This was delightfully creepy, and gives off Outlast 2 vibes in a way. The prologue sets the stage for the wild ride to come, and the bible passages scattered throughout mesh well with the story. Moses does an excellent job with the imagery, giving you just enough to be extremely creeped out, while leaving the rest in darkness. If you're familiar with some of the scandals that have happened in cults where the leader claims to be a prophet, you won't be shocked by some of what transpires. The story moves along at a smooth pace, and keeps you tense and interested from start to finish. The characters are well done and believable, and really help bring the horror to life. If you enjoy dark-culty horror, you'll enjoy this.

This has the potential to be such a great book, if a lot of the filler storyline’s were taken out and it was reduced to a Short Story or a Novella, it would make for a much better read and have a bigger impact on the reader.

Of All Things Sacred by Moses Yuriyivich Mikheyev
i enjoyed this to a fault was little to religious for my taste

Of All Things Sacred shows lets us witness what happens to individuals and to an entire town when they fall prey to a false prophet. Told through the eyes of a young boy named Iron we witness Irons mother become a religious zealot and his father attempt to keep his wife happy by giving in to her religious demands. We see “the Prophet” gain more and more power among the community as he is both revered and feared. When a lightning strike and a car accident kill two locals who dared to confront the prophet the people of Red Tree decide it’s best to keep their doubts quiet. Meanwhile, Iron has grown older and wiser and with wisdom his own doubts grow. Iron studies the Bible and finds many contradictions within. As Iron learns more about the written word, and about the Prophet and especially the Prophet’s “girls only” bible studies he decides that the Prophet….this false Prophet…is not a man of God at all and he must be stopped.

This work of fiction includes quite a lot of scripture within the narrative. I could tell that the author is well researched and really knows the Bible well. It was interesting to read of the various inconsistencies within the Bible, but the author does not go so far as to say that the Bible is false or that God does not exist. This is not an anti-Christian book, I felt more that this book affirms that there are many faiths and one can love God, Father, Allah, or believe in all or nothing, There is not a one and only true way. Most importantly, use your own mind, trust your inner guide and do not blindly follow any leader.
Thank you #netflix for allowing me to read and review #OfAllThingsSacred This book is intelligent and thought provoking.

Prophet Joel arrives in the quaint town of Red Tree sending shockwaves through the community. Iron King and his family live a seemingly normal life until Iron’s mother becomes an ardent supporter of the prophet, while Iron and his father are wary of his true intentions. Those who dare oppose seem to meet unfortunate and even fatal consequences.

As someone who had a very religious upbringing and attended a church with cult-like qualities, I was very drawn to this book. I’m also a horror lover but this book just didn’t not deliver for me. Prophet Joel was more eccentric and nearly comical rather than menacing. I struggled to connect with any characters and ultimately found the story to be quite dull.

Almost impossible to read via Kindle.

Made a 200 page book feel like 1,000 pages.

Characters were two dimensional.
By the time the story may be intriguing, it already lost me as a chore rather than an experience

Step into a world where the line between reality and the supernatural blurs in Moses Yuriyvich Mikheyev's gripping novel, "Of All Things Sacred". This thrilling tale takes readers on a journey through the mysterious and the unknown, challenging perceptions of what is real and what lies beyond our understanding.



Mikheyev weaves a complex narrative that seamlessly blends elements of suspense, mysticism, and human emotion. The story follows the protagonist as they navigate a series of inexplicable events that force them to confront their deepest fears and question the nature of existence itself. Through vivid descriptions and expertly crafted plot twists, the author keeps readers on the edge of their seats, eager to unravel the secrets hidden within the pages of this captivating novel.

"Sometimes the most sacred things are the ones that terrify us the most, for they hold within them the power to change us in ways we never imagined."

"Of All Things Sacred" earns a solid 4 out of 5 for its engrossing storyline, well-developed characters, and thought-provoking themes. While the pacing may feel slow at times, the novel's rich atmosphere and spine-tingling moments more than makeup for any minor shortcomings. Mikheyev's unique voice and masterful storytelling make this book a must-read for fans of the supernatural and the unknown.

After a great start with an intriguing and gory prologue this turned into an unexpected disappointment, considering it was labeled as horror.
A self-proclaimed prophet arrives in a small town and soon has everyone speaking in tongues and believing that everything from wearing jeans to owning a TV is a sin.
The prophet himself is just hiding behind religion as a front for molesting teenage girls.
The book could have been cut by half if all the bible passages were removed. They did not contribute to the story or help the flow, they merely increased the length.
The teenage characters seemed strangely innocent for their years, lacking basic knowledge.
The author doesn't know how the morning after pill works and doesn't know the difference between plan B and abortion.
For some reason, the letter L was omitted at the end of every word that should have ended with two instead of one, making it very distracting.

This is not a book I can recommend personally, although others have enjoyed it so perhaps you will too.

This was a detailed and intelligent book; one that covered, amongst other things, something that fascinates me: how sane people and families can become indoctrinated into religion, cults and religious cults.

The tension is palpable as it mounts steadily, all starting with a shocking murder flash forward before changing pace completely and introducing us to the main character Iron, and his parents - following their seemingly normal intro to a local pastor before Iron starts speaking in tongues and becomes enamoured with religion; all whilst the father struggles with his own real life demons.

It’s a slow burn, but well worth the wait as the book reaches it’s conclusion after meandering through various characters and the mystery being woven for the reader to try to solve themselves (before being ultimately solved).

More True Detective than Preacher, the pace is low key but the payoffs are there for the diligent reader. I recommend it if you need a longer, cerebrally challenging read.

I really enjoyed this book, i think it was a little... wordy in places, but the story itself was fantastic and very realistic. It was like reading a true crime about a Cult.

This was an intense story with riveting characters. Nonstop action and turmoil. The ending fell a little flat after such an epic build, but otherwise, this was a great suspense thriller with a bit of mystery.

Of All Things Sacred, is my first book by author Moses Yuriyvich Mikheyev and I picked up the book as the blurb sounded interesting; the name of the main character Iron King was an instant pull and honestly, the premise is fiction that's usually right up my street.

The story follows the tale of The Prophet, a minister in Red Tree, that sweeps the small town into a religious frenzy and plunges him into the height of religious power when one of his disbelievers is struck by lightning seconds after voicing their contempt.

While there are a bunch of interesting characters, Iron King, his mother - the prophet's most fervent follower, The Prophet himself, and a handful of Iron's teenage friends. All of them have merit and the potential to become captivating characters, but not enough page time is dedicated to any of them to truly shine. It seems like they all avoid thorough examination and the somewhat flimsy plot carries them along with no significant impact.

The reader is put through their paces to solve the small amount of mystery behind what's going on, but the whole thing lacks grit.

Towards the end of the novel, a private detective/police officer is hired to look into the allegations of The Prophet's misdeeds and the manner in which she discovers evidence and brings forth her case is devoid of any detail. It's all done off the page. Which is utterly disappointing.

The story is told through several eyes and plot points are erratic and jump from one character to another with no actual logic. It would have been a more cohesive story should the story be told through one or two characters rather than jumped about with recklessness. I felt myself a little lost and ultimately, had little care because as soon as I got used to seeing the story through the eyes of one character, the narrative jumped - often mid-chapter - to another character.

I think with a bit more depth to a couple of carefully selected characters, this story could have been absolutely fantastic, but as it is, I wasn't enamoured with it; which is a great shame as the themes within - the horror of religion - it often one of my favourites.

(Due to my 3 star rating, I shall share my review on GoodReads/Personal spaces once the book has been released, thank you for the ARC and best wishes..)