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Ama
After Jason's world falls apart when his young daughter is brutally murdered, a demon offers to give him another life where she is alive and well, but there’s a horrifying catch.
This story isn’t for everyone. It’s deeply disturbing, extremely graphic, and may cause severe anxiety about what awaits you in the afterlife. But if you like original horror stories that don’t hold back, Ama is waiting for you now!
This story isn’t for everyone. It’s deeply disturbing, extremely graphic, and may cause severe anxiety about what awaits you in the afterlife. But if you like original horror stories that don’t hold back, Ama is waiting for you now!
240 pages, Paperback
Published April 22, 2016
About the author
Daniel MacKillican
1 book50 followersDaniel MacKillican is an award-winning British author who lives deep within the legendary landscape of the Scottish Highlands. His writing has received high praise for its style, thought-provoking concepts, and visceral descriptions that bring his imagination to life in vivid detail upon the page. He is currently writing his next novel while also enjoying the wild beauty surrounding his home.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
September 5, 2017
An interesting, graphic tale of a man who stands before Lillith for his judgement. He murdered his wife after she killed his little daughter and now, in this demonic terrible place, he must find her soul. It hooked me and I enjoyed the portrayal of the evil place, but the only point I would raise is that I found it very bogged down in its description. There isn't much room for imagination because everything is so heavily described and told, instead of shown. However, I would recommend this to people who enjoy horror, gorey violence and the judgement of a man who has committed a terrible crime.
October 28, 2019
Wow! I don't often give 5 stars, however, this is one of those gems where I would like to give more than 5, heck give it 10 even. The narration by Matthew Lloyd Davies is amazing.
My only problem is, it could have been longer.
Well-written, dark, graphic and thought-provoking.
My only problem is, it could have been longer.
Well-written, dark, graphic and thought-provoking.
September 26, 2022
Imaginatively Gory
I tell you what, if hell is anything like what Daniel MacKillican describes, I’m definitely repenting when I meet St. Peter. MacKillican’s novel, Ama, is unbelievably gory and disturbing. I’m not into horror, but enjoyed reading Ama. Very well written and thought provoking.
I tell you what, if hell is anything like what Daniel MacKillican describes, I’m definitely repenting when I meet St. Peter. MacKillican’s novel, Ama, is unbelievably gory and disturbing. I’m not into horror, but enjoyed reading Ama. Very well written and thought provoking.
August 1, 2021
Hands down one of the most visceral & imagery rich books I've stumbled across.
I happened upon AMA on YouTube when it was first out many years ago & was completely blown away by the storyline. I read a LOT of books & often forget what happens in them- not this one. It has stuck with me for YEARS as one of the most gut wrenching, satisfying tales I've ever heard.
I became genuinely attached to the characters & was on the edge of my seat wondering what would happen to our protagonist until the very finish. The ending was phenomenal & its honestly become one of my all-time favorite books.
For years I'd searched for this book because I'd forgotten the title & author's name- having only heard it twice on YouTube- but the way it made me FEEL from reading it stuck with me so deeply that I could not forget what our beloved author wrote. Last night I stayed up til 2am trying to find it & posted about it in a book group pleading if anyone could help me find this novel. Today is a good day because I woke up with the title sitting in my inbox & I am so grateful!
This is just one of those books that sticks to your bones, man... its the meat & potatoes of horror. I love it. Two thumbs up & my big toes too!
I happened upon AMA on YouTube when it was first out many years ago & was completely blown away by the storyline. I read a LOT of books & often forget what happens in them- not this one. It has stuck with me for YEARS as one of the most gut wrenching, satisfying tales I've ever heard.
I became genuinely attached to the characters & was on the edge of my seat wondering what would happen to our protagonist until the very finish. The ending was phenomenal & its honestly become one of my all-time favorite books.
For years I'd searched for this book because I'd forgotten the title & author's name- having only heard it twice on YouTube- but the way it made me FEEL from reading it stuck with me so deeply that I could not forget what our beloved author wrote. Last night I stayed up til 2am trying to find it & posted about it in a book group pleading if anyone could help me find this novel. Today is a good day because I woke up with the title sitting in my inbox & I am so grateful!
This is just one of those books that sticks to your bones, man... its the meat & potatoes of horror. I love it. Two thumbs up & my big toes too!
