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09alissa's review against another edition
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
hannahj428's review against another edition
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
pbanditp's review against another edition
4.0
Eric had one last night to spend at his house before he has to surrender it to the bank. After his wife Monica, left him for a Neanderthal with a Napoleon complex, Eric couldn’t make the payments. His house was on 140 acres of woodland and Eric wanted to roam his property. He probably shouldn’t have finished all that whiskey, or gone into the woods so close to dark.
For you are never truly alone in the woods and in this cosmic horror novella, death creeps after you, consuming the living and leaving a blackened husk.
“The animals knew something that the man did not. Something was going to happen in the woods tonight and they sis not want to be in the vicinity when it did.”
I read this in one night. Out in the woods, lost, disgraced and soon to be homeless. That is true fear for me. Now throw in a sentient burning force and something ancient that is hungry.
I wish Eric had more backstory but the story creates feelings. Disgust, anger, and irritation, because Monica and Trent are irritating. Mostly what you feel is darkness.
For you are never truly alone in the woods and in this cosmic horror novella, death creeps after you, consuming the living and leaving a blackened husk.
“The animals knew something that the man did not. Something was going to happen in the woods tonight and they sis not want to be in the vicinity when it did.”
I read this in one night. Out in the woods, lost, disgraced and soon to be homeless. That is true fear for me. Now throw in a sentient burning force and something ancient that is hungry.
I wish Eric had more backstory but the story creates feelings. Disgust, anger, and irritation, because Monica and Trent are irritating. Mostly what you feel is darkness.
magpie_666's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
davemusson85's review against another edition
4.0
After being blown away by his collection How Good It Feels To Burn, I couldn’t resist grabbing some more Michael Goodwin from my TBR, and once again I had a lovely time. This novella is another showcase of Goodwin’s ability to craft an original hook, then ramp up the nastiness while you watch in horror and try to escape the cursed woods that the author manages to lure you into. This one is gory, affecting, and creepy-weird. Well worth a look.
thathorrorbish's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-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
4.0
maddys_needful_reads's review against another edition
4.0
Brief summary: Eric is divorced, drunk, angry, and about to lose his house. He decides to talk a late night walk in the woods, and discovers that there is a darkness there. (A really cool darkness that I don't want to spoil, but seriously it's awesome).
So I actually started this a couple weeks ago and stepped away - there's a scene with a deer near the beginning that is a bit too disturbing for me, so I figured it just isn't for me. That's fine, we all like different things, no big deal. But the thing is, I could *not* get the story out of my head. I decided it was worth it to push through that part and try again, and I'm so glad I did. I really enjoyed this story.
Smolder reminds me a bit of Stephen King both in theme and style.
*Thematically, there is a juxtaposition of human and supernatural horror. I'm always vague when discussing novellas so I don't spoil anything, but I thought a lot about Jack Torrance while reading this. I love the question of whether The Overlook turned Jack into something evil, or if it just brought out what was already inside of him, and we have a similar thing going on in parts of Smolder.
*Stylistically, Goodwin fluidly switches up his writing style based on what's going on in the story and the different character POVs. I get the feeling that he has that special talent where he can imagine himself as the reader of his own story and write accordingly, which not all writers have.
I didn't vibe with a few things in the story, and, funny enough, they're the same things I usually don't vibe with in Stephen King stories. I don't like animal death, especially when it's that detailed (but hey, the refrigerator scene didn't ruin the book "It" for me, so there you go). I also don't love how it was implies that the female MC deserved her abuse. Last, a few vital scenes are a bit confusing, but that could be a problem with me. All of these are matters of personal taste.
I'm happy I pushed through the part that made me uncomfortable, because Smolder is a read that will certainly stick with me.
Content warnings ***MAY INCLUDE SPOILERS***:
Graphic gore involving animals, spousal abuse, child abuse (with hints at sexual abuse, though very brief and vague), patricide, alcoholism
So I actually started this a couple weeks ago and stepped away - there's a scene with a deer near the beginning that is a bit too disturbing for me, so I figured it just isn't for me. That's fine, we all like different things, no big deal. But the thing is, I could *not* get the story out of my head. I decided it was worth it to push through that part and try again, and I'm so glad I did. I really enjoyed this story.
Smolder reminds me a bit of Stephen King both in theme and style.
*Thematically, there is a juxtaposition of human and supernatural horror. I'm always vague when discussing novellas so I don't spoil anything, but I thought a lot about Jack Torrance while reading this. I love the question of whether The Overlook turned Jack into something evil, or if it just brought out what was already inside of him, and we have a similar thing going on in parts of Smolder.
*Stylistically, Goodwin fluidly switches up his writing style based on what's going on in the story and the different character POVs. I get the feeling that he has that special talent where he can imagine himself as the reader of his own story and write accordingly, which not all writers have.
I didn't vibe with a few things in the story, and, funny enough, they're the same things I usually don't vibe with in Stephen King stories. I don't like animal death, especially when it's that detailed (but hey, the refrigerator scene didn't ruin the book "It" for me, so there you go). I also don't love how it was implies that the female MC deserved her abuse. Last, a few vital scenes are a bit confusing, but that could be a problem with me. All of these are matters of personal taste.
I'm happy I pushed through the part that made me uncomfortable, because Smolder is a read that will certainly stick with me.
Content warnings ***MAY INCLUDE SPOILERS***:
Graphic gore involving animals, spousal abuse, child abuse (with hints at sexual abuse, though very brief and vague), patricide, alcoholism
melissa_boyer's review against another edition
5.0
I'm so glad I found this gem. There is a lot of story and description in these 91 pages. The author made me not want to go back in the woods. There's not much to the synopsis but I didn't need it. I wanted to find out what was going on as the story unfolded. I was hooked from the start. There were moments I was on the edge of my seat. There is no escape.
The author's descriptions of the scenes and the deaths are so detailed. He pulls you in.
The author's descriptions of the scenes and the deaths are so detailed. He pulls you in.
monakabbani's review against another edition
5.0
“The smolder finished spreading over the man, and when the Nothing was done with him, the dry earth took the rest.”
Eric’s life is not going well. His wife left him for a douchebag, he’s falling behind on mortgage payments for a house that was meant for two, and the booze just aren’t working the way he needs them to. When the stress gets to be too much, Eric takes a walk through the woods. It’s night time and the cool air might ease his worries. Only, there’s more than just cool air in the breeze. There’s something else. An ash. A burn. A smolder. Will Eric make it out of this night alive? Or will the Nothing consume him?
This review is a little different from others because I’m the editor for this terrifying little novella so my opinion is naturally biased. But Michael kindly sent me an ARC in an exchange for a review so I thought it would be fun to give my thoughts as an editor.
After the first chapter, you instantly know what Michael’s about. He’s not here to play or dance around a particularly graphic scene. He’s here to introduce you to impactful characters and make you afraid of loving them because he’s relentless with his scenes and who knows what their fates will be. His imagery is clean and clear so that you feel you’re right there in the woods with Eric fearing for your life. The dialogue is natural and because of that, the characters feel alive, opening the floor for you to love them and then hate them and then love them again. And overall, Michael’s grasp of story structure is solid.
If you’re looking for a quick nightmare ride through the woods with the antagonist being something only possible to fabricate from Hell, this one’s for you. Release is on April 13th and preorders are available now! Go check this dark tale out!
Eric’s life is not going well. His wife left him for a douchebag, he’s falling behind on mortgage payments for a house that was meant for two, and the booze just aren’t working the way he needs them to. When the stress gets to be too much, Eric takes a walk through the woods. It’s night time and the cool air might ease his worries. Only, there’s more than just cool air in the breeze. There’s something else. An ash. A burn. A smolder. Will Eric make it out of this night alive? Or will the Nothing consume him?
This review is a little different from others because I’m the editor for this terrifying little novella so my opinion is naturally biased. But Michael kindly sent me an ARC in an exchange for a review so I thought it would be fun to give my thoughts as an editor.
After the first chapter, you instantly know what Michael’s about. He’s not here to play or dance around a particularly graphic scene. He’s here to introduce you to impactful characters and make you afraid of loving them because he’s relentless with his scenes and who knows what their fates will be. His imagery is clean and clear so that you feel you’re right there in the woods with Eric fearing for your life. The dialogue is natural and because of that, the characters feel alive, opening the floor for you to love them and then hate them and then love them again. And overall, Michael’s grasp of story structure is solid.
If you’re looking for a quick nightmare ride through the woods with the antagonist being something only possible to fabricate from Hell, this one’s for you. Release is on April 13th and preorders are available now! Go check this dark tale out!
abbie_reads_horror's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Infidelity, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Child abuse, and Murder
Minor: Rape