Orgy of Souls is the new Apex Books novella co-written by Wrath James White and Maurice Broaddus (read Fear Zone's interview with White here). White, a professional fighter among other things, is known for the in-your-face sex and gore in his writing, and Broaddus, possibly the most fashionably attired conservative preacher-horror writer on this planet, has been steadily building a thoughtful body work. As each writer notes (Broaddus penned the Forward, White the Afterward), they have very different philosophies in life, but enjoy exchanging ideas.

So it comes as no surprise that Orgy focuses on two characters, and pretty much alternates chapters from their respective points of view, whose lifestyles somewhat reflect the life experiences of their creators (although I admit that I have no idea how much each author contributed to the other's chapters). It also comes as no surprise that this is an extremely well written mini-novel in which the characters are set on a collision course for a bloody climax. What does come as a surprise, at least to me, is how well their styles mesh, how epic that climax is, and how much sex, violence, and gore are packed into this refreshingly fast paced work. Orgy of Souls delivers the goods with plenty to spare.

Samuel and Sampson are brothers. Samuel is a priest with AIDS; Sampson is a successful male model with an excessive hedonist lifestyle. Sampson strikes a deal to save Samuel's life in exchange for 20 souls. The novel details how Sampson claims those souls, and what happens when one of them might already have a lien on it. There's nothing better than gratuitous sexual mutilation that isn't gratuitous at all, served with several courses of introspection.

If you're not familiar with these writers, this is a great sampler. If you're already a fan, you won't be disappointed. The Apex Book Company has produced a nice package here, sporting a moody cover painting by DE Christman and easy to read type. Nothing irritates me more than a small press book which is hard to read due to poor typesetting, ridiculous paragraph indentations and other signs of amateurism. I'm glad to see that Jason Sizemore brings the same professional standards to his company's books as he does to Apex Digest.

Orgy of Souls is available as a Limited Edition Hardcover with a print run of 350, and as a Trade Paperback.