Clive Barker is a genius. Hellbound Heart, the Puzzle Box and Pinhead have influenced numerous horror writers to create new and fantastic nightmares. Barker will always remain one of my favourite authors and artists even as I write this lukewarm review of The Scarlet Gospels.
The book follows two pre-established characters from Barker’s universes - Pinhead and Harry D'Amour. When compared to other works by Clive Barker, such as The Great and Secret Show, the Scarlet Gospels does fall short. There is little to no characterisation, relying perhaps on the previous appearances in other books of the two main players, but I would have liked these characters with more meat on their bones so this could stand alone. It isn’t a bad book, compared to many horror tales it stands strong, the descriptions of hell and violent excesses are beautifully done, but I felt it lacked both plot and well drawn characters. To be honest, as a Barker fan, I expected more and was disappointed. 3.5/5 Summary - terrifyingly strong descriptions of settings and scenes but not enough characterisation or plot.
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