Grave Digger Academy II by C.A. King
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
You always hear anything after the first isn’t as good as the original. Honestly that isn’t the case here. Entering into year two it just feels like the story is picking up where it left off. The way that Makayla has grown up makes you feel like you are actively in her life to witness it. I cannot wait for the next book!
Goddess of Everything by Paul DeBlassie III
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Goddess of Everything: A Blood-Curdling Tale of Truth, Freedom, and Love, by Paul DeBlassie III, is the first book that I have read from this author. I’ve never been into horror or thriller or religious books, but this book had me hooked. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. The authors writing style is phenomenal. I was immediately captured within the first chapter.
Its horror but not really the nightmare type kind where you’ll wake up in the middle of the night screaming. The evil as some people would say wasn’t evil to quite a few of the characters. It was just evil in its own way. When hiding something that is evil inside something that is good, a ying Yang type of situation. But it seems like not everyone could do such a thing. Its interesting to see how people think of things like that in a way. This was a very well written book and I would recommend it for anyone to read.
Goddess of Everything by Paul DeBlassie III
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Goddess of Everything is jam packed full of magical realism, horror, suspense and religious ferver. DeBlassie brings the desert of New Mexico alive in the mind of the reader. His judicious use of metaphorical writing brings the characters and setting to life in the story. This is a beautifully written psychological thriller and I couldn’t put it down! I look forward to more work by this author!
Reviewed by @bilberrysweet
Brandy Vaughn, August 2022
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Goddess of Everything by Paul DeBlassie III
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Wow. This book was everything I expected from Paul DeBlassie III. A dark telling of a man torn between two women. The love for his wife, and the love for his mother. Just like a horror movie, I wanted to scream at him sometimes. There were some very twisted parts and any time it delt with his mother I got the chills. Definitely recommend.
Goddess of Everything by Paul DeBlassie III
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This riveting novel has you guessing from the minute it starts! In a tale of evil, betrayal, violence and love hits you right where it hurts, a parents love for a child. Gabriel must follow his heart or his eyes; his family or his Mother and her troop of stern nuns, all in the midst of the hot desert sun, and all of the magic and terror that goes along with it.
Goddess of Everything by Paul DeBlassie III
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
SPOILERS AHEAD
This author is a good author, but his books just aren’t for me. This book was very, very graphic and a little too disturbing for me. There is child mutilation in it, if there was a content warning, I missed it. But if you’re a lover of reading horror, then this would be a great book for you. I’m just not into it. Writing wise, it’s fantastic. Detailed, pulls the reader in, and has a good story line. But as I already said, it is fairly graphic. I’m just not a paranormal/horror book reader.
Goddess of Everything by Paul DeBlassie III
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Absolute thrill ride from beginning to end! One of the best psychological thrillers I’ve read in a long time! This novel is most definitely not for the faint of heart. There are depictions of murder and child abuse that made even me cringe. But the way DeBlassie spins his tale is *chef’s kiss* amazing. The internal moral dilemma that Gabriél faces in choosing to save his wife and son and going against the cherished Mother is absolutely fascinating. While this story won’t stop you from sleeping, it will invade your thoughts when you least expect it and leave you wondering why and how. I absolutely recommend this thriller of a novel.
Reviewed by @meggs1717
Goddess of Everything by Paul DeBlassie III
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Whoa! What a great thrilling read! Mother Juana de la Cruz is pure evil under the guise of religion and so is her entire nunnery. Using her son in ways that are unbelievable and often unreal. Poor Gabriel and his wife Consuela and their son who suffer from her nasty needs. I am stunned at how evil the religions of the world can be but, covered up by the “good” that they do and the money that is generated. I must say that Consuela is my favorite character as she sticks by her husband through all the evil and trickery that takes place and to find out that she is the hero in the end is the best reward for reading the book. Mothers are not the be all and end all in a little boy’s world! It is truly their wives that are looking out for their husband’s best interest. Always listen to that inner voice also known as intuition or a gut feeling- it usually does have something important and truthful to speak.
This book is full of twists and turns and kept me on the edge of my seat during the entire read. I found this book to be a real psychological thriller in such a way as to question religion and the truth of its motives. Great character development with many colorful characters and lots of mind-bending atrocities. I appreciate the Native lore of the book and the setting description that makes me feel the hot arid desert and the sand whipping and stinging my face. Such a great book to read but be prepared for the ride of your life.
