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2.63 AVERAGE
2.63 AVERAGE
Title: The Ninth Circle: A Horror Novel
Author: Luke Walker
Publisher: Wicked House Publishing
Paperback/Hardback/eBook: eBook (Kindle)
Fiction/Non-Fiction: Fiction
Genre: Horror
Rating: ⭐⭐
Trigger Warnings:
Sexual Violence/Rape
Nuclear Weapons
Pandemic Talk
Thank you so much to Wicked House Publishing for providing me with this ARC via NetGalley in return for my honest review.
I was drawn to this book initially by the description, and let's be honest - the cover is pretty rad as well. I love a good apocalypse/rapture/end times story. I was also pleasantly surprised to find the epigraph of the novel is a passage from Dante's Inferno, which furthered my assumption that the book was going to be some sort of Hellscape filled with demons and fire.
The concept of the book is actually really cool. The first chapter was written very well and really grabbed my attention, but as I got further into the book I just felt like I was reading a first draft. There was little to no character development (that includes the demons) which left me feeling like there was no protagonist of the story. Most interactions between characters are spent asking each other what they did before the apocalypse, or yelling at each other and apologizing immediately. The writing was extremely redundant, causing the storyline to feel stagnant. As much as I love gore, I felt like the author put way too much into the book without properly building up to the events.
I really wanted to like this book, but it was extremely hard for me to read.
Author: Luke Walker
Publisher: Wicked House Publishing
Paperback/Hardback/eBook: eBook (Kindle)
Fiction/Non-Fiction: Fiction
Genre: Horror
Rating: ⭐⭐
Trigger Warnings:
Sexual Violence/Rape
Nuclear Weapons
Pandemic Talk
Thank you so much to Wicked House Publishing for providing me with this ARC via NetGalley in return for my honest review.
I was drawn to this book initially by the description, and let's be honest - the cover is pretty rad as well. I love a good apocalypse/rapture/end times story. I was also pleasantly surprised to find the epigraph of the novel is a passage from Dante's Inferno, which furthered my assumption that the book was going to be some sort of Hellscape filled with demons and fire.
The concept of the book is actually really cool. The first chapter was written very well and really grabbed my attention, but as I got further into the book I just felt like I was reading a first draft. There was little to no character development (that includes the demons) which left me feeling like there was no protagonist of the story. Most interactions between characters are spent asking each other what they did before the apocalypse, or yelling at each other and apologizing immediately. The writing was extremely redundant, causing the storyline to feel stagnant. As much as I love gore, I felt like the author put way too much into the book without properly building up to the events.
I really wanted to like this book, but it was extremely hard for me to read.
I’ll be honest, I wasn’t really sure how a nuclear attack would tie in any supernatural themes. Even after finishing the book, I still can’t answer that. I mean the horror aspect was spot on- there was a lot of bloody scenes, and the sheer descriptiveness throughout the entire book gave me reader’s anxiety till then end. But I can’t even start to explain the “others”. It may be part of the appeal of the story, similar to Bird Box where we never get a complete understanding of the monsters. But honestly it frustrates me more than anything else. It’s clear from early on that the detonating of the bomb is the catalyst of their rising up, but I’m truly lost on everything else. The ending was especially frustrating for me, as I felt even more lost at how everything came to a finish.
I really appreciated the raw emotions that were consistently portrayed. It not only differentiated everyone’s own personality, but it felt truly authentic and gave a glimpse into how people act when they are pushed in times of insanity. Many choices made sense, and some didn’t. It only begs the question of how truly can you be prepared for disaster? Something that I was not expecting to find much less appreciate was the bond between Sam and Rachel. It was a welcome surprise, and I think it was such a positive spot in such a heavy plot. I think I highlighted way more of their interactions/conversations more than is appropriate.
I felt like the writing was particularly disjointed, especially between Sam’s dialogue, visions and then reality. It makes me wonder if this was done on purpose, to help the reader fully submerge in the environment and feel as lost as the characters were. I will admit that I had to go back quite a few times to the previous paragraph or even the last chapter just so I could understand what I was reading in the moment. I can see the vision, but it just made me even more confused.
All in all, I wasn’t thoroughly impressed with the story. The idea was definitely a unique twist on apocalyptic horror. The execution of the storyline unfortunately had just one too many flaws that prevented me from fully appreciating it.
I really appreciated the raw emotions that were consistently portrayed. It not only differentiated everyone’s own personality, but it felt truly authentic and gave a glimpse into how people act when they are pushed in times of insanity. Many choices made sense, and some didn’t. It only begs the question of how truly can you be prepared for disaster? Something that I was not expecting to find much less appreciate was the bond between Sam and Rachel. It was a welcome surprise, and I think it was such a positive spot in such a heavy plot. I think I highlighted way more of their interactions/conversations more than is appropriate.
I felt like the writing was particularly disjointed, especially between Sam’s dialogue, visions and then reality. It makes me wonder if this was done on purpose, to help the reader fully submerge in the environment and feel as lost as the characters were. I will admit that I had to go back quite a few times to the previous paragraph or even the last chapter just so I could understand what I was reading in the moment. I can see the vision, but it just made me even more confused.
All in all, I wasn’t thoroughly impressed with the story. The idea was definitely a unique twist on apocalyptic horror. The execution of the storyline unfortunately had just one too many flaws that prevented me from fully appreciating it.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Thank you Netgalley, Wicked House Publishing and Luke Walker for the eArc of The Ninth Circle.
Even though Im not really into apocalyptic horror ( Its usually something Id watch rather than read ) I thought Id give this a go. The narrative itself is a medium to fast paced with a strong start. The first few chapters really has me turning the pages as the fallout starts right from the first few pages, a nuclear fall out actually raised the hairs on my arms which gets you thinking of what if? I enjoyed the aspect of the supernatural elements which seemed to mix well in the beginning. Unfortunately for me, the 2 didn't seen to mash very well which was a shame. I would have loved to of found out more about our characters and our supernatural entities so found the ending a little rushed.
I really do hope we see more of Luke Walker's writing in the future.
3 stars
Even though Im not really into apocalyptic horror ( Its usually something Id watch rather than read ) I thought Id give this a go. The narrative itself is a medium to fast paced with a strong start. The first few chapters really has me turning the pages as the fallout starts right from the first few pages, a nuclear fall out actually raised the hairs on my arms which gets you thinking of what if? I enjoyed the aspect of the supernatural elements which seemed to mix well in the beginning. Unfortunately for me, the 2 didn't seen to mash very well which was a shame. I would have loved to of found out more about our characters and our supernatural entities so found the ending a little rushed.
I really do hope we see more of Luke Walker's writing in the future.
3 stars
The Ninth Circle is a fresh take on a post-apocalyptic tale, twining the fiery horrors of Hell with the utterly broken world after nuclear war.
With a host of relatable characters, you quickly find that radiation sickness is the least of their concerns once the dust has settled.
With a host of relatable characters, you quickly find that radiation sickness is the least of their concerns once the dust has settled.