Xibalba, home of torture and sacrifice, is the kingdom of the lord of death. He stalked the night in the guise of a putrefied corpse, with the head of an owl and adorned with a necklace of disembodied eyes that hung from nerve cords. He commanded legions of shapeshifting creatures, spectral shamans, and corpses hungry for the flesh of the living. The Mayans feared him and his realm of horror. He … He sat atop his pyramid temple surrounded by his demon kings and demanded sacrifices of blood and beating hearts as tribute to him and his ghostly world.
These legends, along with those that lived in fear of them, have been dead and gone for centuries. Yet now, a doorway has been opened in Georgia. A group of college students seek their missing professor, a man who has secretly uncovered the answer to one of history’s greatest mysteries. However, what they find is more than the evidence of a hidden civilization. It’s also a gateway to a world of living nightmares.
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Xibalba awaits!
ByToneye Eyenoton May 24, 2016
Format: Paperback
Visions abound, etched deep within our psyches. Depictions of Hell that have, over the centuries of conditioning and the dominant influence of Christianity in western culture and history, taught us from the youngest age to fear a wrathful god. To be cast for an eternity into a fiery torment without relief or salvation is one of the greatest horror stories ever told. But, how many of us know of Xibalba, the Hell of the Mayan culture? Or of Ah-Puch, the Mayan god of Death who presides over all who find themselves forever in this place? The Christian depictions of Hell pale in comparison, as you will find within the pages of this book. Michelle Garza and Melissa Lason take you on a terrifying guided tour of Xibalba. The rulers and denizens of this realm of endless, unrelenting Death have been resurrected by these two necromantic authors with such deeply disturbing clarity, that you are there, suffering the agonising torments of Dennis, Kelly, Alissa, Tyler, and their teacher Wes as they set out to meet with Wes’s mentor of archaeology, Professor Lipton. Lipton has made a discovery that will rewrite the history books, but as fate would have it, he has opened the portal to Xibalba and fallen victim to those who have been set free. What follows is a tale of the truest horror. Mayan Blue is Michelle and Melissa’s debut novel and after reading many of their short stories beforehand, it was clear that this was a masterpiece in the making. Stifling, claustrophobic terror and hopelessness seeps from every page, every word. This book is the truest definition of horror you can imagine, and written with such naturally terrifying description as to leave you feeling grateful that the Mayans have faded into obscurity and your sinful life will only condemn you to the playground version of the Christian Hell. Five stars doesn’t even begin to rate this tale. Michelle Garza and Melissa Lason – The Sisters of Slaughter – have arrived with a vengeance that will plunge the world of horror into its very own nightmare. One from which it may never recover
From the very first day that I entered into the dark fiction community, Michelle and Melissa have been cheering me on and encouraging me every step of the way. I’ve been recommended their work time and time again, but it was ‘Mayan Blue’ and ‘Tapetum Lucidum’ that really stood out for me. (I’ll be starting Tapetum shortly!)
‘Mayan Blue’ always interested me as I’ve always been intrigued by Xibalba and the Mayan lore of the Underworld. The Mayan Death Gods, specifically Ah Puch, have always got my imagination running and because of this, I wanted to see what type of carnage the Sisters of Slaughter could conjure up.
What I liked: The story begins innocently enough. Four college students and the Professor’s Assistant hike into the Georgia wilderness. They’re off to meet up with the Professor of Archaeology who has discovered a doorway in a cave, that he believes is Mayan. Little do the group of five know that the Professor has accidentally disturbed things that should never have been disturbed.
From this point on, Garza and Lason craft a story filled with survival and brutal, brutal moments. As the Gods of Death march forward and lust to capture the humans and bring them to the massive pyramid for sacrifice, the humans struggle to stay alive, even if they don’t know it’s already too late.
There are some gruesome scenes in here, scenes that rival anything Barker ever conjured. We get tons of blood, amazing progression as the various creatures get their moments in the spotlight and we see just how much each of the humans themselves, want to stay alive.
I really enjoyed how fast-paced this was and how vividly each of the underworld incarnations were described.
What I didn’t like: Two things. The first was, I felt like three of the five individuals were there just to be slaughtered. I didn’t get enough of them or their actual personalities to care much about them and the one woman was incredibly annoying. The second, was I wished there was more background on the lore surrounding what was to come. I felt like I had to play catch up as various levels and events happened and some characters filled the reader in after. Minor, but I think some parts would’ve made more sense.
Why you should buy this: Absolute, underworld blast. This was a really fun time, with a ton of Mayan history and anytime you can get a horror story based around Xibalba, the reader should be happy. The twosome crafted a really frantic, high-energy story and I loved how we saw things go darker and darker. Great stuff!
An incredible first novel by the Sisters of Slaughter, Michelle Garza and Melissa Lason. Packed with chills and thrills, fantastic characters, and a great story, this book was nominated for a Bram Stoker award. Should have won it hands down, if you ask me. Great job, ladies!
I really enjoyed this tale of an ancient underworld. The trials and tribulations presented were beyond what I would want to endure.
I highly recommend this novel!