A short tale of terror that's as much a thriller as it is a horror.

It begins with a woman who is ravished, and as a result, a child is born. This child unleashes an unimaginable evil upon the world.

The storyline of this book is truly captivating. It delves into the realm of demonic cults and is steeped in mythology, making it a perfect match for its subject matter.

What's even more surprising is that this was McCammons' first novel, yet he writes with such confidence. It's easy to see why he went on to have a great career as a horror author.

This short and not even slightly sweet novel earns a solid 4 stars. It's a must-read for fans of the horror and thriller genres, offering a unique and chilling experience that will keep you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end.

So, if you're looking for a thrilling and terrifying read, look no further than this book by McCammons.

The prophets had been right. Their skulls and sticks, their writing across the sky had foretold the coming of the end. It had only been a matter of time. After devouring most of Stephen King's works, I sought another author to satisfy my craving and tried Peter Straub, Dan Simmons, and Clive Barker. While all were excellent, none quite matched the mark like Robert R McCammon. So far, I've read his fantastic Wolf's Hour, the brilliant novella collection I Travel by Night, the stupendous historical fiction series Mathew Corbett, and perhaps my favorite book ever, the post-apocalyptic masterpiece Swan Song. McCammon is truly an amazing author, not just in horror but across genres. He started in horror, and after deciding to read his entire collection, I quickly grabbed a copy of his debut, Baal.

Baal was McCammon's first full novel, written while working in a department store. He had some negative feelings about it and even pulled his first three novels from publication, as he felt he was learning to write in the public eye and they didn't reflect his true writing ability. However, after consultation with his publisher, he put them back into print, much to my delight. It gave me a chance to see his growth as an author.

The story of Baal is a raw, pulpy horror on a global scale, told in three acts. It begins in the sixties when a young woman is brutally raped and left with a satanic child. The story jumps forward, and we see the antichrist causing chaos in an orphanage, then growing up to become a dark prophet in Kuwait with a cult following. Our main protagonist, theology professor James Varga, enters the scene on the hunt for a missing colleague. I don't want to give away too much more, so you'll have to read it for yourself.

The writing in Baal is good for a debut novel, with McCammon showing a real talent for painting a vivid picture without explicitly telling the reader. However, there are some issues that a more mature McCammon would not make, such as some awkward metaphors and POV switches. The time jumps in the narrative also lack distinction, making it feel like time hasn't really passed. The characters are varied and distinct, but slightly undeveloped. James Varga is a character I connected with, but his late introduction was a bit confusing.

Overall, I really enjoyed Baal, despite its flaws. It's an imaginative and involving story that reminded me of The Omen, but in parts, it was even better. It's a testament to McCammon's talent that his first novel is better than many horror novels out there. While it's at times amateurish, it's still a lot of fun to read. I would recommend starting with some of McCammon's later works, such as Boys Life, Swan Song, Wolf's Hour, or Gone South, to get a better sense of his writing style. Then you can go back and read his early stuff and see how much he's improved. Thank me later. Cheers!

   "The prophets had been right. Their skulls and sticks, their writing across the sky had foretold the coming of the end. It had only been a matter of time."






  Initial Thoughts




After blasting through the majority of Stephen King's bibliography I was looking for another author to scratch that itch and tried the likes of Peter Straub, Dan Simmons and Clive Barker. Although all are really good, none quite hit the mark like Mr Robert R McCammon.



So far the books of his I've read include the fantastic Wolf's Hour, the brilliant novella collection of I Travel by Night, the stupendous historical fiction series that is Mathew Corbett and possibly my favourite book ever...the post apocalyptic brilliance that is Swan Song. McCammon really is an amazing author and not just with horror. But he definitely started out cutting his teeth in that genre, and after deciding to read his entire collection I quickly snapped up a copy of his debut book...Baal.




   "Baal was the disease of madness, carried through the bodies of once-sane men to infect the world; he was the end of man."




