Garden of the Incubus

I first picked up a battered copy of "Garden of the Incubus" several years ago from a used bookstore. Though I don't read much fiction, I have a particular passion for supernatural horror, more specifically, stories involving interaction between humans and astral or spirit beings, preferably of the daemonic nature. The title caught my eye since I have a distinct penchant for incubi, and the blurb piqued my interest.The book itself was no disappointment, deftly weaving a tale of a young woman who mysteriously enters a convent, for reasons not even known to herself at the time, at the behest of an inner voice. This voice gradually manifests more and more outwardly into a deliciously dark demon lover who consumes her life and her thoughts as only such a simultaneously desirable and abhorrent entity can. It's a classic possession-type story with a unique twist. There is a hint of some type of psychological link with an incident of near-molestation in the protagonist's childhood. In retrospect I find this most interesting, as the story was originally published before the big "satanic panic" heyday of the late '80s and early '90s and the ensuing plethora of pseudo-psychological "spiritual warfare" books on the churchy markets.The author does an excellent job of leaving the question "is it real or just in her head?" quite ambiguous, complete with just enough mysterious elements to keep the question unanswered even after the story ends.It could have been a little steamier given the subject matter, but overall it's an entertaining read.--Shedona Chevalier


Genre: Horror