Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.23 AVERAGE
4.23 AVERAGE
My review of THE FEARING: FIRE AND RAIN can be found at High Fever Books.
In May, I was fortunate enough to hear John F.D. Taff read the opening chapter from book one of his serialized novel, The Fearing, at StokerCon 2019. It clearly establishes the character of Adam Sigel and his plethora of fears, and hinges on a remarkable twist that sets the trajectory for what follows. As Taff read the final words of chapter one, you could feel the momentous nature of the work itself and he left those of us in the audience completely wowed.
Reading it myself at home some weeks later, even knowing the reveal, it lost none of its impact. It’s still a sucker punch of a reveal — and it’s only the beginning of the book, damnit!
As much as the book’s opener works to set the stage, it also doesn’t adequately prepare you for what, exactly, The Fearing is or the sheer range of scope this story is being told through. As this is but the opening of a much larger work, Fire & Rain raises a whole lot of questions, ones that I want answers to immediately. By the half-way mark, I was already cursing the wait for Book Two, and wishing I could binge read the whole damn series, but such is the nature is good serialized fiction. And The Fearing is very, very good indeed. It leaves you aggressively wanting and demanding more, itching for your next fix.
At the core of it is a wonderfully imaginative premise, but one that also asks some scary questions of the reader. What are you largest, most secret fears? And what would you do if they started coming true? What if, on top of all that, you found yourself trapped in the nightmares of your friends and neighbors most frightening, awful, apocalyptic worries? Such is the issue Taff sets about exploring in this opening volume, and it looks like The Fearing is going to be a wonderfully epic, high-concept horror disaster story. It’s such a wonderfully delicious premise, and I’m eager to see where Taff is going to take all this as his story unwinds over the course of four novellas.
Like Stephen King’s The Green Mile, Taff and Grey Matter Press have opted to break up the story into a handful of character-driven narratives that will see release from July to November 2019. The schedule looks like this:
Book One: Fire & Rain — July 9
Book Two: Water & Wind — Aug 20
Book Three: Air & Dust — Oct 1
Book Four: Earth & Ember — Nov 11
Half the fun with The Fearing, of course, is in the painful anticipation! Hell, I’m already dreading September’s bye month...
The Fearing has been a long time coming (Taff, I believe, has been writing it on and off for five years) and the author, Grey Matter, and their readership have been doing a marvelous job of kicking the hype machine into full gear over the last several months. Thankfully, this is one of those rare instances where the final product (or, at least, part one of the final product) fully lives up to, and exceeds, the hype. And now, thanks entirely to Taff, I’ve developed a new phobia and now find myself slightly afraid the world actually will end before I get to finish the story.
In May, I was fortunate enough to hear John F.D. Taff read the opening chapter from book one of his serialized novel, The Fearing, at StokerCon 2019. It clearly establishes the character of Adam Sigel and his plethora of fears, and hinges on a remarkable twist that sets the trajectory for what follows. As Taff read the final words of chapter one, you could feel the momentous nature of the work itself and he left those of us in the audience completely wowed.
Reading it myself at home some weeks later, even knowing the reveal, it lost none of its impact. It’s still a sucker punch of a reveal — and it’s only the beginning of the book, damnit!
As much as the book’s opener works to set the stage, it also doesn’t adequately prepare you for what, exactly, The Fearing is or the sheer range of scope this story is being told through. As this is but the opening of a much larger work, Fire & Rain raises a whole lot of questions, ones that I want answers to immediately. By the half-way mark, I was already cursing the wait for Book Two, and wishing I could binge read the whole damn series, but such is the nature is good serialized fiction. And The Fearing is very, very good indeed. It leaves you aggressively wanting and demanding more, itching for your next fix.
At the core of it is a wonderfully imaginative premise, but one that also asks some scary questions of the reader. What are you largest, most secret fears? And what would you do if they started coming true? What if, on top of all that, you found yourself trapped in the nightmares of your friends and neighbors most frightening, awful, apocalyptic worries? Such is the issue Taff sets about exploring in this opening volume, and it looks like The Fearing is going to be a wonderfully epic, high-concept horror disaster story. It’s such a wonderfully delicious premise, and I’m eager to see where Taff is going to take all this as his story unwinds over the course of four novellas.
