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miss_sunshine's review against another edition
dark
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Gaslighting, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Cannibalism, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Addiction, Alcohol, Child death, Colonisation, Genocide, Medical content, and Toxic friendship
amyspag'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? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
I almost DNFd this book twice, it wasn't what I expected at all from the synopsis. I'm still not 100% on the rating because I keep flip flopping between this being fairly slow and hard to get into and it intriguing me. This book is quite gory at times and as I was expecting a standard thriller this took me by suprise, it's way more of a horror. I think horror fans would eat this up.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Fire/Fire injury, Death, Cursing, Cannibalism, and Blood
eliza_flamingo1's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
I loved the horror in this book, I suppose my only complaint is that I could have gone for more time getting to know the characters. It’s still very good as is but sometimes it’s hard to keep track of all of the different characters.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cannibalism, Blood, Body horror, Colonisation, Violence, and Murder
Minor: Deadnaming
There’s a ghost child but I don’t know if that couldn’t as a dead child specifically, we don’t see her die or anythingwayward_books's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cannibalism
Moderate: Blood, Body horror, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Gore, Mental illness, Murder, and Addiction
hellebore's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-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? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cannibalism, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Gore, Blood, and Drug abuse
Minor: Body horror
tieflingkisser's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Blood, Body horror, and Murder
Moderate: Suicide, Child death, and Cannibalism
Minor: Addiction, Transphobia, and Alcoholism
misszoe's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
What's it about?
Thirteen Storeys is about a dinner party in the exclusive penthouse of billionaire Tobias Fell. The guests are all strangers and nobody really knows what they are here for. They all have, however, experienced strange occurences in the building. We also know straight from the beginning how the party will play out: Tobias Fell will end up dead. But what lead to these events? Why are the guests here, why were they chosen and what will lead to Fell's death?
What did I think?
I thought it was a great book! It had me on the edge of my seat and I did want to know how everything would play out. I also enjoyed how in the beginning, the individual viewpoints seem separate but then they interweave more and more and slowly, everything starts to make sense. Right from the beginning, it becomes very clear that this isn't only a horror novel: it's also a very clear criticism of capitalism in its entirety - and the more you read, the clearer it becomes. I definitely do recommend the book if you'd like to read some horror that's also a commentary on our society.
Thirteen Storeys is about a dinner party in the exclusive penthouse of billionaire Tobias Fell. The guests are all strangers and nobody really knows what they are here for. They all have, however, experienced strange occurences in the building. We also know straight from the beginning how the party will play out: Tobias Fell will end up dead. But what lead to these events? Why are the guests here, why were they chosen and what will lead to Fell's death?
What did I think?
I thought it was a great book! It had me on the edge of my seat and I did want to know how everything would play out. I also enjoyed how in the beginning, the individual viewpoints seem separate but then they interweave more and more and slowly, everything starts to make sense. Right from the beginning, it becomes very clear that this isn't only a horror novel: it's also a very clear criticism of capitalism in its entirety - and the more you read, the clearer it becomes. I definitely do recommend the book if you'd like to read some horror that's also a commentary on our society.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Cannibalism and Murder
Minor: Deadnaming
klavin_lovell's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-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
I won't pretend that it wasn't The Magnus Archives that brought me here. I discovered the podcast this year and fell in love with it and as soon as I discovered Jonny had a novel I had to get a copy.
Now I wouldn't recommend reading the book expecting another Magnus Archives as that's not what it is. It is, however, fantastic.
It can become gruesome so I would recommend practicing caution but if you've listened to the more violent Magnus Archives episodes it should be bearable.
In my opinion the story is fascinating, an intelligent statement about morality and self preservation. The ideologies that may come with one's experiences and backgrounds. It can be a little difficult to follow with every chapter being a different narrative and keeping up with the large main cast can be tricky if you don't have the best memory, like myself.
However the cast is diverse and some characters are very memorable, Jonny has shown his skill with a wide range of characters and themes and I am definitely looking forward to his next project.
Now I wouldn't recommend reading the book expecting another Magnus Archives as that's not what it is. It is, however, fantastic.
It can become gruesome so I would recommend practicing caution but if you've listened to the more violent Magnus Archives episodes it should be bearable.
In my opinion the story is fascinating, an intelligent statement about morality and self preservation. The ideologies that may come with one's experiences and backgrounds. It can be a little difficult to follow with every chapter being a different narrative and keeping up with the large main cast can be tricky if you don't have the best memory, like myself.
However the cast is diverse and some characters are very memorable, Jonny has shown his skill with a wide range of characters and themes and I am definitely looking forward to his next project.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Cannibalism, Violence, Police brutality, Murder, and Mental illness
Moderate: Bullying, Cursing, and Grief
Minor: Alcoholism, Addiction, Transphobia, Deadnaming, Homophobia, Child death, Death of parent, and Drug abuse
abookandaspotoftea's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Torture, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Body horror, Chronic illness, Confinement, and Murder
Moderate: Cannibalism, Torture, and Violence
fpwoper's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I think this is the one book that I might have *loved* as an audio book, especially if Jonathan himself read it out to me. I've got to say that I read this in the voice of the Archivist, and this is specifically a book that people who like The Magnus Archives, might like too.
It's horror, yes, but the title is a pun (there are 13 different stories, as well as 13 different levels), and I can't get over that. The stories themselves are relatively short but slowly reveal more and more about Banyan Court and its strangeness (one would almost call it horrors but it seems to be very personal). By the time you feel like you know what's going on with the invite cards and Banyan Court and the people who are involved, you're on the thirteenth storey (and story) and you're waiting with bated breath to see how this is going to end.
I was a little disappointed in the ending. It worked, of course, but I didn't like the explicit calling-out of what things the 'haunted' stood for, it made the ending a little clunky and maybe too much "telling" instead of showing or allowing a reader to fill in the blanks for themselves. I also remember writing down somewhere that the introductory chapter was strange, but it made sense in the entirety of the story.
I'm going to complain very briefly about the quality of the paperback, though, because that's what disappointed me most. I think I'd have preferred thicker paper and maybe even a hardcover, but it was hard enough to get a copy, so I'm just glad I read it.
Anyway, in conclusion: did you enjoy The Magnus Archives, and you're not ready to let go of Jonathan Sims and his world of horrors? Consider picking this up. Maybe in audio book format if it's there.
It's horror, yes, but the title is a pun (there are 13 different stories, as well as 13 different levels), and I can't get over that. The stories themselves are relatively short but slowly reveal more and more about Banyan Court and its strangeness (one would almost call it horrors but it seems to be very personal). By the time you feel like you know what's going on with the invite cards and Banyan Court and the people who are involved, you're on the thirteenth storey (and story) and you're waiting with bated breath to see how this is going to end.
I was a little disappointed in the ending. It worked, of course, but I didn't like the explicit calling-out of what things the 'haunted' stood for, it made the ending a little clunky and maybe too much "telling" instead of showing or allowing a reader to fill in the blanks for themselves. I also remember writing down somewhere that the introductory chapter was strange, but it made sense in the entirety of the story.
I'm going to complain very briefly about the quality of the paperback, though, because that's what disappointed me most. I think I'd have preferred thicker paper and maybe even a hardcover, but it was hard enough to get a copy, so I'm just glad I read it.
Anyway, in conclusion: did you enjoy The Magnus Archives, and you're not ready to let go of Jonathan Sims and his world of horrors? Consider picking this up. Maybe in audio book format if it's there.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Murder