“And Abigail was definitely different; he had never seen anything like her in his life. But she was special, a gift—his gift.”

A wonderful story about protecting someone who is different than you instead of acting with fear and violence. This story is filled with unexpected revelations and surprises.

Abigail by Daemon Manx was received directly from the publisher and I chose to review it. I had never read this author before and based upon the reviews, I was really looking forward to reading this novella. I was disappointed in this story to be honest. The story was mostly build-up and then the "shock" twist ending was a let-down, to me anyway .

Three Stars

A really quick read that was a story that I had not read before. While I was reading the book I was intrigued to see where the tale was headed. As I continued to read on, I was shocked to finally understand what the book was actually about. This author definitely has a way of disarming the reader and leaving his mark long after the book is finished.

This was the sweetest little short story. I could hear Abigail’s laugh in my head and it made me smile too!! I just feel more full of love after reading.

Wow, that was a bit heavy and emotional. I went in blind on this one, so I was really surprised by how it turned out. I thought it was going to be a horror short story about an evil child, but it ended up being much deeper and more meaningful than that.

Daemon Manx was able to convey a sincere message through this book—something we should really embrace more often: acceptance of ourselves and our flaws. People might judge or condemn us, but we should never judge or condemn ourselves. We may be different or live differently than most, but as long as we love and accept ourselves, that’s what truly matters.

I love this book. It made me feel good about myself, despite my flaws.

I know this publication happened a while ago, but I still wanted to request and hopefully read it, for my daughter’s name sake. This was such a fun read. I really enjoyed myself. I am an avid horror reader with a sub genera love of psychological horror. This was like a comfort read. There’s some fun character development, some attraction, drama and some really good human reflection. The character reflection and growth was fun and the twist actually surprised me! It really strengthened the drive the author set out to do. Well done, and very clever indeed! I don’t want to discuss the story line too much for fear of taking away the journey and fun surprise. Just read it! Have fun!

4 stars!!

Short but impressive! This was my first story by this author and it definitely won’t be my last.

I love a story where you think you know where it’s going then it goes in a different direction. It was a satisfying end which I’m happy about.

It’s hard to say much about this story without giving anything away. I recommend you read this for yourself as you won’t be disappointed!

Thank you to Netgalley for my arc.

This story warmed my heart to read. What a blessing it was to be granted this experience from NetGalley and Last Waltz Publishing and Daemon Manx. You may think this story is going in one direction but it defies expectations. A story of love and acceptance that I definitely needed to read right now.

And how about THAT unexpected twist? Give yourself a gift of warmth and love and read this story.

This novelette was great!! I almost wish there was more to the story. The ending was definitely not what I expected. Talk about a twist! It made a twist and U-turned and twisted again. I recommend this story and go into it blind! Definitely worth the read and a lot of fun.

A mildly amusing novelette that reminds you of the limitations and low expectations of indie genre offerings. As in, when it comes to indies, the sheer fact that the writing is blandly serviceable and decently edited is often a win in and of itself. It might ever qualify for an award.
This very plainly written tale tells a story of a man who suddenly finds himself stuck with a rather demonic-looking baby. The entire thing is pretty blah until the twist ending. The entire production here hinges on that twist ending, which is what elevates the book just (barely) enough to warrant a generous three-star rating.
If you prefer your scares and jokes served up on a literary platter, this will leave a lot to be desired. But for the undemanding majority, this will probably work well.
Either way, it's such a quick read. Thanks Netgalley.

I really enjoyed how this story was written. It was engaging and captivating. I did not see the twist coming at all! Such a great short story.

One thing I love about novellas is that they pack a pretty decent punch! There are things you can do in a novella that you can't get away with in a regular length book. And it is a great way to discover a new author's writing style.

Abigail is the story of a baby showing up on the doorstep of Adrian's home. She doesn't look like a normal baby. Adrian doesn't hesitate for one second taking her in. He immediately devotes his life to her care. Of course there are some twists in the end.

I really enjoyed it. It was weird and fun!

Thank you to NetGalley, Dameon Manx, and Last Waltz Publishing for the opportunity to read Abigail. I have written this review voluntarily.

Stop what you are doing and go check this book out asap! It’s the perfect bit size spooky book with a fun twist. I would suggest going into this story blind because I think it adds to the overall experience. The writing was easygoing and descriptive without being overly so. This has definitely inspired me to check out more from this author. Also let’s give it up for that cool cover art!! Thank you NetGally and the publishers for allowing me to read the ebook for review.

A surprisingly sweet story. The twist was something I definitely never would have guessed. I definitely recommend this short story.

this reminded me of something but for the life of me i’m struggling to figure out what it is exactly
the whole +*+crying uncontrollably over the sheer beauty of an entity+*+ thing I HAVE READ OR SEEN THAT SOMEWHERE BEFORE WHAT IS IT!!!!!

made me think slightly of welcome to night vale
fun little story about acceptance

The writing was emotionally raw. It's a twisted, different type of story with such a connection to real life. The twist I definitely wasn't expecting...but the writing was just so deep and personal!

Everything Damon Manx writes, is an automatic read for me, and this is no exception. It was a short, well written story, that I had absolutely no idea where it was going. Abigail is a cute little girl who captivates everyone who meets (and reads about) her. This is horror, but it's awfully cute horror!

What an interesting little story. I found it hard to connect with the plot and characters because of the writing style. I was also confused for a large majority of the book, but that was quickly resolved once the plot twist happened.

I would recommend this book to anyone looking for an interesting short story about a gay man and demons.

I’ve been refraining from pulling the trigger on this one for a while. Manx has absolutely been on my radar lately (I think he’s actually my most read author this year?) but splatterpunk is just not my thing. Seeing this was nominated for a short story award had me thinking the vibe would be very different. But it’s truly a nice, feel good horror novelette.

I won’t go too much into synopsis to avoid potential spoilers but the book’s protagonist is gay and has struggled with his identity throughout his adolescence. He randomly receives a gift on his doorstep which is simultaneously horrific and amazing. There is quite a bit with acceptance as a theme.

Anyways, knocked this out in one sitting and definitely ended with a smile on my face. There’s a cute twist at the end and despite some of the heavier themes (homophobia and accepting oneself), it’s a nice light read. I’ll likely recommend this one for my 12yo as it’s that accessible.

I also loved some of the corporate name spin offs. I definitely chuckled a few times throughout.

If you’re looking for a lighter book as a palette cleanser then give this one a try.

Very cool creepy little horror novel. Can't say I've ever read anything quite like it and I absolutely loved it. Will definitely look for more from this author.