Book Review: The Eighth House

Reviewed By: Webspinner - RAM

The Eighth House     Amazon US TPB Amazon Canada TPB
Karen Sealy
Class/Genre:   Fantasy   Occult   Horror
Highbridge Press, Aug. 2000, $19.95, pp. 308

Four people - all in New York City - separated by almost one hundred years. Margaret Hastings, a career prostitute, and her illegitimate son, Edward, 15, in 1908. Tericita Ellis, Caribbean-American professional astrologer, and her fiancé, Prof. Aaron Jacobs, professor of Ancient Religions and Prophecies, in 2001.

Edward and Margaret are "victims" of 1900s poverty and crime. When his mother dies, and he is near death, Edward makes a pact with Satan. Tericita, warned by her grandmother at an early age of a time in the future that she will need all her skills, has fallen in love and agreed to marry Aaron. As a birthday gift, Aaron has given Tericita a rare, old book, written in Latin, that contains astrology charts. And so begins the story.

THE EIGHTH HOUSE is a combination fantasy/horror tale that should intrigue readers. Told from both Edward and Tericita's points-of-view, it includes the seduction of Edward by Satan and Teri's visits from her grandmother [now deceased]. A tale of good vs evil, THE EIGHTH HOUSE is a first novel for Karen Sealy, and is not only well-written, but riveting in parts. The characters are well drawn and readers of the genre should enjoy this one. Personally, this one was hard for me to read, but now I have to wait for the sequel! The first battle is only the beginning . . .

Webspinner - RAM

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Webspinner - RAM