Book Review: The Thorn Saga – Author Joshua Ingle

THE THORN SAGA

The Complete Epic Story
By: Joshua Ingle
665 Pages

Thorn is a demon to be reckoned with. Revered by the ominous and feared by one and all he vies to dominate the human soul market. One day his very core existence is threatened when he’s attacked and his days of possession and murderous carnage may be numbered. The origin of his onslaught is discovered to be an age old adversary by the name of Marcus. The Thorn Saga is the life and times of an unlikely protagonist under hellfire and brimstone. Will Thorn be able to rise above the seemingly insurmountable odds of one Marcus and his legion of followers? One thing that is not open for debate, surely there will be hell to pay.

One of the most exciting and engaging things about being a novel critic especially within the horror genre is getting the one in a life time opportunity to explore the efforts of a vast variety of authors. If reading exclusively for leisure I may not have been graced with such incredible talent that I wouldn’t have stumbled upon otherwise.

Dabbling in creative waters myself I can safely state that writing a novel is no easy feat. The author suddenly becomes most vulnerable in expressing a little bit of their heart and soul with each submission. They’re susceptible to brutal criticism and in some cases empty praise. I have nothing but great admiration and respect for the craft and the people passionately putting their endeavors forward.

Perhaps what is most noteworthy about author Joshua Ingle’s The Thorn Saga is the sheer formidable bulk in page volume. A staggering six hundred and sixty five pages embodies the odyssey of one Thorn. Where most contemporary releases of today tip the page count at around two hundred fifty to three hundred pages, Ingle unleashes a beast of a horror tale and refuses to relent until the very final paragraph.

The Thorn Saga is an infectious read oozing of stylistic prose to possession your attention from page one. An almost intimidating page count becomes nonconsequential as the reading audience gravitates further and further into the fray. The Saga works on its own and kudos to the author for presenting it in this fashion. Each of the volumes Thorn, A Demon In The Dark, Sanctuary, The Devil’s Secret and A God To Fear could have just as readily been marketed as stand-alone novellas. I especially admire the fact we’re personally invited to get the full scope on our unlikely protagonist until the bitter end.

Ingle seems to understand and have a firm grasp upon his market. Refusing to subscribe to a conventional formula of over saturated premises that work on the best seller list, this author creates a very fresh, innovative plot outline that will appeal to a massive audience whether a new reader or even the most jaded. There’s a little something for everyone within these pages and Ingle brilliantly and unapologetically exploits it all along the way.

I was particularly fond of the vignettes of humanary consumption revolving around temptation. Whether it’s the self-loathing Amy or virtuous Madeline gone astray or even the suicidal Jada, as the reader gets a glimpse of the interpersonal relationship between human and demon a prominent subtext is undeniable. The parallels of these encounters into our everyday waking lives somehow manifests The Thorn Saga into a plausible tale, if even only on a metaphorical level. We morph into the tempted and breathe the story on a vicarious level. Ingle’s ability to capture the empathy experience is flawless. As a result the integrity of even a far-fetched tale is never really questioned.

The author’s presentation of virtual mythical type entities is indicative of a great deal of research put into drafting this epic tale. His applied knowledge of archangels, their heavenly counter parts, the commandments and damnation is impressive. One of the carnal rules of writing is write about what you know. It’s refreshing to see such complex concepts, scenarios and circumstances laid out in such laymen fashion that any demographic can readily digest it.

Engaging in The Thorn Saga does take commitment, one cannot deny. However when prompted with the question of recommendations to an author that readers may not have been exposed to previously the answer would be a unanimous Joshua Ingle. I’m certain to keep an eye out for this promising young talent and pray to be given the gift of an additional release.