Rise of the Gargoyles (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9798270849078)

They were created by Satan himself - ancient fanged sentinels, their souls sold in an agreement with the Devil long ago. For centuries, they have slumbered beneath the Nebraska prairie, buried in forgotten tombs, waiting for the day when the world's faith would wither enough for them to rise again. That day has arrived.

Nick McRandalls, the unhinged owner of a rundown pet crematory outside Lincoln, has been tormented by these creatures since his youth. Their forms haunt his dreams, and their whispers invade his thoughts. The visions have eroded his sanity to the point where only one conviction remains: the gargoyles are real, and they are calling to him.

Motivated by these dark voices, McRandalls kidnaps a woman to serve as his canvas. He tattoos one of the monstrous creatures onto her back, believing he can summon them into flesh. But his chosen victim, Staci Prentice, is not the helpless victim he thought, as her strength and fury are matched only by her will to survive.

As McRandalls descends deeper into madness, fate tears open the land itself. A freak farming accident ruptures the burial vaults scattered across the county, unleashing something never meant to be released. From the shattered tombs crawl the gargoyles-winged abominations that feed on the living and curse their vessels to wander in hollow servitude. The gargoyle leader, Crotan, rises to command them, intent on resurrecting his lost brethren and restoring Hell's dominion on earth.

When the creatures begin their slaughter, the first sign is not the blood but the warning bells tolling by no human hands. To Rome, the message is received by the one man who understands its meaning: the last Dark Order priest, the Vatican's emissary, exorcist, and weapon of last resort. Dispatched to America, the mysterious Father Cain knows the war between Heaven and Hell isn't fought in cathedrals but in the hearts of men.

Joined by a skeptical police task force, Cain hunts the ravenous gargoyles through the isolated heartland city. Every night brings new attacks, every dawn reveals new horrors. Citizens disappear and are replaced by growling reborn vessels, serving as the eyes and ears of their gargoyle creators, awaiting their ghastly instructions.

RISE OF THE GARGOYLES is pure monster horror-no romance, no sympathy, no safe escape. It is a relentless dive into violence and bloodlust, where the sacred and profane collide, and the last line of defense against them is the courage and will to fight back against creatures that show no mercy. As the warning bells ring and the gargoyles rise, Father Cain will face the ultimate question-Can a team of doubters stop what Hell has unleashed?

From the author of WEREWOLF ON THE RANGE, Jeff Howard delivers a brutal, cinematic vision of supernatural horror rooted in everyday America. On these lonely plains, good and evil wear familiar faces, and redemption requires sacrifice.