I recently finished reading my copy of Bearing the Devil's Mark by Magister Paradise. I received an advanced copy myself, but you can order it by going to PurgingTalon.com and clicking on the "Books" button on the left.

First, I have to say that the book is physically very well put together. That might seem unimportant in a book review, but believe me, this means a lot for something that's self-published. I've seen some people try to publish their own books and have them turn out horribly wrong: bad margins, no table of contents, odd font choice, crappy editing job, bad artwork, weird line-spacing, weird page numbering (if any at all), etc. Trust me, these aren't 8.5"x11" pages stapled in somebody's basement. Bearing the Devil's Mark was flawlessly put together. An excellent photo of Magister Diabolus Rex's art graces the front cover.

Now on to the actual content. Yes, it does match the quality on the outside. Anybody who has ever purchased an issue of Not Like Most will have a good idea of what to expect from Magister Paradise's writings. Most of the essays are from long out-of-print issues of NLM.

The book is prefaced with the Magister's own personal anecdotes on discovering The Satanic Bible, and his own first-hand experience as a teen in the height of the "Satanic Panic" hysteria of the 1980s. The book then opens with the expanded essay "Futher Evidence of the Satanic Age", with very revealing historical details of the past five decades. The essays span a variety of topics from a truly Satanic third side: politics, film, relationships, practical misanthropy, lesser magic applications, scapegoats of the herd, and lot more. Paradise is no stranger to the ritual chamber either, and includes an original Walpurgisnacht ceremony.

The appendicies include a source list for the essays, a composite interview that covers a variety of topics, the Satanism FAQ, suggested reading list, and a hilarious collection of Purging Talon-received mail from the lunatic fringe (complete with typos) over the years.

Paradise writes in a way that's firm and critical without being whiney. While there is always the joy in reading things that you and only a minority of people already agree with, this is a book had me LEARNING some new things too. Do pick up a copy.

I ordered a copy of this book tonight from amazon along with six others that I can now cross off my list. I have heard good things about Bearing the Devil's Mark and am very much looking forward to reading it when it finally gets here, even more so now after reading this review. Thanks for the review Rev. Bill M.

This is my current read, I've just reached 'B-Horror dates to dismember'. I've found MGP's insights delightful and wish I had not put off ordering it for so long. I have to agree with Bill in the overall aesthetics of the book as well, which was my first thought when opening the wrap. If you find that you enjoy the works of this author, you'll likely rather enjoy diabologue as well.