Mesphisto's Chronicles

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The casket remained shut, the small church filled with the family and close friends of Mark and Anne Talbot. Josh and Peggy sat in the bench directly behind the widow Talbot and her parents. Tears streamed down Anne's face, reminding Josh of Mark's brutal end at the hands of the devil, Mesphisto.
The Reverend Jonathan Fletcher stood at the podium and glanced over the people gathering for Mark's memorial service.
ABlessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted,@ the minister said, lowering his eyes to his bible. Before the minister resumed speaking, the oak doors of the church banged open.
The mourners jumped at the unexpected noise and turned to look over their shoulders for the source of the commotion.

The intruder towered against the backdrop of the church's doorway. His tattered robes, the tone of the desert sand, swirled about his body. A cowl partially covered his face. Josh felt his heart beating wildly in his chest. He continued to stare at this unwelcome visitor while his head raced over a thousand possibilities. >What are you? Who are you?'
The intruder started down the center aisle.
Josh gaped in astonishment at their fellow mourners. They had all turned back to face the altar. >Don't they see him?' Josh's gaze shifted to Anne. She was the only other person who watched the stranger's progression down the aisle. >At least she saw him.'
Josh stepped out of the pew. His wife Peggy reached for him but he brushed her hand off. Josh headed toward the front of the altar, planning to intercept the intruder before he reached the cleric. Josh acted on instinct to protect the reverendC from this presence.
The congregation whispered in shock at his unexpected action. Josh took a stand in front of the coffin to the left of the cleric.
AJosh, what are youY?@ Reverend Fletcher's outraged voice tapered off after Anne left her pew too. The widow joined Josh in positioning herself between the altar and the unwanted caller. Both stood united, safeguarding the preacher and the ceremony.

The Curse of Mesphistos Seed is a divine blend of evil and the pursuit of it. Tightly woven in a complex and tempting story is a tale that lures you in and threatens to get you tangled in deep, unless you can climb your way to the end. It is taut with a poetic and vivid style. William P. Haynes is an author to keep your eye on, and has a vast imagination.

Elliott Stephens isn't your average seven-year-old boy. Plagued with visions, images of his father who passed away, and the devil himself, he is an outcast and considered a danger. He lives with his mother, Gloria, in a small home on Dover Street, where she tries to do her best to raise him despite the obvious problems. When Elliott is angry or hurt, he can make things happen. Unfortunately they are always bad things. He "sees" something take place and then it becomes real. Both teachers and the principal claim he doesn't get along with other children, lacks social skills, and is the cause of the unexplained incidences and accidents that occur regularly. A boy suddenly dies, a prominent woman of the school lands in the hospital, and no other men are allowed to get close to his mother. Gloria hates to admit the fact that she is afraid of her own son, and worries if she is indeed responsible.

Mesphisto, father of death, master of decadence, watches young Elliott and sends a wolf to act as a guide, and to help aid in terrible accidents. The wolf requests the boy's life be spared until he is grown, and not so weak. The wish is granted at the expense of the wolf's life, and things become normal again; but nothing is really over in Hell is it? As Elliott gets older, the "Day of the Awakening" comes near and the "quiet years" are shattered.

Mark Talbot may be a key player in the story, but can his life be spared? Does he know too much, and if so, will he be able to play with the devil and come out untouched? With each character introduced, you gain an honest sense of what they feel, think, and fear.

William P. Haynes has created a well thought out, intriguing storyline and added an interesting twist with the devil. The Curse of Mesphistos Seed: Book One: The Day of the Awakening will hold your attention until the end, a speed-induced spiral that ties it all together and looking forward to more.

"The Apocalypse of Silence as a book full of energy, imagination and stunning imagery, not to be missed. Keep your eye's peeled on Mr Haynes' progress, he is definitely one to watch%u2026"

Back in the sixties, Josh Riley, a sheriff, and Mark Talbot were tied up in Jim Franklyn's murder case and it involved devil worship. Years later, during Mark and Anne Talbot's wedding, Mesphisto, the devil and his son Elliot trap Mark, Josh, Anne and their friend, Peggy, in hell, for their trial and sentencing. The devil, with all his contempt for humanity and its eternal suffering, finds them guilty, imprisons them in cells and condemns the incarcerated to eternal punishment.

Upon their escape from the confines of their cells they discover other members of Anne's Wedding party are held captive too. One by one, their true journey for deliverance begins as they search for a way out. Hell is a labyrinth of corridors and difficult to flee. These passages lead them to only where the devil wants them to go. Every door opened teleports each member of the cast into their own private turmoil, taking them to different points in their past, back to times they'd rather forget. The devil attempts to break their spirits, hoping not only they will loose faith, but the battle also.

Meanwhile, they realise Elliot's plans don't include his father, Mesphisto. To add more conflict, unbeknown to all, there is one lord of darkness whose rule is greater than that of all devils. Named by the father as Satan -- Michael Orcus of Dudael, is watching, with plans of his own. Luckily, Josh, Mark and their friends are not playing by the rules either and intend to survive and win. Fighting the devil and other beasts roaming the cursed landscape; wolves, the three headed Cerebus, Jinns, Doppelgangers and dragons. Amongst these creatures there comes a little help from the hand of death, a goddess and her pet, a black cat, both of whom have the power to determine their human fate, but which way will their luck swing?

I recommend you read the preceding book of Mesphisto's Seed Trilogy if you want to find out how the characters were thrown into this epic clash of good verses evil, although not essential. The author, William P Haynes, is more than capable of writing his many characters into a plot full of tension and hellish horror. Grabbing my attention from page one, this apocalyptic fantasy has a fresh, original style. I loved Peggy (who incidentally, once had an affair with Josh which adds to the drama) a tough policewoman with a few special moves of her own! The Apocalypse of Silence as a book full of energy, imagination and stunning imagery, not to be missed. Keep your eye's peeled, on Mr Haynes' progress, he is definitely one to watch. Find him at his website, or his blog, where you can read his work online.