Goddess of Everything by Paul DeBlassie III
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Gabriél is the son of Mother Juana de la Cruz, Mother Superior of the nunnery and orphanage in Aztlan del Norte. He is also a therapist to the children who live within the orphanage and it is his passion to help heal their wounded psyches. He loves his mother and truly believes she is doing right by these children, and that the other sisters are sinister. Love can be blind. Suddenly children are going missing and Gabriél has to face the fact that his beloved mother is every bit a part of it.
Goddess of Everything by Paul DeBlassie III was my first book by this author. Admittedly, I have never been much of a horror reader. I have a hard time getting through certain subjects and situations that can often come with that genre. There were a few areas in this story where I had to take a break because it messed with me a bit. But isn’t that what horror is supposed to do? That being said, it did not affect how I felt about the story overall, nor diminish my respect for the author’s incredible writing skills that captured so much detail in the descriptions that it was easy to visualize all that was happening. There is a lot building up in the beginning, then suddenly things are unfolding and I was completely wrapped up in it. If you love the supernatural horror genre, I highly recommend you add this book to your list!
Goddess of Everything by Paul DeBlassie III
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Although not the first book I’ve read by Paul DeBlassie III, Goddess of Everything is, by far, my favorite! Not only does this book have horror and supernatural elements, but DeBlassie throws in psychological elements, with lots of twists and turns along the way. The story and the characters are both so well- developed and I found myself fascinated by the character of Mother Juana. Such evil inside one person, but veiled by religion and beliefs to the point that most of those around her, even her own son, are in awe of her. It made me want to yell like I do at the typical horror movie, “why can’t you see how evil she is?” If you are looking for a page-turning, supernatural, psychological horror story that you can’t put down, filled with believable, relatable, realistic characters, then this is the book for you!
Goddess of Everything by Paul DeBlassie III
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Horror but not really the nightmare type. The story is really quite a good read. From the very beginning you could tell the story has a lot to tell. The evil as people would call it wasn’t evil to a lot of the characters just evil in its own way. When hiding something that is actually evil inside something good, sounds a bit like another story I’ve read, but seems like not everyone would do such a thing. It is very interesting how someone thinks of things like that. Lots of things seem to happen all at the same time, rhe original story line was interrupted by something else. I didn’t like that very much. I wanted to finish knowing what was going to happen, then something else does. After the actual set up of the story was done it became very interesting to read. The story was very twisty and turvy, very horror story. I don’t usually read horror or thriller books but this one was very well written. I would recommend it for anyone to read.
Goddess of Everything: A Blood-Curdling Tale of the Affection of One Mother for Her Son and Her Son’s Struggle for Truth, Freedom, and Love by Paul DeBlassie III
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book was amazing. A real page turner. I found myself wanting more and more while reading. So many twists and turns kept me on my toes. The author used different aspects in their writing to entertain. So much depth. I highly recommend this.
Goddess of Everything: A Blood-Curdling Tale of the Affection of One Mother for Her Son and Her Son’s Struggle for Truth, Freedom, and Love by Paul DeBlassie III
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Love this book! I am an avid horror/thriller reader, Dean Koontz and Stephen King among my favorite authors. This book has so many twists I almost couldn’t keep up. Gabriel is pulled between two women he loves, and who should he believe? His mother is the Mother Superior of a nun ran orphanage and his wife is his whole world. Each telling him the other is evil, but who is truly the dark one? How is he to know? Mind powers and evil darkness take over, and you won’t believe how it ends.
Goddess of Everything by Paul DeBlassie III
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Horror but not really the nightmare type. The story is really quite a good read. From the very beginning you could tell the story has a lot to tell. The evil as people would call it wasn’t evil to a lot of the characters just evil in its own way. When hiding something that is actually evil inside something good, sounds a bit like another story I’ve read, but seems like not everyone would do such a thing. It is very interesting how someone thinks of things like that. Lots of things seem to happen all at the same time, rhe original story line was interrupted by something else. I didn’t like that very much. I wanted to finish knowing what was going to happen, then something else does. After the actual set up of the story was done it became very interesting to read. The story was very twisty and turvy, very horror story. I don’t usually read horror or thriller books but this one was very well written. I would recommend it for anyone to read.
