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3.55 AVERAGE
3.55 AVERAGE
My original CURRENCY OF SOULS audiobook review and many others can be found at Audiobook Reviewer.
Few horror authors write as eloquently and thoughtfully as Kealan Patrick Burke, a Bram Stoker Award-winning author who carefully chooses each word that makes it onto the page for maximum impact. Textually, Currency of Souls is a fine example of Burke’s methodical deliberation, and narrator Rich Miller delivers a reading that is aurally arresting right from the get-go.
Currency of Souls is a bit of a genre mish-mash. Tonally, it feels like a modern-day western with it bar-room setting, the Sheriff, and a handful of misfits populating the near-dead town of Milestone, but there’s enough violence and death to put it solidly in the horror genre, as well as a few fantasy elements and plenty of tragedy to boot. Milestone, however, is more than your average run-down locale, and each of the barflies carries the weight of their secret sins like an albatross. This is a down of damnation, and it may or may not be Purgatory or at least some facet of it, and each of the drinkers are constantly being manipulated by darker forces to murder one another. To say much more, though, would be a crime.
Burke keeps the story moving along with plenty of twists and turns, betrayals, and double- and triple-crosses. None of the cast are quite who they appear at first blush, and Burke slowly reveals their true faces and natures in due course. The story itself is weighted in symbolism and degrees of complexity. Simply put, there is a lot going on throughout the entirety of this book. Listeners should expect to not only pay close attention to all the things being said but especially to what is left unsaid. I suspect Currency of Souls is a title that only grows more rewarding with multiple listens, and that future rereads will reveal additional previously unseen facets.
Rich Miller has a deep, brassy voice that immediately captures the atmosphere and tone of Burke’s work, perfectly in tune with the western genre elements present here. I was immediately lost in this man’s reading, lulled in by the strong, yet comforting rhythms of his narration. There’s a kind-of Sam Elliot vibe to Miller’s presentation, which I certainly dug, and the recording is crystal-clear enough that I could practically smell the smoke and whiskey stink of Eddie’s Tavern.
Currency of Souls is a bit like a good whiskey, in fact. The writing is smooth and read by Miller it leaves a pleasantly warm feeling deep in your chest, but the story itself is a complex and full-bodied spirit, possessing various layers of richness. Its narrative threads are knotty and tangled, and it takes some work to unravel before you can fully appreciate it. It’s the type of story you want to let linger a bit before you take another sip and see what else is there to discover.
[Note: Audiobook provided for review by the audiobookreviewer.com]
Few horror authors write as eloquently and thoughtfully as Kealan Patrick Burke, a Bram Stoker Award-winning author who carefully chooses each word that makes it onto the page for maximum impact. Textually, Currency of Souls is a fine example of Burke’s methodical deliberation, and narrator Rich Miller delivers a reading that is aurally arresting right from the get-go.
Currency of Souls is a bit of a genre mish-mash. Tonally, it feels like a modern-day western with it bar-room setting, the Sheriff, and a handful of misfits populating the near-dead town of Milestone, but there’s enough violence and death to put it solidly in the horror genre, as well as a few fantasy elements and plenty of tragedy to boot. Milestone, however, is more than your average run-down locale, and each of the barflies carries the weight of their secret sins like an albatross. This is a down of damnation, and it may or may not be Purgatory or at least some facet of it, and each of the drinkers are constantly being manipulated by darker forces to murder one another. To say much more, though, would be a crime.
Burke keeps the story moving along with plenty of twists and turns, betrayals, and double- and triple-crosses. None of the cast are quite who they appear at first blush, and Burke slowly reveals their true faces and natures in due course. The story itself is weighted in symbolism and degrees of complexity. Simply put, there is a lot going on throughout the entirety of this book. Listeners should expect to not only pay close attention to all the things being said but especially to what is left unsaid. I suspect Currency of Souls is a title that only grows more rewarding with multiple listens, and that future rereads will reveal additional previously unseen facets.
Rich Miller has a deep, brassy voice that immediately captures the atmosphere and tone of Burke’s work, perfectly in tune with the western genre elements present here. I was immediately lost in this man’s reading, lulled in by the strong, yet comforting rhythms of his narration. There’s a kind-of Sam Elliot vibe to Miller’s presentation, which I certainly dug, and the recording is crystal-clear enough that I could practically smell the smoke and whiskey stink of Eddie’s Tavern.
Currency of Souls is a bit like a good whiskey, in fact. The writing is smooth and read by Miller it leaves a pleasantly warm feeling deep in your chest, but the story itself is a complex and full-bodied spirit, possessing various layers of richness. Its narrative threads are knotty and tangled, and it takes some work to unravel before you can fully appreciate it. It’s the type of story you want to let linger a bit before you take another sip and see what else is there to discover.
