The Old Man's Request: Book One of the Utgarda Trilogy

by Joab Stieglitz

Fifty years ago, a group of college friends dabbled in the occult and released a malign presence on the world. Now, on his deathbed, the last of the students, now a trustee of Reister University enlists the aid of three newcomers to banish the thing they summoned. Russian anthropologist Anna Rykov, doctor Harry Lamb, and Father Sean O'Malley are all indebted the ailing trustee for their positions. Together, they pursue the knowledge and resources needed to perform the ritual. Hampered by the old man's greedy son, the wizened director of the university library, and a private investigator with a troubled past, can they perform the ritual and banish the entity? The Old Man's Request is a pulp adventure set in the 1920s, and the first part of the Utgarda Trilogy.

• ISBN10: 1365549976
• ISBN13: 9781365549977
• Publish Date: 1 December 2016
• Publish Status: Active
• Out of Print: 29 March 2017
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Lulu.com
• Format: Paperback
• Pages: 122
• Language: English

Reviews

[annieb123]

Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

The Old Man's Request is the first book in the Utgarda series by Joab Stieglitz. Released 3rd Nov. 2018, it's 113 pages and available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats. The author is an experienced gamer and it shows in the narrative. This is a very plot driven horror novel set in a very Lovecraftian/pulp type universe.

It's a group mission plot with several specialist adventurers and lots of encounters with nasty supernatural creatures and malign human agents. The author has a deft touch with atmospheric horror and there are a number of well done jump scares scattered throughout the book (not easy to do on the written page).

There are some rough spots with the dialogue, it's stiff in some places, but not egregiously so. The plotting is uneven, but again, not substantially and doesn't destroy the flow of the book. It reminded me in a lot of ways of my old regular tabletop gaming group. For readers who enjoy that gamer 'vibe' this book will likely be a hit.

It is horror and there's a fair bit of graphic violence, along with demonic/infernal content. For readers who are sensitive to the subject matter, blood, gore, etc, it might be a tough read.

Three and a half stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.