Goddess of Everything by Paul DeBlassie III
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This book took me by complete surprise!! It was horror and mystery at its finest. All the characters had such secrets and such hidden depths to themselves. I honestly went in blindly not knowing what to expect, but I was surely not disappointed. This is a book you can pick up on a rainy night with a comfortable blanket.
Goddess of Everything by Paul DeBlassie III
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book was really good. Gabriel’s journey was so intense and there was lots of drama. The family dynamic between Gabriel and his mother Juana played for me true to reality, most mothers want their sons to love them the most, even over any wife they might have, they just don’t usually turn to the dark arts to control them. I found the religious aspect or rather the distortion of religion interesting. I enjoyed this novel and would enjoy reading more from this author.
Goddess of Everything by Paul DeBlassie III
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Goddess of Everything is unlike anything I have ever read. It is twisted, entertaining, and I couldn’t figure out what was going to happen next! It isn’t a shocking, too-scared-to-sleep type of read but will instead invade your brain slowly, almost unnoticeably, which is scarier to me.
There is nothing like the love a mother has for her son, but this read will have you questioning everything. Are your own perception filters blocking you from seeing something that is obvious to others? Gabriél has been raised to love his mother above all else, but once he marries Consuela, there is no black and white choice anymore it seems. Everything is a shade of gray, and he can’t figure which way to go.
Helping kids is Gabriél’s passion yet he finds something disturbing about some of the happenings at the orphanage where they live, and where his mother is in charge. I like that Consuela tries to gently yet consistently help her husband come to the truth without forcing her view onto him. There are some disturbingly graphic parts of this story that may affect sensitive readers but overall, this is a tremendous book.
Reviewed by @shannlynn
Goddess of Everything by Paul DeBlassie III
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This novel is so incredibly creepy, it’ll crawl under your skin. The detail and attention to the religion, let alone the power of the Mother, is terrifyingly real. The horrible, dark, yet cunning twists and turns this story takes as Gabriel runs to save his family is an adventure to be experienced. You really get to witness the power of love overcome the dark and twisted. Truly remarkable piece of art.
*¨*✶*¨`* BOOK SPOTLIGHT SHOWCASE *¨*✶*¨`*
From the multi-award-winning author of Goddess of the Wild Thing, comes an unforgettable, chilling story that will haunt your nightmares.
In the mystic land of Aztlan del Norte, a realm of supernatural happenings and unexpected turns of fate, psychiatric healer Gabriél de LaTierra encounters evil within the Orphanage of the Holy Innocents. Children disappear for reasons kept secret by Mother Juana de la Cruz, Superior of the Nunnery and the Orphanage.
Love for Mother Juana, his widowed mother turned religious superior, clouds Gabriél’s mind. His wife, Consuela, tries to confront his wall of denial.
Torn between his love for mother and wife, Gabriél turns inward.
Through Consuela, Gabriél discovers the nighttime blood sacrifice of children in the desert — a centuries-old ritual that imparts immortality to Mother and her nuns. This knowledge places Gabriél’s family in danger. Consuela is attacked and their four-year-old son kidnapped.
Can he find a way to save his wife and son in time?
Will he have the strength to do what’s right, even if it means going against his beloved Mother?
Paul DeBlassie III, Ph.D., is a psychologist and award-winning writer living in his native New Mexico, crafting metaphysical thrillers energized with trickster mischief and natural magic.
Goddess of Everything by Paul DeBlassie III
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Wow. All I have to say is that I was unable to read this novel when I was home alone, which is what I was hoping to do! The way this author weaves this blood-curdling tale is phenomenal, I honestly cannot say that I have ever read anything like this before, and though it certainly gave me goosebumps in the worst way, I could see myself reading other works by him. Written works such as these aren’t easy to read, but that’s all part of the fun, and horror. Growing up in a religious household and reading this work of art really had me gripping the edge of my seat.
