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A review by thefancifulreader
Salvage by Duncan Ralston
3.0
"Flock was the word that sprung to mind, and he found himself thinking: He tends to his flock like a shepherd."
Owen is a man who has been afraid of deep water since he was a child, without knowing why. When his sister, Lori, drowns scuba diving, Owen finds himself haunted by a figure from his past, and driven to discover long buried secrets.
This book had a very interesting premise and promised many of the things I love in my horror; ghosts, secrets, and an atmospheric location. It was unfortunately dragged down by an unnecessary romance and strangely provided information.
I overall enjoyed the story and the haunting, and the power the ghosts exerted upon the world. The haunting was fuelled by death, religion, and even a possible demon. Sometimes involving too many aspects in one haunting can diminish the impact, but in this case it worked well.
The location was a unique one. Instead of exploring a single, haunted house, we travel with Owen to a quiet, idyllic lakeside town with a dark secret and troubled waters. I enjoyed every moment of discovering more and more of the town and its inhabitants.
Unfortunately, my enjoyment of Salvage was diminished somewhat by the romance. While the romantic partner was fascinating, and a welcome presence, the romance felt forced, rushed, and honestly, creepy and unnecessary.
I also found myself confused on more than one occasion by what was driving the characters in their actions. Much of this confusion frustratingly stemmed from the fact that the author kept knowledge from the reader that the characters already knew. This works in some situations, but in this one, I think it impacted negatively.
Overall, I enjoyed the story of Salvage, and the writing style of Duncan Ralston, even with the negatives that I mentioned. And though it took me a while to get through this book, I think that was more related to my overall mood than the book. I would recommend it for lovers of horror, especially those who want more than just an angry ghost in their haunting.
Owen is a man who has been afraid of deep water since he was a child, without knowing why. When his sister, Lori, drowns scuba diving, Owen finds himself haunted by a figure from his past, and driven to discover long buried secrets.
This book had a very interesting premise and promised many of the things I love in my horror; ghosts, secrets, and an atmospheric location. It was unfortunately dragged down by an unnecessary romance and strangely provided information.
I overall enjoyed the story and the haunting, and the power the ghosts exerted upon the world. The haunting was fuelled by death, religion, and even a possible demon. Sometimes involving too many aspects in one haunting can diminish the impact, but in this case it worked well.
The location was a unique one. Instead of exploring a single, haunted house, we travel with Owen to a quiet, idyllic lakeside town with a dark secret and troubled waters. I enjoyed every moment of discovering more and more of the town and its inhabitants.
Unfortunately, my enjoyment of Salvage was diminished somewhat by the romance. While the romantic partner was fascinating, and a welcome presence, the romance felt forced, rushed, and honestly, creepy and unnecessary.
I also found myself confused on more than one occasion by what was driving the characters in their actions. Much of this confusion frustratingly stemmed from the fact that the author kept knowledge from the reader that the characters already knew. This works in some situations, but in this one, I think it impacted negatively.
Overall, I enjoyed the story of Salvage, and the writing style of Duncan Ralston, even with the negatives that I mentioned. And though it took me a while to get through this book, I think that was more related to my overall mood than the book. I would recommend it for lovers of horror, especially those who want more than just an angry ghost in their haunting.