First published 2003
In a small Cambodian village, disabled residents struggle to piece together their lives after their country's devastation. The villagers have lost hope until their ancient god returns to them, appearing in the form of a former American GI. This divine presence offers them salvation and the promise of survival through a powerful drug that seems to deliver paradise. But the substance opens pathways to unspeakable terrors. The villagers must travel a road filled with nightmares to reach their promised nirvana. As they journey from the decaying temple ruins of the Cambodian jungle toward the dry canyons of west Texas, ancient demons clash with contemporary evils. The bizarre and supernatural inhabitants of this world reveal that salvation and damnation often arrive wearing the same terrifying mask.
Genres: horror, supernatural, thriller, dark-fantasy
Vibes: dark, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: dark-themes, redemption, supernatural-elements
Setting: Cambodia, Texas
Period: 20th-century, 21st-century
384 pages · Paperback · Leisure Books
Content warnings: drug-use, violence