The Lebo Coven

Rating:
Summary: a thrilling horror story full of the paranormal
Review: Review courtesy of LoveRomances.com

If readers are looking for a chilling horror thriller, with strong paranormal elements, then The Lebo Coven by Stephen Mark Rainey will satisfy.

Barry Riggs has returned home after ten years when he finds out his brother, his only living relative, has vanished. He and Matt, his brother, have many years of animosity and bad blood between them, but Barry vows to put that aside while he tries to figure out what happened. Shortly after getting home, Barry bumps into an old acquaintance, Jennifer Brand, who as a child had suffered from spina bifida, and to whom Barry had been horribly cruel. She is now apparently cured and a stunningly attractive young woman, and feelings grow between them.

Barry and Jennifer's investigating, their biggest clue being "Lebo" written in blood on the wall, turns up frightening ties between Matt and a black magick coven leader, Ren, who wants an ancient evil power for himself. Jennifer is a student of magick as well, though not black magick, and must use her powers to stop Ren and his coven before they can succeed in their plans. What they find is that Matt, and now Jennifer and Barry, may play an unwilling part, a part in which someone will probably die. Which side will win the ultimate battle? And will the sacrifices made be enough to stop this evil from ever taking form again?

This story is a chilling thriller, bound to keep readers on the edges of their seats, gasping in shock many times over. The descriptions of the destruction to Matt's house and of the rituals Ren uses are vivid, making readers shiver in revulsion and disgust at the defilement. Jennifer's magick is also well detailed, making the reader see what she is doing and creating to protect them. The final climactic battle scene is brilliantly done, putting one right in the center of the action, feeling the brutalities performed on Ren's victims.

The relationships between the characters are well developed as well. One can feel and even understand why the relationship between Barry and Matt has always been so tense. They have grown much since then however, and it can be felt how much they've changed and how that will affect their new growing relationship. Jennifer is depicted as a complex young woman, who has her faults and flaws, but also has her strengths. The relationship that develops between she and Barry is beautiful and strong, built on what would not have been thought to be common ground when they were younger.

If readers are looking for a compelling read, that will entice them in, making them eager to see how the story will end, then read this one. It's well written, with a strong plot and stronger characters. It is sure to tempt even the most particular of horror aficionados. The Lebo Coven is well worth the time to read it.

© Kelley A. Hartsell, September 2004. All rights reserved.

Rating:
Summary: Formulaic but entertaining
Review: The Lebo Coven has many of the stereotypical horror elements... spooky events in a small town, sympathetic protagonists, and a purely evil villain...but Rainey's writing is fun to read and often compelling. I identified with the skepticism of Barry, the main character, as events slowly unfold, finally convincing him of the realtity of supernatural forces. The question of what has happened to Matt, his brother, leads to some unexpected and satisfying twists. The Lebo Coven has the quality of a decent horror movie...long on suspense but not on gore. In fact, this book has alot more suspense and mystery than gross-out horror, which is good if you're looking for enjoyable characters in a creepy setting without alot of blood and guts (except for one very disgusting murder scene).

Rating:
Summary: classic good vs. evil horror novel
Review: When Matt tried to kill Barry with his car, the two brothers went their separate ways. Barry moved to Atlanta and Matt stayed in the family home in Aiken Mill, Virginia. One day Barry is notified that Matt disappeared. Since he lost his job and his girl, he returns home and is shocked by the damage someone did to his house. Even more perplexing is the word Lebo painted in Matt's room in cow's blood.

The first night he is in the house strange things happen like a glass moving of its own volition; Barry hears strange inhuman noises and the word Lebo starts to glow. Jennifer Brand joins Barry in seeking answers. Since she is a gray mage, she senses the dark forces gathering around Barry and his house. They learn that Matt rented a room to Ren, a practitioner of the dark arts, who intends to invoke a spell that will require a blood sacrifice, preferably Matt's but Barry will do in a pinch. The two Riggs brothers and Jennifer try to stop him though each one knows they will pay a high price to end Ren's evil reign.

The LEBO COVEN is a classic good vs. evil horror novel that fans of Bentley Little and Tonya Huff will want to read. The protagonist learns to adjust his worldview rather quickly but once he starts believing that supernatural forces exist, it is easier to make a stand against them. Stephen Mark Rainey coaxes readers to believe that dark and white magic actually exist; not an easy task, but an accomplishment that shows he is one of the new stars in the horror galaxy.

Harriet Klausner