Shaytan “A Journey into Evil”

By David S. Arthur

In the heart of the jungle death stalks the night. The authorities claim it is a man-eating leopard. The natives believe it is something far more terrifying—a creature that by day wears the skin of a man, but when craving human flesh becomes the demon.

SHAYTAN!

The creature has been plaguing remote villages, killing villagers in multiple swift and silent attacks and dragging them away to the jungle wilds. No one is safe from the demon, and no one can find it to kill it. It slips in and out, ghost-like, taking any prey it desires.

Historical sleuth Richard Quizzenbury and his wife Emily have embarked on a hunt for the creature. They are the guests of Victor Bloodworth, an expert marksman of Anglo-Indian descent. It is Victor’s mission to put a stop to the bloodshed. The Quizzenburys are along for the thrill.

Suddenly they are engulfed by a world in which time moves to the rhythm of the cosmos; where the spiritual and supernatural merge and illusion shares equal footing with reality. Little do they expect what awaits them in the ageless realm of the undying gods.

In a land still ruled by primal superstitions there is an ancient invocation.

From all that flies, from all that crawls
From all that prowls the mountain
O Night protect us

• Language: English
• Publisher: Brighton Publishing LLC
• Release date: Feb 22, 2015
• ISBN: 9781621832935

David S. Arthur

David S. Arthur is an American novelist with a taste for international adventure and ancient history. A native Texan, David began his professional odyssey in 1973 as a documentary filmmaker for PBS in Dallas. A few years later, he moved to Hollywood to pursue screen writing. He published his first novel, The Oasis Project in 1980. In the mid 80's, David formed a multi-media production company in Dallas, which he operated profitably until 2006 when he retired from production, and began writing books again. David’s recent novel, The Kingdom of Keftiu: A Mystery of the Ancient World, is the first in a series of novels featuring English historical sleuth Richard Quizzenbury and his feisty wife Emily. In Kingdom, Richard and Emily meet during an archaeological dig on the island of Santorini, where they share in the discovery of a glorious Bronze Age culture and explore the origins of the mysterious legend of Plato’s Atlantis. It is an intriguing novel based on archaeological and historical fact, bathed in the rich tradition of classical mythology. Prior to returning to the world of fiction, David produced and directed hundreds of motivational film and digital video projects, created and staged theatrical performances, authored plays, and produced concerts and large audience events. He also served as a senior communications consultant and media producer for well-known international consumer products companies whose American brands are global icons. (Frito-Lay, Pepsi, KFC, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut.) On several occasions, David's filmmaking has received professional recognition; a Gold Award from the Houston International Film Festival for his indie feature, Scenes in the Dark, a USA Film Festival Award for Cinematography, and a Dallas Press Club Award for Best Television Documentary. In his youth, David was a champion age group and All American high school and college swimmer, and was recently inducted into his high school Athletic Hall of Fame. David attended Southern Methodist University and graduated with a business undergraduate degree in Finance, and a Master’s degree in Fine Arts in film production and screenwriting. David now lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico. When he isn’t writing, he enjoys painting, sculpting and playing guitar.

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Reviews for Shaytan “A Journey into Evil”

[DiDonovan · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Shaytan has been on a killing spree, plaguing villages and dragging his victims into the jungle - but survivors don't know if Shaytan is a man-eating leopard or a supernatural being that wears the trappings of a man until his cannibal appetite kicks in.

Historian Richard and his wife Emily are on the hunt for this creature, and are guests of marksman Victor, who is determined to capture it and put an end to the bloodshed. Everyone is expecting an animal: what they get is so much more, documented in a powerful thriller that takes a supernatural being and places it at the forefront of a gripping adventure story.

In some ways, Shaytan: A Journey Into Evil is about a hunt gone awry and a quest that leads into realms no hunter is prepared for. In another way, Shaytan is a new age story about evil come to life. Either way,Shaytan is made especially gripping by its first-person narration, by its spiritual and supernatural influences, and by its light, chatty first person narrative style that successfully involves readers in events from a protagonist's point of view.

Interjections of historical fact and the journals of Victor Bloodworth and Richard and Emily Quizzenbury offer very different perspectives of the same event: this attention to perspective and tone, introduced in the form of journal entries, offers a deeply satisfying, rich approach that a linear approach couldn't achieve, capturing different 'voices' and ideas.

Complex, rich in detail, and clearly presented, Shaytan: A Journey Into Evil is a novel that won't quickly be forgotten, and challenges its readers to think about the nature of the unknown in the world, and its ultimate purpose.