It is unfortunate, when falling in love, if the object of one’s affections is the Angel of Pestilence and you subsequently contract a rare and incurable disease. This happens to Harold Waterman, who in despair turns to the Dark Arts and summons a demon called Jasfoup for help. The novel romps through a quest to find the cure, involving a trip back to Eden to steal an apple from the Tree of Life, and leads to betrayal and infamy.

And tea. Regular and often and preferably with a biscuit.

"An Ungodly Child" is a wild romp of novel and unput-downable.

REVIEW

The Ungodly Child of the title, is Harold Waterman, a bright child of a single mother who grows up to own an antiques shop and generally potters along quite nicely, oblivious to the fact that his father is Old Nick himself. Only after he is deliberately infected with a terminal disease by Jedith, The Angel of Pestilence, is he given a book left by his father that opens a gateway into the black arts where he sets off in search of a cure alongside a demon called Jasfoup. And what a journey it is, as the book heads at a storming pace through some excellent set pieces and along a beautifully constructed story line, which easily convinces you that even the most mundane of places and events is inhabited by ghosts, angels and demons. Tension is provided by the three angels of destruction who appear in a multitude of guises, trying to convince Harold that he is the antichrist and provoke him into raising the hoards of hell so that they can have a bit of fun during an apocalypse. And all the time Harold is guided by Jasfoup who is a perfectly drawn character and one that I would be amazed if Rachel doesn't use again in another book. In fact I very much hope that An Ungodly Child proves to be the first of a very long series as I was genuinely gutted to reach the end of her tale.

So whether you wouldn't normally think of buying a story about demons or not, An Ungodly Child is still worth your pennies as the humour is perfectly timed and the imagination and storytelling is quite excellent. This is a brilliant debut novel and a book that one day you will boast that you own.

Reviewed by: Bluechrome Publishing
Bluechrome Books
Small Indie Publisher

EXCERPT

The incubus coiled in the semi darkness of the bedroom, the woman’s soft snores encouraging it to be bold enough to coalesce despite the noise from the television in the corner: a reality show where the last twenty-something to survive won the prize.

He dropped from the air onto the bed, his foetid breath curling like a living creature around the woman’s head. His breath was supposed to be a mild anaesthetic, designed to prevent his victim from waking up.

He stared at her face, puzzled. She looked too old to be receptive of his demonic seed, but her body smelled young and ripe for the taking. He shrugged, putting the disparity down to hormone pills and began to pull back the bedclothes. He gave a startled yelp as her eyes flicked open, staring into his own fire-flecked orbs.

“Haven’t you heard of foreplay?” she asked. “It’s no fun if you just jump straight in. I hope you brought a condom.” Her hand snaked out and grabbed his wrist, eliciting another shriek. “Or three…”