Long before the film there was the written word. Long before we settled down in
front of video or now DVD players for our fright-fests, we would read tales of 
terror by candlelight.
For most, this has been lost, however there are still those that prefer the pages
to celluloid or even both and why not?
This section then is for you. To help you to search through the rubbish and find
stories worth your time to read. If you're an avid reader of horror novels then
why not join 'Castle Dracula' as an official 'staff member' reviewing them.
To do so, just click on the 'Join My Staff' link in the menu to the left for details
of this and other vacancies.

- Coldheart Canyon -
- Clive Barker -

The story begins with a beautiful young actress called 'Katya', who lives in 1920’s
Hollywood and is being bought an old mosaic by her manager and lover, 'Zeffer'.
It is transported piece by piece from Romania to 'Katya’s' home in the Hollywood 
Hills.
'Katya' learns quickly that the mosaic holds a terrifying yet addictive dark secret 
that she can’t wait to share.
We are then plunged into modern day Hollywood where a young actor, 'Todd Pickett', 
becomes popular too quickly. Worried about his overnight success and fame he thinks
that he will lose it all to an even younger and even more perfect actor. Against his
better judgement he has plastic surgery, which goes horribly wrong. In a desperate 
attempt to get his life back he agrees to stay at an empty old house in the Hollywood
Hills. The house isn’t as empty as he thinks. He first meets 'Katya', a beautiful 
young woman who teaches him many things that no woman has ever taught him before.
She shows him the room, which holds the mosaic, and this was the moment his 
would change forever. 'Katya' explains that the devils wife had the mosaic made to 
hold the souls of men who she would not kill but had to punish. 
Things go swiftly downhill as the tormented souls try to take over the inside and 
the spirits of the old Hollywood actors, who cannot leave 'Katya' and the house, 
are fighting outside.
Having never read a Clive Barker book, only watching his films, I was expecting a 
great deal and what I found didn’t let the author down. 
Just like his films the characters are vivid and unforgettable.
Clive Barker has an imagination like no other when it comes to horror. 
We see him once again create a group of monsters like he did in Hellraiser and in 
Nightbreed. 
The unimaginable is conjured up from old movie stars and their sex lives to modern
film star fans and how they hound their gods. 
We also see a sentimental side to Clive when we go through a pet being ill alongside
the character in book. It’s almost as if we go through it ourselves. If anyone has
ever lost a pet we know for a fact Clive was writing from experience. 
From the disturbing sexual power games to the plight of 'Zeffer' to the love which 
'Tammy', Todd’s fan, holds for her hero to the poor souls in the mosaic and finally 
to the lifeless ghosts who wander the grounds wanting their Hollywood lives back. 
This is a tale you won’t forget for a long time. 
Not really scary more a gasp factor story, which you won’t want to put down even 
though it is lengthy.

Reviewed By Zilliah.

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