Fiction – Zachary Mule

DOOMFLOWER

(JENDIA GAMMON; 290 pages; ENCYCLOPOCALYPSE PUBLICATIONS; 2025)

Jendia Gammon’s latest offering is a high-energy, blood-soaked thrill ride that brilliantly fuses horror, satire, and dark humor into one unforgettable novel. This book is an exhilarating blend of MEAN GIRLS and THE THING, with a dash of THE RUINS thrown in for good measure. It delivers a perfect storm of campy, over-the-top carnage while maintaining a razor-sharp wit and an intelligent critique of power, privilege, and societal collapse.

PLOT OVERVIEW: A QUEEN BEE IN A WORLD GONE MAD

At the heart of the novel is Camellia Dume, a sharp-tongued, ruthless queen bee ruling over her posh Malibu high school. Her life is built on a foundation of wealth, social manipulation, and her father’s shady business dealings. She is, in every way, a force to be reckoned with – calculating, confident, and entirely self-serving. That is, until the world as she knows it starts to crumble.

A bizarre extraterrestrial mutation infects plant life, turning even the most delicate flowers into monstrous, predatory creatures. These aren’t just killer plants in the traditional sense; they are grotesque, ever-evolving nightmares, capable of ripping apart flesh, spreading like wildfire, and upending civilization in a matter of days. What starts as a minor ecological anomaly soon spirals into full-blown catastrophe, with the United States descending into chaos.

As the world outside burns, Camellia’s perfectly curated life begins to disintegrate. She quickly realizes that her social power means nothing when faced with a genuine apocalypse. But she’s not the type to go down without a fight. As she navigates the destruction, she encounters Wray, a mysterious new student who challenges her dominance in ways she never expected. Their relationship is electric – part rivalry, part reluctant alliance, and part something deeper that neither of them fully understands. Together, they begin to uncover a dark conspiracy surrounding the plant mutation, one that ties directly back to Camellia’s own privileged upbringing. What started as a survival story morphs into something far bigger: an unraveling of secrets that forces Camellia to question everything she thought she knew about power, family, and her own role in the world’s collapse.

A GENRE-BENDING, SATIRICAL MASTERPIECE

What sets DOOMFLOWER apart from standard horror novels is its fearless blend of genres. It’s as much a biting social satire as it is a sci-fi horror story. Gammon takes the classic “mean girl” archetype and places her in a situation where her usual weapons – manipulation, status, wealth – are suddenly meaningless. This contrast makes for an incredibly compelling character arc, as Camellia is forced to either adapt or die. The novel skewers themes of entitlement, corporate greed, and the fragility of social constructs with a level of intelligence that elevates it beyond mere gore and spectacle. The plant mutation is both a literal and symbolic force of destruction, tearing down the carefully maintained hierarchies of the privileged elite. The message is clear: nature doesn’t care about your social status. When the apocalypse comes, everyone bleeds the same.

But, despite its deeper themes, DOOMFLOWER never loses its sense of fun. The dialogue is biting, the humor is dark, and the action is relentless. Camellia’s narration is filled with sarcasm and cutting observations, making her an absolute joy to follow – even when she’s at her most morally questionable.

JENDIA GAMMON (photo copyright: Jendia Gammon)

THE HORROR: VIVID, VISCERAL AND UNPREDICTABLE

Make no mistake—this is a horror novel through and through. The descriptions of the mutated plants are genuinely terrifying. Gammon’s writing brings them to life in vivid, grotesque detail: Vines that slither like sentient serpents, flowers that bloom with razor-sharp petals, roots that burrow beneath the skin and take over their hosts. The body horror is intense, and the death scenes are imaginative, gory, and shocking.

The book doesn’t hold back when it comes to violence and destruction, but it never feels gratuitous. Each horrific moment serves a purpose, either to drive home the stakes or to push Camellia further along in her transformation. The tension is expertly paced, with each chapter ramping up the stakes until the final, explosive climax.

CAMELLIA DUME: A PROTAGONIST YOU LOVE TO HATE, THEN YOU JUST LOVE IT

One of the novel’s greatest strengths is its complex protagonist. Camellia starts out as a character you love to hate – vain, ruthless, and unapologetically cutthroat. But as the story progresses, her layers begin to peel away, revealing a character who is not just a survivor, but someone who is capable of genuine change. Her interactions with Wray add depth to her development. Their chemistry is fiery, unpredictable, and laced with tension. Wray serves as both a foil and a catalyst for Camellia’s evolution, challenging her in ways that no one ever has before. Their relationship is one of the book’s highlights, providing moments of both humor and genuine emotional depth amidst the carnage.

FINAL VERDICT: A MUST-READ FOR HORROR AND SATIRE FANS ALIKE

DOOMFLOWER is a brilliantly crafted, genre-bending horror novel that is as smart as it is terrifying. It delivers pulse-pounding action, razor-sharp wit, and a protagonist unlike any other. It’s the kind of book that keeps you on the edge of your seat, laughing one moment and recoiling in horror the next.

If you’re a fan of high school dramas with a dark twist, fast-paced horror with imaginative creature design, or stories that hold a mirror up to society while still being wildly entertaining, this book is an absolute must-read. With its unique premise, wickedly sharp writing, and unforgettable characters, DOOMFLOWER is sure to be one of the most talked-about horror novels of 2025.