Like Stephen King’s The Green Mile, Taff and Grey Matter Press have opted to break up the story into a handful of character-driven narratives that will see release from July to November 2019. The schedule looks like this:
Book One: Fire & Rain — July 9
Book Two: Water & Wind — Aug 20
Book Three: Air & Dust — Oct 1
Book Four: Earth & Ember — Nov 11
Half the fun with The Fearing, of course, is in the painful anticipation! Hell, I’m already dreading September’s bye month...
The Fearing has been a long time coming (Taff, I believe, has been writing it on and off for five years) and the author, Grey Matter, and their readership have been doing a marvelous job of kicking the hype machine into full gear over the last several months. Thankfully, this is one of those rare instances where the final product (or, at least, part one of the final product) fully lives up to, and exceeds, the hype. And now, thanks entirely to Taff, I’ve developed a new phobia and now find myself slightly afraid the world actually will end before I get to finish the story.
DNF at 50%. Interesting premise ruined by poor writing and cliches.
The whole high school plot line made me feel like I was reading Twilight. I think this paragraph says it all:
"Sarah was definitely NOT that kind of girl. She was a strict under-the-radar flyer. She wasn't always wearing makeup. Her hair wasn't always done, her clothes not the latest fashion. She was rarely photographed, even by herself, and she had few friends interested in snapping selfies with her."
This is in contrast to descriptions of the cheerleader/popular girl.
Additionally, a woman in the book who is strong willed and opinionated is basically described as a harpy.
John Taff needs to take off his fedora and take a class on writing women/writing in general.
The whole high school plot line made me feel like I was reading Twilight. I think this paragraph says it all:
"Sarah was definitely NOT that kind of girl. She was a strict under-the-radar flyer. She wasn't always wearing makeup. Her hair wasn't always done, her clothes not the latest fashion. She was rarely photographed, even by herself, and she had few friends interested in snapping selfies with her."
This is in contrast to descriptions of the cheerleader/popular girl.
Additionally, a woman in the book who is strong willed and opinionated is basically described as a harpy.
John Taff needs to take off his fedora and take a class on writing women/writing in general.
I'm really looking forward to writing up my review for Cemetery Dance. I have so many feelings! So many thoughts! I'm actually dying inside that this book is scheduled to be released in 3 more parts after this one--trust me, when you finish book one, there will be a book-sized hole in your heart where the rest of the story should be.
Anyhoodles,
Recommending for fans of epic, apocalyptic horror like The Stand and Swan Song. Also people who love characters you can latch on to--stories that ignite your drive to binge read!
Okay, shutting up. More later. Full review soon! (I think Book One comes out early July)
Anyhoodles,
Recommending for fans of epic, apocalyptic horror like The Stand and Swan Song. Also people who love characters you can latch on to--stories that ignite your drive to binge read!
Okay, shutting up. More later. Full review soon! (I think Book One comes out early July)
Good start to a great concept. What happens if the world can’t contain the deep amount of fear it has any more?
8.5 on the Richter scale out of 10
8.5 on the Richter scale out of 10
"He was too much of the world, and the world was too much of him."
The Fearing: Fire & Rain was my introduction to John FD Taff. Sometimes I have a hard time getting invested in post-apocalyptic stories, but this one grabbed my attention. I think this is the first time I've checked out a serial novel, and I'm definitely interested in seeing how it turns out. I'm very curious to know what is going on, and I can't wait for the next installment!
The Fearing: Fire & Rain was my introduction to John FD Taff. Sometimes I have a hard time getting invested in post-apocalyptic stories, but this one grabbed my attention. I think this is the first time I've checked out a serial novel, and I'm definitely interested in seeing how it turns out. I'm very curious to know what is going on, and I can't wait for the next installment!
A creepy and excellent start of a longer work that’s been serialized. Because it’s only the first part, the ending leaves you hanging... but also wanting for more. I will be reading on with this series.