August 13, 2019
I don't normally do Audio Books but stumbled across this one. WOW, from the first paragraph I was sucked in. And the narrator read the book so well I couldn't wait to hear what came next. I would definitely recommend this to everyone who loves a bit of the dark side :)
September 22, 2022
While not quite what I expected, "Ama" was definitely a dark fiction lover's kind of read. This is the story of a man who is condemned to hell for murdering his wife (after his wife killed their daughter) and his struggle to find answers and/or redemption in the after-life. If you have no stomach for graphic horror, this may not be the book for you, but I loved the imagery and vivid descriptions throughout which added richly to the story's whole concept. This was not an easy read, but so intriguing and thought-provoking that it was often hard to put the book down for any length of time. Kudos to the author for his unique twist on punishment, judgement, and what constitutes suffering in the after-life. I would definitely recommend this book for fans of (very) dark fiction and/or speculative horror.
September 14, 2022
A great religious horror with a fantastic pace. The demons are delightfully brutal and Hell is entirely without hope. I recommend
April 12, 2019
A very compelling book, vivid storytelling, quite despondent conclusion that a brief relief from torment is all most of us ever get. The hellish world portrayed brings up some questions- so he is presented with opportunities to be good or evil- and his crime is one of understandable provocation. He has the opportunity to piggyback on a version of himself who got things right, though its not clear he understands this is what he is being offered and it does not seem to change how his own life unfolded. In this world prortayed he is still growing/changing, it doesn't make sense that an eternity of torment should result from this- even for the punishment of a higher life form. It would seem that the moment when he offers his suffering in place of another is indication that all may not be in vain, that somehow all this life/energy/consciousness continues to change form. Good book, I continued to puzzle over it awhile after I finished reading and makes me long for another volume. It also felt strangely familiar of a story to me in an eerie/unnerving way.
July 7, 2019
Intriguing and Compelling. A fantastic and gripping read, the descriptions created the scenes perfectly and the characters were very believable. One man's shot at redemption, from the first page to the last, it was an emotional if not gruesome journey. I found myself immersed in hell, I for one wanted to escape with Jason. I'm not afraid to admit I found myself smiling at times, grimacing at the horror but also in tears. A well written exciting debut book from a very promising author. I first heard about this book on youtube, the reviews of the audiobook drew me in. I went to the author's website and discovered that you could read it for free. As it was free I thought it couldn’t have been very good, no one gives away something that great for nothing. Well, the reviews were true to their words. I have told friends, family everyone I know to give this book a read.
February 27, 2022
I really enjoyed this book a lot. I'm sure if my pesky job didn't get in the way I would have read it in one day! I enjoyed the writing style, the description, and the texture of AMA. I wasn't sure what to expect, but by the end I was not dissatisfied at all. To me, this book was a thought provoking fairytale that delves into the madness that consumes, for some, the big question: IS THERE "LIFE" AFTER DEATH? I like the world Mackillican has created as his version of what Hell might be. Why it's there. If it can be escaped. I will be uploading a detailed, spoiler-driven review on YouTube in the coming days! Great read and I hope for more novels from DM in the near future! 👍
JUST AS GOOD THE SECOND GO AROUND AS THE FIRST!!!!!
JUST AS GOOD THE SECOND GO AROUND AS THE FIRST!!!!!
December 31, 2017
I couldn't stop reading until I knew how it would end... wow! This surprised me. I started this with no expectations...
July 19, 2018
Re-read. Compelling; gruesome; terrifying and well-written.
March 22, 2019
Very bizarre, graphic depiction of what hell could be like. Scary, sad, not for the faint of heart. Very unique.
October 16, 2019
Yeah, I think I'm gonna have to review this one...
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March 23, 2018
I'm a little bit torn about this book. I really liked it in the beginning and I was really intrigued to find out more about Hell, and getting out and learning more about who the people who landed in Hell were. But on the other hand I lost interest after the start of the trek through the dessert. First of all, this is the story about Jason, who has killed his wife and ended up in Hell because of it. Short side note, his wife did kill their daughter because of some some very very late post natal depression kind of fit so he does have that going for him One of the greater demons, Lilith, has offered him the chance of saving his daughter, who is supposedly also in Hell, and he has to cross a Hell desert for it and reach a cave.