It's worth noting that Baal was straight up McCammons first ever attempt at writing a full novel, while working in a department store, and a one he harboured some negative feelings toward. In fact he pulled his first three novels from publication as he felt he was learning to write in the public eye and that they were not a positive reflection on who he was as a writer. Let's face it, this is an author who went on to win multiple awards including the Bram Stoker Lifetime Achievement Award in 2013. But after consultation with his publisher he was eventually convinced to put these original three books back into print. Lucky for me as it gave me the chance to see how much he's progressed as an author.



Anyway, on with the review!




  The Story




Baal is a raw, pulpy horror story of an epic, global scale that's told in three acts. It kicks of in the sixties when a young woman is savagely raped by a guy who burns his handprints into her skin. Not something you see every day. She's left with child and if you've seen movies like the Omen and Rosemary's Baby then you know what's coming. Nine months later and out pops a little bundle of satanic joy.



The story jumps forward and in no time at all our lovely little antichrist has lost both parents and is causing mayhem in the local orphanage. He's older now and is imposing himself on the priests and nuns while picking up disciples, all the while planning his escape into the big wide world.



A number of years pass and we then get to the meat of the story when Baal is set up in Kuwait as a dark prophet with his own cult following. We then see the entrance of our main protagonist, professor of theology, James Varga who's on the hunt for a missing colleague. And that's way too much I've given you already, you'll have to find out the rest for yourself.








  The Writing




Having experienced a wealth of McCammon's work already it's extremely interesting to go back to his first book and take a look at how much he has improved. And boy has he improved!



Don't get me wrong, this was extremely good for an author's first attempt at writing a novel and a testament to his skill that it was published. The promise is there and McCammon has a real grasp at the ability to show the reader what he wants, without explicitly telling them, with some fantastic use of language.




   "He could not see the man’s face quite yet; it was covered by a broad band of shadow. But he could see clearly the man’s hands, skeletal and white as if carved of either ivory or ice. They never moved, but as Virga approached he was aware of the man’s head turning slightly, very slightly, to watch him. He was aware of eyes cutting into his brain, though he couldn’t see them at all. He felt open and defenseless."




But there is some issues that a mature McCammon would never make. There's a lot of metaphors used at certain points that can miss the mark and some awkward POV switches. Like I explained already, the key protagonist doesn't come into the story until the second third of the story, which is a little bit strange.



However, the biggest problem for me was the time jumps in the narrative and the complete lack of distinction between them. Twenty years pass and the general backdrop doesn't really change, which made me feel that time hasn't really moved on. This is a book of epic scale and this lack of detail really does hinder the books ability to impact this on the reader.




  The Characters




Robert R McCammon is second only to Stephen King in his ability to craft vivid, believable and relatable characters. Don't believe me? Then check out his Matthew Corbett series.



In the afterword McCammon discusses how he creates his characters. A process of observing others, picking out interesting aspects and injecting his own personality into the finished product. Fascinating stuff. But even he admits that when writing Baal he was just learning how to do this. Again there's real promise in this novel, with some varied and distinct characters. But the way they were presented did mean they felt slightly undeveloped.



The character of James Varga was one I really connected with and began to care about. A man of faith who had some intriguing internal monologue. But because of his late introduction it was slightly confusing that this was the character I needed to get invested in.




  Final Thoughts




Ok, so I've been really harsh on this novel...so I'm giving it four stars! The reason for that critique is I know just how good McCammon can be. But I rate a novel first and foremost on how much I enjoy it. And god damn, send me straight to hell I did enjoy Baal.



It's a very imaginative and involving story that reminded me a lot of the Omen. Only in parts it was even better and had me gripped. It certainly is better than a large majority of horror novels out there, which is staggering for a first attempt.




   "And everywhere, in every language, he saw magazines and newspapers with front-page photographs of murders and bombings and faces eager for war. Baal, though hidden perhaps from even the eye of God, was still at work."




This book is jam packed with ideas and it feels like it wants to be truly epic. McCammon just does not spend the time developing everything fully. I certainly felt like I wanted a lot more. It's certainly something he's learned to do later in his career and I'd love to see him tackle this novel now. There's an idea, instead of taking these novels out of publication why not have a go at rewriting them? Remakes are all the rage these days after all.



