Anathema: Legacy – Happy Publication Day 1.17.2025

Jules reviewed Roberts’ newest release to see if it held up to the legacy or if it will be anathema to the story and the Stockton line…

Nick Roberts is no stranger to the indie horror community with titles such as Mean Spirited (2024), The Exorcist’s House (2022), The Exorcist’s House: Genesis (2024), Anathema (published in 2019 and prequel to Anathema: Legacy), Dead End Tunnel (2024), and It Haunts the Mind: and Other Stories (2023). Many of these stories hold common themes that explore addiction, family dynamics, and overcoming our demons while literally fighting off real ones. Also, there seems to be something happening with a panda? I’ll get Nick to spill the beans about this one someday… although I think I have an idea. I also look for the regular flatulence mention—more to come on this later.

Anyway, let’s dive in. According to Merriam-Webster, Anathema is something or someone intensely disliked or loathed. For instance, ketchup is anathema to me. I don’t even want to see it in my fridge. One that may be more easily understood for you spooky junkies may be that garlic, or sunlight is anathema to vampires. Silver bullets are to werewolves. So on and so forth.  

So, Legacy… Typically a legacy is something many are proud to leave behind. Our children are our legacy. For some it is their art or their novels. Some it is simply a name: Hilton, King, Tolkien, Stoker… Imagine when a piece of your legacy shows up as your name written all over a murder scene. Anathema takes place 20 years prior to the events of Anathema: Legacy. Enough time for Derrick Stockton to grow into an adult, make mistakes, and start to right himself as he enters his mid- to late-twenties.  

Now, there is a little cat and mouse, believe it or not. Derrick’s mom left him with a nugget of advice in the prior novel, which plays a large role—one could argue it as an anathema—in this sequel. If you haven’t read Roberts’ Anathema (2019), I recommend you do so. Although it may not be necessary to grasp the full picture of this book, it will help everything come full circle and feel whole.

I will say, I was incredibly disappointed by the absence of the word “fart”. It’s an Easter egg I look for in Nick’s books. While this novel certainly shows his growth as a writer, I’d like to think that he fought for that word and eventually settled some agreement with his editor to simply describe the bodily function.

This is the only spoiler I will give you. Let it be known. 

While we experience this small blow to the heart, we can expect all the other horrors we love from Jick Doberts (I had to do it). Per his usual shenanigans, it’s pedal to the metal right from the start. We are going at a breakneck speed that steals the breath from our lungs. We also get the humorous banter in the dialogue and characters who we can relate to. Let’s not forget: the gruesome creativity that comes along with a Roberts Original. *Chef’s Kiss* 

Nick has been busy working on various projects. We are expecting the final installation of The Exorcist’s House Universe in the near future. He’s also teased a short story collection and a few other collaborations with other indie horror names in the community. Peek in on his social media (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok…) to get more details on the happenings. Or memes. We like memes.

Anathema: Legacy will be available on Amazon for Kindle or physical copies. I tend to make my purchases from Nick’s own website so that I can not only get a signed copy but get a really rad bookmark and help a tiny human’s dreams come true. In addition to these avenues: you can purchase copies of The Exorcist’s House, The Exorcist’s House: Genesis, It Haunts the Mind, and Mean Spirited on the Crystal Lake Pub website. Anathema and Dead End Tunnel books are all Nick!

Don’t forget to stop by and let us know once you’ve checked out the book!