THE DESCARTES HIGHLANDS

(Eric Gamalinda; 300 pages; AKASHIC BOOKS; 2014)

This story had me so confused for the first few chapters, I almost gave up on it; written in three distinct voices (and styles) and covering (at least) two different time periods on at least three continents (and an island nation or two), it took a while to get my head around what was happening, when it was happening and to whom. At some point, I noticed that the chapter titles… really weren’t; each character’s story had its own title; that’s when I went back to the beginning and figured out exactly what the heck was going on. Sometimes I can be a little slow on the uptake, but once I get on board with a concept, I can generally roll along rather nicely.

Author Eric Gamalinda (photo credit: ROME JORGE)

The story follows the paths of two young men, born just hours apart in neighboring huts in a poor village in the Philippines. Both men are unaware of the existence of the other or the reasons for their adoptions; their father, an American named Andrew Breszky, told their mothers (who didn’t know that Breszky was the other child’s father) that he was going to sell the babies for adoption and send the money back to the village to save their families the embarrassment of, not only being unwed mothers, but also giving birth to an American child. One of the boys was adopted by a woman in New York, the other by a couple from the south of France. The title of the story comes from the region of the moon where Apollo 16 landed in 1972, the year the boys were born; the mother in New York would give her adopted son letters from his father, with the return address listed as “Mister Breszky, the Descartes Highlands, the Moon.” Interspersed with his sons’ stories, the story of political prisoner Andrew Breszky unfolds, allowing the reader insight into the psyches of the two men, desperately seeking a long lost clue to who they are and why they act as they do. THE DESCARTES HIGHLANDS is a psychologically taut drama that unravels right in front of you, much like the relationships and mental stability of the two sons. Filipino author Eric Gamalinda spins a tale of lies and loneliness, of longing for the truth and for an acceptance that always seems to be at arm’s length; the acceptance is there – from parents, from girlfriends and lovers – but the pair can never quite trust their own feelings… to believe that what is being offered to them freely doesn’t come with some sort of string attached. Yeah… the story can be a bit confusing and, occasionally, mind-numbing in its intricacies but, if you stick with it, following the ups and downs, the in and outs… I guarantee that you will be richly rewarded. Gamalinda’s storytelling and bleak imagery is disturbingly realistic, his dialogue frighteningly authentic. It’s time that you put on your thinking caps and delve into THE DESCARTES HIGHLANDS.

Fiction Book Reviews LITERARY LICENSE... REVOKED! | Darren Tracy | March 7, 2015 | Books Drama Eric Gamalinda Fiction Philippines Political Thriller Psychological Mystery

BLACK LOTUS

(K’wan; 128 pages; INFAMOUS BOOKS/AKASHIC BOOKS; 2014)

Halfway through the first chapter of K’wan Foye’s new novella, BLACK LOTUS, I knew that this story must be made into a movie and that the lead character, Detective James “Lone” Wolf, is destined to be a franchise hero. The edgy, no nonsense persona immediately put me in mind of a cop with a cool Odafin Tutuola (Ice T’s LAW AND ORDER: SUV character) vibe with a hair-trigger anger-management problem like Fin’s SUV colleague, Elliot Stabler. Toss in the swaggering confidence and well-earned street cred of a John Shaft and this character is a no-brainer superstar property; in fact, almost immediately, my mind’s eye put Richard Roundtree in the role of Wolf. Wolf’s backstory puts him at the top of the anti-hero heap and, of course, it doesn’t hurts that BLACK LOTUS is an absolutely riveting read.

BLACK LOTUS author K'wan (publicity photo) — BLACK LOTUS author K’wan (publicity photo)

The story opens with the brutal murder of a well-loved priest, an action that sets in motion a series of events that will force Wolf to face the demons that have haunted him since his last case as a homicide detective, the disappearance and murder of a small boy. Wolf had since moved to the narcotics division and, having just busted (and busted up) a few dealers in and undercover sting, his mentor and former captain in homicide contacts him for help in tracking down the priest’s killer. The detective reluctantly agrees, but only after the captain promises to make some of Wolf’s questionable past actions disappear from his record, specifically, the stigma that he murdered his former partner (a claim which was unsubstantiated and, of which Wolf was ultimately cleared). From that point, Wolf is thrown into a web of lies, deceit, betrayal, political intrigue and the answer to the murder of the little boy so many years before. Along the way, the Black Lotus killer leaves a trail of mayhem and retribution. The story is an edge-of-the-seat nail-biter that packs a surprising amount of action and character development into the short 128 pages. With no shortage of suspects, the twists and turns lead to an unexpected ending that, ultimately, is one of the most satisfying in recent memory.

INFAMOUS BOOKS founder Albert Johnson, AKA Prodigy (publicity photo)

BLACK LOTUS is the fourth title from the Infamous Books imprint, which is curated by Albert Johnson, better known as Prodigy, of the iconic hip-hop group, Mobb Depp. He brings a street level grittiness to an audience that has never before been afforded a viable voice in the literary world. And, make no mistake about it… this is literature – a uniquely American form of literature that should be read and treasured. BLACK LOTUS and other Infamous titles are available at all the usual places or direct from akashicbooks.com. Treat yourself… you won’t be disappointed.

Fiction Book Reviews LITERARY LICENSE... REVOKED! | Darren Tracy | October 31, 2014 | Black Interest Crime Drama Fiction Infamous Books K'wan Mystery Novella Prodigy Psychological Thriller

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