Carnival of Terror

William Joseph is a New Jersey native who has authored 14 novels of horror, young-adult fantasy, and romance. I read his crime-fiction novella The Hangman's Forest in 2023 and found it enjoyable. A friend lent me her copy of Carnival of Terror, the author's 2019 independently published horror novel. Since the novel's release, Joseph has written and published two sequels, Jug's Revenge and Shilo's Curtain Call. I've always enjoyed carnival-themed novels, so I was anxious to read Carnival of Terror.

Isabella and Victor are introduced as a newly married couple enjoying a honeymoon somewhere in America's Midwest. For fun, they visit a local carnival, and Isabella has her fortune read by a mysterious old woman. After leaving the woman's tent, Isabella finds that her wedding ring has been snatched. After being refused re-entry, the two sneak into the carnival after hours. They are captured, briefly tortured, and then interviewed by the Carnival's ringleader, a man named Jug. He explains that the carnival travels around and preys on innocent people. Ultimately, they are sliced and diced for food. All of this happens in the first five chapters, consisting of Part One.

Part Two is a long history lesson as readers learn how Jug, the carnival's ringleader, rose to power from his humble beginnings as a lowly laborer. These five chapters are brutally sadistic, chronicling years of suffering and indulgence as the carnival devours its audience and hides its tracks. During this time, Jug is trained to become the new ringleader, dethroning his mentor in heinous fashion. 

Part Three is the shortest section, featuring a turn as the elderly fortune-teller attempts to escape her predicament of baiting and trapping innocent people. This spills into the book's second half, and Part Four, as Jug and his clown minions track down his estranged sister, a teen girl named Shilo. There's an excellent cat-and-mouse chase through a suburban house as three clowns attempt to kidnap Shilo. It is in these pages that Shilo's fierce determination and fighting skill prevails. But, despite her best efforts, she is captured and taken to the carnival. It is here that the book morphs from a horror-torture into a prison escape narrative as Shilo, the old woman, and a few survivors attempt to fight their jailers and escape Jug's wrath. 

Carnival of Terror isn't anything particularly new or innovative, but Joseph is a fantastic storyteller, and he adds a lot of depth and personality to his prose. By creating the various storylines, Isabella/Victor, Jug's climb, and Shilo's fight, Joseph can keep the fast pace while never sacrificing characterization. There aren't any wasted pages or chapters, and unlike a lot of modern authors, Joseph is sure to say something in every chapter. He is always moving the story along in new and exciting ways. Sure, Shilo and Jug's confrontation was inevitable, but the moving parts to get there were just so entertaining. 

I'm curious where Shilo and Jug go from here. I'll be sure to find out in the next two installments. In the meantime, get a copy of Carnival of Terror HERE.