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rogergeis's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
silenttwg's review
adventurous
dark
funny
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A metal band, once on a path to greatness but taken off their track by their vocalist losing himself to drugs, reunites when said vocalist comes out of rehab. But with the threat of a broken contract hanging over their heads, the question of if the vocalist should even be let back in, and if they want to reunite, they find themselves tossed into the middle of mayhem. With, of course, a little occult thrown in.
I enjoyed the ride on this, deep into the dark moshpit of satanic dealers, shadowy promises, and what goes on behind the studio doors with some of our beloved bands. These were characters you could root for and hate, hope to see succeed and hope to see fail.
It was well written and I think did this journey full justice, showing what some people will do in the ultimate pursuit of fame and glory.
I enjoyed the ride on this, deep into the dark moshpit of satanic dealers, shadowy promises, and what goes on behind the studio doors with some of our beloved bands. These were characters you could root for and hate, hope to see succeed and hope to see fail.
It was well written and I think did this journey full justice, showing what some people will do in the ultimate pursuit of fame and glory.
blatdriver's review
4.0
As Beavis and Butthead would say 'This book kicks Ass'
I've always like my music on the heavy side, not so much the Cookie Monster singing, but I love the speed and intensity of the drums and guitar, but as far as the book go's it doesn't matter what music your into, because this story is about the people and what they are willing to do to succeed, so you don't need to be a metal head to follow the story.
This is the 6th book that I've read from this author and he writing as always is exceptional well done, and easy to read, so much so that you almost feel like a fly on the wall, just watching things play out, unlike the satanic panic movies of the 80's and 90's these characters are well developed with other aspects to there lives making them more relatable.
I have to say that the cover art is outstanding, and reminds me of Utopia Records in Sydney, which is a iconic Metal music store for as long as I can remember, and the style of the internal illustrations remind me of some of my first horror books like Edger Allan Poe.
Fair warning, this book contains a lot of drug-use, and a animal sacrifice.
I'm at a point with this author that he is a automatic add to my to buy list.
I've always like my music on the heavy side, not so much the Cookie Monster singing, but I love the speed and intensity of the drums and guitar, but as far as the book go's it doesn't matter what music your into, because this story is about the people and what they are willing to do to succeed, so you don't need to be a metal head to follow the story.
This is the 6th book that I've read from this author and he writing as always is exceptional well done, and easy to read, so much so that you almost feel like a fly on the wall, just watching things play out, unlike the satanic panic movies of the 80's and 90's these characters are well developed with other aspects to there lives making them more relatable.
I have to say that the cover art is outstanding, and reminds me of Utopia Records in Sydney, which is a iconic Metal music store for as long as I can remember, and the style of the internal illustrations remind me of some of my first horror books like Edger Allan Poe.
Fair warning, this book contains a lot of drug-use, and a animal sacrifice.
I'm at a point with this author that he is a automatic add to my to buy list.
vintagebooksandmusic's review
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Oh man, what a freakin’ ride! I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again - I love horror, and I love music. Combine the two, and chances are I’m gonna dig it. Throw in some metal and a demon? Oh yeah, I’m probably gonna love it.
This is a tragic story full of blood, sacrifice, and drug addiction, but softened (in a good way) by love, heartbreaking loss, and impossible decisions.
Polyphemus was a hit for me. Absolutely loved the references to bands throughout the story, and I HIGHLY recommend you check out the Polyphemus playlist on Spotify if you’re a metal head. I do believe the playlist was curated by Ashford himself. Metal AF!
allia_kennedy's review
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Ashford wrote a brilliant tale about one mans willingness to do anything to make it big in the music industry.
It is an angaging story that includes manipulation, desperation, demon summoning, character growth, and a goat.
It dragged a bit in the middle but was very worth it to pursue
It is an angaging story that includes manipulation, desperation, demon summoning, character growth, and a goat.
It dragged a bit in the middle but was very worth it to pursue
chrissypops's review
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Thank you to Netgalley, darkly press and Zachary Ashford for the Arc of Polyphemus.
We all have dreams don't we? Hitting big, being successful . And sometimes we can succumb to our biggest demons. This is what happened to Stephen Oaks when being the lead singer of Polyphemus massively overdosed on stage and left him at deaths door. After rehab, he sat in a half way house, trying to keep clean and rebuild his friendships with his best mates and band members. He's introduced to. Anton, a guru and a life coach who initiates him into something that's even darker than Meth!