Now it was this dessert that kind of made me lose interest in this story. Not that it was boring, it was just not for me. Jason meets some twisted people and there are very graphic scenes of torture that are just not for me. If you like slasher and gore movies/books than this is definitely something for you. But reading about such graphic violence does put me off a bit. I more a fan of atmospheric horror, not graphic. But of course this is purely a personal preference and I can understand other people could like this kind of horror thrill. Unfortunately this put me off enough that I lost interest and near the end I just wanted it to be over. I think I would have liked the book more If I had skipped the entire desert trek because I did really like the beginning.
What I liked about the beginning of the book was the mystery: what has happened? Who are in Hell? How to get out? Not knowing these things made me want to read on and see what would happen. I also really liked the flash back showing everything leading up to the murder of his wife. I even thought it mighthave been interesting to go even further back into time to see how everything led up to that one moment. If the encounters with the other people in Hell would have explained more about how they ended up there instead of crazy torture scenes, this would have been a 4-star read for me. And there were other moments that did delve into the past of the characters (the priest and the well-lady) just not enough to make up for the gore. Plus, I was more interested in the background of the really twisted characters. Surely they must have had "interesting (in a bad way interesting, but still interesting) lives before ending up in Hell and becoming even weirder?
If you don't mind torture scenes, this might be a good horror book for you. If you don't, stay away. I listened to the audiobook of this which the author has made public on Youtube, so you can always give it a go there.
Now it was this dessert that kind of made me lose interest in this story. Not that it was boring, it was just not for me. Jason meets some twisted people and there are very graphic scenes of torture that are just not for me. If you like slasher and gore movies/books than this is definitely something for you. But reading about such graphic violence does put me off a bit. I more a fan of atmospheric horror, not graphic. But of course this is purely a personal preference and I can understand other people could like this kind of horror thrill. Unfortunately this put me off enough that I lost interest and near the end I just wanted it to be over. I think I would have liked the book more If I had skipped the entire desert trek because I did really like the beginning.
What I liked about the beginning of the book was the mystery: what has happened? Who are in Hell? How to get out? Not knowing these things made me want to read on and see what would happen. I also really liked the flash back showing everything leading up to the murder of his wife. I even thought it mighthave been interesting to go even further back into time to see how everything led up to that one moment. If the encounters with the other people in Hell would have explained more about how they ended up there instead of crazy torture scenes, this would have been a 4-star read for me. And there were other moments that did delve into the past of the characters (the priest and the well-lady) just not enough to make up for the gore. Plus, I was more interested in the background of the really twisted characters. Surely they must have had "interesting (in a bad way interesting, but still interesting) lives before ending up in Hell and becoming even weirder?
If you don't mind torture scenes, this might be a good horror book for you. If you don't, stay away. I listened to the audiobook of this which the author has made public on Youtube, so you can always give it a go there.
January 12, 2020
This is a spectacular example of how the written word is an art form: it makes you FEEL.
In my case? Extremely uncomfortable. And often. I listened to it in audio-book form and had to pause on several different occassions to just think about what I'd heard, cringe, and then maybe wait a few minutes before hitting the play button again. This could very well be attributed to the fact that I'm a wuss, but nevertheless...
Here, the main character dies and is sent to hell, undertaking a journey which, for any ordinary person, couldn't be described as anything less than horrific and traumatizing. The things he sees and the people he meets are inescapably tortured, but I mean, so it goes in hell, right? So, fair enough. With the concept of hell/the underworld in general being so popular in media, I guess it was just alarming to see just how ballsy the author got in pushing how A got to B. It's one of those narratives that seems so outrageous, that it's truly hard to tell how on earth it could ever come to an understandable conclusion... If everything leading up to the end is so gut-curdingly crazy, what on earth IS the end? What is this character moving towards?
For the sake of avoiding spoilers, suffice to say that as absolutely insane as it was, the ending was so, so worth the weird journey. Everything was tied together and perfectly organized in a neat little box, to be unwrapped in the most off-putting-yet-appropriate way. As much time as I spent squirming in my seat through a lot of it, I'm very sure I'll be reading/listening all over again sometime in the future.
