Two years ago, author Martin Stewart was given the green light from Penguin to publish his first novel, Riverkeep, and now we see Stewart back with another title, The Sacrifice Box.

“They spoke the words – the rules of the sacrifice. ‘Never come to the box alone,’ they said, hands unmoving. ‘Never open it after dark,’ they said, fingers joined together. ‘Never take back your sacrifice,’ they finished – then let go.”

The story is exactly what the title tells us on the front cover. An ancient stone box found in a forest discovered by the main characters of Sep, Arkle, Mack, Lamb and Hadley. Five teenagers who make friends one summer sacrifice an item each that is very special to them and all make a promise to never touch the box once sacrificing their possession. But in any adventure story there is a major twist. In this book’s case, someone breaks the pact four years later creating strange and terrifying events. Who broke the promise?

This second book from Stewart will make his new readers want more from his talented storytelling; as a new reader of his work it leaves this writer wanting to also check out his previous book, Riverkeep.

The story is set in the 1980s, and with the book focusing on a group of teenagers it kind of comes similar and reminds you of other popular storylines set in the same decade. From Netflix’s very well talked about Stranger Things, Stephen King’s IT and the 1999 high school drama from Judd Apatow and Paul Feig, Freaks and Geeks.

The Sacrifice Box is a supernatural horror novel even though it takes a while for the story to build up, but Stewart shows in his writing the commitment he has in the friendship group of Sep, Arkle, Mack, Lamb and Hadley. Again, it reminds you of the gang from Stranger Things and IT; of a young group working together to solve their problems.

There are, of course, many ‘80s references for readers who grew up around that time. We have a mix of the disastrous Chernobyl, Halley’s comet, and David Bowie mixtapes. A setting and era Stewart clearly remembers and commits to with adding all those little details and references. Throughout most of the book, we see a large percent of Sep’s perspective as out of the group of five we see more of the adventure through his eyes.

If you enjoyed Riverkeep and enjoy the mix of supernatural horror, an ‘80s setting, and a bit of edge-of-seat action then this is a book to add to your reading pile. After reading the praised reviews for Riverkeep, Stewart has used his imagination to come up with another gripping story.

THE SACRIFICE BOX / AUTHOR: MARTIN STEWART / PUBLISHER: PENGUIN BOOKS / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW