liisp_cvr2cvr's reviews
990 reviews

Imago: A dystopia gothic by M. Zakharuk

adventurous dark emotional fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

Read as part of SPFBO10
 

Wow. Let me throw some keywords at you: gothic, academia, dystopian, love, family, horror, identity, power, conspiracy, violence.

We are introduced to Ada, the perfect main character for a dystopian setting. Intelligent, curious, unrelenting. We follow Ada to Tresor Institute, despite the potentially dangerous family ties, and it is in academia that the dark conspiracy hidden under society’s shining image unravels. A society where loyalty is questionable and lies are well hidden, and the reader doesn’t have to wait long to dive headfirst into dangerous action and violence.

The momentum of the story is relentless. It starts with a feeling of ever looming danger. It moves on, into a feeling of false sense of safety, to finish on a complete turmoil of emotions and metaphorical middle finger to the powers that be. Love will win. Individuality will prevail. The sum of all people is made up of single identities.

Imago started out really great – I absolutely adored the artistic, observant prose used to set the scene and create the feeling of atmosphere. It was cold, it was gloomy, it was melancholic. It did things to my soul that I very much enjoyed.  I wish the second half of the story would have kept a similar feel – though this is personal preference – but it made sense for things to come to a head and crescendo into chaos before conclusion. Imago has to be read. It’s difficult to put into words what it all could potentially be and mean to readers. It may shock with some horror elements, but it could also deliver a truly powerful metaphorical experience.

What does Zakharuk do well? I mean, all of it. The dark side of humanity. Love. Prose. People. Identity. The representation of accepting self and pushing back against the suffocating boundaries of society as well as the unethical over-reaching of the powers that be. 

Blood Woven by G.J Terral

adventurous emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes

3.0

Read as part of SPFBO10.

If I wrote a book, and it was my debut, and my name was G.J. Terral…. Well, then, I would be pretty darn proud. There are a lot of elements in Bloodwoven that appeal to a fantasy reader and personally, I enjoyed how the story as a whole held on firmly to the main character’s internal conflict.

It’s actually quite simple, what Bloodwoven is about. It’s about a soldier who suddenly finds one of his wards murdered, with the alleged murderer in his grasp. His task would be to deliver the alleged murderer to face justice. However, and this is where things get complicated pretty fast, should you always simply trust what your eyes see and what your superior tells you, or should you trust your gut and nagging feeling?

All is not as it seems, and Terral takes Bloodwoven to epic heights with some morally hardhitting questions. Whilst the characters debate over their beliefs, faith, and try to separate the right from wrong, there is no shortage of adventure, action and danger. The morally weighty questions we face throughout the book are just the thing for added depth.

Additionally, what makes this bookish treat stand slightly taller and straighter, is the magic system described. It’s a nice treat for any fantasy reader and in this case, not only does it come with some cool visuals, it delivers one of the biggest conflicts for our main character Lindel.

Yes, I did find the start a bit rocky, that’s likely on me, finding myself in a new world with new characters and what have you. But, the further along the story I got, the easier it went. Do I believe there’s room to improve? Sure. I think Terral’s writing and the setting of the building blocks of his story are solid – with some polishing and final touches, Terral’s books can go from diamond in the rough to, well, quality cut diamond.  

I commend G.J. Terral, he has something really solid happening here, and I believe that we are likely to see enjoyable titles from the author into the future.

Dawn of the Darkest Day by K.C. Woodruff

dark

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No

I read this book as part of SPFBO10.

Dawn of the Darkest Day promised to deliver dark fantasy romance. And, yes, the 50% that I read has exactly all of that. Fantasy elements. Dark, dark emotions and events – triggering events. Romance. Romance? Well, aside from the little, innocent love story Ara, our main female character, has before her forced marriage, there is no romance at least until the 50% mark. It’s all non-consensual, forced upon, not really wanting it kind of sex, mixed with consensual dalliance, and very – VERY – conflicting character emotions.

A bit about the story. We have Vayne Savant – an immortal king – and he is in the process of eliminating a whole race of people, when a frantic father arrives in front of him, asking Savant to spare his wife and daughter, Ara. In exchange for their lives, the father promises the king his daughter’s hand in marriage, and thus also a union of 2 countries. 5 years pass from when this agreement is struck and during these 5 years, Ara is enjoying her puppy love with promises of a future together with artist Stedd. Just before Stedd has time to formally propose, time runs out on Ara and she has to appear in front of terrible king Savant. She doesn’t know that she is to be married until she is literally getting married.

Savant appears to be polite in the first few exchanges and Ara is a paralyzed deer in the headlights. Thus starts one of the most verbally and physically abusive and emotionally most confusing relationships of all times. Savant has political ambitions, a busy man indeed, and he does not fail to remind Ara that he thinks her to be naive, immature and dumb. Ara, however, only thinks of how to escape said marriage and then starts to, I don’t know, hate-shag her way to a solution. The solution? Give the king an heir and in exchange, she will be free. Anyway – trigger warnings galore, okay? Aside from rape and verbal abuse, there is slavery, genocide, suicidal thoughts, and death. During all of the horrible things piling up, there is a war and Ara ‘fighting’ her way from a victim to someone who can be strong and free. She is meant to be intelligent, scientifically smart and innovative, but the character traits that are meant to make her shine are buried under abuse from her husband, and a side-dalliance from a kinder soul.

See, I am thinking this whole story or the characters are buried a bit too deep under ‘things’. Things that keep happening to them. Things for the sake of things. The characters simply become a series of unfortunate events and messed up, contradicting emotions. Granted, Savant was quite consistent in being cruel. Ara however, threw me for loops.

I do want to say, that the book starts out with some cool fantasy elements – the world that is being described, the different people and countries, there appeared to be a vision of a mysterious and beautiful realm. I wanted so much more of that, a lot less of the romance plot which was not at all pleasant to read what with all the verbal and physical abuse. The fantastical, mysterious, full of promise world was quickly left to the sidelines to focus on the relationships in between the characters whilst they battle through some political intrigue. The latter of which was a subtle undercurrent, yet again, overshadowed by the abusive relationship dynamics.

I did try to push through this story, but had to concede defeat. My main issue was that it felt like it was put together from 2 different angles: the story doesn’t quite know whether it wants to be mature or not. Some exchanges feel rather Young Adult, and then in the next moment, we’re in steam territory among turnips in the pantry, alongside the aforementioned abuse and self hatred. If you feel like you want to measure the cut of Savant and Ara yourself and find out exactly how morally grey things are, or aren’t, then do check this book out! And don’t forget to be prepared for those trigger warnings. 

The Stranger of Ul Darak by S.C. Eston

adventurous emotional mysterious medium-paced

4.0

Juuuust in case you skipped over the blurb of the book, I will draw your attention to it again. This is important. Read this:

“In an age long forgotten, nineteen hundred and eighty-three Seals were forged—magical disks placed around the world to repel the cosmic chaos beyond.

In the centuries that followed, the Sentinels were tasked with protecting those Seals. For countless generations, they succeeded.

Until now.”

Magical disks, cosmic chaos, Sentinels and now… all is going to pot. The premise, then, is simple: the world, as everyone knows it, is changing. It’s not a sudden, big explosion, that turns everything upside down, it seems to be a gradual, slow change manifesting through earthquakes, bringing devastation and destruction. A natural force, which a mere human is no opponent to. The focus of it all is a huge, looming mountain range. The people living on the one side of it believe there is nothing beyond it. This is the Final Horizon, guarded by a magical barrier, the place where world ends. And yet, a stranger appears through the gorge.

The Stranger of Ul Darak is *mind blown emoji*. It just feels like a whole Universe in between the covers of a book, or so it feels – that’s how vast is its plot.

This book is no lightweight! It covers everything. You will find out about the mountains, the Sentinels and how it works in their part of the world (their pecking order, their tasks, their magical abilities), you will find out about the village of Valdur (their daily life, their fears, concerns and relationships important to the story). Of course, the reader will meet the stranger and the young boy who takes him in.

The writing of this book is… just… natural. The story covers a lot but it never, not once, felt like a chore. I loved being immersed in this fantasy tale that had the huge task of introducing the things yet to come without info dumping.

The Stranger of Ul Darak is one of those fantasy tales that is as solid and as polished as it could possibly be. It feels like a finished product, ready for the bookshelves. It has a classical fantasy feel without graphic grimness. I mean, Eston manages to deliver a chonky, slow paced book, meant for enjoyment as the reader can get lost in the world and things yet to pass. And he does it whilst remaining accessible and suitable to even the younger reader. It has characters to whet the appetite across the board – your regular folk and the Sentinels, the kind people and those who act on their prejudice, and those who act on their fear. There is intrigue with the ancient magic, and mystery and impending sense of doom, without feeling oppressive. The seed for the sense of adventure and exploration is planted within this book and it is a story that you wish to keep reading. 

Glory to the Waxing Sun by Cooper Ward

dark mysterious fast-paced

4.5

 Glory to the Waxing Sun feels older than time. Ancient. Nordic, Celtic, Native. A mix of spiritual and holy, and a bow to the pagan ways. If there is darkness, then we must simply worship the sun.

In the tale itself, we have ‘the kid’ – our main character who is throughout the story referred to as ‘the kid’ even though everyone else has a name. He, alongside a couple of others, will become a houndsman, a sort of a priest, with an animal familiar, who tends to sun worshipping rituals meant to fight against the darkness. We follow The Kid as he matures and learns the ways of the world and yet not all secrets and knowledge is handed to him, some things he must find out for himself. He meets others who would have higher ambitions and he has to swiftly pick sides, and do what is right. It’s a simple tale, with some unexpected turns to the story, and it beautifully manages to keep the consistent atmosphere throughout.

It’s quite hard to describe it in a succinct manner. It was trippy, smoke-tent-deep-drums-interdimensional-kind of trippy, and it’s a story that could be told for generations. I must commend the writing as it was solid and consistent from start to finish. The prose was quite mature and complex in delivering the cosmic feel, the presence of something greater. At times it felt like a rolling fairy tale, enchanting and dangerous. Other times it was like a theatrical piece, with multiple palpable culmination points. It could easily be in the form of an epic poem, turned into an opera or ballet piece. With less than 200 pages, this story delivers dramatic tension and silent contemplation. It also delivers the simple fact that without sun we are nothing, and that a life sacrificed in honor of it is a given to fight the darkness.

I do not have any major criticisms to offer here. I enjoyed this story a lot and would implore others to check it out. 

Interplay: The Process of Interpersonal Communication by Russell F. Proctor, Ronald B. Adler, Lawrence B. Rosenfeld

informative reflective

5.0

A very well structured study book on interpersonal communications, on how every aspect of ourselves affects relationships and conflict situations, and I would say it's a valuable read as it helps to reflect and analyze. 

A Midnight Summer's Dream by William Shakespeare

challenging medium-paced

I... what? 
Must sort of accept defeat with this one. That was a bloody difficult read for me. I read it but it was difficult. There were so many brilliant lines, though. But at times, the language was a struggle... a lot of times. 

Violent Ends by Steve Stark

dark tense fast-paced

• Loveable characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Jeezus… Violent Ends was a god-damn wild ride. Gore? Yes! By the gods, yes. Cruelty? Tons. Nausea-inducing on the page graphic scenes? Yep, check. Sounds like all we need for a splatterpunk experience. Stark goes a step further. He makes things real. Too real. Stark has seen things, witnessed events and this is what makes these three stories even more harrowing – the link in between the real and fiction. When I read Stark’s afterword, I’m pretty sure it was like the 4th story in the book, except entirely real. So, Violent Ends? The book comes with all of the hazard warnings, trigger warnings, a simple “I’m telling you. This is a warning.” warning. Do NOT approach if you have a sensitive stomach, you can paint vivid images in your brain based on someone else’s word, you take offense to members of society being offended, etc, etc. Sirens blaring, red lights flashing, a audiovisual assault of the senses – Turn. Around. Now.

If you’re still hanging about, thinking – It’s okay. I can do this. I’m so going to read this book. Then by the gods, do buckle up for this descent to the depths of the very worst society has to offer. And you know what? The wild ride will be over way faster than you’d imagine. Violent Ends reads so fast! Stark writes neatly packaged stories, without waffling on yet still managing to give the reader everything. I have said it before, I will say it again, writing wholesome stories with less words is a skill.

“Spring-Heeled Jim”: a 30 something page story about Jimmy, which unravels slowly at the start, giving the reader a sense of “something’s not right” off the bat. Nothing about this story is nice. This story does make you wonder about how evil is born, is it within us from the very first breath we take or does it sprout and grow because evil is done upon us? Is it a mix of both? The fact is, once evil exists, there is not a damn thing that can be done to stop it. The host and the evil within will stop when breath stops. I might be waxing slightly poetic about the subject matter of this story, but make no mistake, this story is nasty throughout. Think serial killers, street thugs without a guilty conscious, vicious human beings with intent to do harm. Some die in the most gruesome ways, some continue to walk among the crowds. But the deaths are so damn graphic you can hear the bones cracking off the page.

