ABIGAIL
Daemon Manx
July 24, 2021
Terror Tract
Reviewed by Brian “Skull” Lewis

Hello frequent readers, it’s your old pal Skull with a great FIVE STAR read that I’m just dying to tell you about! Of course, that’s going to be one hell of a nifty trick, since I’m already a member of the undead community, but I think you get where I’m coming from. Abigail written by the one and only Daemon Manx is a beautiful shape-shifting novella that calls the speculative fiction genre home. Readers will feel the full range of emotions as they peruse this big little book that seems tiny on the outside but is bursting with so much energy on the inside. Terror Tract made a most excellent choice in publishing this baby!

Abigail opens at the Del Monico where Adrian is sitting at the bar feeling bummed out because his date is a no show. His ex-boyfriend and bartender, Gabe tries to cheer him up to no avail. Then Michael shows up and…zowie! The sparks do indeed fly. After a wonderful evening, Adrian floats home to something unusual on his front stoop. It’s scary, horrible, and…kind of cute? Abigail has arrived.

Suddenly bachelor Adrian is in charge of a baby and it’s not an easy job in the least. Manx has a great eye for detail and puts in the perfect mix of humor and fear. And there definitely is fear because Abigail is different from her skin to her eyeballs, and are those horns? Oh my! But nothing is going to stop him from taking the very best care of Abigail. Adrian isn’t sure why, but he loves this child.

What about that handsome date he had? Doctor Michael seemed so perfect. Still, Adrian can’t let anyone see Abigail, not even a pediatrician. Nope, nopity, nope. He’s only too aware of what happens to people that are different. Growing up gay in the deep south was a horrible experience that scarred Adrian for life. It wasn’t his fault that he was different! Their violence wasn’t necessary, and Adrian vows to protect Abigail to the death if need be.

His commitment to her is wonderful. But after some odd experiences and definite difficulties, Adrian realizes that book learning and the internet only take you so far. Sooner or later great, expert help is required. In fact, Adrian knows a great pediatrician. Calling Dr. Mike! But will the doctor agree to see him after being ignored for months? What will he think of Abigail? Is there a chance that Adrian will have to give her up? Find out the whole story when you pick up a copy of Abigail by Daemon Manx from your favorite bookseller! If you’re an Amazon shopper, the paperback is currently listed for a great price, and the kindle version is even less expensive.

As I said in the beginning, Damaged Skull Reviewer rates Abigail a BIG FIVE STARS! This book is downright magical for its ability to tackle topics some might not agree with and to show that love does not discriminate. Rod Serling would enjoy reading this story because of the journey Adrian takes through Abigail. We readers go with him and learn some things, too. What constitutes “normal” and why do people think it’s such a good thing? Seems to me that those who are unique can open our eyes to new worlds, but only if we let them. I really enjoyed all of Daemon Manx’s little touches in the book, such as creating fictional names for places and things. A few examples of that are the “Fritz Carlson”, packages arriving from “Feral Express” and using the dating site “Cinder.” Clever!

I could ramble on all night about this novella, but now it’s your turn to enjoy this great read from Daemon Manx and Terror Tract. For more information about the publisher, go to: https://terrortract.net or visit them on Twitter @terrortract. For more information about Daemon Manx go to: daemonmanx@yahoo.com or visit him on Twitter @daemonmanx He also uses the handle Daemon Manx on Facebook and Instagram. Thanks for checking out another review from your old pal, Skull. See you soon!