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runjohnnyrun845's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
deadred's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
alittlemixofvix's review against another edition
4.0
Creepy! Also a warning, if you don't like gore with very vivid images, then this isn't for you. I, however, thought it was great.
Considering it's quite short, there's a lot of character development which is good. However the star of the book is the Smolder and the scene setting with it is fantastic. Woods have never bothered me, but now they will...
I wish it was a bit longer as I want to know more about Eric's backstory - why was he wanted specifically? Also I'd have liked a bit more clarity at the end.
Overall, an atmospheric horror that I had to read in one sitting. Creepy, twisted, dark, and great!
Considering it's quite short, there's a lot of character development which is good. However the star of the book is the Smolder and the scene setting with it is fantastic. Woods have never bothered me, but now they will...
I wish it was a bit longer as I want to know more about Eric's backstory - why was he wanted specifically? Also I'd have liked a bit more clarity at the end.
Overall, an atmospheric horror that I had to read in one sitting. Creepy, twisted, dark, and great!
adamyeti's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
First of all, do not be fooled by anyone who tells you that this is a "creature feature"... It is way more than that. The "creature" in this story is more god than creature. It felt much more like a cosmic horror story than I expected, which was very fun.
Early on, I was a bit lukewarm with this book, mostly due to the writing style. It was very straight-forward and matter-of-fact. While I don't enjoy purple prose, this felt almost too far in the other direction. One scene in particular had some very heavy contentdomestic violence that was presented in a way that added no weight to it. In short, I felt like the writing just wasn't doing the story justice at times.
That said, the story was something that I very much enjoyed. What seems like a simple premise at first goes well beyond anything that you could imagine. There was also a brief glimpse of a trope that I really enjoyordinary person is disfigured into an unstoppable villain .
This is where I began to change my mind about the writing. The unfortunately common experience with horror is that everything is great, but the ending lets you down. This was absolutely not the case here. As I said, I was a bit lukewarm on it until about 3/4 in. Then suddenly, every chapter was better than the last, until the book culminated in such a beautifully written, poetic sequence that I began to question if the earlier straight-forward writing style was actually intentional. I still am unsure about that theory, but by the end of the book, it felt like the author had transformed into someone else.Maybe that was the point...
If you like creature features, cosmic horror, quiet rural settings, and a small cast of characters that you know intimately, this is for you! It was quite a journey considering the short length that it is. I am very intrigued about the rest of Michael R. Goodwin's catalog now and will certainly be visiting some of his other works soon.
Early on, I was a bit lukewarm with this book, mostly due to the writing style. It was very straight-forward and matter-of-fact. While I don't enjoy purple prose, this felt almost too far in the other direction. One scene in particular had some very heavy content
That said, the story was something that I very much enjoyed. What seems like a simple premise at first goes well beyond anything that you could imagine. There was also a brief glimpse of a trope that I really enjoy
This is where I began to change my mind about the writing. The unfortunately common experience with horror is that everything is great, but the ending lets you down. This was absolutely not the case here. As I said, I was a bit lukewarm on it until about 3/4 in. Then suddenly, every chapter was better than the last, until the book culminated in such a beautifully written, poetic sequence that I began to question if the earlier straight-forward writing style was actually intentional. I still am unsure about that theory, but by the end of the book, it felt like the author had transformed into someone else.
If you like creature features, cosmic horror, quiet rural settings, and a small cast of characters that you know intimately, this is for you! It was quite a journey considering the short length that it is. I am very intrigued about the rest of Michael R. Goodwin's catalog now and will certainly be visiting some of his other works soon.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Domestic abuse, and Gore
Moderate: Alcoholism
jazthegreat's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Smolder is a punchy novella dealing with some intense themes. <Spoiler> Domestic abuse, child abuse, possible child sexual abuse, cheating spouses, impending homelessness, and alcoholism are all featured and for the most part fairly well handled. Goodwin does fall short a little with his portrayal of domestic abuse in some ways, seemingly implying that the female victim is somehow to blame for the abuse she is suffering. </Spoiler>
For me the horror peaked a little early. There is a scene with a doe about a quarter of the way into the book which left me deeply regretting my choice to read during my lunch break, and nothing after that left me as unsettled.
For me the horror peaked a little early. There is a scene with a doe about a quarter of the way into the book which left me deeply regretting my choice to read during my lunch break, and nothing after that left me as unsettled.
matts_booksanddrams's review against another edition
5.0
A fast moving horror novella about a man who is recently divorced and about to lose his home when he decides to take a walk out into the woods in Maine. And he finds out he is not alone. Creepy, dark, and well-written, I read this in one afternoon. Definitely recommend!
amymack's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
jdkauthor's review against another edition
4.0
Originally posted over at my personal blog site, Night Terror Novels
“The smolder finished spreading over the man, and when the Nothing was done with him, the dry earth took the rest.”
– Michael R. Goodwin, SMOLDER
☠️I received an e-ARC of this story in exchange for a fair review!☠️
I’ve followed author Michael R. Goodwin on Instagram for a little while now, and when I saw that he was seeking ARC readers for this, his latest novella, I was eager to see whether I could get involved. I’m glad that I did so, as this was a very enjoyable, and oftentimes seriously spooky, little read.
SMOLDER (2021) follows Eric, who is forced into a tough situation after his wife of over a decade, Monica, has an affair with a co-worker named Trent. The expensive break-up puts the man on the brink of financial ruin, and during one of his last evenings on their property, he drinks a tad too much, and foolishly ventures out into the nearby woods. What then follows is a hellish night in the oppressive forest, as Eric comes face to face with a mysterious, malignant presence known only as the Nothing.