The Horror event of 2019 officially kicked off in July, with the release of The Fearing Book One: Fire & Rain. John F.D. Taff has unleashed part one of an apocalyptic serial novel that will have readers enthralled until the final page.
With book one, Taff introduces us to a handful of well-written characters. We witness the onset of the apocalypse through the eyes of a trio of teenagers, a group of elderly people on a bus to Phoenix, and a man named Adam who is somehow central to these events. There is no one event that signals the end, rather a multitude of cataclysmic events seemingly playing off of different fears. The book itself is beautifully written, with Taff skillfully weaving together scenes of destruction and death that will burn themselves into your retinas, becoming imprinted into your mind. Due to the serialized nature of the book, it starts off fast and never lets up. You could easily read this in one sitting, and trust me, you’re going to want to. Taff ends Book one of The Fearing with a bang, leaving the reader eagerly anticipating book 2.
With book one of The Fearing, John F.D. Taff is on track to have horror novel of the year nominations thrown his way. If the writing on display in the pages of book one is any indication, there’s no reason to believe we shouldn’t expect anything but greatness from the rest of the serialization. Taff puts on a masterclass of both apocalyptic fiction and serial novelization. Bring on Book Two.
5/5 stars
Review originally posted on The Night Worms Blog
With book one, Taff introduces us to a handful of well-written characters. We witness the onset of the apocalypse through the eyes of a trio of teenagers, a group of elderly people on a bus to Phoenix, and a man named Adam who is somehow central to these events. There is no one event that signals the end, rather a multitude of cataclysmic events seemingly playing off of different fears. The book itself is beautifully written, with Taff skillfully weaving together scenes of destruction and death that will burn themselves into your retinas, becoming imprinted into your mind. Due to the serialized nature of the book, it starts off fast and never lets up. You could easily read this in one sitting, and trust me, you’re going to want to. Taff ends Book one of The Fearing with a bang, leaving the reader eagerly anticipating book 2.
With book one of The Fearing, John F.D. Taff is on track to have horror novel of the year nominations thrown his way. If the writing on display in the pages of book one is any indication, there’s no reason to believe we shouldn’t expect anything but greatness from the rest of the serialization. Taff puts on a masterclass of both apocalyptic fiction and serial novelization. Bring on Book Two.
5/5 stars
Review originally posted on The Night Worms Blog
This dark, catastrophy-filled series is off to a fantastic start!
This is my first time reading something by Mr. Taff and I'm really enjoying his writing.
I'd be zooming through the 4 books but I'm buddy reading other things this month. So, I'll have to take my time with these. I really don't mind though as I get to savour them.
I might adjust my rating when I'm done with the series and I have the complete picture. I doubt my rating will go down though as this is a compelling story.
This is my first time reading something by Mr. Taff and I'm really enjoying his writing.
I'd be zooming through the 4 books but I'm buddy reading other things this month. So, I'll have to take my time with these. I really don't mind though as I get to savour them.
I might adjust my rating when I'm done with the series and I have the complete picture. I doubt my rating will go down though as this is a compelling story.
3.5 stars
I've got mixed feelings about the series.
I really liked the writing and got to care for many of the characters. This last book got really dark in some parts and brought more heartbreak.
I was trying to think about what it is that didn't make me love it.
The author mentions having to shorten the story. I think it would have been better if it had been longer as I wanted to get to know some of the characters better and feel their journey and their pain more.
All in all though, this series was very enjoyable and I'll definitely be checking more works by this author.
I've got mixed feelings about the series.
I really liked the writing and got to care for many of the characters. This last book got really dark in some parts and brought more heartbreak.
I was trying to think about what it is that didn't make me love it.
The author mentions having to shorten the story. I think it would have been better if it had been longer as I wanted to get to know some of the characters better and feel their journey and their pain more.
All in all though, this series was very enjoyable and I'll definitely be checking more works by this author.
Curiouser and curiouser!
The strange happenings continue and it's quite a ride. The ending of Book 2 broke my heart...
The strange happenings continue and it's quite a ride. The ending of Book 2 broke my heart...