Metal and dark forces? what can go wrong! I really enjoyed this book. I was drawn in my Stephen Oaks story and how he was trying to rebuild the trust within his friendship circle . I also enjoyed the bands separate stories which builds the characters ,made them 3D and built the dynamics between them all. The supernatural element was well done which built into graphic spatterpunk and didn't let go until the end. In some scenes, I could feel my skin crawl, feeling what Oaks was feeling! O also loved the illustrations that came with the ebook, really brought the book to life.
A great first read from Zachary for me and ill be looking to read more in 2024
We all have dreams don't we? Hitting big, being successful . And sometimes we can succumb to our biggest demons. This is what happened to Stephen Oaks when being the lead singer of Polyphemus massively overdosed on stage and left him at deaths door. After rehab, he sat in a half way house, trying to keep clean and rebuild his friendships with his best mates and band members. He's introduced to. Anton, a guru and a life coach who initiates him into something that's even darker than Meth!
Metal and dark forces? what can go wrong! I really enjoyed this book. I was drawn in my Stephen Oaks story and how he was trying to rebuild the trust within his friendship circle . I also enjoyed the bands separate stories which builds the characters ,made them 3D and built the dynamics between them all. The supernatural element was well done which built into graphic spatterpunk and didn't let go until the end. In some scenes, I could feel my skin crawl, feeling what Oaks was feeling! O also loved the illustrations that came with the ebook, really brought the book to life.
A great first read from Zachary for me and ill be looking to read more in 2024
stephanien's review
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Polyphemus is one of those novels that had a lot of things going for it in terms of horror elements: rock music, deals with the devil, drug issues, relationship problems, a cool playlist, and so on. And while I really enjoyed the way the author intertwined the rock elements with the story, I did think it took way too long for the plot to get going. To be honest, it felt a lot more like a novel about musicians who were having difficulties with their careers, family, and life, with them drinking, doing drugs, and jamming rather than a horror novel.
First of all, the main characters were your stereotypical portrayals of musicians and it made me think the author did this deliberately. Except for Spiros, most of them cared little for others and concentrated solely on their music and the contract that was causing them huge problems. I disliked Nathan the most for the way he treated a woman who was looking for help, and while he was trying to make amends towards the end, it was little too late. When I did reflect on the men's attitudes and their behaviours and the way they were written though, it did seem as though the author was satirizing a lot of elements to showcase stereotypes and their annoying exploits made a lot more sense in that light. I love satire, but I'm not sure a lot of people get it when it's used in novels, but the author definitely exaggerates a lot of actions in this story to highlight problematic choices and behaviours.
The author does spend way too much time developing the personal lives of the individual characters which slows down the narrative. I do wish he had invested as much into the female characters however, as they were wither nagging or making stupid decisions. And I couldn't, for the life of me, understand where the relationship between Oaks and India developed from whatever to an actual relationship. The use of the trope of sympathetic woman begging for her love to be saved only to make stupid decisions on his behalf drives me crazy.
The plot itself took a long time to get going because the author spent too long developing the relationships between the characters. The story had a lot of potential, and there were some great nuggets throughout. When the chaos struck though, it struck well, and I really enjoyed those parts of the book. And I'm still not sure what I think of the ending; I liked it, but I think I wanted more.
Verdict
Polyphemus is one of those books you can still enjoy even if you are not a heavy metal enthusiast. I am more of a classic rock girlie, but I still listened to the music list provided (and enjoyed it). I do think the author was trying to satirize the rock world and exaggerate the elements and stereotypes within, but it didn't quite work the way it was intended due to a plot that took too long to get moving and characters that were not relatable. Overall, the overall concept was cool, and although it missed its mark with me, I would recommend it to others, especially to those who like a slower burn and not as much blood-letting.
stitching_ghost's review
5.0
Have you ever wondered what would happen if something akin to a crossroad demon got a fresh out of rehab not too bright and desperate death metalhead instead of a jazz musician? Haven't we all really, well, look no further this is exactly the question Ashford sets out to answer in Polyphemus.
The story is dripping in metal in the most delightful way but it would still be quite a solid read for someone who isn't into the genre at all (no knowledge of metal required to understand the story). The characters come across as pretty realistic, honestly most of them remind me of the type of guy-in-a-band™ that we all know and low-key wish we didn't know.
