The First Male

July 16, 2012
Virtue does not prevent suffering, as Hayes (The Bad Seed) demonstrates in this fast-moving, if thematically stereotyped, struggle between good and evil. Simon Cassel, a short-order cook in a greasy diner, discovers, to his dismay, that he has the power to destroy humanity. In an “ageless battle between the light and the shadows,” Simon’s fate has been steered from his birth by Priestess Supreme Adelaide Thibodeaux, who conceals him from the lures of the Shadowman and allied sinister forces. However, her spell of protection will lapse when Simon turns 21 and his powers mature. Hayes injects further complications with the entrance of Simon’s evil younger brother and aggrieved mother. As Simon’s birthday nears, his by-the-numbers relationship with his aristocratic girlfriend, with whom he has shared horrific experiences, grows to include real emotional intimacy. This newfound vulnerability is used effectively as a contrast with his darker impulses, providing a conflict that leads to a surprising and eventful conclusion.

September 15, 2012

As Simon Cassel's 21st birthday approaches, serpents and shadows permeate his dreams, and he hears voices telling him of a great destiny. He also receives visions of an old woman who tries to turn him away from the Shadow and toward the Light. Soon, he realizes that he is fated to become the First Male, a figure who will destroy the world. VERDICT The author of The Bad Seed and The Messiah has written a dark, supernatural thriller that depicts one man's journey into darkness. Graphic violence and explicit sex may limit the audience for this eerie tale, but fans of the genre will appreciate its inexorable progress to an inevitable conclusion.

Copyright 2012 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.