In my case? Extremely uncomfortable. And often. I listened to it in audio-book form and had to pause on several different occassions to just think about what I'd heard, cringe, and then maybe wait a few minutes before hitting the play button again. This could very well be attributed to the fact that I'm a wuss, but nevertheless...
Here, the main character dies and is sent to hell, undertaking a journey which, for any ordinary person, couldn't be described as anything less than horrific and traumatizing. The things he sees and the people he meets are inescapably tortured, but I mean, so it goes in hell, right? So, fair enough. With the concept of hell/the underworld in general being so popular in media, I guess it was just alarming to see just how ballsy the author got in pushing how A got to B. It's one of those narratives that seems so outrageous, that it's truly hard to tell how on earth it could ever come to an understandable conclusion... If everything leading up to the end is so gut-curdingly crazy, what on earth IS the end? What is this character moving towards?
For the sake of avoiding spoilers, suffice to say that as absolutely insane as it was, the ending was so, so worth the weird journey. Everything was tied together and perfectly organized in a neat little box, to be unwrapped in the most off-putting-yet-appropriate way. As much time as I spent squirming in my seat through a lot of it, I'm very sure I'll be reading/listening all over again sometime in the future.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 25, 2022
Jason has found himself in hell. He came home one day to find his wife had murdered his daughter and after murdering his wife for her act of horror, he now finds himself seeing constant horrors including being tormented and shown the act itself but when he is told he can get a chance to go back and live with his daughter and the evil act will not happen he must overcome all that can be thrown at him.
This is a deeply disturbing horror read that is full of violence, darkness and emotions but sees a core of someone who is desperate to save his daughter from ever having to have gone through the savagery that befell her. The writing is superb and the book is a page turner but for me the ending was the amazing part of this story as it was intriguing and thought provoking.
This is an author who I have huge hopes for and look forward to much more from them in the future.
This is a deeply disturbing horror read that is full of violence, darkness and emotions but sees a core of someone who is desperate to save his daughter from ever having to have gone through the savagery that befell her. The writing is superb and the book is a page turner but for me the ending was the amazing part of this story as it was intriguing and thought provoking.
This is an author who I have huge hopes for and look forward to much more from them in the future.
December 18, 2022
After what I perceived to be a gore for the sake of it introduction to a protagonist I didn't warm to, ama settles in effectively, albiet in a very unsettling way, and doesn't let up from there.
We get a disturbing yet very vivid depiction of hell, which we learn more about as the story unfolds. It's a pessimistic and grisly tale, but MacKillican must be applauded for nevertheless managing to get some little touches of both humour and humanity into his dark tale, in what proves to be an imaginative and impressive debut.
We get a disturbing yet very vivid depiction of hell, which we learn more about as the story unfolds. It's a pessimistic and grisly tale, but MacKillican must be applauded for nevertheless managing to get some little touches of both humour and humanity into his dark tale, in what proves to be an imaginative and impressive debut.
January 31, 2018
Dark and gruesome and exquisitely written. Just like you like it. This book is like Neil Gaiman, Clive Barker, and Dante had a baby. And the audiobook received a very entertaining performance from the actor that really turned it up to 11 on the dial when characters (this book takes place in Hell) were in pain and torment, which was often. Anyway, an impressive debut by a very skilled writer. Recommended.
December 29, 2019
Nice story, I wonder why it's not more popular and celebrated!
March 18, 2022
Really good book from a first time author and he put the audiobook up on YouTube free! Very commendable. I believe the e-book is also available for free on his website. One of the best horror novels I've read set in hell, give it a try.
September 25, 2019
Good book, has a couple twist. I got lost a couple of times when there was some references but I got it in the end.
April 27, 2023
I really tried with this and got 70% through but I just couldn't finish it. The premise was pretty sound and it started off well, but then went into pages and pages of the same nonsense. The main character Jason must have been fighting people in the desert for more than half the book! I'm always up for gore in books but there has to be some point to it, this just seemed like the author was out to shock but it quickly became a bore.
January 22, 2018
This was very visual The first two thirds was interesting, very descriptive and entertaining. But then it became more and more of the same kind of stuff and fizzled out towards the end, which wasn't terribly satisfying in the last few chapters. Still, I would read more by this author because they wrote well.
November 6, 2019
I don't like the ending
March 21, 2024
Pendiente de relectura.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews