Synopsis
During one of the most violent battles of the Civil War, three brothers fighting for the Confederate army decide to go AWOL and make their way home, willing to risk execution rather than be killed in a losing war. After several exhausting weeks of rough terrain, the brothers find a miracle deep in the dark woods: a homestead. Living in this remote cabin is a beautiful woman, Sarafina, and her young son, Titus. She takes the soldiers in, feeds them, offers them a place to rest. But the youngest brother is wary—something seems off. As the days pass, he discovers a mysterious creek, a strange underground cavern, and a strong sense that the cabin and the surrounding fertile land are not what they seem. The brothers soon find themselves in a new battle, an escalation of horrors they must somehow fight to survive.
Review
The biggest thanks to Paul over at Earthling Publications for sending an ARC my way!
Staged against the backdrop of a war-torn landscape, three brothers fighting for the Confederacy decide to abandon ship and flee towards home. The Civil War has delivered unspeakable experiences to their muddy, cracked boots, diminishing their ability to carry on. It’s in this rugged state that they begin to traverse the markedly dangerous path home, moving south towards Natchez. Needless to say, this is treacherous terrain given their heads are wanted, not only by the Union but now by the Confederacy as well. Throw in the swampy terrain of Mississippi, and you’ve got one mean recipe for disaster. However, the brothers stumble upon a sanctuary of sorts when they need it most, an Eden housing a beautiful woman, Sarafina, and her son, Titus. Something nefarious runs under the currents of Sarafina’s hospitality, something that Ethan, the youngest of the brothers, discovers. The implications of this discovery are unfathomable, inciting a battle beyond the already bleak horrors of war previously experienced. Something truly monstrous.
The horrors of war are gnarly beasts, ones that cannot be wrangled easily. Forget any implications of supernatural, paranormal, or otherworldly forces, and the very essence of war and the actions that fuel such a thing define a uniquely human terror. Philip Fracassi’s foray into such a setting is utilized brilliantly, setting the stage for the truly unthinkable. Going into Sarafina, I believed I possessed some semblance of an idea as to where Fracassi would take this story. However, under his more than capable hand, my expectations were easily met and actually exceeded.
Perhaps my favorite aspect of Fracassi’s writing is his tendency to not hold punches. In such works as A Child Alone With Strangers and Gothic, several scenes that operate under the guise of normalcy completely unravel at the drop of a casual sentence, something that is also true of Sarafina. This sly use of detail aids the overall sense of suspense within these pages for the simple fact that anything is possible. The sense of subtle “unhinged-ness” (I don’t use this word that I probably just made up lightly) transforms what may have been a somewhat predictable story into something else entirely.
I won’t go into too much detail regarding how events unravel because it is truly the best surprise, but it is safe to say this is much more than a war story, more than a story of three brothers. Sarafina thrives on an insular level spilling bad blood at home only to mingle with the depravity of the battlefield. Evil frolics in this mess of emotional and physical gore, the far-reaching effects of trauma, and the things most wish to bury. There’s also a sense of divine reckoning, a biblical sense of retribution that comes calling in the form of the monstrous.
Philip Fracassi’s cunning writing and creativity run rampant through the pages of Sarafina, a story that defies the parameters of the expected. This is a novel that moves briskly thanks to the fuel of suspense and tension crafted through subtlety. While the brutality of violence amongst men sets the stage for the tribulations of these brothers, it’s the intervention of a seemingly mundane cabin in the woods that alters their lives forever. Atmospheric, intense, and brutal, Sarafina is another stellar addition to Fracassi’s canon.
Sarafina by Philip Fracassi is a special edition horror novel issued by Earthling Publications. If you are interested in purchasing a copy, some are still available through this link to Earthling’s site: https://www.earthlingpub.com/pf_sarafina.htm
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