[Note: Audiobook provided for review by the audiobookreviewer.com]
Combining horror and noire together is a pretty cool idea that should be used more. One thing that I love is the use of atmosphere and descriptions that really make you feel like you're there. I wouldn't call this scary per se, but I still had fun with it. Very cinematic.
Milestone is the most haunted of all the dying towns you ever heard about. Its citizens are twisted and mangled by their dark pasts and the things they have come to know and do since moving there. Days run into weeks and then years where they all get by on the simple notion that this is their life now and there's no way they can change it. Why fight the decay when there's no more hope left beneath all your pain?
One by one they are all led out into the night to commit terrible crimes to satisfy a corrupt minister who tells them its their salvation. They are all victims of self loathing and regret trapped in a cycle. That is until that night when everything changes and the bizarre events at Eddie's bar morph into even stranger truths and dark resolutions.
Currency of Souls is my first Kealan Patrick Burke novel and I'm happy to say I'll be going out of my way to find more of his books in the future. Rather than following some of the established paths in horror this books takes its time, develops interesting characters and is constantly surprising you with the details of their lives both through Sheriff Tom's eyes and out of his sight. I don't think I've come across such an interesting narrative in a while and I enjoyed the soft haunted voice of Milestone itself. This really is a very haunted and dying town and its because of the people who live there rather than any dark past for the town per se.
The story resonates, the horror here is more subtle and far less about gore and violence than it is about the strange reality we place ourselves in when we've given up and let our past actions and failures swallow us whole.
One by one they are all led out into the night to commit terrible crimes to satisfy a corrupt minister who tells them its their salvation. They are all victims of self loathing and regret trapped in a cycle. That is until that night when everything changes and the bizarre events at Eddie's bar morph into even stranger truths and dark resolutions.
Currency of Souls is my first Kealan Patrick Burke novel and I'm happy to say I'll be going out of my way to find more of his books in the future. Rather than following some of the established paths in horror this books takes its time, develops interesting characters and is constantly surprising you with the details of their lives both through Sheriff Tom's eyes and out of his sight. I don't think I've come across such an interesting narrative in a while and I enjoyed the soft haunted voice of Milestone itself. This really is a very haunted and dying town and its because of the people who live there rather than any dark past for the town per se.
The story resonates, the horror here is more subtle and far less about gore and violence than it is about the strange reality we place ourselves in when we've given up and let our past actions and failures swallow us whole.
Unusual story. Twilight Zonesque! Kealan Patrick Burke has an unusal flare for horrific never ending drama, where no one is innocent and no one escapes! Will read more of his.
I always have difficulty with books that start in the middle of the story, especially when they are quite chaotic and you find yourself desperately trying to make sense of what is happening. By the time things started to come together, I had pretty much lost interest in the characters and the story. I usually like KPB, but then maybe it’s possibly the more linear KPB I like.
“This is where I come to try to forget my pain. There’s so much of it here that isn’t mine, it should make me feel better, but it doesn’t.”
The story takes place in the grim town of Milestone. Populated by the worst of the worst, the bar Eddie’s Tavern is home to a group of misfits every night. Each person has come to their own form of purgatory here and the Reverend like clockwork will decide who stays and who goes.
I enjoy stories which emanate shock and horror. This is one of those ones which does that with every turn of the page. Every character has a dark past and although appear twisted their true self is revealed.
The imagery begins to feel all too real the more you read on. What I liked about this book was the horror is present not only through language, its also about the reality of what is happening and what the truth really is. It’s the kind of stories I enjoy the most by Kealan Patrick Burke.
It had been while since I last read a book by this author and this was a good one to get back into his works
The story takes place in the grim town of Milestone. Populated by the worst of the worst, the bar Eddie’s Tavern is home to a group of misfits every night. Each person has come to their own form of purgatory here and the Reverend like clockwork will decide who stays and who goes.
I enjoy stories which emanate shock and horror. This is one of those ones which does that with every turn of the page. Every character has a dark past and although appear twisted their true self is revealed.
The imagery begins to feel all too real the more you read on. What I liked about this book was the horror is present not only through language, its also about the reality of what is happening and what the truth really is. It’s the kind of stories I enjoy the most by Kealan Patrick Burke.
It had been while since I last read a book by this author and this was a good one to get back into his works
Milestone just shifted into 5th gear. Full review to come.
Currency of Souls puts its own unique spin on the idea of making deals with the devil. A motley group of people living in a near-dead town meet every week at Eddie's Tavern, where a preacher gives them instructions by the local preacher to drive and kill sinners in order to make up for their own sins. But when the usual plan goes wrong, and the group tries to break free of their burden, events quickly spiral out of control.
