An article about local artist Gabrielle Faust could be about anything from her amazing original artwork, her upcoming record, her status as the Queen of Cyber Goth or a plug of her renowned vampire novels. In this case, all of those things have been set aside. Her most recent book, "Regret," deserves special attention. Still, keep her multifaceted background in mind: it shines through in the book.

On the surface, "Regret" is a powerful novel about hell and its soul-collecting minions. As soon as the reader scratches the surface, the tumultuous nature of the book comes jumping out as if the gates of hell had been cracked open. What Faust managed to create with "Regret" is a short book that contains most of what ails human spirituality.

Marcus, the main character, goes through a hellish trip and takes the reader by the hand to the gloomy terrain between hell and earth. Marcus and the reader are introduced to Desiderium, the Demon of Regret, who turns out to be much more crafty than what we're lead to believe; Sonnellion, the Demon of Hatred; Cresil, the Demon of Slovenliness; Vetis, the Tempter of the Holy and finally Belial, the Prince of Wickedness. Throughout the dark trip, the reader is both engrossed by the demons that Marcus meets and forced to battle with his own inner devils. You might start rethinking your own demonic activities.

Faust writes with a simplicity that betrays the fact that she's a seasoned artist and accomplished author. "Regret" is built with a graceful, precise and evocative prose that's hard to find in the horror genre. Also, Faust's artistic inclinations enter the book every time she uses words to vividly paint a landscape. Max Ernst, Edvard Munch and H.R. Geiger are all mentioned in the book and Faust's writing is at times reminiscent of each artist's work.

The fact that "Regret" is considered a horror book should not deter anyone from acquiring a copy. While the demons are certainly creepy and Faust's descriptions of a soul-eating worm are a treat for horror lovers, the human elements in the book, namely the way we deal with regret, desperation and each other, make "Regret" a great read for anyone.

"Regret" is so good it serves as an invitation to explore all of Faust's work. In fact, each chapter is preceded by an original illustration by Faust. Those are truly a treat and add value to the book. Check out Faust's website here or follow her on Facebook here. It seems like this Austin author, musician and artist can do it all.