The Shepherd

By A J Busa

A trauma-bonded circle of friends. A cursed relic. A descent into a nightmarish dimension.

The Shepherd is a visceral supernatural thriller that explores the darkness between ancient folklore and modern digital consumption. Fans of Stephen King's IT, The Ring, and the high-tech dread of Black Mirror will find their next obsession here.

Seven years ago, Sarah L ng's mother vanished into the shadows of rural China. Now, Sarah is traveling in her footprints to find the truth.

What she finds is a relic: an ancient brass lamp that seems harmless enough-until she and her trauma-bonded friend group, the "Still Alive Five," bring it home to New York and unleash the ancient evil lurking inside.

As the demon's curse spreads through a viral video, The Shepherd begins to feed. One by one, the entity herds the souls of its victims into "The Pasture"-a twisted dimension of rot and endless horror.

Forced to watch the souls of her friends being slowly consumed, she discovers a shocking truth about herself-a clue that may be the only key to stopping The Shepherd before its flock is complete.

Armed with this new revelation, Sarah must unravel her past and find a way to cross the veil and confront the demon head-on.

But The Shepherd has been waiting a lifetime for its lost lamb to return, and this time, it doesn't intend to let Sarah go.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0GKF2ZSNZ
• ISBN13: 9798993499000
• Release Date: January 2026
• Publisher: Phylum Publishing, LLC
• Length: 376 Pages
• Weight: 0.96 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.5" x 8.5"