Book Review: The Ungodly Duology by SH Cooper

Iseult

After the death of her mother, thirty year old Faith York is thrown back into a nightmare she’d rather forget, a horror story that started when her father was pulled into a hole in the ground by a woman with too many arms when Faith was just a child. 

Faith’s search for answers leads her to the terrifying cult called the Gathered, a conspiracy of cosmic horror portions, and, perhaps, new friends in the form of fellow searchers. 

How can you escape when the ungodly have you in their sites?

There are three things that I love about “The Ungodly Duology”:

  1. The world building. A lot of cosmic horror seems to keep things shrouded in mystery, relying on the unknown to terrify. These novellas lay it all out there, and it is absolutely pulse pounding, nightmarishly scary. The imagination behind these creatures is frightening and beautiful. I don’t think I’ll ever look at a picture or in a mirror again. 
  2. The characters. I love to read realistic, human women going up against some impossible odds. Driven by love for siblings, or children, or friends. Not super heroes, just ordinary women trying to do their best against evil interdimensional beings. I could read about them all day.
  3. Faith. Aptly named, she’s the plaything of an ungodly monster and she’s having none of it. Yes, the odds seem stacked against her. Yes, she suffers and sacrifices. No, she won’t stop. Ever. 

I’d love to see these novellas turned into a movie. Some of the scenes are crying out to be transformed into visual media, and Faith could hold her head high with the likes of Ellen Ripley. 

“The Festering Ones” introduces Faith and her finding out about the Gathered, her first horrifying experiences, and her initial fight against the cosmic horrors. I read this novella several years ago and was blown away by the imagination and story, but was left wanting more. 

My desire for more of Faith has been answered with “The Forgotten Ones”, which continues the story six months after the first novella. I loved catching up with the characters, and Faith’s rescue cat, Plum was a sweet addition. 

I also want to call attention to the front cover for this edition. It is suitably creepy and epic, just like the duology. 

Full of wonderful imagery, strong world building and great characters, I highly recommend “The Ungodly Duology”