Martyrs
250 years ago, French Jesuits erected a mission deep in the uncharted Canadian wilderness, where they lived until they were brutally tortured and murdered by a band of Iroquois.
Or so the legends say.
Today Ste-Claire College stands near the legendary massacre site, the mission’s memory now more folklore than fact. Then Ste-Claire professor, Karl Desbiens, a Regent in the Order of Jesus, and his band of students set off to locate the mission ruins. But after ten days of digging and searching, they find nothing…
Until an old world evil is uncovered and the true nightmare is unleashed.
With his own inner demons to struggle with, and his own crisis of faith to overcome, Karl Desbiens is an unlikely hero. Nevertheless, it’s up to him to carry on the Jesuit tradition and fight the evil that has invaded Ste-Claire College before all of his students are dead.
Reviews
“Van Belkom effectively uses familiar elements of horror to explore issues of self-sacrifice, forgiveness, and redemption […] rises above most other books of its sort, and is a solid contribution to Van Belkom’s body of work.”Locus
“Chilling and compelling […] a solid, finely crafted horror novel that is a definite shot across the barricades of the dark fantasy field […] a strong and compelling novel that will likely win the wider readership van Belkom has earned.”Fangoria
“Consistently suspenseful and far more engrossing than most other novels of recent vintage. This is the best title yet from this publisher.”Science Fiction Chronicle
“A pleasant and exciting diversion. Van Belkom delivers a well-crafted highly readable tale, rich with well-wrought characters, brisk pacing and realistic dialogue.”Cemetery Dance
“A tale of dread and abject fear, complete with an intriguing old-world legend, a murder mystery, and an unnerving ending […] a finale reminiscent of the kind of suspense attributed to the works of Poe — a finale that will keep the reading guessing right up until the very last word.”Dark Realms
“Will keep you on the edge of your seat […] a book you won’t want to put down.”Sheridan Sun
Awards & Accolades
Aurora Award Finalist