This is a fast paced read and while each character might not be likeable, at least they are interesting. The sheriff, Tom, is the main focus and he's troubled by his inability to handle much of anything and his general feeling of helplessness. But as he tries to fight his own way free, while also saving his son, he begins to take necessary action.
The devil character is interesting, because he is not really a devil and religiously speaking it's hard to tell where he stands, though he does make deals and more often than not the deals are not to the benefit of those who come to him.
As I said, this was a fast read and I enjoyed it. Though there were aspects that I'm still not clear on and I'm uncomfortable with an aspect of the story that I can't really talk about without giving anything away. Regardless, it's worth a read.
This is a fast paced read and while each character might not be likeable, at least they are interesting. The sheriff, Tom, is the main focus and he's troubled by his inability to handle much of anything and his general feeling of helplessness. But as he tries to fight his own way free, while also saving his son, he begins to take necessary action.
The devil character is interesting, because he is not really a devil and religiously speaking it's hard to tell where he stands, though he does make deals and more often than not the deals are not to the benefit of those who come to him.
As I said, this was a fast read and I enjoyed it. Though there were aspects that I'm still not clear on and I'm uncomfortable with an aspect of the story that I can't really talk about without giving anything away. Regardless, it's worth a read.
Milestone just shifted into 5th gear. Full review to come.
“All of us have been, and will continue to be, slaves, not to God or the Devil, but to ourselves, to our innate need to make things right, to attain what our lives tell us we cannot have, and do not deserve.”
Reading Kealan Patrick Burke is like snuggling in a warm, cozy blanket. Granted, that blanket may come alive and strangle me to death but that's really a chance I'm willing to take. His writing is so familiar, so beautiful, so haunting. He may be categorized as a horror author but he is so much more than that. Currency of Souls is much more than horror; it is an exploration of sin, forgiveness of sin, love, grief, and sacrifice.
I had previously read Saturday Night at Eddie's in Burke's collection of novellas, Milestone, (if you haven't read it, please do. It's amazing) and fell in love with this dying town full of dirty little secrets. I was ecstatic to read Currency of Souls and find my way back to Milestone (as you won't find it on any map). Milestone might just be more messed up than Derry, Maine. It felt like a homecoming to be back at Eddie's with Tom and the gang; given the events that transpired at Eddie's and the train wreck after train wreck that occurred after Eddie's, that may be a weird thing to say. But that's Burke's writing for you - gripping, engaging, it draws you in and doesn't let go nor do you want it to. Throughout the novel, my mind was trying to come to terms with how something can be so beautiful yet so horrific.
There are a lot of moving parts and a fairly large cast of characters but the plot never became muddled and everyone had their place. I honestly don't think the story would have been the same had one character been omitted. I felt the most sympathetic towards Tom and was really rooting for him. However, overall I fell in love with Iris. She has her own story to tell and I'd love for Burke to write it for her!
I would love for there to be more Milestone stories! I really can't get enough of this horrible little town.
YOU ARE LEAVING MILESTONE! HOPE YOU ENJOYED YOUR STAY! ...IN HELL
Reading Kealan Patrick Burke is like snuggling in a warm, cozy blanket. Granted, that blanket may come alive and strangle me to death but that's really a chance I'm willing to take. His writing is so familiar, so beautiful, so haunting. He may be categorized as a horror author but he is so much more than that. Currency of Souls is much more than horror; it is an exploration of sin, forgiveness of sin, love, grief, and sacrifice.
I had previously read Saturday Night at Eddie's in Burke's collection of novellas, Milestone, (if you haven't read it, please do. It's amazing) and fell in love with this dying town full of dirty little secrets. I was ecstatic to read Currency of Souls and find my way back to Milestone (as you won't find it on any map). Milestone might just be more messed up than Derry, Maine. It felt like a homecoming to be back at Eddie's with Tom and the gang; given the events that transpired at Eddie's and the train wreck after train wreck that occurred after Eddie's, that may be a weird thing to say. But that's Burke's writing for you - gripping, engaging, it draws you in and doesn't let go nor do you want it to. Throughout the novel, my mind was trying to come to terms with how something can be so beautiful yet so horrific.
There are a lot of moving parts and a fairly large cast of characters but the plot never became muddled and everyone had their place. I honestly don't think the story would have been the same had one character been omitted. I felt the most sympathetic towards Tom and was really rooting for him. However, overall I fell in love with Iris. She has her own story to tell and I'd love for Burke to write it for her!
I would love for there to be more Milestone stories! I really can't get enough of this horrible little town.
YOU ARE LEAVING MILESTONE! HOPE YOU ENJOYED YOUR STAY! ...IN HELL