If you’ve read A Hot Dose of Hell by Stark prior to Violent Ends (or if you go vice versa), you will recognize a couple of characters. Whilst the moment of recognition was “oh, heeeey!”, I think it can be called far from fucking pleasant.

 For he was the Spider, and this was his element. 

“Bigmouth Strikes Again”: Whilst I enjoyed all three stories for the clever approaches and writing skill, particularly, I have to say, this one was my favorite. It simply had so much cause and effect happening, the story was travelling down the hill like an 80 kg tractor tire, no stopping it, destructing everything on its path, and once it stops, and the dust settles, and all is silent, and the thing that had just ripped through everything living and breathing, it holds for a beat, expecting a huge round of applause. In this story, a great evil is unleashed due the selfish ambitions of a soulless human being. A lot of people get hurt. A lot. And it’s a god-damned mess, because once folks start to flee for their lives en masse, they don’t give a fiddler’s fuck at what cost. Again, Stark describes and demonstrates the human nature at its most nastiest side. The most selfish side. And all for… THAT ending. I laughed. Out. So loud. Because…

Imagine the idea of an ancient evil, having been stuck for a millennia, to finally be freed and ravaging through flesh and blood like the literal definition of starvation. Big plans to make Hell on Earth... only to find out, that's he's redundant! Because humans have successfully created hell on Earth all on their own. Imagine being the MOST feared demon ever... like ever-ever, only to find out, no one is scared of you anymore! What a twist! It's packed with nuance on humanity.

Anyway… this story made me really nauseous. Like, truly, awfully nauseous. And it’s rare that horror has this effect on me, because usually I keep my awareness about me where the line in between reality and fiction runs, but this story takes the cake. Ugh, my worst nightmares were described in painfully disgusting detail.

As far as some keywords about this story? Think of a redundant church, think of sin, a business man, a nightclub, hundreds of people wanting to party, an ancient evil, drinking, hunger, dying. Dying, dying, dying. Some of the notes I took during reading this story were as follows: LOL! DUDE! EW! Stark, I bet you had to watch some TOWIE to create that dialogue, sorry. DUDE! MEAN!

 Sniffing it in the air he cackled at his success – for crushing hope is the height of a good sport in Hell. 

“Nowhere Fast”: This story started out so sad. I was so pissed off and sad. You know, some people are just through and through evil. They’re psychopaths and no amount of trying to show them the way or rehabilitation is going to change them. So, truly, how does a society live this knowledge, that there is always danger from people who are simply, inherently horrible? It saddened me a whole lot finding out that yet again, Stark has drawn inspiration from real life experiences and events.

The story does take unexpected turns, however. There is a marital spat in the story as the Herbert couple is introduced and naturally, what they seem to be arguing over is beyond anything you actually think it is. I had a very set thing in my mind. And I was so wrong. Again, well done, Stark! Caught me there!

When in the first story the lines were slightly blurred into the morally grey area of who deserves to die for being evil, in this one, our bunch of evil-doers get served the sweetest revenge. Heck, I think it would have been a waste of opportunity for Belial himself to emerge and simply chew ’em up 😉 (IYKYK)

Yes! A lot of nuance from the characters, yet again. A lot of uncomfortable moments. A brilliant ending to this story, and perhaps even to this trio of stories. Maybe it’s meant to give all of the living some hope. There is something out there that can fight this evil after all?

 Across a lush green valley, the sun shone brightly, its warmth enveloping him as he hobbled onto the gravel path. Trees and hedgerows rustled their leaves in the gentle breeze. A squadron of honeybees hovered busily about the bluebells and poppies. And a distant clanking called his attention to the front security gate. 

Stark doesn’t just witness the world around him, he observes and absorbs and lives it. Maybe this is why these real stark horror stories are born. To reflect back, to process, to purge. Yes, damn it, Stark’s horror is so incredibly disgusting at times, it’s so incredibly horrific, but he also writes some of the most human characters and the reading experience is always a delight in a technical sense. So, yeah, if Stark writes it, I will read it. 

Soul Food by P.A. Sheppard

adventurous challenging dark tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

4.0

Irish mythology, the age old question about human soul, and horror –  Sheppard has taken 3 enjoyable elements and blended them into an enjoyable mix. 

It starts quite literally with a bang as Irish American Shane is on his first ever flight over to Ireland. He’s taken from plane to hospital where he lies in a very strange coma for 3 weeks solid. As he is starting to wake up, he can hear the nurses around him, but he can also hear another voice. A voice that can’t come from anywhere else other than his head. When Shane awakes, he has a lot of questions that need answers, and soon he discovers that his path has been set by blood, and that life and death are nothing like he thought they are. 

Soul Food, inspired by the great works of W. B. Yeats on Irish folklore, does not shy away from introducing mythical beasts and otherworldly beings. There is plenty of action to go around and overall, it reads like a pretty cool supernatural flick that could easily be a movie. This book is a neat package of life-changing revelations and doing what needs to be done in order to survive. Because, yes, things get dangerous and heated pretty fast as Shane navigates the mind-blowing new way of life and death he has been introduced. As per, there is no shortage of bad guys and the epic battle with the final boss is just that – epic! 

One of Sheppard’s strengths is writing great characters. The stories I have read by this author to date have been varied in their theme and the recurring element in Sheppard’s books have been great characters – good or evil, he just nails them. Shane, in Soul Food, is an ex-soldier who’s career path was cut short due to losing a limb. With a prosthetic leg and an occasionally triggered PTSD, Shane displays the appropriate amount of disbelief and equal amounts of stubborn gung-ho to evoke emotion in the reader ranging from sympathy to elation to attachment. 

300+ pages Soul Food might be, but I can say from personal experience that it reads way faster. Ancient bloodline, a network of fighters, mythical beings from Yeats’s pen, and souls that can tether themselves into the mind of a living mind – it can’t get any more supernatural than that. An engaging, fast-paced thriller in between good and evil, a premise as old as time, delivered from a viewpoint that human body is nothing but soul food and that our biggest fight comes right after we die. 

In the Lair of Legends by David Buzan

adventurous tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

5.0

 In the Lair of Legends is a fantastic book to read if you kind of like movies but you enjoy reading more. This book is a movie on paper, and damn, what a wild ride! Wild! When I first started the book, I got the western vibes, minus the cowboys. Instead, we have the US military and Jolon Winterhawk – “the most highly decorated Native American in the history of the United States Cavalry.” The story is set in 1873, and it starts on a train which carries gold. It takes very little time for the whole kit and caboodle to hit the fan, and it does so in epic proportions. What ensues is a bad to worse situation with a high body count and a show of tremendous power of will by Jolon. All of that, in the space of a very long, very quickly passing day! 

I think the start of the story is a great showcase of author knowing what he’s writing about. The weaponry descriptions are a dream to encounter for someone who is looking for something badass. I also have to mention that I learned something new. The US Army did in fact have a balloon corps! I never knew! The Confederate States Army had no less than seven (!) gas-operated balloons. Anyway, for the man in your life, dear reader, there is more to drool over when it comes to weaponry in this story. Like, revolvers and such, and era appropriate stuff, like the steam donkey. Amazing stuff, if you’re one inclined to discover new knowledge for yourself of the days gone by. 

Aside from the jaw-dropping and creative action scenes (of which there is a whole book-full), let’s not forget the star of the show: Jolon Winterhawk. I wouldn’t say he’s a man of many words. He’s more of a thinker and the inner-monologue keeper, and that gives him some really good depth as well as reveal his innermost struggles with all things at hand. I do like Jolon as a character – what he does say out loud is with purpose, followed up with actions, and what he thinks allows plenty for the reader to make a connection and take a liking to him. A man on principles and wit, a fearsome Native American warrior. 

Finally, let’s address the elephant in the room. The monster of myth that lurks in the shadows within this story. Well… lurks until it makes an appearance. The Nu’numic is a terrifying creature that rips off heads, strings humans up by their intestines and asks questions never. But why? What and who was the Nu’numic and was the awakening of the legends in correlation with the industrial revolution? Well, if the two are connected, then can we call the Ancient One a villain or a protector? Mighty intrigued by the concept. That said!!! Make no mistake, guts will be spilled and heads will be torn off, consider yourself forewarned! 

Whilst the first half of the book was building up to the point where the proverbial, although having already hit the fan, continued to amount through some scene setting, like a comfortable walk up the hill… some more problem-setting and such, then the second half of the book was one whole-ass (figuratively and literally) explosion of incredible action and breakneck speed. Heck, Jolon wasn’t too far from breaking his own neck or getting his own head torn off. 

There’s no argument, I really enjoy this type of read and I have only one thing left to say: this was absolutely frickin’ awesome. Thoroughly engaging, impossible-to-look-away-from horrors and hold-your-breath-sort of edge-of-the-seat reading experience. Top notch! Cannot wait for the sequel!