Helen’s Daimones by S.E. Lindberg

Genre: Fantasy – Horror

Series: Dyscrasia #2

Publisher: IGNIS Publishing   (September 23, 2017)

Author Information: Website | Twitter

Length: 214 pages

My Rating: 3 stars

Helen’s Daimones is the third book in the Dyscrasia series by S.E. Lindberg, but it actually is second chronically, following Lord of Dyscrasia and Spawn of Dyscrasia. This book (more a novella actually) serving as a sort of “gateway” work, meant to be read first by readers new to the universe, preparing them for this weird, pulp fiction tale.

The world here is weird. It was broken in the past. Sorcerous energies released that changed reality, causing corruption and disease to envelop everything, warping everything. The skeleton Lord Endenken Lysis being at the center of the new world which arose from the ashes.

As this particular tale begins, two young girls named Helen and Sharon survive a horrid disaster which kills their families. The two forced to find safety by relying on guardian spirits. Their every move dodged by demons, possessed dolls, mutated birds, and even more bizarre entities. Their struggle the engine which drives this narrative forward.

To describe this novella as creative doesn’t do it justice: Helen’s Daimones a creative masterpiece of weird ideas, ethereal creatures, and horrific themes. The narrative full of dream-like creatures and weird landscapes. All of it meshing together to become a world building extravaganza.

Scattered about this otherworldly realm are many creatures and characters. Certainly, Helen is the focus here, giving new readers very human character they can follow along behind and connect with, but everyone else (including Lord Lysis and the golem Doctor Grave) is not human and difficult to empathize with. Which was a problem for me personally, since I never felt a strong empathy for anyone I was reading about.

Helen’s Daimones has been labeled weird fiction, weird fantasy, and old school pulp fiction in the Lovecraftian mold. All these descriptions are fairly accurate. Whether this mind-expanding tale filled with horror and fantasy is a true gateway tale for Lindberg’s Dyscrasia Universe will vary from reader to reader, but it definitely is an interesting novella worth a try.

I received this book from the author in exchange for a fair and honest review. I’d like to thank him for allowing me to receive this review copy and inform everyone that the review you have read is my opinion alone.

Purchase the novella at Amazon