A review by kyle_j_durrant
Books Of Blood Omnibus 2: Volumes 4-6 by Clive Barker

5.0

It's done. It's finished. I have finally read all six volumes of the Books of Blood, and what a journey it was.

It's hard to give any thoughts in this review that I didn't already give in my review of the first three volumes. Barker's writing is incredible, and I can already feel it's influence on my more recent work. Astonishing prose and grotesque scenes come together to tell stories that linger in the mind for days afterwards.

All I can really do here is list my favourite stories, though truly I don't think there was a bad one amongst them.

From Volume 4:
The Body Politic - sentient hands!
The Inhuman Condition - magic string
The Age of Desire - a killer libido

From Volume 5:
The Forbidden - Candyman!
The Madonna - creepy abandoned swimming pool
In The Flesh - a Hellish prison sentence

From Volume 6:
The Life of Death - macabre obsessions
The Last Illusion - the race for a magician's soul

All I can say is if you're a fan of horror and haven't read these yet, then I definitely think you should. They explore dark themes and definitely aren't for the faint of heart, but Barker touches the taboo parts of humanity's soul and drags it out into the public eye.