Title: The Dark Game Author: Jonathan Janz Genre: Thriller, Suspense Publisher: Flame Tree Press Publication Date: April 11, 2019 Blurb: Ten writers are selected for a summer-long writing retreat with the most celebrated and reclusive author in the world. Their host is the legendary Roderick Wells. Handsome, enigmatic, and fiendishly talented, Wells promises to teach his pupils about writing, about magic, about the untapped potential that each of them possesses. Most of all, he plans to teach them about the darkness in their hearts. The writers think they are signing up for a chance at riches and literary prestige. But they are really entering the twisted imagination of a deranged genius, a lethal contest pitting them against one another in a struggle for their sanity and their lives. They have entered into Roderick Wells's most brilliant and horrible creation. The Dark Game. FLAME TREE PRESS is the new fiction imprint of Flame Tree Publishing. Launched in 2018 the list brings together brilliant new authors and the more established; the award winners, and exciting, original voices. My Review:
Overall: 4 out of 5 Stars Cover: 3 out of 5 Stars ***Disclaimer: These views are my own opinion. I will always recommend people to read the novel and form their own opinion. I loved everything about this book. It gave me the feeling of Clue meets Stephen King. At first I wasn't sure how I would go into it when reading the start of the novel. It seemed to move a bit slow with cliche dialogue and "oh move on already" scenes but as I read further, I found myself pleasantly surprised. Again, I won't bother going into the synopsis simply because the blurb does so well at outlining the plot of the story. Immediately, I felt like I was drawn into a written game of Clue. As an avid fan of the board game, I had many verbal "ah-ha" and "I knew it" moments, which I have come to love in mysteries and thrillers. What truly won me over was the sheer beauty of the author's voice. This novel had a gorgeous use of voice. Something I rarely see and crave in today's horror. It is a treat to see such wonderful imagery and deep characters. If you've followed my reviews, you know I crave deep, flawed characters. This book delivered so well, I will definitely return to the author's other titles. I identified with Rick and Lucy on such a deep level which does not happen for me often anymore. However, the lack of world-building hindered the novel greatly. While I adored the character depth and suspense, the world itself lacked as much care as the characters. Another thing that bothered me was some of the dialogue. It seemed forced and unnatural. It became difficult at times to tell who the speaker was. BUT! All in all, this book, guys...I can't recommend it enough. I enjoyed it thoroughly despite the few technical errors (which let's face it, authors are human. Reviewers need to remember this). Mr. Janz, you have another lifelong fan. You are a true storyteller. Something rare in these modern times. Thank you NetGalley for the ebook. Goodreads // Amazon // Website
1 Comment
Grace Henley
11/10/2019 05:53:09 pm
Beneath London's Fog Looks Like a Fantastic Read!
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AuthorMy name is Iona Caldwell. I'm the author of the British Occult Fiction, Beneath London's Fog set to be published by FyreSyde Publishing October 2019. When I'm not busy weaving worlds of the arcane and dark, I'm spending time out in nature. I love books. My biggest inspirations are H.P Lovecraft, Stephen King, Neil Gaiman and Edgar Allen Poe. I blog about many things but mostly everything bookish. Archives
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