This book was provided by the author free of charge.
In Apocrypha Sequence: Divinity, the reader is treated to 5 short pieces of fiction (some of which can be found in his collection Shards) that are thematically linked with the concept of Divinity. Indeed all the Apocrypha Sequence titles are constructed in this way i.e. they are themed.
The Tales
As the title indicates the stories all centre on the divine. Cummings offers a diverse selection for the reader up first is a tale of Ancient Egypt.
In Sobek’s Tears the story centres around an Egyptian general pursuing the Hebrew slaves. Its a tale of revenge and the extent to which one man can be prepared to go to carry it out.
The Virgin in the Mist(which appeared in Shards) was an interesting take on holy visitations. It might make the religious think twice about hoping for an appearance from the Virgin Mary in their bathroom mirror.
Memoirs of a Teenage Antichrist was another tale that I had read previously. A funny piece in the tradition of Adrian Mole with a dash of Good Omens. The diary of the teenage Antichrist as he comes into his powers.
Blasphemy on Eight Wheels is fast paced military action, terrorists and transportation of dangerous cargo.
Genesis 6 was another story I had read in shards and presents us with the concept of another biblical catastrophe/genocide at the hands of Yahweh and the idea that all is not well in Heaven.
What I liked
It was hard to pick a standout story in this offering. I’d previously read 3 of the stories so their impact was possibly lessened. The humour present in Memoirs… probably puts it in front as the best of the bunch.
What I Didn’t
Nothing to dislike here.
In Summary
A good buy if you are interested in reading religiously themed horror writing - though there’s not much that is too horrific in this collection. Cummings plays around with common tropes associated with divinity giving the reader some interesting twists. Good concepts and a good value read – currently available at 99c from Smashwords.
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