Magnum Opus by Samuel Small

4/5 stars

Magnum Opus is Night at the Museum but the claustrophobic horror edition. Vincent is desperate, and he’s hired as a night guard at a museum showcasing the talent of a local artist. Things at the museum are not as they seem, however, and Vincent is suddenly faced with a nightmare he never could have imagined.

Man, talk about anxiety. It took a little bit for this to heat up, but once the action got going, we were full throttle! Samuel brought so much atmosphere and tension, and I realized towards the end of the book that I had been slowly curling into myself. Some of my favourite horror books are the ones that make me subconsciously react while I’m reading.

For not being the main, I enjoyed Jace as a character. He really added some depth to the story and some much needed levity to cut the thick atmosphere. The twist of his true identity was a bit contrived, but it pushed the plot along, so I can’t complain too much. I am really curious about the gift that Jace gave to Vinny; I’m not a huge fan of a big question like that being unanswered right at the end.

I’m definitely going to check out the other books in the series. I’m hooked by the author’s writing style and tone! Big thank you to Samuel for letting me read this early!