The Final Gate

By: Wesley Southard, Lucas Mangum

Narrated by: Sean Duregger

Length: 4 hrs and 47 mins

Publisher's summary

Something is terrifying the residents of St. Luke’s Orphanage. Gurgling moans echo through the hallways. Hulking shapes lurk in the surrounding woods. And those who wake in the morning will find one less child under their roof....

Brandon and his girlfriend, Jillian, believe his younger brother is in serious danger. Even though the caretakers at St. Luke’s told them that he’s been adopted, Brandon has his doubts. With the help of a friend and a mysterious guide, they will do whatever it takes to find out just what is happening inside the orphanage walls...and at the bottom of the basement steps....

From Splatterpunk Award-winning author Wesley Southard and Splatterpunk Award-nominated author Lucas Mangum comes The Final Gate, the ultimate tribute to Italian horror master Lucio Fulci. With blood, guts, and all the nightmarish madness you’d expect from the Godfather of Gore himself, Southard and Mangum present a loving homage to spaghetti splatter and the glory of 1980s Euro horror.

©2021 Wesley Southard & Lucas Mangum (P)2023 Mark Alan Miller

A Must Read for Fans of Lucio Fulci

Wesley Southard and Lucas Mangum set out to write a book to make all fans of the Lucio Fulci films stand up and cheer and they accomplished that goal with THE FINAL GATE. The narration by Sean Duregger is top notch as he goes eyeballs deep into giving a full commitment these characters that Southard and Mangum created deserve. A very good, entertaining audiobook.

Hold on to your eyeballs!

***Adding new review because I just listened to the new audiobook narrated by Sean Duregger and it made this rule so much harder! Seriously did not know it was possible to enjoy this book anymore, but then I did a listen of the audiobook. HIGHLY recommended! Duregger makes this an entirely new experience!

Hold on to your eyeballs! Wesley Southard and Lucas Mangum have put together a gruesome love letter and tribute to Lucio Fulci and the Gates of Hell movies with THE FINAL GATE. Encompassing so many elements of Italian horror and putting their passion for the films at the forefront, these authors tell a fun, gory, creepy story from beginning to end. Fun fact: you do not have to see these prior films or be at all familiar with Italian horror to enjoy this book. The characters are wonderful - some old, some new - and no one is safe! I had fun guessing who might die and who would make it to the end. I was wrong so many times. The setting is eerie: an orphanage with mostly a-hole kids and distance, odd adults tending to them. The kill scenes are BRUTAL and 100% in the spirit of Fulci. Brain matter, oozing blood, gouged eyes, entrails and insides on the outside, the works! You can hear the ominous winds, feel the raging fires, and smell all the bodily fluids as you make your way through this one. Is there a happy ending? Is there ever? One way to find out! Check out THE FINAL GATE and, I'll say it again: Hold. On. To. Your. Eyeballs.

Chilling thriller!💜

Fantastic story & pretty gruesome just the way it should be. Typical evil versus good. Throw in a few cannibalistic children, a creepy care giver and the stranger who seems to have all the answers and you have a horror story.
What makes this story better even than average is the brilliant performance of Sean Durreger. His voice range of emotions, accents & characters are absolutely perfect for this genre. He gives me chills. Well done.
This is a standalone.
I recommend this book!

Sisters Spotlight 💜

Not Just an Orphanage

This was a decent short horror story about Brandon who believes his younger brother Brice in orphanage is in danger as other orphans are supposable adopted during the night. Brandon is missing Jillian (his girlfriend) and her dog goes in search for him. Great narration

Fulci Lives!

Mangum and Southard did a great job in capturing the spirit and atmosphere of old Italian horror. Fans of the genre will definitely appreciate this story. Duregger is among my favorite narrators on Audible, and he nails this one.

Love Giallo? Fulci? Pulp horror in General? Read this.

Excellent Italian horror movie as a novel! That was the goal; that’s what we got! I love old school horror, love b-movie horror, love giallo, and this book was perfect. A movie in my head! Gross-outs, thrills, and fantastic horrors! Come for the pulp, stay for the great writing!

A “Meh” Of A Story

Although all the horror parts where there, the slow burn didn’t lead to much at the end.