The internal and external struggles had by the characters, namely Gabriel, brings tears to my eyes, as nothing is truly ever black and white. There is evil in this world, and there aren’t many novels that cover the dark side of people, religion, or people’s feelings/thoughts/opinions. The way that this author describes the struggles, the connection between the nuns and Mother Juana, Gabriel, and Consuela, and the bumps along the way, you can just tell that he poured his all into these pages. I look forward to reading this again once I have the mindset to really dig deep and will be back to edit this review once I do so. Well done!
Goddess of Everything by Paul DeBlassie III
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Goddess of Everything
By: Paul DeBlassie III
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Pages: 261
This book is creepy, I wasn’t a huge fan but it stands up to its genre.
I give this four stars due to it having an amazing story it keeps you captivated and engaged.
As you keep reading you learn the power of a bond between mother and son.
Setting of a grave yard a son battles his instinct to run from the truth a family secret that can destroy everything.
This author is so descriptive that I had to close the book and take a minute but it was worth it in the end.
It isn’t a scary horror show it’s right on the brink really has you questioning what you read.
Great characters and overall story that has you gasping.
As a fan of Mark Edwards this author will be added to my collection.
Goddess of Everything by Paul DeBlassie III
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
What a great thriller filled with suspense with a unique spin on the writing done by the author. Some of the content in the book were touchy subjects and a little disturbing to get through, such as child abuse and manipulation. But in all honesty, that same twisted darkness is what draws you into the characters developed and the plot that you find yourself getting pulled into. All, in all, I enjoyed this gripping thriller.
Goddess of Everything by Paul DeBlassie III
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is an intense read; be sure you are ready, as it is not at all a ‘light’ read. It is definitely not something anybody can read, especially if you’re sensitive to harsh subjects. With that being said, this book is one I would highly recommend!
This is my first read by Paul DeBlassie III, and you can bet it will not be my last. DeBlassie III has written an original, intriguing, page turning, edge-of-seat sitting supernatural thriller.
DeBlassie III has a one of a kind writing style, creating extremely vivid visual pictures and characters. There is a lot happening in this book, but it is layered very well with the characters and varying storylines. This book with suck you in and not let you go until you’re finished!
Goddess of Everything: A Blood-Curdling Tale of the Affection of One Mother for Her Son and Her Son’s Struggle for Truth, Freedom, and Love by Paul DeBlassie III
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Be aware if your sensitive with your religious beliefs and/ or spiritual beliefs this book might not be for you. The mother has done whatever she wanted to do. Then the mother wants to be so controlling of her adult son. Adult son is naïve concerning the bad things his mother does.
Goddess of Everything by Paul DeBlassie III
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I was looking for a horror thriller, and this tale did not disappoint, though I was hoping for nightmares. The story itself was quite interesting. Right from the prologue, it was obvious there was more than meets the eye. I loved that the evil in the story was not apparently bad to many of the characters. The idea of hiding true evil inside something so outwardly good was intriguing and made for a compelling story. I did feel as though the flow of the story was interrupted often by exploring happenings from the past in the middle of a current scene, especially in the earlier parts of the story. Often times I totally forgot what was happening in the moment because the story went on a tangent, often making me wonder if I missed something that led the story to that route. The first about 25% was mostly setting up the story, and after that it really became intriguing. I loved the use of mal de ojo in the story. Growing up having my mother telling me to be wary of mal de ojo really made that hit home. I also enjoyed the use of religion in the tale. Since religion is something most people have experience with and so easily deals with the supernatural, it makes the story much more personal. The tale was twisted and interesting, so even though I slept soundly, I would recommend to anyone looking for a horror thriller!
Reviewed by @asanabr1
Goddess of Everything by Paul DeBlassie III
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
The Goddess of Everything by Paul DeBlassie III tells the horrific tale of the length’s a mother will go through to keep her son’s love. Mother Juana de la Cruz is a devoutly religious woman and Superior of the Orphanage of the Holy Innocents located in the community of Atzlan del Norte. The Nunnery and Orphanage is a place of closely guarded secrets, one where evil and darkness lurk behind every door. Mother Juana de la Cruz’s son Gabriel de LaTierra is a psychiatric healer who has devoted his life to helping the children at the orphanage. When Gabriel starts uncovering secrets of supernatural happenings and missing children, he becomes suspicious of the true motives of the nuns running the Orphanage of the Holy Innocents. The one person he trusts within the orphanage and nunnery is his beloved Mother Juana de la Cruz, a woman who is a true saint in Gabriel’s eyes and could harm no one, especially a child. A woman who is also considered a saint by the devoutly religious community of Atzlan del Norte.
Gabriel’s wife Consuela, however, suspects otherwise and attempts to get Gabriel to see the true person his beloved Mother Juana de la Cruz is. Consuela has powers of her own as a seer and knows that true evil is smart, often hiding in plain sight. She tries to warn Gabriel that his beloved Mother Juana is pure evil. Gabriel finds such thoughts unimaginable because his Mother Juana is devoutly religious and he refuses to see how Mother Juana keeps him, her beloved son, brainwashed and under her spell. To shed light on what Mother Juana de la Cruz’s true intentions are, Gabriel is shown through visions from Consuela the blood sacrifices of children that take place in the desert late at night. A ritual that has been taking place for centuries and one that gives Mother Juana de la Cruz and her nuns immortality. Gabriel is horrified to think that his beloved Mother could be capable of such horrendous acts of pure evil and finds himself conflicted between the love he has for his wife and the love and devotion he has towards his mother. When his beloved wife Consuela is viciously attacked, and his young son is kidnapped, Gabriel is forced to act. Will Gabriel be able to find the strength and courage to save his wife and son? Will good triumph over evil?
The Goddess of Everything is a new twist on the age-old tale of good versus evil, and the darker side of religion. From the first page Paul deBlassie III pulled me into the story and held my interest with tales of the supernatural, magical powers, religious rituals and sacrifices, and the dark realms of true evil. This book was action packed throughout and delivered from start to finish. Great read that will give you goosebumps and will surely haunt your dreams!
View all my reviews @Tara Johnson Barnes
Goddess of Everything by Paul DeBlassie III
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Woo boy was this a super creepy book to read. It has some really mentally disturbed characters. I really loved the setting of Mexico. Fair warning this book does have a mention of miscarriage and that kinda threw me for a loop. Overall it was a really creepy horror story that would be a good fit for the Halloween season. Be prepared to stick it in the freezer it’s that creepy.
Goddess of Everything by Paul DeBlassie III
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Wow. This book is unlike anything I’ve ever read. A true psychological horror, it had me- a self-professed lover of creep- absolutely gobsmacked.
Please be forewarned that some content may be triggering, and that this book has incredibly vivid details. The style is a bit different than many books, and may take a few chapters to get into. It is worth the investment.
We open on Gabriel as a young boy, in the cemetery, with his mother. It very quickly becomes apparent that Mother Juana is not at all what she seems. Mother is the superior in a nunnery, and when Gabriel becomes an adult, he works there as well. A man who readily extends grace to others and sees the best in people, we find him at complete odds with Juana. When orphans begin to go missing, Gabriel must face the truth about his sadistic mother and reconcile some difficult choices in himself.
A truly riveting read, lovers of horror will be glad they added this one to their list.
Reviewed by @hautemessreads
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Goddess of Everything by Paul DeBlassie III
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Goddess of Everything by Paul DeBlassie III, is a very interesting tale with some supernatural aspects that make you think and wonder. It’s definitely not a book for those who are faint of heart and I would not suggest it for younger audiences. Mr DeBlassie does an amazing job describing the locations, the situations, and the characters so you can feel and imagine what the characters are going through. The relationship between Gabriel and his mother Juana, who happens to be the mother superior at an Orphanage, is interesting to say the least. It will make you wonder if you really read things that happened. I had to go back and read some things again just to make sure.
Goddess of Everything: A Blood-Curdling Tale of the Affection of One Mother for Her Son and Her Son’s Struggle for Truth, Freedom, and Love by Paul DeBlassie III
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Mother Juana does not like to be disobeyed. In fact, she insists against it. Her son, however, is not as cruel, and is torn between his mother, and his wife (which was forbidden!). The supernatural powers of Mother Juana keeps a tight grip on everyone in her path, and her son, a healer with his own abilities, has fallen in love, and only SHE (his mother) is worthy of his love! I thoroughly enjoyed the character development, and the depth and diversity of mother and son. I love finding things that keep me guessing, and this one did just that (in a good way). I have never read anything from this author before, but will definitely be picking up more of his books.
Reviewed By @zoltrixes
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