Without spoiling anything regarding the plot, I really appreciated how the Nothing had a subtext and meaning to it. Although it worked on the basest level of being an unsettling being with a creepy design, it is elevated by its deeper significance to the themes and ideas behind the story.
I’ve probably mentioned this before, but one common theme I’ve noticed in the indie horror scene is the books often have quite small scale settings and cast of characters. SMOLDER definitely fits this bill to a T; there are three characters altogether, and the majority of the action unfolds in one place, the woods on Eric’s property. I really enjoy the intimate, and often quite claustrophobic, aspect to this trend, and it certainly works in the favor of this story.
Because of this contained location and characters, it was quite important for the central trio to be interesting and engaging, and I’d say that Goodwin achieves that. Eric is a likable enough protagonist, but is also not without his flaws, which made him feel real and relatable. Monica and Trent were both very easy to dislike, especially Trent, who is the epitome of a pseudo-macho, posturing moron. But even with these two generally being contemptible sorts, the author still manages to inject some humanity into their characters, and offers believable reasons as to why they act the way they do.
I don’t know who else does this, but I always, always read the author’s fore/afterwords. I think they can often offer a neat insight into the author’s inspirations or thinking when coming up with the content. In his, Goodwin describes how this story was inspired by a nightmare, and I definitely felt that there was a certain nightmarish quality to the narrative. The sequences in which we saw firsthand the gruesome effects of the so-called ‘smolder’ created by the Nothing were very inventive, and the writing effectively conveyed the horror of the process.
This was my first time reading Michael’s stories, but his previous book The Liberty Key (2020), had been on my radar for a while. I really enjoyed SMOLDER, so will be checking that out sometime soon as well, and anticipating whatever the author comes up with next. I’d definitely recommend checking this one out when release day comes around.
VERDICT: This is a creative little story with a neat and novel entity at the center of its narrative. The small scale cast and setting might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I think it worked superbly well in the context of the story. SMOLDER is an engaging read with creepy moments aplenty.
It’s a ⭐⭐⭐⭐/⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ from this reviewer, and a humongous thank you to Michael R. Goodwin for providing the ARC and giving me the chance to read and review it early.
Book Information
Title(s): SMOLDER
Author(s): Michael R. Goodwin
Publisher(s): Self-published
Original Publication Date: 13th April, 2021
Page Count: 91 pages
Format Read: Digital
Advance Review Copy (Y/N): Y
Website(s): https://www.michaelrgoodwin.com/
“The smolder finished spreading over the man, and when the Nothing was done with him, the dry earth took the rest.”
– Michael R. Goodwin, SMOLDER
☠️I received an e-ARC of this story in exchange for a fair review!☠️
I’ve followed author Michael R. Goodwin on Instagram for a little while now, and when I saw that he was seeking ARC readers for this, his latest novella, I was eager to see whether I could get involved. I’m glad that I did so, as this was a very enjoyable, and oftentimes seriously spooky, little read.
SMOLDER (2021) follows Eric, who is forced into a tough situation after his wife of over a decade, Monica, has an affair with a co-worker named Trent. The expensive break-up puts the man on the brink of financial ruin, and during one of his last evenings on their property, he drinks a tad too much, and foolishly ventures out into the nearby woods. What then follows is a hellish night in the oppressive forest, as Eric comes face to face with a mysterious, malignant presence known only as the Nothing.
Without spoiling anything regarding the plot, I really appreciated how the Nothing had a subtext and meaning to it. Although it worked on the basest level of being an unsettling being with a creepy design, it is elevated by its deeper significance to the themes and ideas behind the story.
I’ve probably mentioned this before, but one common theme I’ve noticed in the indie horror scene is the books often have quite small scale settings and cast of characters. SMOLDER definitely fits this bill to a T; there are three characters altogether, and the majority of the action unfolds in one place, the woods on Eric’s property. I really enjoy the intimate, and often quite claustrophobic, aspect to this trend, and it certainly works in the favor of this story.
Because of this contained location and characters, it was quite important for the central trio to be interesting and engaging, and I’d say that Goodwin achieves that. Eric is a likable enough protagonist, but is also not without his flaws, which made him feel real and relatable. Monica and Trent were both very easy to dislike, especially Trent, who is the epitome of a pseudo-macho, posturing moron. But even with these two generally being contemptible sorts, the author still manages to inject some humanity into their characters, and offers believable reasons as to why they act the way they do.
I don’t know who else does this, but I always, always read the author’s fore/afterwords. I think they can often offer a neat insight into the author’s inspirations or thinking when coming up with the content. In his, Goodwin describes how this story was inspired by a nightmare, and I definitely felt that there was a certain nightmarish quality to the narrative. The sequences in which we saw firsthand the gruesome effects of the so-called ‘smolder’ created by the Nothing were very inventive, and the writing effectively conveyed the horror of the process.
This was my first time reading Michael’s stories, but his previous book The Liberty Key (2020), had been on my radar for a while. I really enjoyed SMOLDER, so will be checking that out sometime soon as well, and anticipating whatever the author comes up with next. I’d definitely recommend checking this one out when release day comes around.
VERDICT: This is a creative little story with a neat and novel entity at the center of its narrative. The small scale cast and setting might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I think it worked superbly well in the context of the story. SMOLDER is an engaging read with creepy moments aplenty.
It’s a ⭐⭐⭐⭐/⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ from this reviewer, and a humongous thank you to Michael R. Goodwin for providing the ARC and giving me the chance to read and review it early.
Book Information
Title(s): SMOLDER
Author(s): Michael R. Goodwin
Publisher(s): Self-published
Original Publication Date: 13th April, 2021
Page Count: 91 pages
Format Read: Digital
Advance Review Copy (Y/N): Y
Website(s): https://www.michaelrgoodwin.com/