Book Review: Infant Spirits

Reviewed by Alexandria Ducksworth

Ghosts & demons lurk in this oddly delightful paranormal horror

Anything associated with children in a horror novel is bound to be creepy. But it takes a strong author to make it somehow delightful. The Infant Spirits is great for those in the mood for a quick creepy read capable of being devoured in a single night. This thing is exciting, fast-paced, and can be downright disturbing.

Infant Spirits opens with a brief flashback of Willow Court Asylum’s haunting origins. A woman makes a dangerous decision to keep her unborn baby alive in exchange for its soul to a demon. 

Fast forward to the present—we have paranormal investigators Harry and Clarisse exploring the old hospital. They are pregnant with their first child. The plan is to learn more about the site’s history, investigate it for proof of ghosts, and call it a day. 

But soon, they get way more than they expected. 

Clarisse has a history of contacting ghosts and detecting their energies. While exploring the asylum, a child’s spirit manifests before her. The encounter may appear friendly, but there is a darker motive behind it. 

A demon still lingers around Willow Court, and it wants Clarisse’s unborn child. Clarisse refuses to leave the hospital without helping the spirit children. The question: how is she going to rescue the kids and banish a demon without losing her only child? 

As a fan of everything tied to paranormal investigations, I was thrilled to make my way through Infant Spirits. It reminds me of many successful horror movies before it, like Insidious and The Conjuring. I felt like I was part of the paranormal team encountering all of the ghostly horrors in this one. The character journeys (especially Clarisse’s) are exciting and personal through a horror lens. Tremayne’s prose emits the rush you would feel as you were climbing the tall slope of a rollercoaster. 

And it turns out that the Land Down Under can be terrifying. Australia is home to famously haunted locations such as Port Arthur and the Monte Cristo Homestead. It’s always fascinating to find books with similar tropes set in new locations. There’s always room for more location diversity. 

Why is the area haunted? Tremayne does a great job of showing us that it’s not all about the demon and the ghost children; it’s also about energy. Willow Court is swimming in negative energy. I’m glad Tremayne decided to fill readers in with such details. Sure, any old house with a ghost (or a demon) is scary, but a haunting history lays out the foundation of its horror. 

The Infant Spirits is a terrific read for spooky ghost lovers. Tremayne’s writing is chilling, and her visuals leave haunting thoughts long after reading.

While it may not be as long as a typical horror novel, it’s great for those who are looking for a quick scare. Here’s to hoping Tremayne continues Clarisse’s haunting adventures; in a world like this, I’m confident there are more creepy journeys to be had. 

Genre: Science Fiction & Fantasy / Paranormal / Horror

Print Length: 244 pages

ISBN: 978-0648961581

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