Greg Belliveau

Blood Clan

Greg Belliveau

Rogue Phoenix Press, $16.99 trade paper (325p) ISBN 978-1-62420-804-1

★ Greg Belliveau's Blood Clan delivers a gripping blend of historical fiction, supernatural horror, and literary thriller in this atmospheric tour de force set against the haunting backdrop of post-Civil War America. The narrative follows Samuel Wilkins, a man grappling with the ghosts of his past, as he embarks on a harrowing journey to find his kidnapped son amidst the dark, untamed wilderness of West Virginia. This meticulously crafted novel explores themes of survival, guilt, and the savage remnants of war, all while weaving a deeply unsettling tale of human and monstrous evils.

Belliveau's prose is lush and evocative, conjuring vivid imagery that pulls readers deep into a world where the lines between man and monster blur. From the blood-soaked fields and moonlit forests to the eerie silence of abandoned towns, the settings are as much a character as the haunted souls who inhabit them. Samuel's desperate quest is complicated by a motley crew of allies and enemies, including the enigmatic Colonel Hunter and the unsettlingly brilliant Doc Humboldt. The supporting cast is richly drawn, each bearing the weight of personal demons and dark secrets that add depth to the narrative.

The novel's structure, shifting between flashbacks of Samuel's time at the notorious Andersonville Prison and his present-day hunt for his son, expertly builds tension while offering a nuanced exploration of the psychological scars left by war. Belliveau excels at creating a sense of dread that permeates the story, with scenes of grotesque rituals, strange supernatural occurrences, and existential musings on the nature of humanity. The introduction of the titular Blood Clan—a group of supernatural marauders—adds an extra layer of horror that feels both mythic and chillingly real.

Belliveau's characters are complex and morally ambiguous, reflecting the brutal world they inhabit. Samuel Wilkins, in particular, is a compelling protagonist, driven by equal parts vengeance and love, which propels the reader through the novel's twists and turns. The author's lyrical yet gritty writing style captures the raw emotion and grim reality of a world recovering from the trauma of war, without sacrificing the page-turning suspense of a thriller.

Blood Clan is not for the faint of heart—its exploration of human depravity and violence is both visceral and unflinching. Yet, it is this very commitment to exploring the darkest corners of the human psyche that makes it a standout in the genre. Fans of Cormac McCarthy's Blood Meridian and Stephen King's The Dark Tower series will find much to admire in Belliveau's masterful storytelling and thematic complexity.

With Blood Clan, Greg Belliveau cements his place as a bold voice in historical dark fantasy, offering readers a harrowing, unforgettable journey through a landscape where the horrors of the past refuse to stay buried. This is a novel that lingers long after the final page, a testament to Belliveau's skill in blending literary craftsmanship with gripping, genre-blending storytelling. ★

It has been ten years since Christopher Dante, the last storyteller, defeated the Ghul in the abandoned subway tunnels under Cogstin, and now he has vanished without a trace. There are rumors and whispers of a new evil emerging, ancient, dark, beyond the Black Mountains, a Horned God who rules the skeleton people of the north. Welcome to Gods of IMAGO, book two in the stunning IMAGO Series.  Gods of IMAGO is literary dystopia at its absolute best, blending amazing world-building with thought provoking, artful prose in an unforgettable, page-turning experience that will haunt the reader long after the last sentence.

What the reviewers are saying about IMAGO

"A compelling, fearsome, imaginative story about finding horror and hope in the ruins of the world."
 
--Benjamin Percy, author of Suicide Woods, The Dark Net, Red Moon, and Thrill Me.
 
"Greg Belliveau's story puts him in the company of China Miéville, or the Kazuo Ishiguro of The Unconsoled, of films such as The Matrix and Dark City.  Beyond that, there are tantalizing echoes everywhere of The Divine Comedy. Readers, hang on tight, Greg Belliveau will take you on one hell of a wild ride."  
 
     - David Long, author of The Falling Boy and The Inhabited World
 
 
"IMAGO, by Gregory Belliveau, is a wild, futuristic ride where Christopher Dante must assess friend or foe, life or death and fight or flight at every exciting twist and turn.  The joy of Belliveau's writing is that he creates highly complicated and mystical worlds and populates them with strong, relatable characters.  You will rejoice in their triumphs and cry in their defeats. "IMAGO" is a multi-layered, gripping adventure that will entertain and challenge your sense of what is real and what is imagination." 
 
- Ty DeMartino
Playwright/Screenwriter
 
 
 
"[A] surreal and propulsive ride."
 
-Jason Allen, author of The East End
 
 
 
"Belliveau drops the protagonist, Christopher Dante, and the reader into a world where being watched and monitored is not only the status quo, but it's also an accepted part of life. When Dante shares a vision with his uncle, his life is uprooted and sent spiraling out of control. Belliveau's prose is as fast paced as the action itself, and you can't help but get sucked into Dante's world." 
Kase Johnstun, Author of Beyond the Grip of Craniosynostosis (2015 Gold Quill Winner, League of Utah Writers) and Host of the LITerally Podcast.
 
 
"IMAGO is Cormac McCarthy meets C.S. Lewis in this search for human identity in a dystopian world. Belliveau's masterful prose blurs the edges between genre and literature while taking the reader on patrol through a landscape of rubble and despair." 
-Derek Wade, author Murder in Marin County

Greg Belliveau's most recent novel is Gods of IMAGO (Rogue Phoenix Press, 2023) Book 2 in the IMAGO SERIES.He is also author of IMAGO (RPP, 2019) as well as Seeds: Meditations on Grace in a World with Teeth (CrossLink Publishers, 2017) a collection of Creative nonfiction pieces, and Go Down To Silence (Multnomah: a Division of Random House, 2001). He is a 2008 Christopher Isherwood Grant Recipient, as well as the 2002 Christy Award finalist for Best First Novel Go Down To Silence.

His short stories have appeared in The Atticus Review, The Cleveland Review, Vine Leaves of which his vignette “LG Don’t Want To Fly” was selected for their 2012 Best Of Anthology published by eMergent Publishing.

He teaches Creative Writing in Antioch University’s MA program, and has taught at a The Antioch Writer’s Workshop, Yellow Springs, OH, and is currently teaching at Capital University, Columbus, Ohio.

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT "SEEDS"
"I read an early copy of this. We all need to know that grace is alive in a world full of teeth. Broken up into short, poignant reads." (Donna VanLiere, New York Times and USA Today Best-Selling Author 2017-09-26)