Catalysts, a new horror novella from author Charles Yallowitz (Legends of Windemere), is perfect for a quick afternoon read. Even better if it is a drizzly and/or dark afternoon, because then the particular spell of this book can work its full – horrific – magic on your soul.

Catalysts presents readers with a true monster, one that is fascinating to watch, even as my stomach twisted a little bit at the carnage it wrecks. As much as I wanted to slap them, the characters are very real. It was easy to see a little bit of myself not only in the two main characters, but also in the ensemble cast. These men and women were the readers’ entry into the terror going on within the celebrity convention and each one was a well-drawn personality to either hope for, or revile.

I particularly enjoyed the juxtaposition of the…