I'm tempted to call this a coming of age story even though but in the end what it really is is a bleak little story, which seems to be Ashford's specialty, and I love me a bleak one so I loved every minute of this one!
The story is dripping in metal in the most delightful way but it would still be quite a solid read for someone who isn't into the genre at all (no knowledge of metal required to understand the story). The characters come across as pretty realistic, honestly most of them remind me of the type of guy-in-a-band™ that we all know and low-key wish we didn't know.
I'm tempted to call this a coming of age story even though
Spoiler
it's one that comes way lateangethology's review
3.5
"This band was what mattered; what had always mattered, and after everything, they were going to make it mean something to the rest of the world. Finally."
[3.5 stars] Horror and metal are two of my favorite things, and I love the idea of actually bringing the whole 'Satanic Panic' into fruition in novels. Stephen Oaks just got out of rehab and is determined to bring his metal band Polyphemus back together and catapult themselves into fame and riches. But because of all the bad press he's accumulated due to his addiction, everyone else in the band is a little skeptical, especially with other aspects of their personal lives at stake. When Oaks meets Anton, a supposed life coach who can turn his life upside down, he transforms into an entirely different person — he seems to be a few steps closer to his dreams, but what would it take for him to get there?
I love the music references and the way the jam sessions, concerts, technical aspects are described in the book. It's very well-written in that regard and it's clear that the author has a great passion and has done his research in this department. They would often intertwine with this sort of surreal reality that ties in with the supernatural aspect that Oaks is exposed to. And while the characters seem like the typical rock stars dabbling in drugs and misogynistic attitudes at times, the author does satirize these elements and I didn't find their insufferable personalities to hinder my enjoyment of the novel. The main thing that I'm critical about is probably how much of the book is spent of investing time in the characters' personal lives, individually. It felt a bit slow-paced (which is not a huge issue at times) and stagnant, but then the action would come in full-force.
The cultish elements along with the gore and the entity are quite eerie, vile but hypnotic; also strangely sexual in a way that's not too outlandish or seemingly done out of shock value. I did manage to get a little more invested in Spiros' character and how his relationship with his family works out, that part feels a little more fleshed out. But India's character and most of the female characters that are mentioned feel even flatter than the rest, and it was hard for me to accept Oaks' immediate sincere attachment to India (and vice versa).
Besides those issues I still thoroughly enjoyed them, this is very much a horror novel for metal enthusiasts who love to see this sort of chaos being manifested in an over-the-top, sensationalized way with blood and guts on the top.
Thank you NetGalley and DarkLitPress for the review copy in exchange for an honest review.
[3.5 stars] Horror and metal are two of my favorite things, and I love the idea of actually bringing the whole 'Satanic Panic' into fruition in novels. Stephen Oaks just got out of rehab and is determined to bring his metal band Polyphemus back together and catapult themselves into fame and riches. But because of all the bad press he's accumulated due to his addiction, everyone else in the band is a little skeptical, especially with other aspects of their personal lives at stake. When Oaks meets Anton, a supposed life coach who can turn his life upside down, he transforms into an entirely different person — he seems to be a few steps closer to his dreams, but what would it take for him to get there?
I love the music references and the way the jam sessions, concerts, technical aspects are described in the book. It's very well-written in that regard and it's clear that the author has a great passion and has done his research in this department. They would often intertwine with this sort of surreal reality that ties in with the supernatural aspect that Oaks is exposed to. And while the characters seem like the typical rock stars dabbling in drugs and misogynistic attitudes at times, the author does satirize these elements and I didn't find their insufferable personalities to hinder my enjoyment of the novel. The main thing that I'm critical about is probably how much of the book is spent of investing time in the characters' personal lives, individually. It felt a bit slow-paced (which is not a huge issue at times) and stagnant, but then the action would come in full-force.
The cultish elements along with the gore and the entity are quite eerie, vile but hypnotic; also strangely sexual in a way that's not too outlandish or seemingly done out of shock value. I did manage to get a little more invested in Spiros' character and how his relationship with his family works out, that part feels a little more fleshed out. But India's character and most of the female characters that are mentioned feel even flatter than the rest, and it was hard for me to accept Oaks' immediate sincere attachment to India (and vice versa).
Besides those issues I still thoroughly enjoyed them, this is very much a horror novel for metal enthusiasts who love to see this sort of chaos being manifested in an over-the-top, sensationalized way with blood and guts on the top.
Thank you NetGalley and DarkLitPress for the review copy in exchange for an honest review.