Mall Priest: A Thrilling Mall Apocalypse
5 out of 5 stars
I have to admit, I was hooked from the moment I heard the premise of Mall Priest by Chris Heinicke and Kate Reedwood. A priest, a rock star, and a demon battling it out in a 1980s shopping mall? Count me in! This audiobook delivered everything I hoped for and more, blending horror, nostalgia, and a dash of dark humor into an experience that had me glued to my headphones.
The story plunges you straight into the chaos of Mallzilla on Christmas Eve, 1985, and doesn’t let up. The authors do an incredible job of recreating the eerie, anything-goes atmosphere of classic 80s horror, but with a unique twist. As the mall’s priest, Father Sam, and his unlikely crew of heroes face off against Abaddon, the Devil’s deadliest soldier (who escapes in the opening scenes of this book).
I felt like I was living through the best kind of horror slasher—a little gross, a lot intriguing, and impossible to look away from. Surprisingly, I enjoyed the way they weave religious elements into the plot. I wasn’t sure how that aspect would play out, but it added a compelling layer of tension that kept the stakes high.
Justin Price’s narration is the cherry on top of this wild ride. He manages to capture the intensity of the story, nailing everything from the eerie calm before the possessions to the frantic pace of a battle against evil. His ability to switch between the voices of the possessed and the unpossessed was nothing short of impressive, and it’s clear he put a lot into getting the pacing just right.
The callbacks to mall culture from the 80s hit me with a wave of nostalgia, too, making the whole experience even more immersive. If you’re in the mood for a horror story that’s equal parts fun and freaky, Mall Priest is definitely worth a listen.
Also, only posting this here, but this one, in all the right ways reminded me of another horror story I really enjoyed: Horrorstor by Grady Hendrix
Book Description:
A priest, a rock star, and a demon walk into a shopping mall…and then the apocalypse begins.
Christmas Eve, 1985.
Shoppers flood the aisles of Mallzilla, Springfield’s largest shopping mall. But when Abaddon, one of the Devil’s deadliest soldiers, is unleashed, the mall becomes the epicenter of a battle between good and evil.
As Abaddon recruits an army of possessed mall-goers, a group of unlikely heroes, led by Father Sam, the mall’s resident priest, must band together to stop him. As the body count rises and the stakes get higher, the mall becomes the last line of defense against Abaddon’s quest for world domination.
Can the Mall Priest and his team send Abaddon back to Hell, or will he succeed in building an army of darkness?
Mall Priest by Chris Heinicke, Kate ReedwoodNarrator: Justin Price
Length: 9 hrs and 30 mins
Series: Mall Priest #1
Published by Fright Night Audio on July 9th 2024
Genres: Horror
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