By Lauren Bell
The Devil’s Whispers is a 2022 horror novel written by Lucas Hault. Hault opened the novel with a poignant quote by Mary Shelley: “I do not wish women to have power over men; but over themselves,” which immediately captured me and set the scene for the Shelley-like novel. The reader will also notice that Hault does well to emulate the Old English and mannerisms in which his novel is set.
Set in England in 1903, the novel is written in journals and correspondence of Gerard Woodward, a revered lawyer, his fiancée, Raelynn, and their other close acquaintances. The plot is set in motion as Woodward travels to visit the dying Lord Mathers in his castle to settle his affairs. His stay becomes anything but what he anticipated as he is locked into his room and unable to contact the outside world. Sneaking out of his window at night is what allows him to explore the gothic castle and observe its inhabitants. In the novel, the castle is described dramatically, obviously, to encapsulate the mysterious and spooky atmosphere Hault is trying to portray. However, I was not personally intrigued by it. I found the castle to be filled with too many classic horror tropes: an isolated castle, creepy butler, black cats, and Mathers’ beautiful daughter to consider it remarkable.
Woodward’s silence to Raelynn and his other peers is what creates a ripple effect of worry for the other characters in the novel, who are also experiencing their own unsettling events. For instance, Raelynn is visited by her cousin, Nathan, who suddenly falls ill, and during his sickness, he is visited by a mysterious woman that turns him against Raelynn. Within these subplots, the trend of horror tropes continues with the new moon influencing character behaviour and the “possessed” (for lack of a better word) character’s aversion to garlic.
I will, however, give Hault credit for his integration of Asturian mythology and the introduction of the Xana as his antagonist. This was my first time learning of this creature, and it made the story less generic. With the Xana now involved, I noticed a transition within the atmosphere of the novel. It became less Frankenstein and Dracula-esque and shifted to being more like The Exorcist with the involvement of the church and the possessed characters crawling up walls.
As I finished the novel, I was disappointed with the lack of characterization; most were one-dimensional, and I found them hard to sympathize with. As well, I felt the novel didn’t really have an ending when compared with its slow build-up. Ultimately, The Devil’s Whispers was not my favourite novel, but it’s a quick read (~200 pages) for those interested in horror and willing to try it.
Thank you, TCK Publishing, for the complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.