Finally, it arrives! I chose to buy a hard copy of the book, bought from Lulu. I think it came in at around a fiver (after adding shipping and converting dollars to pounds)

Practical Devil Worship (For All The Family) is a dark satire on religious tollerance, giving us a snapshot of a family of Satanists who have come out with their beliefs and have the support of the local court to practice those beliefs as they see fit. But regardless of the court's decision, the locals aren't quite so keen to have diabolists in the neighbourhood.

The black comedy of the story is an immediate hook, but it's the apparent visciousness of Delilah (the mother in the story) and the way she talks to the other mothers at the school that really made me sit up. There's a slightly uncomfortable edge to her, but to have Satanists without that edge, in a contemporary story, would be too much like reinventing "The Munsters".

I was a little disappointed that Jezebel, the daughter, and her need to rebel against a family that encouraged rebellion, wasn't expanded upon, because this was such a fascinating idea. If anything, it opens the way for a sequel.

The comedy soon shifts aside, giving light to a serious, and uncomfortable underlying message about biggotry, small mindedness and the secrets behind the closed doors of those we are expected to trust. All in all, a damn good read.

The only downside, which I'm reluctant to mention, but feel it is important as this is my first LULU product, is the quality of the book.

On the website, the image made me imagine something quite small: an A6 chapbook with perfect binding (flat edge and glued). What I got is essentially laser printed paper, stapled in the middle and folded (anyone remember "thirteen magazine?"), so the result feels a bit cheap: a booklet, taller than A5, with a laminated cover. No ISBN or barcode and a very basic cover design. This is a real shame because had it been self-published through other channels, JW Bennet could have insisted on a quality more fitting to the story and produced something that would sit very well on the cash desk of Forbidden Planet or any reputable bookshop/comic store. If this is still an option for our Waxlyrikal, I'd say it would be worth investing in.

The story is great, and it's got me looking forward to reading Unrequited, but as for Lulu.com - I think this has turned me off them for life.

Colin M

Hi

Thanks for the review Colin. I'm glad you enjoyed it. There were a lot of themes that I compacted into a rather small space, and a lot of people have said the story could have been longer. I guess it's a good thing to leave the reader wanting more? Oh yes, and there will be a sequel, most definitely. Not sure when, but not too far in the future...

Re: Lulu. Maybe because it was my first 'stand alone' publication, I was fairly pleased with the result. I went for a basic cover design because I felt that it suited the story, but of course, the overall effect isn't all that 'professional', I'll admit. Once the story has come to the end of it's six month run with Twisted Tongue, and I have some supporting reviews, I may indeed look into other avenues, or even include PDW in a short story collection in years to come? Either way, at the moment, I'm just happy to have something out there.

Thanks for reading.

JB

<Added>

PS, do you mind that if I use this review, I only use the parts that are focused on the story? I don't want to annoy Twisted Tongue or LULU, as they have both been great to work with over this story?

Feel free to use any part. You're probably right about not making enemies with either company, because they've provided the service you were after. My gripe with the cover is more the quality of the print, the colours and the typography; I think the pentagram with the goats head on black will always be a strong image and agree that it suits this story. It looks much stronger on your website. If you had the budget, it would be great to see a close up of the front of the Chrysler, with the horns, and perhaps the pentagram, with goat, airbrushed on the bonnet. (or hood, as our friends over the pond say).

Slight tanget, have you ever read "The Sorcerer" by Eric Ericson? That was quite a fun, contemporary satanic book.

Hey

That's strange you mention the front of the car Colin, because that's exactly what we were thinking of! My friend even downloaded some pictures of Chryslers to work on, but unfortunately, said friend is a little hard to motivate so the deadline came up...and well, you can imagine the rest.

I liked your idea though. I wonder what a publisher would say if I approached them with this, and other reviews, with a proposal to make PDW more widely available?

I haven't read the Sorcerer, no, but I'll check it out on Amazon, thanks.

JB