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veganheathen's review against another edition
2.0
I just didn't like this book. It didn't start of well and didn't get any better. The book begins with Rose, the only female character in this book, really. She is clearly a characture of a woman written by a man. Right off the bat, that didn't sit well with me and garnered some heavy eye rolls. Some of the chapters were told from different viewpoints and were discussing different people, yet they would just refer to "him" and the reader is left wondering who the heck is speaking and what him they are referring to. It was frustrating. I'm a big fan of horror, thrillers and the occult, but this just didn't hit the mark for me. It seems like many other people enjoyed it, though by all the other higher star reviews I'm seeing.
mam22nov's review against another edition
3.0
Complex story line and shifting point of view. I chose to read it because the description mentioned ancient manuscripts, alchemy, treasure, and ritual. I should have read more carefully and noticed it also mentioned graphic violence, torture, and abuse of various kinds. This was not a book I should have been reading. Having said that, I continued to read it because it was well written and kept my interest, although I did get bogged down a bit at the end with some very detailed explanations of the mythology (Celtic and otherwise) behind the plot. Reader beware: the violence and sadism described in the book are over the top (IMHO).
scearceka's review against another edition
4.0
Disclaimer: I received an e-copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.
The Book of Paul is a story told my multiple viewpoints, sometimes in first person, sometimes in third, between the characters of Paul, Martin, and William (the narrator), with a little bit of Rose's story thrown in occasionally. From the very beginning, I was definitely intrigued, as it's just a different kind of book from what I normally read, but in a good way. Once some of the paranormal aspects came in, along with the lineage back to certain historical characters, it definitely kept my attention. However, it is a very long book (which is no problem for me), so there were times where I had to just set it down for a little bit and get a grip on what I'd just finished.
Honestly, I liked this book. I found it a little weird at times, a little hard to wrap my head around, but for the most part, I enjoyed reading it. I would recommend it to those who like a little history, a little religion, and a lot of paranormal and action. For me, it's not a book I could've read in one sitting, but I definitely would've read a lot faster if I hadn't had to work. It's definitely an interesting story, and I want to continue the 7-volume series when I have a little more time. =)
4 stars
The Book of Paul is a story told my multiple viewpoints, sometimes in first person, sometimes in third, between the characters of Paul, Martin, and William (the narrator), with a little bit of Rose's story thrown in occasionally. From the very beginning, I was definitely intrigued, as it's just a different kind of book from what I normally read, but in a good way. Once some of the paranormal aspects came in, along with the lineage back to certain historical characters, it definitely kept my attention. However, it is a very long book (which is no problem for me), so there were times where I had to just set it down for a little bit and get a grip on what I'd just finished.
Honestly, I liked this book. I found it a little weird at times, a little hard to wrap my head around, but for the most part, I enjoyed reading it. I would recommend it to those who like a little history, a little religion, and a lot of paranormal and action. For me, it's not a book I could've read in one sitting, but I definitely would've read a lot faster if I hadn't had to work. It's definitely an interesting story, and I want to continue the 7-volume series when I have a little more time. =)
4 stars
pebblespenguin1's review against another edition
5.0
‘The Book of Paul’ was the best dark horror novel I have ever read, and I say that in all honesty. No book has ever blown my mind quite like this one and I must warn you before you read this novel; you will never look at literature the same way again. ‘The Book of Paul’ was such a brilliant masterpiece that I literally could not put it down I was consumed in the story, the characters and the pure utter darkness of this book. Talent like this only comes around every once in a great while and I feel like I have stumbled upon gold. I can very well say anything that Richard writes I will rush to buy, it is such a rare talent he has as a writer.
I feel so lucky to have been asked to review this amazing novel, I found it to be stunning, creative, with such detailed precision in the way the story was told. It was a mind bending story that you absolutely have to read! I have not read a book with such talented, detailed writing in so long, if ever. Richard Long really sets the standards high in the horror/ thriller genre. I mean Paul makes the baddest of the bad look like sheep. Paul is so sick and twisted but you can’t stop reading it, you have to have more of Paul. ‘The Book of Paul’ is such a dark, seductive tale of things you couldn’t even begin to imagine. Take your sickest thought and multiply it by a thousand and you may have just stumbled upon the very tiniest hint of what goes on in Paul’s brain. You really have to read this brilliant masterpiece, I cannot even put it into words how stunning I believe this book is. I believe it will be a classic one day.
I am so much more thrilled to find out it is the first book in a series. I will definitely be reading all of them. The characters and the story are addicting. You can go ahead and try to say they are not, you are flat out lying! ‘The Book of Paul’ is by far the best novel I have read all year! I am addicted to this series now and I will read everything Richard Long writes from here on out. I believe this man is a genius with words and storytelling. I will be a fan for life. If you have not read ‘The Book of Paul’ you are missing out, I tell you! What are you waiting for? Go, now! Get it! Read it and see for yourself what I am talking about! I assure you, your eyes will be opened to a very new world.
I feel so lucky to have been asked to review this amazing novel, I found it to be stunning, creative, with such detailed precision in the way the story was told. It was a mind bending story that you absolutely have to read! I have not read a book with such talented, detailed writing in so long, if ever. Richard Long really sets the standards high in the horror/ thriller genre. I mean Paul makes the baddest of the bad look like sheep. Paul is so sick and twisted but you can’t stop reading it, you have to have more of Paul. ‘The Book of Paul’ is such a dark, seductive tale of things you couldn’t even begin to imagine. Take your sickest thought and multiply it by a thousand and you may have just stumbled upon the very tiniest hint of what goes on in Paul’s brain. You really have to read this brilliant masterpiece, I cannot even put it into words how stunning I believe this book is. I believe it will be a classic one day.
I am so much more thrilled to find out it is the first book in a series. I will definitely be reading all of them. The characters and the story are addicting. You can go ahead and try to say they are not, you are flat out lying! ‘The Book of Paul’ is by far the best novel I have read all year! I am addicted to this series now and I will read everything Richard Long writes from here on out. I believe this man is a genius with words and storytelling. I will be a fan for life. If you have not read ‘The Book of Paul’ you are missing out, I tell you! What are you waiting for? Go, now! Get it! Read it and see for yourself what I am talking about! I assure you, your eyes will be opened to a very new world.
itsmeant_tabby's review against another edition
5.0
Not for the faint of heart- murder, torture, occult, and romance all wrapped up in an amazingly intense read.
This book is so many things at once. It is a thriller, romantic, thought provoking, and ADDICTIVE. The story line is so incredibly original, and you can't help but to stay up until 3am on work nights needing to know what happens next.
Richard Long's characters are so messed up, you can't help but love them. I found myself freaked out a little that I loved Paul so much.
All I have to say is bravo Richard Long, you've made one hell of a debut and gained a fan.
This book is so many things at once. It is a thriller, romantic, thought provoking, and ADDICTIVE. The story line is so incredibly original, and you can't help but to stay up until 3am on work nights needing to know what happens next.
Richard Long's characters are so messed up, you can't help but love them. I found myself freaked out a little that I loved Paul so much.
All I have to say is bravo Richard Long, you've made one hell of a debut and gained a fan.
charlottehenleybabb's review against another edition
3.0
I did not finish this book, not because the writing is bad, but because it is so compelling. The subject matter is just too dark for me, and I don't want to read something that might give me nightmares.
If you are into psychological horror and graphic descriptions of abuse don't bother you, you might like this quite a lot. I was interested because it uses the Tarot, but I didn't get that far.
The characters are compelling and drawn in full color, at least at the beginning of the story. The writing is good. It's just too horrifying for me.
If you are into psychological horror and graphic descriptions of abuse don't bother you, you might like this quite a lot. I was interested because it uses the Tarot, but I didn't get that far.
The characters are compelling and drawn in full color, at least at the beginning of the story. The writing is good. It's just too horrifying for me.
ap1's review against another edition
2.0
I still don't quite know what I just read. When I first started it I thought it might end up unread. There is some pretty graphic content & I just wasn't sure it would be for me. Before too long I was engaged, but it wasn't a book that I couldn't bear to put down. It is very violent. And it is very, very confusing. I understood just enough of what was going on to keep going. The end though? WTH happened? I'm now more confused than ever.
I have to say that I really enjoyed the twisted and humorous voice of Paul. In my head he sounded like Mark Hamill's version of The Joker.
I have to say that I really enjoyed the twisted and humorous voice of Paul. In my head he sounded like Mark Hamill's version of The Joker.
ctorretta's review against another edition
5.0
Ok, first of all if you read that awesome excerpt you’ll understand when I say, HOLY CRAP!!! This book is INTENSE. Intense isn’t even a good enough word. I’m blown away. From the jump I felt like we were at the races and my horse was sprinting down the straightaway, some curves but that baby just keeps a moving! Well when I say some curves I mean some serious stuff thrown your way that you don’t even SEE coming!
