A Better Plot Summary for The Scarlet Gospels Revealed

Earthling Publications has shared the first advanced review of The Scarlet Gospels by R.J. Crowther Jr. and it appears to be VERY positive. It sounds like Barker has really out done himself with this novel. Anyway, Crowther Jr. gives a much better story synopsis than the one that was reported earlier last week. There are spoilers below so if you’re trying to remain in the dark about the story I’d avoid reading any further than this sentence.

“The Scarlet Gospels is a phantasmagoric masterpiece, a revelation writ in dripping red grotesqueries. Grand tableaux of beautiful terror and terrible beauty form the chapter and verse of Barker’s revelation, which tells the tale of Pinhead, his most famous creation, as the Hell Priest starts a war and sets his sights on godhood. Harry D’Amour, a battle-scarred occult detective, is forced to make a devil’ s bargain with the Cenobite: chronicle the Hell Priest’s gospel like a modern Dante, or witness the death of everyone he loves. Weaving through this gospel, binding it together, are surprising cords of love and humanity, which celebrate the power of diversity. Barker owes much to William Blake and Bosch, but Poe too is evident in this symphony of horror, with “The Conqueror Worm” serving as the chorus: “That motley drama–oh, to be sure, it shall not be forgot!…And much of Madness, and more of Sin, and Horror the soul of the plot.” If you have any doubts about Barker’s vision, The Scarlet Gospels will make you a convert.” — R.J. Crowther Jr., Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore