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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: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Physical abuse, and Murder
Minor: Rape
bclubbetty's review against another edition
4.0
Divorced and about to lose his home to foreclosure, Eric decides to take a late night walk to clear his head. Not thinking about what might be lurking in the shadows, he soon finds out that you are never truly alone in the woods.
Smolder is one of those dark and creepy novels that makes you look twice at the shadows but also explores a deeper theme of loneliness, isolation and physiological trauma. I loved how the suspense built up in the woods, the vastness, the eerie quietness and the feeling of something being not quiet right....... The descriptive writing in this novel is the winner for me, I was right there with Eric in the woods picking my way over roots and watching the animals flee, I thought the monster was described perfectly aswell I could visualise it all! Really enjoyed how Michael wrote this Novel and he will be an author I try more of in the future!
Although light on gore there is a pretty graphic scenes in this book so quick warning if animals suffering is something you struggle with BE WARNED!!
At 91 pages it is a quick read but this doesn't take away from the story at all, actually it seems to be something I think works well for the horror genre as I've enjoyed a few shorter horror stories recently!
Smolder is out 13th of April and is available for pre-order now!
Smolder is one of those dark and creepy novels that makes you look twice at the shadows but also explores a deeper theme of loneliness, isolation and physiological trauma. I loved how the suspense built up in the woods, the vastness, the eerie quietness and the feeling of something being not quiet right....... The descriptive writing in this novel is the winner for me, I was right there with Eric in the woods picking my way over roots and watching the animals flee, I thought the monster was described perfectly aswell I could visualise it all! Really enjoyed how Michael wrote this Novel and he will be an author I try more of in the future!
Although light on gore there is a pretty graphic scenes in this book so quick warning if animals suffering is something you struggle with BE WARNED!!
At 91 pages it is a quick read but this doesn't take away from the story at all, actually it seems to be something I think works well for the horror genre as I've enjoyed a few shorter horror stories recently!
Smolder is out 13th of April and is available for pre-order now!
marcushawke's review against another edition
3.0
I was graciously given an advance copy of Michael Goodwin’s book SMOLDER in exchange for an honest review. It starts out simply enough: a newly divorced, soon to be homeless man goes for a drunken stumble through woods that would continue to be his past the next sunrise were it not for his cheating, douchebag-loving ex-wife’s sudden poor taste in men and happens upon a cancerous black aberration of nature that reminded me of Hexxus from Fern Gully on steroids. And as you can imagine, things go downhill from there.
I think out of everything in its pages what I liked and responded to most was the characters. Harsh as my words were about the ex-wife, Monica, she, much like the man she left her husband for, has many layers. As does the protagonist, Eric, all of which reveal themselves nicely throughout the course of the story and very much carry events from start to finish. They were real, raw, and wholly believable.
In the acknowledgments, the author states that this story was inspired by a nightmare but only part of the story came from the dream itself. I’m not 100% sure I want to know which part that is…but it was totally the bit with the deer, right? Because if that
I think out of everything in its pages what I liked and responded to most was the characters. Harsh as my words were about the ex-wife, Monica, she, much like the man she left her husband for, has many layers. As does the protagonist, Eric, all of which reveal themselves nicely throughout the course of the story and very much carry events from start to finish. They were real, raw, and wholly believable.
In the acknowledgments, the author states that this story was inspired by a nightmare but only part of the story came from the dream itself. I’m not 100% sure I want to know which part that is…but it was totally the bit with the deer, right? Because if that
charm_city_sinner's review against another edition
5.0
I find myself becoming more and more of a short-story and novella fan, when they're done well. Smolder is a great example of this.
With his life falling to pieces around him, Eric finds himself walking through the woods behind his house, with no idea of the evil that lurks amongst the trees. There's no reason, no explanation, and no happy ending. That's why it works.
I don't want some asshole riding in with a bible to beat the big bad. I want unexplainable and illogical evil because that's what allows your brain to take you to the worst possible places you can go.
Fucking Monica...
With his life falling to pieces around him, Eric finds himself walking through the woods behind his house, with no idea of the evil that lurks amongst the trees. There's no reason, no explanation, and no happy ending. That's why it works.
I don't want some asshole riding in with a bible to beat the big bad. I want unexplainable and illogical evil because that's what allows your brain to take you to the worst possible places you can go.
Fucking Monica...
readbydusk's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death
wanderingwindy's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
4.0
I read Smolder by Michael R. Goodwin with the #indiehorrorbookclub and WOWZA! What a punch in the gut this was! This novella read like a dark and twisted Twilight Zone episode.
Afraid of the dark? 😳
Got some pent up anger? 🤬
Ready for some real life horror 😫
Wanna see the bad guy get his? 😈
I loved it all
Afraid of the dark? 😳
Got some pent up anger? 🤬
Ready for some real life horror 😫
Wanna see the bad guy get his? 😈
I loved it all
adperfectamconsilium's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
karlakayjenniges's review against another edition
4.0
"It was everywhere, and in these woods, it was everything and it was Nothing."
Dark and desolate. Lonely and isolated. One mans journey into the deep dark of the woods.
"It was so dark, he could feel the weight of it on his skin."
The Nothing was all around, waiting in the darkness to consume that which crossed it's path of agonizing doom.
Truly dark and disturbing in many ways, this has a creeping depth that gives us not only human loneliness, feelings of loss, hurt, and heartache, but an all consuming, obtrusive being. A being that's only substance is a smolder. It spreads, it searches, it turns everything in its wake to dust and ashes. It was the Nothing that was and is now the Nothing that is.
The ever present foreboding creates a sense of gloom and doom, draws us into the darkness and then hits us with an ending with even more dismal dread.
Gratifyingly Creepy!
Dark and desolate. Lonely and isolated. One mans journey into the deep dark of the woods.
"It was so dark, he could feel the weight of it on his skin."
The Nothing was all around, waiting in the darkness to consume that which crossed it's path of agonizing doom.
Truly dark and disturbing in many ways, this has a creeping depth that gives us not only human loneliness, feelings of loss, hurt, and heartache, but an all consuming, obtrusive being. A being that's only substance is a smolder. It spreads, it searches, it turns everything in its wake to dust and ashes. It was the Nothing that was and is now the Nothing that is.
The ever present foreboding creates a sense of gloom and doom, draws us into the darkness and then hits us with an ending with even more dismal dread.
Gratifyingly Creepy!