Title: Bishop

Author: Candace Nola

Release date: April 1st, 2022

If you’ve read enough of my reviews you’ll end up finding a few moments where I’ll sound like a broken record. Today’s review will be one of them. What does Steve like read and write? Forest based creature horror. What will you read when you read ‘Bishop’? Forest based creature horror. Will Steve like reading a novella/short novel about forest based creature horror? You bet your ass I will.

I’ve read a few things from Candace over the last number of years, but I gotta say, this felt like her writing but levelled up. As though when she started writing this she went into a trance-like state and conjured some truly phenomenal scenes set in a remote location that will have her readers shivering and believing they too are about to be eviscerated.

What I liked: Did you read the intro? FOREST BASED CREATURE HORROR. I could legitimately stop there and move on, but I’ll not be a wise ass and give this book its due.

The story follows Troy, who heads to the far North in Alaska to search for his sister and niece. Both are experienced outdoors women, but both have gone missing. Once there, Troy and a guide head into the remote forests to try and find their trail and get them home safely. But what they don’t know, is that an ancient, blood-thirsty creature is wandering the lands.

It’s here the Troy connects with Bishop, a loner who lives off the grid and in the trees, who can navigate the land like no other. He has a gift, which Candace does a phenomenal job of teasing before revealing and once this reveal happens, she turns the volume to eleven and adds in more cow bell, because the story becomes a circle pit of action. We get some truly engaging action sequences and learn the truth about Bishop and just what it is he’s battling.

The ending was really great and does leave the slimmest potential for a sequel (which I think we are getting), but also really shows the bond that Bishop and Troy made while in the woods.

What I didn’t like: If you’ve read my novel ‘Mastodon,’ some people complained (and that’s their prerogative) that a 17 yr old couldn’t survive in the woods alone. The same will most likely come up here, with the niece being an early teen girl. PFFFFTTTTT. If a kid has been exposed to these skills from birth, they could easily survive in the wilderness alone by the age of eight. They’d be able to make fire, make a small shelter and find foot and water. So, if that’s putting you off, forget that, it’s possible.

But, what I would ACTUALLY say may not work for some folks was that one character was named Troy and one was named Tony and there were times I would get them confused and wonder if I missed something, especially near the ending when the climatic events occur.

Why you should buy this: I would’ve read this in a single sitting if I didn’t have a book on the go for a blurb and a book on the go for a foreword (God, that sounds arrogant! Not my intent… sheesh… what an ass… haha!) it is that engaging. Candace has created some truly likeable characters that you want to root for and you want to see survive. Whether they do or not – you’ll need to read it, but if you like FOREST BASED CREATURE HORROR then definitely get on this one! A fantastic read and one that’ll make you seek out more books just like it, it’s that good.

5/5