Steven Nedelton's "The Last Omen"

Title: Occult Paranoia

“The Last Omen” by Steven Nedelton

Reviewed by A. Anthony

05/15/2015

1:05 p.m.

The old public perception of Satanism as a sacrificing, blood-ridden, pentagram-wielding religion—one that stays in the cover of the shadows—is still powerfully present in the mind. The chill we experience in contemplating occult activities is felt twofold in Nedelton’s novel through its two storylines: one concerning horror writer Aengus Adams, and the other the rather unlikeable Johan Jensen, a Norwegian ex-military man. Aengus must deal with his sudden initiation into the occult world by a possessed woman, which starts to unravel his life. Johan Jensen is faced with, after arrival in New York, dealings with a dangerous gangster—he is led into deranged areas that he couldn’t have possibly envisioned in his worst nightmares.

The reader might wonder why they are suddenly presented with the storyline about Jensen, and may at first find it a disruption. However, they will find that the two storylines intersect in an unexpected way, making one look back and realize that the seemingly unrelated action of Jensen’s section was in fact necessary all along.

The Last Omen is not short on bloodcurdling images that will satisfy the horror fan who seeks out gore. There is a scene depicting a meeting of Satanists, at which a black mass is performed, and there are several bloody, ritual killings that leave one uneasy and a little frightened.

While Nedelton does succeed in writing descriptively, his syntax and writing style in general may leave some writers stumbling due to a lack of commas, and because of occasional, awkward turns of phrase. The plot sometimes struggles to assert itself, feeling a little bit incomplete and rather confusing. But because of Nedelton’s attention to macabre detail (which shows his promise as a writer in the horror genre), the book ended up being an okay one. All it needs are slight modifications to increase its narrative flow and clarity.              

    

I give “The Last Omen” 3 out of 5 stars.

Until Next Time,

A. Anthony