A morbidly beautiful debut and the start of a promising series
No matter how dark or horrifying a story can be, readers will still pick it up to read it. Perhaps readers are looking to be scared. Perhaps readers are looking for someone who is in a worse predicament then they are. Perhaps readers are just looking for a story that is so haunting that it can also be considered beautiful. It is rare for a story to be able to give readers all of the aforementioned traits; however, new writer Ricardo Henriquez succeeded in doing so through his debut novel, The Catcher’s Trap.
Suffering from depression and anxiety, Andres chooses one night to step out of his comfort zone to go to an underground party with an intriguing stranger named Roman. That one night changes his life forever as Andres finds himself in an otherworldly dimension where darkness and suffering prevail. He along with other captured humans are forced to work in fields with demons constantly watching their every move. Fighting both the surrounding demons and the ones lurking within him, Andres must find the courage within himself to convince the other slaves to turn on their captors, but can he become the hero who will deliver everyone home alive or will they all die in The Mist?
Desperation, destruction, deliverance, horror, heroism, hope. These are but a few traits readers will find within the pages of Henriquez’s horror fantasy debut. While these traits may seem to contradict one another, they go hand in hand to create a beautiful waltz between the beautiful and the macabre through the written word. The Catcher’s Trap is a new story that provides the horror and fantasy mix fans of the genres love while also providing deep and relatable messages
Depression and the struggles that come with it are a main focus as the story’s main character Andres struggles with it himself. His fears and anxiety about the world and life in general are all too relatable and readers may find their own insecurities brought to light through this fictional character. Readers will find themselves liking Andres and longing for him to overcome his depression so that he may become the hero lying dormant within him. Being a hero is another focus within the story as Henriquez takes readers on his own version of Joseph Campbell’s monomyth of “The Hero’s Journey.” Andres never saw himself as a hero and believes he has the power to save everyone from The Mist, but to become the hero he so longs to be, he must overcome his own demons to fight the real ones threatening others.
The deep messages aforementioned are as powerful as they are due to Henriquez’s beautiful writing style. His words flow so smoothly from sentence to sentence, readers will find their eyes sailing through paragraphs and longing to turn the page to read more. While Henriquez spent years writing articles and blogs, his talent is truly seen through his debut as he can write both fantastical scenes and as well as horrifying ones. On one page, a reader could be feeling sad and lonely. By the next page, readers could be physically cringing and looking away as if they were watching a horrifying movie play out. Then a few pages later, that tiny sliver of hope returns, encouraging the characters to keep fighting. Readers are in for a roller coaster of emotions upon opening this book.
What an amazing way for Henriquez to introduce himself to the writing world. Published through the online crowdfunding publisher Inkshares, The Catcher’s Trap is a new addition to the horror fantasy genre that one could see flying off the shelves. Even with the release of his debut novel, the draft for its sequel, Worlds Walker, can be found on Inkshares for those who would like to read more in The Catcher’s Trap trilogy. Heinriquez’s impressive use of description and storytelling weaves a most captivating introduction of macabre and beauty in his new series. Readers should clear their schedules the day they open The Catcher’s Trap. As soon as they finish chapter one… there is no stopping until the final page has been reached.