But I'm rambling again. So to draw a line on it. A novel that is at times amateurish, but I still had a lot of fun reading. If you're just starting your McCammon journey there's often a temptation to read an author's bibliography in publication order. But I strongly suggest not to do this. Read something like Boys Life, Swan Song, Wolf's Hour or Gone South. Then you'll know what this authors about. You can always read his early stuff later and reflect on how much better he is.



Thank me later. Cheers!






A very young, and cool as a cucumber, Robert R McCammon

Reading the two-page afterword that followed this book, I gained valuable insights. Robert McCammon views this as his "Angry Young Man novel", and it was his first full-length publication. The story emerged from a sense of being trapped in powerless situations. In the twenties, with meager finances, a dead-end job serving unappreciative employers, and little respect from peers, Baal was born, forming a story that has been told and retold in numerous ways before. It may not be entirely new, but in the context of such tellings, it's really good.

What I appreciate most is that McCammon adhered to the viewpoints of a select few. He spent a significant amount of time with them, without excessive head-hopping, which can drive me crazy in some stories of this type. The story was subtly apocalyptic until the end, maintaining a sense of shelter and isolation, yet that was a clever trick. Focal settings contribute to the story's success. It is told through the POV of the unlucky parents in the first segment, Baal's interesting choice of carriers to fame through the boy's home as a teenager, Virga, the quiet hero at the college, the destruction and desolation as Baal gains power in the Middle East, and finally the long, perilous journey on the ice. Each segment was developed to highlight the story's power, not requiring excessive jumping around. By staying within each scene and giving respect and importance to it, every segment counts as much as the first and the last. That is where this story truly shines.

Virga is an outstanding hero because, like in many biblical stories and lessons, he is an ordinary man. Aged, not physically strong, not particularly brave, he does his best to help but is not saved by good fortune, talent, luck, or skill. He can't fight, shoot weapons, or track, and is the slowest in the group on the ice, slowing them down. An unassuming hero with his own flaws. Baal, on the other hand, is truly evil, with his repulsive intents and purposes, a one-dimensional foe. While I usually prefer my heroes and villains to have grey areas, Baal must be pure black to be convincing given what he represents.

McCammon writes well in terms of pacing and scenes. With over 350 pages, this novel doesn't need trimming or editing. He especially excels in creating convincing dialogue, especially when Baal speaks or bellows. There is a small twist at the end (but it's not overly surprising), and the battle is almost anticlimactic, perhaps a bit weak, but ultimately it suits the subtle, apocalyptic story.

There are no major flaws, but a three-star rating is appropriate as the story only entertains to a certain extent due to its content. The plotting structure is fine and well constructed, but the story's material is relatively simple.

Oh, where to begin? Baal is defiantly your typical 1970s horror novel. It's like a combination of Rosemary's Baby and The Omen. A woman is brutally assaulted and gives birth to an antichrist-like figure in the form of Baal, the ancient demon. As the child grows into adulthood, his actions and the events that occur around him are so similar to Damien from The Omen.

Regardless, it's just a typical 1970s horror novel. When compared to similar novels of the same category during that time, there really isn't anything new or amazing. It was disturbing, especially for dog lovers. The protagonists were okay. I particularly liked Virga, but they weren't anything new compared to other protagonists in these types of stories.

I think the only reason this book is getting three stars is that, although it isn't original, it still held my attention. Robert McCammon's writing style is enjoyable, and I like how he tells his stories. However, it's not on par with his other works. But it is his first novel, and with many successful authors, the first novel isn't always the best.

Would I recommend Baal? If you like McCammon, maybe. If you're interested in the apocalyptic horror genre, I would probably suggest Swan Song instead. But if you're looking for something easier to read that isn't nearly 1,000 pages, then definitely give it a try. If you've read other novels in this genre, then I would honestly skip it unless you really love this particular niche and want to read every book like it.