Johnny Compton

The Spite House by Johnny Compton (@comptonwrites), coming from @tornightfire on February 7, 2023, is a Gothic influenced ghost story about a hungry, haunted house. That's the best way I can describe it. While there are some slow burn aspects to the book, when the hauntings occur, the story quickly ramps up the action and the scare factor and things get creepy quickly.

Eric Ross and his two daughters, Dess and Stacey, are on the run from a past none of them asked for or completely understand. show more When the opportunity arises to make some decent money by providing evidence of the paranormal by staying at the Masson House in Degener, Texas, Eric jumps at the chance to be able to finally provide his daughters with some stability. But everyone involved, the owner of Masson House, the previous tenants, and the Ross' themselves all have secrets that they feel they need to keep, so nothing is ever as it seems. And when the house itself finally starts to play a part in the haunting, Eric knows that while he's in danger, he needs to follow through with the investigation in order to protect his daughters' futures.

Very rarely do books give me the creeps, but this one did. The descriptions of the initial hauntings and the claustrophobic nature of Masson House all add up to a feeling of pervasive dread throughout. Each chapter is told from a different character's POV; while this may sound confusing, it makes for an interesting read as we see the story unfold through the eyes of each of the characters. As everyone's secrets are laid out throughout the story, each person's motives become clear and while I thought there was going to be a lot of unanswered questions, but Compton ties everything up in a satisfying manner.

Another excellent release from Tor Nightfire! If you're a fan of ghost stories and haunted houses and don't mind a little creepiness in your book, than this is for you!

A huge thank you to @tornightfire and @netgalley for providing a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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"Sarita has been watched over by a guardian angel, whom she calls Angelo, her entire life. She keeps his presence a secret from everyone except her brother David and her best friend Tori. But when Angelo murders someone she loves, Sarita begins to see what's really been stalking her from the shadows. She will have to confront and ultimately embrace an ancient evil if she hopes to make it out alive."

Compton's demonic, untraditional, thirst-crazed vampires defy the laws of nature and with show more enough strength to tear humans, or "breathers," apart with ease. To be hypnotized by one leads to permanent insanity or instant death once the task is complete. These are the primeval, devils that are waiting beneath the surface, ready to answer the clarion call to overtake humanity. The one to deliver that call is Cela, a devil beyond devils, who has spent eons carefully crafting a mass following, a religion, to deliver them a new messiah. That messiah was to be Sarita's child, until it all went horribly awry.

The world-building is so dense that it becomes a noticeable detriment to the pacing. Devils Kill Devils DESERVES to be a trilogy. One dedicated to Sarita, David, their family and Angelo; another to the emergence of Cela, her thrall and their gods, and finally the two sides coming together. There is a surplus of plot-driving survivors, high-ranking devils and allies that, disappointingly, only appear as needed. Character development, especially Angelo's and Tori's, is sacrificed to vampiric backstory, but at the same time the lore feels rushed. Don't get me wrong though, I can see why Compton is so popular. Have you ever thought to yourself, "ugh this character! No one actually talks or thinks like that." Well Compton is a breath of fresh air in that regard. Dialogue and inner monologues feel flawed and genuine and reactions are realistic. I saw other reviews that accused it of being "confusing," and that is quite unfair. At no point was I ever lost, just unfulfilled. I'm still looking forward to "The Spite House" and I'm glad to have finally read a Compton novel! show less

I fell in love with Compton's writing via his last book, The Spite House, and although this is an incredibly different book, it's still pretty fantastic. Compton's talent for bringing otherworldly characters and events to life is on full display here, as is his skill for creating characters who feel as real as anyone you know, and just as sympathetic.

I didn't love this book quite as much as The Spite House, but to be perfectly honest, that may just be a signal of how very much I absolutely show more adored the other book, vs a reflection on this one. I also have to admit that I was so fascinated by the surreal nature of the book's early events, I wanted more of that, and wasn't quite so engaged when the book moved into more big-action-scene territory and spent more time with other POVs beyond the one I'd already gotten so attached to.

Still, there's no question that I really enjoyed this book and will absolutely make a priority of reading anything else Johnny Compton puts out there.

I'd absolutely recommend this one, too. show less

I'm sure you've heard that curiosity killed the cat....and I was curious about the title, so I spent a lot more time than I probably should have on Google, reading about "Spite houses"...and I'm still alive:) It seems that they are any building that has been constructed for the sole purpose of aggravating neighbors, like to obstruct their view or to create an eyesore adjoining their property. These houses are all across the United States, and in many cases become tourist attractions because show more of the unusual designs, which are meant 100% to cause irritation rather than inhabitation. Amazing what useless knowledge available to us today:)

In this story the "Spite House" is the Masson House, a menacing four-story home with a bizarre design built next to an orphanage in Degener, Texas. The Masson House seethes with spite and is believed to be one of the most haunted buildings in the state. The story opens with Eric Ross, an unemployed single father, arrival in Degener, Texas with his two daughters, 18-year-old Dess and 7-year-old, Stacy. The family is living a dire existence, moving among seedy motels, and running from a mysterious past.

Eric has a unique job opportunity here... he's to become the caretaker of the Masson House and record a completely objective account of its supposed paranormal activities. The pay is more than generous and would mean financially security for his family, but is it worth the danger to himself and his girls?

The supernatural elements in The Spite House include specters of the Civil War; neighbors pitting against neighbor on all levels. The house is the incarnation of spite itself, unable to contain the evil that makes up its very existence. Its paranormal activity is accompanied by an unbearable, paralyzing coldness, plunging the nearby temperature close to absolute zero. The author has built layers and layers of complexity and then ties them all together in the end.

There are several unexpected features and plot twists, including a major reveal that will leave most readers, including myself, blindsided. I was also surprised that the setting is completely modern Gothic horror. The characters are the average family with family values. We also heard the viewpoints of the two girls, Dess and Stacy. Overall, this is an exhilarating debut novel that will warm your heart but also leave you chilled to the bone. show less