It’s the 1980s and in a quiet neighborhood in Venice Beach, a matriarchal cult called The Society, lives by their own rules. Ceit Robertson, a 10-year-old, member watches as her mother is attacked by evil spirits called Sluagh while her dad, Boyd, stands by helplessly. Things go seriously awry and Ceit is placed in MacLaren Hall, a notorious foster home for disturbed and/or dangerous children. However, The Society hasn’t let go of Ceit… but will Ceit outwit them as her powers grow?
DIABHAL starts off a bit oddly, as we aren’t given much of a description about the Sluagh or the beliefs of The Society. However, once the initial catastrophe occurs and Ceit goes to live at MacLaren Hall, things begin to get quite interesting. Kathleen Kaufman draws the reader in with the disturbing descriptions of the various visitors who deliver messages to Ceit. Even scarier are the growing manifestations of Ceit’s power and the potential for great harm. I particularly like the transcripts from the therapists as they add a sense of realism to this creepy thriller- even more so because of MacLaren Hall’s true to life history.
Kathleen Kaufman crafts a spine-chilling tale of ancient rituals and restless spirits. DIABHAL is disturbing, and yet exactly the kind of book the reader keeps moving just to see what will happen next. DIABHAL is classic horror at its finest! If you love eerie atmospheric tales where the true horror lies in one’s imagination rather than gruesome descriptions, then look no further than DIABHAL.
Diabhal (Devil) is the story of cults, exorcisms and the devil in 1980’s era Los Angeles.
Ceit Robertson, age ten, is the next Matrarc to the Society, a cultish, matriarchal group living in an inconspicuous cul-de-sac in Venice Beach. When Ceit’s mother is attacked by spirits from the old world, a failed exorcism results in Ceit’s exile into the foster care system in Los Angeles. She eventually lands in the infamous MacLaren Hall, a very real and historically auspicious center for disturbed and abandoned children in El Monte, CA.
Diabhal is the sympathetic story of the devil in Los Angeles. The exploration of the true nature of evil and how intention colors what our definition of wickedness truly is. Ceit grows into a force of nature, as she contains the potential and mythology of the darkest degree, but discovers that perhaps the devil is not what we should truly fear.
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