New Book Alert: The Unholy by Paul DeBlassie III; Terrifying, but Meaningful Horror Novel About Religion Vs. Spirit

New Book Alert: The Unholy by Paul DeBlassie III; Terrifying, But Meaningful Horror Novel About Religion Vs. Spirit

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews




Spoilers: In a time where many people flaunt their religion as an excuse to justify hateful, bigoted, mysoginistic, and even criminal behavior, a genre novel like Paul DeBlassie III's The Unholy graphically and beautifully demonstrates the difference that lies between religion vs. spirit. It shows how some people extol religious values, but don't actually live according to those principles while others seek to have personal connections to spirit and the world around them.




Claire Sanchez, director of Mental Health Workers and Natural Therapeutic Services is the latest in a long line of Apache Medicine Women, descended from Lozen, warrior, medicine woman, and advisor to Geronimo. Unfortunately, a childhood tragedy in which she witnessed her mother being murdered by a mysterious man has stifled her spiritual practice. Instead, she focuses on her career in caring for the patients at Ecclesia Dei Psychiatric Hospital and butting heads with the Catholic organization that is in charge of the hospital and has a fanatical hold on their followers and everyone around them.




Unfortunately, terrible things happen which cause Claire to return to her spiritual studies. Patients are dying under mysterious circumstances. Authorities, particularly those who are affiliated with Ecclesia Dei, stonewall any investigations and questions suggesting that they have something to hide. Claire is also hit with some bloody, violent, and frightening visions and premonitions that are veered towards Ecclesia Dei. She is also being stalked and threatened by members, particularly their sinister leader, Archbishop William Anarch.




The book is filled with scary and suspenseful moments. Like any good horror novel, the scariest part is the uncertainty. Are the things the characters experience real, hallucinations, or visions from beyond? When one of Claire's patients starts raging about dark spirits and being stalked by evil forces, both Claire and the Reader wonder is she exhibiting signs of schizophrenia? She also had medicine woman training, so is she being warned by other forces? Or is she telling the truth? It's a frightening concept and it becomes even more frightening knowing that no, they aren't paranoid. People really are trying to kill them.




Claire also experiences some terrifying visions. She goes to an Ecclesia Dei service and feels complete nausea. She sees crows, birds of death, in places where Ecclesia Dei members have their rituals. While other novels would say that the visions are sent by Satan or are the threat, what Claire and the Reader learns is that they are warnings. As scary as they are, the visions are trying to protect her from the real evil, the evil that lies in the dark hearts of her fellow human beings.




Claire is a well-developed protagonist. There is a real sense of her legacy as a medicine woman being stretched through time. Hers is a calling that she realizes quickly that she can't run from, nor hide behind science. She has to face that traumatic time and in turn face the spirits that surround her, before she can face Archbishop Anarch.




The book alternates between Claire's point of view and that of Anarch and it's been awhile since I have read such a loathsome antagonist, but deBlassie's gift is in making him so hateful yet Anarch's conflict with Claire so interesting and entertaining.

Anarch is the perfect example of the religious hypocrite, one who cares more for the financial and power gain that he receives as a religious leader than he cares about saving souls. He uses his sermons as scare tactics to entice his followers to go after people that he considers unworthy. He is not shy about using a parishioner's weakness against them to get his way, especially if said parishioner is a pretty young woman with doubts about her faith that he can provide ,ahem, hands-on counseling for.




There are some psychological insights to Anarch's character, particularly in his conversations with his manipulative dying mother that provide some depth to his character. Thankfully, they don't make him sympathetic. If anything, his background makes him even more unpleasant, especially when he strikes back at those he feels responsible.




The Unholy is the perfect example of a supernatural thriller done right. It scares you then makes you think deeper.