Threshold: Into the Abyss and Haunting Your Nightmares
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In Murphy St. John’s Threshold, Malcolm wakes up to a terrifying new reality—he’s dead. If the enigmatic Thalia is to be believed, he’s stuck in a nightmarish purgatory with six other strangers, each guilty of unspeakable crimes. With the chilling promise of either surviving a deadly trial to return to life or failing and being cast into hell, the stakes couldn’t be higher. As Malcolm navigates this horror-filled landscape, his growing attachment to his fellow sinners complicates his survival. With monsters lurking and a burning desire for revenge simmering under the surface, Malcolm must face his trial and unravel the sinister connection between their deaths.
Threshold is a gripping horror story that keeps readers on the edge, questioning every move, every character, and every shadow that threatens to consume them.
Title: Threshold
Author: Murphy St. John
Publisher: KU
Genre: Horror
Pages: 272
Star Rating: 4 stars
Spice Rating: 0 chili peppers
The Trials Begin
As a lover of horror but a person who often doesn’t read it, I am constantly looking for dark and spooky reads that I can add to my fall TBR. Something that will give eerie vibes and will have me hooked. Not too spooky like watching Jeepers Creepers in the pitch black but just frightening enough that you have chills and jump at a noise that wasn’t there. A book that fits that bill is Threshold.
Murphy St. John’s Threshold is the kind of horror book that pulls you in with its chilling premise and keeps you hooked with its intense, character-driven narrative. I didn’t expect to like it as much as I did. From the start of the prologue, you are intrigued, heightening your awareness and setting the stage for a tale that could have you on the edge of your seat. As Threshold progresses and points are revealed you fall deeper into the intrigue. Curiosity taking hold of your senses and not letting go until that final period, closing the story.
Set in purgatory, Threshold has a sinister feel. The story follows Malcolm and six others, as they navigate a series of trials to determine whether or not they can return to their lives or face eternal damnation in the pits of hell. They didn’t live the best of lives with pasts so dark and having done unspeakable crimes. Despite their villainous ways they all have been chosen for “rehabilitation”.
“It’s Not every day you have to ponder eternity.”
It must be said that the plot unfolds without a hitch. With pacing that is smooth and unrelenting. It keeps readers engaged, questioning what is going on between the lines. Adding to this is the story’s premise. St. John places you into an abyss that is stark like the endless tide of the ocean. Or the murky black depths of a hole. As each trial unfolds and the answer of whether they get the fire of hell or go home, a little light shines at the end of the tunnel until the full story is illuminated.
Don’t get me wrong the trials themselves are dark, giving the vibes of Do You Wanna Play a Game? of classic Saw. The facets of Threshold are unique, like being on that sadistic game show with nothing good behind the prize curtain. The intrinsic imagery is vividly described throughout the pages of the story. It is gross but not overly so (I am a wimp and have a weak stomach), evoking a sense of trepidation for what is to come.
“You grumpy types are no fun. Can’t you put your own damnation aside for two seconds and let the suspense build?”
As a horror novel that feels in the way of a fantasy chronicle there isn’t much world-building. Giving an atmosphere that isn’t much detail provided. And while I may say that this piece hinders the folds of the narrative it doesn’t. That contrast between the trial’s detail and the slight world-building gives more to the story. Other pieces are built so well that you hardly miss that the setup of the “world” is few. The sparse surroundings seem to bolster the allure of the tale.
One of my favorite details of a story is that my mind will parse questions about elements of the story. And while a few questions come to mind two of the main questions are what are the “fray”? And why do they twist objects when they come into contact with them?
“Oh, sweetie,” Thalia said. “You’re no winner. You’re just the slowest loser.”
With all the elements of a great story, what is keeping it from being a 5-star read? Well, a few things. While there is very little I didn’t like about Threshold. As mentioned there are plenty of questions to be asked throughout the story. Ensuring that you are left wanting more from the narrative. But for me, there are some elements that I wanted more detail. There are parts of the story that are confounding. Not in a mysterious way (while there are some of those) but because I felt like they were skimmed over.
There are also parts of the writing that need another pass. It is not bad by any means. However, there are some instances of misused words and grammar errors that could and should be corrected.
Overall, Threshold is a must-read for horror fans, offering spine-chilling and masterful storytelling that keeps you on the edge of your seat. St. John expertly crafts an atmosphere thick with tension, blending thought-provoking themes with memorable characters. This dark and thrilling journey into the depths of human behavior and redemption blurs the line between the living and the dead, where the horrors of the past relentlessly haunt the present.
Threshold is available on Kindle Unlimited. Add it to your fall TBR!
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