The Damocles Files: Vol 3: The Key Of The Abyss, A Dark Triumph In Occult WWII Horror

The Damocles Files: Vol 3: The Key of the Abyss By Benedict J. Jones & Anthony Watson, A Dark Triumph in Occult WWII Horror

The Key of the Abyss is a high-water mark for occult WWII fiction. It balances pulp spectacle with philosophical heft, proving Ginger Nuts’ longstanding thesis: Jones and Watson are “the gold standard in military horror”. Their fusion of meticulously researched history, grotesque imagination, and human pathos creates a trilogy finale that gives the series the 21-gun salute it so rightly deserves.

The Damocles Files: Volume Three: The Key of the Abyss By Benedict J. Jones & Anthony Watson, A Dark Triumph in Occult WWII Horror

The Damocles Files has redefined occult WWII fiction since its 2021 debut. Lauded by Ginger Nuts of Horror as a “spiffingly fantastic novel of derring-do”, the series merges military action, Lovecraftian terror, and spy thriller intrigue across global theatres of war. Centred on DAMOCLES, a secret British unit combating supernatural Axis threats, the saga pioneered a fractured narrative structure: interconnected vignettes spanning the war’s duration, culminating in novella-length finales. With The Key of the Abyss, Jones and Watson deliver their darkest, most ambitious instalment yet, cementing their status as masters of historical horror.

True to form, Key of the Abyss employs the series’ signature vignette structure. Six standalone episodes set in Paris (1940), Albanian mountains, and Iraqi deserts—coalesce into a climactic finale that delivers a perfect ending to this brillaint series.

The episodic narrative structure of Keys to the Abyss creates a fast-paced, action-driven rhythm. At the same time, it provides the authors with the space to explore deep psychological layers within the characters and themes, such as Tom Armitage’s struggle with faith amid the cosmic horrors unfolding in the story.

It is also a clever tactic, as many of the sections end on a cliffhanger, compelling you, the reader, to keep reading to find out what happens to the protagonists. And don’t for one minute think that this is your typical heroes versus bad guys story where they all come out unscathed. Jones and Watson aren’t that nice to you. You will shake a fist in a “why I ought to” fashion when you see what they do to some of them.

There is one scene and one fate of the characters that still makes me angry, at what they did, but in a good way. It kicked the feet from underneath me.

In Keys to the Abyss, we are introduced to the main antagonist, Ormanno Bianchi, a sinister fascist occultist who perfectly embodies the volume’s deeply unsettling and dark thematic elements. His relentless mission to resurrect a fallen angel serves as a powerful metaphor that mirrors the terrifying rise of fascism in the real world, lending the horror story a profoundly chilling and disturbingly relevant edge that resonates with contemporary fears. While Bianchi’s motivation lacks a little depth, he veers just a bit too close to an over-the-top Dr Who villain at times, his sheer menace compensates, a human monster reflecting the era’s ideological rot.

Keys to the Abyss presents totalitarianism as a chilling and ominous “key to the abyss,” unlocking the darkest depths of human nature and societal collapse. Set against the turbulent backdrop of the rising fascist regimes in the 1930s, it draws striking and unsettling parallels to the political unrest and authoritarian tendencies we witness in the modern era. The protagonists are richly flawed and profoundly human, constantly grappling with the intense tension between their urgent mission and the heavy ethical costs involved in achieving it.

This intricate moral complexity firmly grounds the narrative, enabling the authors to subject the characters to harrowing and intense trials that test their resolve and humanity. Still, crucially, these trials serve a meaningful and purposeful role within the story. I firmly believe that even the most pulp horror stories must ultimately serve a deeper and more resonant meaning, and Keys to the Abyss fulfils this beautifully. For instance, Armitage’s harrowing journey probes deeply into the existence of God and faith in a brutal world where fallen angels mercilessly massacre soldiers.

The Key of the Abyss stands as a remarkable high-water mark for occult WWII fiction, brilliantly combining thrilling pulp spectacle with profound philosophical depth. It powerfully affirms Ginger Nuts’ long-held belief that Jones and Watson truly represent “the gold standard in military horror.” Their masterful fusion of meticulously researched historical detail, vividly grotesque imagination, and deeply felt human pathos culminates in a trilogy finale that delivers the series the full 21-gun salute it so thoroughly and rightfully deserves.

The Damocles Files: Volume Three: The Key of the Abyss By Benedict J. Jones & Anthony Watson

As the tide of fascism sweeps across Europe, a disgraced monk, Ormanno Bianchi, navigates his own course through those malignant waters, his mission to bring about a new world order via the resurrection of a fallen angel.

Tom Armitage, scholar and trainee priest, has his own reasons to hate Bianchi and to put an end to his nefarious schemes. His pursuit of the monk brings him into the orbit of DAMOCLES and, as the world once more erupts into war, the race begins to prevent an apocalypse; a contest that will test the faith of all involved.

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