Modern Rituals is described as a “Cabin in the Woods ‘remix’” on the back cover and could not be more accurate. The overall plot can be summarized as a fight for survival for a group of unsuspecting people amid metaphysical dangers linked to an ancient and completely secret organization that controls much more than the environment in which the battle between life and death takes place.
Should the people survive and the ritual fail, mankind would ultimately fall.
The characters are presented with distinct personalities and voices, however the number of characters and the brevity of their time together leaves much to be desired. There is not enough character development to allow the reader to care about what happens to the unlucky participants in the ritual. The situations in which they find themselves are suspenseful, curious, and at times horrifying, which elicits several emotions in the reader, however the emotions stem from the exciting incidents, not from empathy for the characters.
The introduction demands attention but the writing includes a few too many clichés and by the final few sections it seems Leonard just wanted to throw everything together. More than once I caught myself reading more to find out what was behind the purpose of the ritual than to appreciate the story. There are several holes near the end of the novel and the shift from science fiction to fantasy feels disjointed, with Leonard obviously ignoring the lack of setup in the previous chapters. Rather than providing an energetic “ah-ha!” moment, Leonard lazily reveals the truth of the rituals, leaving me slightly satisfied with finally having answers, but with my eyes rolling at the absurd twist.
I rate Modern Rituals 2/5 stars for its quasi-interesting story, clichés, last-minute attempt at a twist (which really only feels like an awkward transition), plot holes, and hasty conclusion. Needless to say, I will not be reading its sequel or any future installments.
Special thanks to NetGalley for providing a copy of Author J.S. Leonard’s debut novel Modern Rituals, the first in The Wayward Three series, which was released February 16 by Boy Meets Universe publishing.
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