I Read 2027’s New Slasher Novel Early—Is It Any Good?

An unstoppable killer. A missing body. A teenage survivor who thought she had ended the nightmare.In this spoiler-lite review, Jim takes a look at an advance copy of He Always Comes Back, the debut horror novel from Elle Engel. With the familiar DNA of classic slasher franchises—and a premise reminiscent of the unstoppable evil found in Halloween—does this upcoming release carve out an identity of its own?We’ll discuss its central mystery, intense action, handling of trauma, LGBTQIA+ themes, and the reasons this promising premise didn’t completely land for me.He Always Comes Back is currently anticipated for publication in February 2027. This review is based on an advance review copy provided through NetGalley, so some elements may change before release. All opinions are my own.Have you added this one to your reading list? If you read it after release, come back and let me know what you thought—I’m always interested in hearing about your reading experiences!If you enjoyed the review, please like the video, subscribe to Fantasy for the Ages, and ring the notification bell so you don’t miss what’s coming next.A huge thank-you to our Patreon supporters for helping make the channel possible!: patreon.com/FantasyForTheAges#HeAlwaysComesBack #ElleEngel #BookReview #HorrorBooks #HorrorNovel #SlasherHorror #ARCReview #NetGalley #BookTube #FantasyForTheAgesWant to purchase books/media mentioned in this episode?He Always Comes Back: t.ly/l4p10 The Indian Lake Trilogy: https://t.ly/yfbo2Killing the Boogeyman: https://t.ly/ySGgyWays to connect with us:Follow Jim/Father on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/13848336-jim-scriven Join us on Discord: https://discord.gg/jMWyVJ6qKk Follow us on "X": @Fantasy4theAges Follow us on Blue Sky: @fantasy4theages.bsky.socialFollow us on Instagram: fantasy_for_the_ages Follow us on Mastodon: @[email protected] Email us: [email protected] Check out our merch: https://www.newcreationsbyjen.com/collections/fantasyfortheagesJim’s Microphone: Blue Yeti https://tinyurl.com/3shpvhb4 Jim’s Camera: Razer Kito Pro https://tinyurl.com/c873tc2n 0:00 - Opening1:27 - Book Details2:00 - Why Jim Read This3:40 - Spoiler-Lite Summary 6:07 - Seven Reasons You Might Want to Read This10:55 - Three Reasons You Might Want to Pass13:53 - Jim’s Final Thoughts17:11 - Closing & Wrap-Up————————————————————————————Music and video elements licensed under Envato Elements:https://elements.envato.com/