HORROR NOVEL REVIEW : BOTTLED ABYSS BY BENJAMIN KANE ETHERIDGE

BOTTLED ABYSS

Bottled Abyss is unique tale centering on Herman and Janet, two parents who lost their daughter when she was involved in a hit and run accident at her daycare. As they try rather unsuccessfully to put their lives back together, the family dog disappears. Herman goes out to find him and discovers his dog near death after a coyote attack. Herman prepares to say goodbye to the pet as a stranger approaches and saves the dog with an odd liquid in a strange-looking bottle. After Janet almost dies, Herman develops an obsession with the bottle and its mystery liquid. One thing leads to another and all those who encounter the bottle meet an ugly demise.

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Before I started this book, I guess I spent too much time living under a rock because I had no idea who Benjamin Kane Ethridge was or that this book has been out for a while. Admittedly, it took me a little while to get into the story because it is so depressing at the beginning, and I didn’t really feel anything for the characters, despite what they went through.  However, once this book takes hold, hang on because you’re in for a hell of a ride.  

Ethridge’s writing is precise, clear and at times, poetic. The flawless editing combined with the author’s obvious skill made this an easy story to read. Bottled Abyss scares you, breaks your heart, and makes you wonder what you would do in similar circumstances.  It shows the reader how ugly humans can be, and has a unique blend of horror and mythology brought together with fascinating imagery.  I strongly recommend this book to anyone who loves intelligent, well-written horror that makes you think. Even if you’ve read the first edition of Bottled Abyss, grab the newly revamped version released by Horrific Tales Publishing.  You won’t be sorry.

Herman and Janet Erikson are going through a crisis of grief and suffering after losing their daughter in a hit and run. They've given up on each other, they've given up on themselves. When their dog goes missing, Herman resolves to find the animal, unaware he's hiking to the border between the Living World and the Dead. Long ago the gods died and the River Styxx dried up, but a bottle containing its waters still remains in the badlands. What Herman discovers about the dark power contained in those waters will change his life forever.

• Paperback: 314 pages
• Publisher: Horrific Tales Publishing (3 April 2015)
• ISBN-10: 1910283037
• ISBN-13: 978-1910283035

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REVIEWED BY DAWN ANGRY PUPPY