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kuyakojo's review against another edition
3.0
What happens when we die? Chuck Grainger knows, and it's not always as it should be. Working for the Institute, he is tasked with helping spirits free themselves from a sort of limbo known as a Crossfade. When he is successful, the ghost may continue to it's destination. Handpicked as a young man, he has spent his best years in a strictly controlled environment, his physical body under hypersurveillance, mentally travelling to the weirdest places one could imagine. All in a day's work, until he is assigned to free Abigail.
I received an early copy of this book from Hydra through Netgalley. It contains two novellas, each following Grainger as he navigates the quotidian challenges of an Institute Whisk. Needless to say, some challenges rise darker than others and not all Crossfades contain mere innocents lost in the spectral woods. The Realms of the Dead are spooky enough and gory enough to satisfy a horror fan, but I did not always find the writing particularly compelling.
I received an early copy of this book from Hydra through Netgalley. It contains two novellas, each following Grainger as he navigates the quotidian challenges of an Institute Whisk. Needless to say, some challenges rise darker than others and not all Crossfades contain mere innocents lost in the spectral woods. The Realms of the Dead are spooky enough and gory enough to satisfy a horror fan, but I did not always find the writing particularly compelling.
mad_about_books's review against another edition
4.0
THE REALMS OF THE DEAD is portrayed as a collection of two novellas; however, if I had read either as a stand alone novella, I would have been terribly disappointed. The first novella, "Crossfades" is missing the resolution to a plotline that doesn't get addressed until quite far into the second novella, "Bleedovers." In my opinion, this should be sold as a novel that has two parts, as many novels do.
In reading "Crossfades," I felt that I was reading an early effort on the part of the author. Part of this was surely due to the not only unresolved, but cut off without further reference, to what appeared to be an important character in the story. "Bleedovers" exhibits an improvement in storytelling on the part of the author.
THE REALMS OF THE DEAD does offer an interesting view of what happens to some souls after death. It also has elements that will appeal to readers who have at least a passing fascination with conspiracy theories, secret underground installations, and the like.
I didn't find this book to be particularly fast moving, and in some instances it was quite plodding, until I was more than half way through "Crossfades." Although "Bleedovers" offers a more horrifying tale, it too seems pedestrian until quite near the end.
Overall, the writing is quite good, but I did find that there were many errors indicative of having used a spell checker without benefit of an actual reader who would have caught those out of place words so correctly spelled.
I downloaded this book from NetGalley in exchange for a promised review.
In reading "Crossfades," I felt that I was reading an early effort on the part of the author. Part of this was surely due to the not only unresolved, but cut off without further reference, to what appeared to be an important character in the story. "Bleedovers" exhibits an improvement in storytelling on the part of the author.
THE REALMS OF THE DEAD does offer an interesting view of what happens to some souls after death. It also has elements that will appeal to readers who have at least a passing fascination with conspiracy theories, secret underground installations, and the like.
I didn't find this book to be particularly fast moving, and in some instances it was quite plodding, until I was more than half way through "Crossfades." Although "Bleedovers" offers a more horrifying tale, it too seems pedestrian until quite near the end.
Overall, the writing is quite good, but I did find that there were many errors indicative of having used a spell checker without benefit of an actual reader who would have caught those out of place words so correctly spelled.
I downloaded this book from NetGalley in exchange for a promised review.
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