Synopsis
Legends say a dead god is buried under the stone city of Ishcairn, protecting its inhabitants by dashing enemy fleets into the jagged coast of Craeburn. Adjunct professor Corrie Ecksley doesn’t believe any of that, but she knows from her work excavating nearby burial sites that the ancient Craeburn people believed it enough to name the city after their dead god, Ish.
When the ripples of a great war finally reach Craeburn’s shores, a terrifying new weapon is unleashed on the city that not even Ish can deter. A bomb that tears souls from bodies, driving anyone who witnessed the blast insane. But it is not the living that Corrie fears. Displaced spirits are hungry for a body, and care not if it already plays host to a soul.
No bullets can stop them, no walls are thick enough to keep them out.
No help is coming.
No one left but Corrie to stop the carnage, if she even can.
Review
I received this novella to judge for the SFINCS semi-finals. This review and opinion is my own, and does not represent that made by my Fanfiaddicts team.
A wonderful Eldritch style horror story, a short read that grips you from the very first page and sinks its claws into you, and you better pray the wraiths don’t get you before the end.
Shattered Spirits: Fall Of Ishcairn is a short story from author Cal Black. It is my first time reading anything from the author, and I very much enjoyed my first creepy adventure into her world of horror. I will definitely be checking out her Legends & Legacies in the near future.
For such a short story, it packs a big punch with its unforgettable plot and setting, a brilliant protagonist, and the worldbuilding is so intriguing with the legends of gods, mystery and war.
Corrie Ecksley is an adjunct professor of the University of Ishcairn, an archaeologist who loves to dig up burial sites of the ancient Craeburn. It’s believed the god Ish dwells beneath the city, but Corrie Ecksley is a non-believer until her city is bombed.
War has finally come to the shores of Craeburn, but it was no ordinary bomb, a bomb of pure evil that rips the souls from the body, turning them into wraiths of unimaginable horror. With death all around her, Corrie must survive the gauntlet of horrors and try to stop the carnage before she they claim her soul.
A spookylicious chilling little read that will have you so emotionally hooked, hoping that there will be light at the end of the tunnel. If you love fantasy horror, then I very highly recommend…💀🖤😁👻
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