A review by eren666
Cabal by Clive Barker

fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

Hypothetically Barker should be right up my alley. I love dark fantasy and surreal horror, and as a queer person I was excited to see what a gay horror legend had to offer. I wanted to like this book SO much. Unfortunately, I found Barker’s characters flat and uninteresting, his writing boring, his plot more like a cheap action movie than the kind of horror I usually like. 

If I had to say something positive I really enjoyed Part One, if I had ended there it probably would have been 5 stars.

Did not read the included short stories as Cabal was so bad it has soured me from any further reading from this author :(

All in all, Cabal just felt cheap and surface level