Now that I have that all out, let me explain why this was so amazing. It was like three books in one. You have this horrific part that is just crazy, thrilling, intense but seriously awesome. I was thinking reminiscent of the Saw movies but not that much gore (ish) and definitely a better story line! As you see in the excerpt above. And when I say not much gore, I mean yes there will be cutting off of some heads, and interestingly enough some awesome stuff that I didn’t know that happened when you cut off someone’s head! But even as I’m saying that, Richard explains the gore, what bit of it is in there. The story that comes from it is awesome and the gore is there for a reason, not just for the thrill seekers.
Then we have the fantastical part, almost fairytale ish. Very calming in a windstorm of hell. A MA ZING.
“It was the angel,” Martin whispered, his voice filled with awe, his eyes closed tightly. The image was so clear in his mind it seemed to be floating right in front of him.
“Yes, the angel,” Paul whispered, stroking Martin’s white-blond hair. “It floated wordlessly above him and the boy wondered if they were still in the water or flying in the air. As soon as he thought about flying, the angel transformed itself into a handsome man with long white hair and enormous, white-feathered wings that beat soundlessly in the radiant light.”
Can’t you hear the sing song tale, this wonderful story for children that emerges from this horrific, gory story? It’s amazing and awed me every time I got to these particular parts. The storyline that he told with these parts could be a book in itself. It lent so much to this story but could completely stand very well on its own. I don’t know how he pulls it off but Richard Long is easily capable of writing a fairytale within a bloody gruesome plot!
And then as if that were not all, you have all of this history, and there is a ton! But it’s not shoved down your throat like you’re in a history class, oh no. Richard spoon feeds it to us, waiting until we’re begging to learn more about these characters and the plot. Making us wait until the prime moment when we need just enough of the history to understand the characters. But just that much, nothing more! He talks of Hermetic tablets, sacred texts, anthropodermic bibliopegy (something I knew about but didn’t know the exact term).
The cover felt… I guess crinkly would be the best way to describe it. Stiff and crinkly.
And the characters are amazing. From the get go he introduces you to the main characters. You get to learn a little bit of each of them before the story slams them together. I would have to say that my favorite is Martin. He’s a good guy with some serious issues and is pruned by Paul. Martin maintains his identity even as Paul is inside of his head telling him what to do and how to react and where to go. He and Rose are the two main characters and Rose also is quite awesome. She has to go through quite a lot of stuff before Martin is able to tell her anything and amazingly she doesn’t just up and leave, she has faith in him!
The other characters are pretty deep as well. William, our narrator is extremely interesting. I think the only one that I didn’t really like was Michael. He seemed like a sniveling brat that was just looking out for himself.
But honestly, Paul is great, he is seriously an awesome bad guy. You just never know where he’s going to go and what he is up to! He has many, many tricks up his sleeve and not only is he smart, he can fight! It’s amazing what you learn about him and I know my mouth was open every time a new revelation came out about him. How do you put all of that into one story about one guy!?
The entire plot was amazing. I actually had to slow down and really read everything. You can not miss a thing in this story. It actually took me longer than usual to read this but it was worth every minute. The beginning was great, the middle was terrifying and the ending was epic!
This is a must read for anyone that loves a good bad guy or anyone loving a good horror. It also has a bit of a love story for the soft hearted out there. As long as you can read about a few heads being chopped off that is. ;)
Now that I have that all out, let me explain why this was so amazing. It was like three books in one. You have this horrific part that is just crazy, thrilling, intense but seriously awesome. I was thinking reminiscent of the Saw movies but not that much gore (ish) and definitely a better story line! As you see in the excerpt above. And when I say not much gore, I mean yes there will be cutting off of some heads, and interestingly enough some awesome stuff that I didn’t know that happened when you cut off someone’s head! But even as I’m saying that, Richard explains the gore, what bit of it is in there. The story that comes from it is awesome and the gore is there for a reason, not just for the thrill seekers.
Then we have the fantastical part, almost fairytale ish. Very calming in a windstorm of hell. A MA ZING.
“It was the angel,” Martin whispered, his voice filled with awe, his eyes closed tightly. The image was so clear in his mind it seemed to be floating right in front of him.
“Yes, the angel,” Paul whispered, stroking Martin’s white-blond hair. “It floated wordlessly above him and the boy wondered if they were still in the water or flying in the air. As soon as he thought about flying, the angel transformed itself into a handsome man with long white hair and enormous, white-feathered wings that beat soundlessly in the radiant light.”
Can’t you hear the sing song tale, this wonderful story for children that emerges from this horrific, gory story? It’s amazing and awed me every time I got to these particular parts. The storyline that he told with these parts could be a book in itself. It lent so much to this story but could completely stand very well on its own. I don’t know how he pulls it off but Richard Long is easily capable of writing a fairytale within a bloody gruesome plot!
And then as if that were not all, you have all of this history, and there is a ton! But it’s not shoved down your throat like you’re in a history class, oh no. Richard spoon feeds it to us, waiting until we’re begging to learn more about these characters and the plot. Making us wait until the prime moment when we need just enough of the history to understand the characters. But just that much, nothing more! He talks of Hermetic tablets, sacred texts, anthropodermic bibliopegy (something I knew about but didn’t know the exact term).
The cover felt… I guess crinkly would be the best way to describe it. Stiff and crinkly.
And the characters are amazing. From the get go he introduces you to the main characters. You get to learn a little bit of each of them before the story slams them together. I would have to say that my favorite is Martin. He’s a good guy with some serious issues and is pruned by Paul. Martin maintains his identity even as Paul is inside of his head telling him what to do and how to react and where to go. He and Rose are the two main characters and Rose also is quite awesome. She has to go through quite a lot of stuff before Martin is able to tell her anything and amazingly she doesn’t just up and leave, she has faith in him!
The other characters are pretty deep as well. William, our narrator is extremely interesting. I think the only one that I didn’t really like was Michael. He seemed like a sniveling brat that was just looking out for himself.
But honestly, Paul is great, he is seriously an awesome bad guy. You just never know where he’s going to go and what he is up to! He has many, many tricks up his sleeve and not only is he smart, he can fight! It’s amazing what you learn about him and I know my mouth was open every time a new revelation came out about him. How do you put all of that into one story about one guy!?
The entire plot was amazing. I actually had to slow down and really read everything. You can not miss a thing in this story. It actually took me longer than usual to read this but it was worth every minute. The beginning was great, the middle was terrifying and the ending was epic!
This is a must read for anyone that loves a good bad guy or anyone loving a good horror. It also has a bit of a love story for the soft hearted out there. As long as you can read about a few heads being chopped off that is. ;)
shellygreninger's review
5.0
This review was posted originally on my blog {Dive} Under the Cover
I don't even know where to start with this review. I suppose I should start by saying that this isn't the type of book I normally read, but the synopsis intrigued me and I was not at all disappointed. I will also say that in taking these chances with books that are out of the norm for me, I am actually finding some really great new, to me, authors.
I should warn you right up front that this book is going to take you on a wild and crazy, dark and dirty ride. I am having trouble even putting my thoughts about this story into words. It's just that crazy, I was struggling to describe it to a friend yesterday! It's not romance, but it does have a thread of a love story throughout it that really has the potential to change the course of history as Paul sees it. It's doesn't feel paranormal or supernatural, but really, in essence it is when you take into account the whole of the story. There is an underlying horror like feel to it, but it's not a scary horror, more like a creepy serial killer like horror. Suffice it to say, I can't really classify it other than to say that it has a little bit of everything in it. I also have to say that while it has a little of everything, if you aren't really prepared for the worst you probably won't enjoy it. If you have a weak stomach or you can't handle a torture, body modification, etc...then this probably isn't the book for you.
There really is no way to explain the story without giving anything away and I really dislike to post spoilers especially in a case like this, where every twist and turn of the story is so significant. The characters are really quite complex and while it seems like they are doing bizarre things most of the time, everything that happens really does have a place. There is someone pulling the strings here and it's not hard to figure out who it is.
I must say that Richard Long is a tremendous and unique story teller. I was immediately pulled into the story from the very first short chapter. I love that most of the chapters are really short, they are like short little story bursts. This book is also really different in that it's told in 1st person part of the time and the rest is in 3rd person. One of the characters is the narrator and his part is obviously told in 1st person. We don't find out who the narrator is for quite some time, but he plays a very significant part in the story. The other parts of the story are told in 3rd person from one of the other characters perspectives. What I think is super cool is that the narrator really is omniscient even though he is a character in the story, that is one of his "gifts" and it's not always a fun one to have in his case.
Let's talk about some of the characters. Paul really is a gross and deeply disturbed character, probably one of the worst I have read! He really has no redeeming quality except for maybe Martin. As unlikable as Paul is, I found Martin to be a quite the opposite. It will seem weird (that I like him so much) especially as you first start reading the book, but really from the minute Rose enters the picture you can see a light in him. It may be hidden under layers of icky residue left there from how he was raised, but it's there nonetheless. I really like Rose, I think that she sees something in Martin that no one else does. She feels something for him that she doesn't really understand especially since she has really only known him for such a short time. They are both pretty damaged people, but together they have tremendous potential to change everything.
From the time the story starts until it ends only a couple days pass in reality, but a lot of back story is given in Martin's suppressed memories and the narrators journal entries. This part of the story, that I like to think of as "Martin's Story" really starts when he is a boy. The overall story goes back thousands of years, though, all the way to the beginning of time really. We get a sense of this part of the story from the narrators journal entries, he is giving us a pretty clear view of all the things that he is learning as he learns them from a number of sources. He is really the main character in the whole of the story, but since he isn't revealed for so long it's hard to think of him as such. This is just the beginning of the story and I can't wait to see what comes next.
This is such a unique story, at least it was for me. The whole time I was reading it I couldn't help but wonder where on earth this came from. It's a puzzle from the beginning, but once you hit the halfway point the pieces start fitting together in a beautiful if not psychotic way. There are still things that I wonder about, but I have every confidence that my questions will be answered as the story continues. At it's heart it's a supernatural thriller, but it's deeply psychological as well. It will make you re-think what you think you know about the "beginning", science and even religion. It will take you on a wild ride for sure, so buckle up!
I don't even know where to start with this review. I suppose I should start by saying that this isn't the type of book I normally read, but the synopsis intrigued me and I was not at all disappointed. I will also say that in taking these chances with books that are out of the norm for me, I am actually finding some really great new, to me, authors.
I should warn you right up front that this book is going to take you on a wild and crazy, dark and dirty ride. I am having trouble even putting my thoughts about this story into words. It's just that crazy, I was struggling to describe it to a friend yesterday! It's not romance, but it does have a thread of a love story throughout it that really has the potential to change the course of history as Paul sees it. It's doesn't feel paranormal or supernatural, but really, in essence it is when you take into account the whole of the story. There is an underlying horror like feel to it, but it's not a scary horror, more like a creepy serial killer like horror. Suffice it to say, I can't really classify it other than to say that it has a little bit of everything in it. I also have to say that while it has a little of everything, if you aren't really prepared for the worst you probably won't enjoy it. If you have a weak stomach or you can't handle a torture, body modification, etc...then this probably isn't the book for you.
There really is no way to explain the story without giving anything away and I really dislike to post spoilers especially in a case like this, where every twist and turn of the story is so significant. The characters are really quite complex and while it seems like they are doing bizarre things most of the time, everything that happens really does have a place. There is someone pulling the strings here and it's not hard to figure out who it is.
I must say that Richard Long is a tremendous and unique story teller. I was immediately pulled into the story from the very first short chapter. I love that most of the chapters are really short, they are like short little story bursts. This book is also really different in that it's told in 1st person part of the time and the rest is in 3rd person. One of the characters is the narrator and his part is obviously told in 1st person. We don't find out who the narrator is for quite some time, but he plays a very significant part in the story. The other parts of the story are told in 3rd person from one of the other characters perspectives. What I think is super cool is that the narrator really is omniscient even though he is a character in the story, that is one of his "gifts" and it's not always a fun one to have in his case.
Let's talk about some of the characters. Paul really is a gross and deeply disturbed character, probably one of the worst I have read! He really has no redeeming quality except for maybe Martin. As unlikable as Paul is, I found Martin to be a quite the opposite. It will seem weird (that I like him so much) especially as you first start reading the book, but really from the minute Rose enters the picture you can see a light in him. It may be hidden under layers of icky residue left there from how he was raised, but it's there nonetheless. I really like Rose, I think that she sees something in Martin that no one else does. She feels something for him that she doesn't really understand especially since she has really only known him for such a short time. They are both pretty damaged people, but together they have tremendous potential to change everything.
From the time the story starts until it ends only a couple days pass in reality, but a lot of back story is given in Martin's suppressed memories and the narrators journal entries. This part of the story, that I like to think of as "Martin's Story" really starts when he is a boy. The overall story goes back thousands of years, though, all the way to the beginning of time really. We get a sense of this part of the story from the narrators journal entries, he is giving us a pretty clear view of all the things that he is learning as he learns them from a number of sources. He is really the main character in the whole of the story, but since he isn't revealed for so long it's hard to think of him as such. This is just the beginning of the story and I can't wait to see what comes next.
This is such a unique story, at least it was for me. The whole time I was reading it I couldn't help but wonder where on earth this came from. It's a puzzle from the beginning, but once you hit the halfway point the pieces start fitting together in a beautiful if not psychotic way. There are still things that I wonder about, but I have every confidence that my questions will be answered as the story continues. At it's heart it's a supernatural thriller, but it's deeply psychological as well. It will make you re-think what you think you know about the "beginning", science and even religion. It will take you on a wild ride for sure, so buckle up!