break from the stagnation at the farm.
Then we truly go down the rabbit hole. This ending is so far-fetched I can't even. It's gory and action-packed but it's out there. Ghosts, cults, attack cats. The eschewing of predestination being more powerful than the battle of good vs. evil. I don't know where I expected Faithless to go, but this was not it. I loved the setup but not the follow-through. Oh, and Bruiser. Always have to love the cat.
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Faithless starts with anxiety-fueled adrenaline as Father Raul Figeuroa drives home one rainy night only to hear his family cry out as they are attacked and killed. He makes it home minutes too late. The police have no leads and the loss sends Raul reeling. He retreats to his late aunt's farm where he spent time growing up, truly hoping to drink himself stupid. And he does.
After the first few pages, Faithless loses its momentum but I wouldn't expect any novel to hold such a frenetic pace. It's a slow burn as we cycle through the anguish and heartbreak that Raul experiences, even as he tries to drown his sorrows. Shea has created this character that your heart can't help but bleed for as he mourns his family. The loss is so profound that his faith, which has carried him for so long, suddenly can't be maintained. It's a thought that any person grieving might think: Why does God let these things happen? Only Raul's loss has completely ripped away his faith and in turn, his sense of self. It's heartbreaking and raw and Shea leaves us drifting away completely with Raul, unsure of his faith and his sanity.
Strange things start happening in the house. He hears the voice of his wife coming through the vents and the laughter and footsteps of his children overhead. Is it just the grief or is he truly haunted by the restless spirits of his family? The appearance of his old friend Felix can't even shock Raul out of his stupor, though Felix offers what the police can't—a possible unmasking and potential retribution. Felix at least breaths some life into the story during a long period of drinking, pill-popping, and wallowing. He leaves the farm to go find answers and it's a much-needed break from the stagnation at the farm.
Then we truly go down the rabbit hole. This ending is so far-fetched I can't even. It's gory and action-packed but it's out there. Ghosts, cults, attack cats. The eschewing of predestination being more powerful than the battle of good vs. evil. I don't know where I expected Faithless to go, but this was not it. I loved the setup but not the follow-through. Oh, and Bruiser. Always have to love the cat.
Website | Twitter | Pinterest
pizzaghost's review
3.0
Make space in your heart for Shea's explosive exploration of faith -- faith in religion, trust, and sanity.
Personally, it was really hard for me to get started. Right off the bat, children are murdered in cold blood. It's not subtle and I had to take some time off from the book. When I came back to it, I found Father Raul in the depths of depression. And I mean WAY down in the depths. He's drinking so heavily I don't know how he lived through it. He's so grief-stricken that he hears his family's voices. There are ghosts in his house. He almost finds peace with this, but before long, the ghosts stop playing fair.
Felix, fresh out of prison, hears about Raul's family and rushes to prop up his childhood friend in his time of need. He's determined to help in every way he can, and the strength of their friendship is pushed to its absolute limit. Without giving away spoilers, I can say the tone of the story takes a sharp left in the final third. After a slow, painful burn, the heat gets turned up. All the way up.
This book is hard. It's exhausting. It's not light reading by any means, but it does offer some food for thought. If you're into religious horror, this is your jam. If not, give your heart a break and try one of the author's creature features.
Thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Personally, it was really hard for me to get started. Right off the bat, children are murdered in cold blood. It's not subtle and I had to take some time off from the book. When I came back to it, I found Father Raul in the depths of depression. And I mean WAY down in the depths. He's drinking so heavily I don't know how he lived through it. He's so grief-stricken that he hears his family's voices. There are ghosts in his house. He almost finds peace with this, but before long, the ghosts stop playing fair.
Felix, fresh out of prison, hears about Raul's family and rushes to prop up his childhood friend in his time of need. He's determined to help in every way he can, and the strength of their friendship is pushed to its absolute limit. Without giving away spoilers, I can say the tone of the story takes a sharp left in the final third. After a slow, painful burn, the heat gets turned up. All the way up.
This book is hard. It's exhausting. It's not light reading by any means, but it does offer some food for thought. If you're into religious horror, this is your jam. If not, give your heart a break and try one of the author's creature features.
Thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
chanceweaver's review
4.0
Thanks to NetGalley and Flame Tree Press for a review copy in exchange for an honest review.
This is my first dive into Shea's work and it definitely won't be my last. A priest experiences a terrible tragedy and gets sucked into a life of booze and pills. This at first is a great character study and a good look at grief and how some people deal with it. 80 % of this book was 5 stars for me but I did have a lot of problems with the ending.
The ending not landing for me is not at fault of the author, it's actually pretty epic in scale. Just certain elements I don't like in my horror. Overall I would definitely recommend!
This is my first dive into Shea's work and it definitely won't be my last. A priest experiences a terrible tragedy and gets sucked into a life of booze and pills. This at first is a great character study and a good look at grief and how some people deal with it. 80 % of this book was 5 stars for me but I did have a lot of problems with the ending.
The ending not landing for me is not at fault of the author, it's actually pretty epic in scale. Just certain elements I don't like in my horror. Overall I would definitely recommend!