The Condemned starts with Michael, our main character, who is living a normal life finishing up college, with student debts piled up to his neck. Michael is a very relatable character. But suddenly, he starts having dreams where he finds himself in a variety of places. Everyone’s dream is different. Sometimes you are in a magical land, sometimes it is all rainbows and sunshine. Alas, that is not Michael’s luck. He has visions of places where demons and death crawl the land. Where it is blood and limbs, and everyone who is eternally damned.

One of my favorite things about this book were these vivid and imaginative dreams. They were highly creative and sprinkled with gory details. With every scene I felt the need to read more! Was I terrified? No. But I chalk that up to my immunity to such reads. I believe most readers would feel the horror and the thrill of such scenes at a higher level.

The plot flowed smoothly and not only did we see Michael’s daily life, we saw the effects these dreams had on him and his life. I loved Orrix’s character. The first spawn of Lucifer, and the creator of other vampires. I liked the unique take on the myth of Lucifer and Orrix, and how they were connected was intriguing. Especially the uproar that hell is going through. While I enjoyed this book I felt that there were some instances where Orrix was talking or telling his story and it felt like we were given a lot of information all at once.

There were moments where great tension was being built up, giving depth to the scenes, and then the story takes a light hearted twist that moves the plot forward and gives this a more young adult feel. The Condemned is a riveting supernatural thriller that is highly imaginative and keeps readers engaged throughout this uniquely spooky novel.

Pages: 182 | ASIN: B0971QQD9Q