Braze Wilson and Mehpare Eroglu prevent a man from committing suicide. But they should have let him die. Their deed throws them into the sphere of Ashezma Daeva, the demon of wrath and lust, who traps them in his temple whenever they sleep. They still manage to enjoy their lives, working at a local language school during the day, but nights bring fright and uncanny occurrences. Their dreams are … dreams are the only thing Braze and Mehpare have in common: he’s an atheistic American while she’s a pious Turk. Their attraction trumps borders and gods—but it’s no match for the demon, whose tentacles drag them toward murder and depravity.
Only a brave and desperate act can win the battle for their souls. Can Braze and Mehpare destroy the demon and his immortal priest? Find out this autumn on Amazon . . . and remember that some creatures must perish twice.
“Darkcliff is obviously a master storyteller, knowing how to keep the reader riveted the whole time,” Jason P. Crawford, blogger and book reviewer.
This is the second fantasy novel by P.C. Darkcliff. Readers have praised his first book, Deception of the Damned:
“It was such a surprising read from a debut novelist.” (R.K. Lander, award-winning fantasy author, Amazon)
“…outstanding first novel! I can’t wait to read the sequel” (Goodreads)
“the solution to the ‘deal with the devil’ can leave you guessing until the very
end” (Goodreads)
“A great premise, well developed characters and fast paced prose makes this novel a must read.” (Amazon)
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I had such a great time with this book! What I loved the most about it was the characters. It’s almost unbelievable that the author could créate such a spectrum (from a religious Muslim girl, and a “tough” cop who lived in fear of his midget wife, to an undearsea demon and his wicket priest) and still managed to make me get into the head of each and one of them. Darckliff made me cringe, fear, hate, and love along with the héroes of the story.
The scenes are also incredibly well developed. They made me feel as if I was right there, in the middle of the excitement. Although the book is somewhat tragic, it has got a loto f light, hilarious moments that made laugh. But I at times also cried, almost, as some scenes are very moving. Overall, it’s a wonderful fantasy novel, mixed with many other subgenres such as horror, romance, and comedy.
I’m not a reader of fantasy fiction, but lately I have discovered P.C. Darkcliff and he has made me a convert. While teaching in the Turkish coastal town of Antalya, Braze and Mephare meet and become attracted to each other. So begins a love story that takes a disastrous turn when Braze finds a locket while trying to unravel the mystery of a lost archeologist. He gives the locket to Mephare only to find that they have now both become possessed by the demon Ashezma Daeva who interacts with the mortal world through the Priest of Orpagus. Throughout the rest of the book the author takes the reader through the horrific aftermath. He writes of the young lovers decent into hell – entrapped by the will of Ashezma Daeva – with skill and confidence. His characters are wonderfully drawn and his descriptions of the horrors Braze and Mephare experience are brutally stunning. P. C. Darkcliff is an confident storyteller whose writing carries the reader along at a breakneck pace. He can not only imagine a terrific story, he had the writing ability to make reading it extremely entertaining. Word has it that we can expect a new book by P. C. Darkcliff in 2020. I can’t wait.
The Priest of Orpagus, by P.C. Darkcliff, is a Lovecraftian, contemporary, dark fantasy – but be warned: its darkness is stygian. The story is set in modern Turkey, where a hidden demon unleashes murder, destructive carnality, despair and suicide among a small group of people who try to fight back. If you adore Lovecraft’s Cthulhu stories, you will be thrilled by Darkcliff’s modern take on the genre.
P.C. Darkcliff takes his readers down a fast-paced fantastic adventure, in his second novel, The Priest of Orpagus. This book is more complex and told from the point of view of multiple characters, mostly between the protagonists, Braze Wilson and Mehpare Eroglu. Our two heroes are soon cursed by the demon, Ashezma Daeva, leading them both to utter depravity and terrifying actions. I really felt for Mehpare who despite her pious upbringing becomes sexually exploited by a sex cult in Cyprus. I won’t say more than that other, than there were several surprising twists and turns throughout the novel.
Now, I tend to be biased when it comes to Darkcliff’s novels and favor the female characters. The same was the case in this piece; I loved all the main and side characters like Kerry, a wise old woman who fights the demon along with Braze, and a comic figure nicknamed Fat-Ma. I also liked the antagonists in the story; I loved Detective Ahmet who was hellbent on making Braze pay for his possession induced crime.
Also, I thought the ending had great closure and tied loose ends beautifully, far better than his debut novel. I was especially glad to see the protagonists vindicate themselves, to a degree, even if that vindication came at a high cost. This work is definitely dark and has many tragedies, some of them surprising. Overall, I give this novel 5 stars. If you like dark fantasies, this is definitely the novel for you.
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Dark and entertaining, this book will keep you hooked and reading to the end. Set in a coastal town of Turkey, the setting and characters will draw you in, but the story is what will carry you along. Violent and graphic at times, this tale is not for the young reader, but the lover of dark fantasy will enjoy this novel from beginning to end.
I just finished reading The Priest of Orpagus by P.C. Darkcliff and just like his other book Deception of the Damned, The Priest of Orpagus is a captivating and uniquely original novel. P.C. Has the enviable ability to hook a reader from the very beginning of his novels and deliver tales that are exciting and at times frightening. In The Priest of Orpagus he weaves a tale that is a combination of fantasy, horror and modern mythology. The evil character Ashemza, a demon that ensnares its victims by invading their sleep, is unlike any other I’ve read. The main characters, Braze and Mehpare, as well as the secondary characters in this story, are well drawn and elicit sympathy and sustained tension. I won’t give away who or what The priest of Orpagus is, but be prepared to find yourself thinking about him/it even after you’ve set the book aside. This novel, like Deception of the Damned, is rich in details and descriptions of locales that span different parts of the globe as well as the otherworldly. I highly recommend this book.(and while you’re at it also consider Deception of the Damned).
This second effort by P.C. Darkcliff is a phenomenal, gripping novel that builds a world both vast and elemental, dealing with the subjects of corruption of the soul, of demons and also of piety. I am sure this won’t be the last time I read this book. It will have a special place on my shelf for many years to come, and I am eager to read more from this author in the future!