| Kevin Dunn's debut novel, "The Necromancer," spins a sinister tale about a revenge-hungry warlock driving terror into the heart of 17th century Puritan New England.
Horror Novel Focuses on the Evil Behind Salem's Witch Hunts Though most people are familiar with the basic story of the 17th century Salem, Mass. witch trials, Kevin Dunn brings a new level of horror to this tragic historical period in his debut novel, The Necromancer. The Necromancer uses the historical backdrop of Salem, Mass. to tell a sinister tale about the supernatural underworld that created a hysterical terror in this suspicious, Puritan colony. Although there is no shortage of books about the witch trials in Puritan New England, Dunn says the supernatural aspect of his novel makes it stand out: "I don't focus on the trials. The story is more concerned with how people of that time deal with something extraordinary as well as conflicts within and amongst themselves," Dunn says.
The title villain is Reverend Ambrose Blayne, a fallen man of God, who has been polluted by loss, anger and a lust for revenge. Traditionally, a "necromancer" is a magician who summons the dead or the spirits of the dead primarily as a means of divination or foretelling the future, but the goals of The Necromancer are far more disturbing. Reverend Ambrose becomes so infected with evil that even the love of his life--the innocent, young Susanna Harrington--becomes a target of his fury.
The Necromancer takes readers on a chilling journey that graphically demonstrates both the passion and the cruelty of which man is capable. The story also sprawls across Europe, with various, historic tales of witchcraft, all leading to the expansion of Reverend Ambrose's evil powers, which bring unthinkable destruction and despair to the world.
On the surface, The Necromancer is a dark and terrifying story, but on a deeper level it offers remarkable insight to the human soul and the collective behavior of people when faced with an unknown fear that they don't understand. This entertaining horror story is a bloodcurdling read, built on the timeless themes of passion, love and outrage at the human capacity for incredible injustice.
Kevin Dunn resides in New York City, N.Y., where he works as a computer analyst for a financial software company. He holds a bachelor's degree in English from Queens College and he has been published in several literary magazines and periodicals. The Necromancer is his first novel.
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